Bladder and kidney pain is a special kind of relentless. There is the burning every time you go, the urgency that makes you map every bathroom in town, the deep flank pain of a stone that arrives without warning, or the long, misunderstood ache of interstitial cystitis. It is hard to work, travel or sleep around it.

In these groups you will find people who understand the small logistics as well as the big worries. How to get through a work day with urgency, what a stone actually felt like as it passed, which drinks seemed to make a flare worse, what questions got them taken seriously at the clinic. They are not doctors, and they will say so, but they are good company on a bad day.

Which group is right for you

• Acute Cystitis Support & Recovery: for sudden bladder infections and the burning, pressure and urgency that come with them, including recovery after treatment.
• Interstitial Cystitis Support Group: for long-term bladder pain syndrome, where diet, flare patterns and finding a knowledgeable specialist are constant topics.
• Kidney Stones Support & Recovery: for anyone who has had or is passing kidney stones, covering the pain, the waiting and prevention of the next one.
• Painful Urination Support & Relief: for burning or pain when urinating that has not yet been explained, and for comparing notes on what tests others needed.
• Pyelonephritis Support & Relief Group: for kidney infections, which are more serious than bladder infections and often leave people drained for weeks afterward.
• UTI Pain Support & Relief: for urinary tract infections, especially the recurring kind, and the frustration of getting them again and again.