Is there a connection between ic and urinary tract infections (utis)?

A Leaky Link: Interstitial cystitis (ic) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lining of the bladder wall. No one knows exactly what causes it but it can certainly be exacerbated by urinary tract infections. Many homeopathic remedies aim toward controlling inflammation and infection risk by making the urine contain certain by-products of natural metabolism. Such phenomenon is seen with cranberry juice.

Possibly: Some patients report a long history of utis before developing ic. On the other hand, bladder lining is damaged with ic leaving subject at increased risk for developing a UTI if and when bacteria gain access to the bladder. Sometimes difficult to work out which came first.