IF I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH IC TODAY, HERE’S WHAT I’D DO DIFFERENTLY
(KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW ABOUT CHRONIC UTIs)
I know that moment well. Being told you have IC, or that your tests are “normal” but your bladder clearly isn’t, can feel incredibly confusing.
You want answers.
You want relief.
And most of all, you don’t want to make things worse by doing the wrong thing.
Having been told I had IC myself, and later understanding it was a chronic UTI, this is where I would start.
If you’ve been told everything looks normal but you still don’t feel normal, this blog post will help you understand what’s often missed and where to start instead.
1. YOU DON’T NEED TO LINK EVERY SYMPTOM TO A FOOD
First, I would stop analysing every symptom and linking it to something I ate.
When the bladder is inflamed, it becomes sensitive. Not every sensation is a trigger food. Constant monitoring keeps the nervous system on high alert, and that alone can make symptoms feel louder.
2. GO BEYOND STANDARD URINE CULTURE TESTS AND DIPSTICKS
Next, I would look beyond standard urine culture testing, including broth cultures, and make use of modern methods such as PCR or NGS testing. While these approaches can be useful in some situations, they still rely on growing bacteria under laboratory conditions and don’t always reflect the full picture of what may be present.
I would want to understand whether bacterial imbalance or hidden bacterial reservoirs (for example in the vagina) were being missed, and work with someone who understands how to interpret urinary and vaginal microbiome results alongside symptoms, rather than in isolation.
Because testing alone doesn’t give you answers, interpretation does.
3. NOURISHMENT, NOT RESTRICTION
I would focus on nourishment, not restriction.
More protein. More colour. More nutrients.
A depleted body struggles to heal and fight infection, no matter how careful the diet looks on paper.
And despite what many people are told, acidic foods are not acidic to the bladder. During digestion, acids are neutralised and foods rich in minerals (fruit and veggies) help buffer acid before urine is produced - long before anything reaches the bladder.
The goal wouldn’t be avoiding more foods, it would be giving your body what it needs to recover.
I’ve written more about why acidic foods are often misunderstood in IC and bladder pain here, if you’d like a deeper explanation.
4. EAT TO SUPPORT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM BEFORE CHASING FOOD TRIGGERS
Sleep, nourishment, and stress load all influence how the immune system functions. A well-supported immune system is better able to deal with infection and reduce the risk of recurrence. Sometimes this also includes targeted supplements that are often unnecessarily feared in IC spaces.
If this is already starting to make more sense, I explain this step-by-step in my free training, How to Find Lasting Relief from UTI Symptoms (Without Another Prescription) — including why symptoms can continue even when tests look normal. You can watch it here.
5. STEP AWAY FROM YES/NO FOOD LISTS
I would step away from strict yes/no food lists. Food is a powerful ally in healing IC and chronic UTI, not the enemy. Fruit, vegetables, and balanced meals support recovery. Cutting out more and more foods rarely resolves a missed infection, and it often leaves the body more depleted and more fearful around eating. When food becomes something to avoid, the body stays in survival mode, and healing becomes harder.
I followed the IC diet myself for a long time, and it didn’t move my healing forward. It kept me stuck in fear around food. I don’t want you to feel you have to go down that same path.
6. PELVIC HEALTH PHYSIO
I would consult a pelvic health physio experienced in bladder pain. Pelvic tension and subconscious clenching are very common when pain has been present for months or years. Treating trigger points intra-vaginally, and then retraining the pelvic floor helps the muscles respond normally again. This work takes consistency and patience.
For many women, pelvic tension develops as a response to ongoing pain rather than being the original cause but addressing it can become an important step towards comfortable intimacy and a pain-free sex life again.
7. PROTECT YOUR ENERGY AND SLEEP
I would protect my energy and sleep like it was treatment and I’d be careful about the spaces I spent time in online. Not everything you read about IC is factual, and constant exposure to fear-based information can keep the body on high alert.
8. STOP SEARCHING FOR THE “ONE”
And finally, I would stop hoping for one quick fix, supplement, or single treatment. IC and chronic UTI symptoms are rarely caused by just one thing. It’s usually a combination of infections, immune health, nervous system sensitivity, pelvic floor function, and overall body load. Healing comes from piecing the right parts together.
And for many women, that’s the turning point.
Not cutting out more, or trying harder, but finally understanding that IC and chronic UTI symptoms are complex and multifaceted.
Being told your tests are “normal” is often where people get stuck, when in reality it’s just the beginning of asking better questions.
If you’re feeling lost right now, you don’t have to figure this out alone.
The next step is to watch my free training: How to Find Lasting Relief from UTI Symptoms (Without Another Prescription), where I explain why symptoms can continue even when tests look “normal” and what actually helps move things forward.
