Riverdale star Lili Reinhart, 28, reveals shock health battle with 'mystery' chronic disease
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Lili Reinhart has revealed she has been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis amid a lengthy health ordeal.
In an interview with Self and on her Instagram, Reinhart opened up about the diagnosis and health issues - and why it made 2024 her hardest year yet.
'Being diagnosed with interstitial cystitis while simultaneously searching for answers about a mysterious autoimmunity/inflammatory disease made 2024 the hardest year of my life,' she posted to her Instagram on Thursday.
Also known as bladder pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis 'is a condition that causes long-term pain or discomfort in your bladder and abdominal area, along with urinary frequency and urgency,' according to the Cleveland Clinic.
During her interview with Self, the Riverdale star, 28, revealed she has been suffering from mysterious symptoms for the past four years that have led doctors to believe she is either suffering from an autoimmune disorder - however they are uncertain which one it is - or the lingering effects of a past infection.
And over the summer, she began experiencing symptoms similar to those of a urinary tract infection that ultimately led to her IC diagnosis.
Lili Reinhart has revealed she has been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis
Reinhart decided to share her ailment after her grandmother, Corine Reinhart, was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. Corine passed shortly after Reinhart's interview with Self was conducted.
'I was inspired to talk about this after my grandmother was ignored by doctors for months when exhibiting clear symptoms of cancer- and it was only after her own strength and advocation for herself that she was given a blood test that diagnosed her,' she posted to Instagram.
'And by then, the cancer had spread. The most important thing I have taken away from this experience is the absolute need to advocate for your own health. Do not let a doctor gaslight you or diminish your pain. I hope the men & women out there struggling to find answers feel even the slightest bit seen by my experience.'
The post was accompanied by various photos of Lili at the hospital, doctor's offices, along with text messages sent to friends about her health battle.
The actress candidly described her health battle in an interview with Self magazine.
'No one ever knows what that is when I talk about it,' Reinhart told the publication. 'But my urogyno is telling me so many women have this, and that’s why I think it’s as important as it is to just be like, "Hey, I’m dealing with it too."'
During her interview, Lili opened up about the health issues she had been experiencing the past four years, which began after she came down with COVID during production for season five of Riverdale.
The weariness worried her doctors. 'She was like, "Your chronic fatigue is suspicious, and you’re sleeping for 13 hours on the weekend when you can and taking naps. This isn’t normal."'
She contracted COVID-19 at least three times, and the fatigue grew worse with each infection.
The post was accompanied by various photos of Lili at the hospital, doctor's offices, along with text messages sent to friends about her health battle
Over the years, the actress had 'vials and vials' of blood drawn to pin point the issue. Her medical team have attempted to eliminate the possibility it could be various autoimmune disorders but have yet to reach a conclusive answer.
In 2022, she began grappling with guy issues and mysterious weight gain, and underwent tests for Celiac disease and the autoimmune disease Crohn's.
'I’ve done all of them,' she told the publication. 'And my gut’s still like, "Hey, b**ch, you got something. You just can’t figure out what it is."'
During this time, she also began suffering from an eating disorder.
Reinhart shared photos from her doctor's office visits
During her interview, Lili opened up about the health issues she had been experiencing the past four years, which began after she came down with COVID during production for season five of Riverdale
'I really don’t like looking at season six imagery or pictures, because I know that 99% of my thoughts were about my body,' she explained. 'I was a thousand percent just disassociated through that entire day or scene because my entire inner dialogue is just… ‘Your body’s changing."'
Reinhart also began experiencing hair loss earlier this year. 'I went to my dermatologist because my scalp was also getting kind of itchy. She was like, "Yes, it's alopecia,"' she explained.
But her health troubles intensified while Reinhart worked on a film in Germany this past July.
Reinhart began experiencing symptoms of a UTI, went to a hospital on her own at four in the morning, where she underwent a urinalysis.
She said her IC diagnosis - on top of searching answers for an autoimmune disease - made 2024 her hardest year yet
Reinhart's post included text message screenshots illustrating her health battle
Doctors discovered a 'slight infection' and she left with her antibiotics.
However, her discomfort did not stop. Reinhart continued experiencing an urgency to urinate - a symptom of a UTI - and returned to the hospital twice more, believing she had a UTI.
'The second I’m done peeing, I still feel like I have to pee, but my pee is showing up with no infection,' she said.
Reinhart's health issues escalated over the summer when she thought she had a UTI while filming a movie in Germany, prompting her to go to the hospital at four in the morning
Reinhart said the symptoms would occasionally disappear before reappearing thanks to the medicine. She ultimately sought help from both her gynecologist and urologist once she returned to Los Angeles before meeting with a urogyno specialist.
Reinhart underwent a cystoscopy, which determined she 'no tumors, no cysts, just a lot of inflammation.'
'It’s like you almost hope there’s something in there so you can remove it and feel better,' she said.
Now, however, she has answers. Lili's doctors believe she is suffering from interstitial cystitis, and she has begun undergoing weekly bladder instillations to treat the symptoms.
