Soap opera star reveals her struggle with chronic condition

It’s a condition with no known cause and one that is commonly misdiagnosed. Its symptoms are often mistaken for other urologic and gynecologic disorders, such as endometriosis, urinary tract infections and overactive bladder.

Interstitial cystitis, or IC, is a painful bladder condition characterized by pain in the pelvis, back, bladder or thighs, coupled with the need to urinate frequently or urgently.

After a six-year battle with IC, actress Melody Thomas Scott of the daytime TV show “The Young and the Restless” has revealed her personal drama dealing with IC. “I had never heard of IC, yet I had all the hallmark symptoms,” she said. “I had to get help; the pain was getting unbearable.”

Thomas Scott saw many doctors, several of whom even suggested that the pain could be psychological.

“I was shocked and angry that my pain was characterized this way,” she said.

Thomas Scott’s story is typical of the frustrating experiences shared by other IC patients.

“It was such a relief just to get a diagnosis and be treated,” she said. “Others aren’t so lucky. For some, getting a correct diagnosis can take years. And we don’t even know how many more people could be suffering undiagnosed.”

That’s why, for the first time, Thomas Scott has publicly revealed her battle with IC as part of “All About IC,” an educational campaign conducted on behalf of Ortho Women’s Health and Urology, a division of Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.

“I want women to know that there is help and treatments are available,” she said.

For more information on IC, treatment options and a tool to help locate a doctor in your area who can diagnose and treat IC, go to www.AllAboutIC.com.

This story provided by NewsUSA.