I've had weird / horrible urethra discomfort for years now and really need help

So quick backstory, I'm female and early 30s I have always had utis growing up and weird irritating feelings around my urethra (although when I was younger I didn't know it was that area and assumed it was genital). These weird symptoms and bladder genital problems continued and I was always too embarrassed to mention it to anyone. When I was 26 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and was honestly secretly relieved as I assumed this could be to blame as my thyroid had fully stopped working and been struggling for years. I had a full thryoidectomy followed by radioactive idodine (RAI). But things didn't get better they actually got 10x worse. After the RAI the bladder pain, urgency, spasms and horrible urethra discomfort intensified, It got to the point where If I had anything with sweeteners in it would flare my urethra within 20 minutes. After my local urologist diagnosed me with IC I ended up seeking out a specialist urologist. I've been seeing them for 2 years now, was diagnosed with a chronic UTI and have been taking antibiotics and hiprex, which I do have to admit did help a lot of the symptoms. But not the urethra discomfort! Literally any time I have a bath or shower ir flares (I don't use any soap so its not that) my period always flares it, and sweeteners do the same. I'm really getting miserable as its such a horrible feeling! I've been diagnosed recently with lichen scelrosus and don't know if that could be causing it? I use lidocaine gel and instillagels an buscopan which occasionally helps. I'm really just looking for anyone else who has experience this or might have an idea on what it could be?

Thank you in advance! xx

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