A trainee teacher who suffered agonising cystitis for 17 years has managed to get her condition under control - by cutting out pizza and alcohol. Sarah Carr said for years she felt like she needed to go to the toilet 50 times a day - but urinating was like 'passing razor blades.' The now-23-year-old  was bullied at school by children in primary school who told her she should 'wear a nappy' as she ran for the loo. Teachers thought she was making up her symptoms to get out of class and doctors didn't know what was wrong with her. At seven years old (left), Sarah Carr, now 23, began suffering pain and a frequent urge to urinate. As she got older (right) she began needing the loo 50 times a day, but said urinating was like 'passing razor blades' In 2013 she was finally diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, a chronic form of the condition which does not respond to antibiotics and can be hard to treat . But finally, it emerged she had the serious condition interstitial cystitis, which causes recurring pain, urgency, a need to pass water frequently and a burning sensation when passing urine. After reading leaflets about her condition she found a surprising cure: cutting out some of her favourite foods – including pizza and sweets. Interstitial cystitis is triggered by inflammation of the bladder wall, which can follow childbirth, surgery or repeated bouts of bladder infections, though sometimes there is no known cause. While most cases of cystitis clear up on their own or with antibiotics, interstitial cystitis does not respond to the drugs and can turn into a painful long-term condition that is hard to treat. Miss Carr, of Hull,  chose to speak about her intimate problems to let other women suffering from the same illness know they were not alone. Her problems started when she was in primary school, when she could barely sit through a lesson without feeling a desperate urge to urinate. She said: 'I had the burning sensation like you're about to burst constantly. 'It was nearly every day. Interstitial cystitis causes recurring flare ups of discomfort in the bladder and pelvic area. Like regular cystitis, IC sufferers experience an urgency and frequent need to urinate. But the condition doesn't respond to treatment with antibiotics, because it is not caused by a bacterial infection. Around 400,000 people in the UK suffer the condition. More than 90 per cent of these cases are in women. The condition is commonly diagnosed around the age of 40. What causes IC? Researchers are not clear on the causes of the condition. There is a school of thought that believes the illness is inherited. It is also thought to be linked to other conditions including irritiable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. Another theory is that one of the protective layers of the bladder wall may 'leak' in people with IC, allowing chemicals in the urine to irritate the bladder. People with IC often have small areas of scarring, stiffness or bleeding on the wall of their bladder. Lifestyle changes can ease the symptoms . It is possible to reduce the symptoms by making some lifestyle changes. How is IC treated? There is no single treatment, with each sufferer finding different therapies helpful. Treatments include: . Source: NHS Choices . 'I got the urgent need to go to the loo, several times every lesson. 'Teachers would say no, thinking I was messing around. 'I'd do whatever I could to distract myself – cross my legs, drum my fingers on the desk, chew my pencil and bite my nails. 'But the urge to go would just get too much and I would run for the door. Other children would say, "you should wear a nappy".' When she was seven, Miss Carr's mother Tracey Carr, now 50, took her to an urologist who failed to find anything wrong with her. 'I thought it might be in my head,' Miss Carr said. 'As I got older, I tried cutting down on the amount I was drinking, but it didn't help. 'I was still dashing for the toilet 50 times a day. Even after I'd been, I'd feel a burning desire to go again fewer than five minutes later. 'It was excruciating though and felt like weeing razor blades. 'It was exhausting.' As she got older, she said she would spend nights out clubbing with her friends queuing for the toilets instead of on the dancefloor. Long car journeys also filled her with dread. In 2013 she was finally diagnosed with the chronic bladder condition interstitial cystitis, for which there is no known cure. While it's more common in women over 40, it can affect younger women, too. Miss Carr said the diagnosis brought little relief because she had hoped doctors would be able to help her. 'It causes recurring and intense pain in the pelvic area, as well as an increased need to urinate,' she said. 'I knew I couldn't live with it forever.' While there is no cure for the disease, making lifestyle changes is thought to help ease its symptoms. The Interstitial Cystitis Association advises people with the condition to stop consuming caffeine, chocolate, carbonated beverages, citrus drinks, and foods with high levels of vitamin C. Spicy foods and artificial sweeteners can also aggravate the bladder, although the charity warns that specific combinations of foods and drinks will act as a different trigger for each person. Miss Carr decided to try cutting out some of the recommended foods to see if her condition improved. She said: 'I cut out everything that could trigger a flare up including alcohol, spicy food, plus anything high in sugar or fat, like pizza. 'These were all my favourite foods, but I was amazed to notice my condition improved. 'I still needed to use the toilet more often than most people but I wasn't sprinting off to the loo as much. 'It became less painful to urinate.' She is still learning to live with the condition, and still has to plan long journeys and nights out. She said: 'When I have a flare up, I do have to dash to the ladies 50 times a day. Miss Carr found cutting out pizza, spicy foods and alcohol allowed her to manage her symptoms. She said: 'These were all my favourite foods, but I was amazed to notice my condition improved' 'I have to plan long journeys to make sure there are plenty of toilet breaks and when I go out with friends, I'm always the sober one. 'I'm at college training to be a teacher, but realistically I don't know if I'll be able to do it as a job. 'Dashing to the loo every five minutes would be a nightmare.' Other sufferers have had catheters fitted, or even had their bladder removed when no other treatment options have been successful. But for now, Miss Carr believes cutting out trigger foods will allow her to live a near-normal life. 'I'm not ready to go that far just yet,' she said. 'For now, I've accepted this is me.' For more information, visit The Cystitis and Overactive Bladder Foundation www.cobfoundation.org or call 0121 702 0820.
Sarah Carr needed to go to the loo 50 times a day and urinating was painful . In 2013, she was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis - which has no cure . Tried cutting out alcohol, spicy food and pizza to see if it eased symptoms . Found changes to her diet made the painful condition more manageable .