interstital cystitus/ painful bladder

I suffer from interstital cystitus/painful bladder syndrome. I don't know what causes it or how to get it under control. Last year it was so bad that I had to run to the toilet virtually every minute so much so that I became dehydrated and had to be on a drip for 4 days. I also had to have the hydrodystention under general anaethestic. This I feel helped with some of the pain. Unfortuanately I had an allergic reation to the cystitat.

Thank you very much for your kind message. Heve you managed to get much help for this condition? I saw the consultant last year but she told me there is only four forms of treatment for this condition. 1. general anaethestic and hydrodistention 2. cystistat 3. amytriptillan 4 removal of the bladder. The first one I feel is quite extreme and difficult to get an appointment for. I can't do the bladder instillation as I had an allergic reaction to this. The amytriptillan is an anti depressant and because I have IBS and GORD I can't tolerate this drug. Furthermore the side affects of this drug are so bad that I would have difficulty doing my job if I took it. The last option is abviously not really an option. Is there anything that can be done for the pain because I find it difficult to concentrate with this continuous pain which does not get relieved when you go to the toilet. I was really bad with this for about 7 months last year until the pain finally went away. How are you managing this condition?