According to a report on Urology Today, researchers have found clinical links to Painful Bladder Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis & other chronic disorders, such as Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, Lupus, and generalized autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren’s Syndrome.
The article states:
“Van de Merwe has studied 110 unselected BPS/IC patients and was able to make a diagnosis of SS in 7.2%. Another 19% met 3 of the criteria for SS and would be diagnosed as having Sjgren’s-like syndrome. Thus 25% of the patients in his IC population have a definite or probable diagnosis of SS. Autoantibodies which occur in 70% of patients with SS were found in 12.7% of his BPS/IC patients. These occur in less than 1% of healthy controls.”
“In a very interesting review, the author carries his observations one step further. He notes that the strong association between BPS/IC and SS in combination with evidence of a pathogenic role of autoantibodies to the M3 receptor warrants further exploration of a possible role of antibodies to M3Rs in causing early symptoms and later local inflammation in BPS/IC. “
Another theory that Interstitial Cystitis is a part of other chronic illnesses has been proven. This is something that I have believed all along, as I have always thought my CFS, FM and IC were all related illnesses.
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