How to doctors know if you have interstitial cystitis? what is the range of cost for tests? i don't have insurance but have every symptom. i am fearful of costs but want relief!

Dx of exclusion : All other possible diagnoses have to be evaluated and excluded to arrive at a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis. There is no one test that will diagnosis it.

Clinical judgement: Interstitial cystitis is a clinical diagnosis and does not require any partyicular tests . Tests are required only to rule out other conditions that have close presentation , like uti, cancers ... If there is any suspicion . Therefore at least in theory your costs would be only an office visit to a doctor.

Interstitial cystitis: Most common symptom is painful urination, that gets better with small urination voiding and recurs with bladder filling. A simple urinary analysis is all that is needed for lab testing. Most times there's no need for treatment since this is not a sign of more severe disease. Avoiding certain foods can help including caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, and carbonated beverages.