Tonight I Ate Something And I Am Not Doing Good

[johannabreanna]

i just found out i have ic and i have had it for 4 years and am now learning all this new stuff. its amazing what a bladder can do to u and how it affects your life. i had monzerlla sticks and pastrmi i cant spell but its a sandwich with cheese and mustard. i am in pain now. and i am wondering if eating that flared my ic up. i also have ibs. so i am learning to tell which one is flaring up. i have limits to what i can eat or what i am not supposed to eat for ibs. now i have to worry about what i can and cannot eat with ic now this is really fustrating me royally. my stomache was soo bloated that i looked 3 months preganant and i showed my husband and he couldnt believe it. when my ibs flares up the same thing happens and gas and pain like labor and contipation. i read someones post tonight about how they feel captive by this illness and want to escape from it. well i feel the same way. i am willing to learn about this illness and how it affects me and what i can do to control it and find medications to help. tonight i had to take oxicoton generic meds to help with pain. i feel like i am in labor and i feel the pain in my vagina. and i am now aware of different symtoms that i have been having for 4 years and pain and differrent symtoms i am aware of what is what. i am grateful for this site to help me when i am discouraged. its been so long that i didnt know what was wrong now i do and i can go forward with this even though i am mad and want to sit in the corner or a cave and hide from my bladder or go on a permitnet vacation from my bladder. i talked with my husband today and asked for his support and just comfort me when i need it and i told him i know you cant take this away but just your love and attention will help. its fustrating when you have ibs and there is no cure just ways to deal with it and maintain it so you dont have flare ups but what sucks is i never know when i am going to be sick from this. now i deal with this ic all the time. no breaks. i wonder what i did wrong to get this. i know for years i didnt take care of myself and i have had a life long of stress and depression for many years. i wonder getting ic was a result of that. i know i got the ibs from that. anyway i can keep talking your ears off. but thanks for your support here and your great posts i enjoy reading them. thanks johanna holman

[kadi]

HI Johanna,
If you don't have issues with needing to restrict your sodium, you might want to try a half teaspoon of baking soda in 8 oz of water. Or try a couple of Tums antacids. Sometimes those can calm a food related flare. Some people find a heating pad helpful, some people prefer an ice pack. You might want to check out the patient handbook section of this website. It's got lots of info on diet & self help strategies.

Wishing you a better day tomorrow!
Hugs,

[Joyaur]

ALSO TAKE three or four tablets of PRELIEF..it will greatly help you calm your flare...also I find that taking in more water than usual will help

[ICNDonna]

You'll find information on the IC diet in the Patient Handbook at http://www.ic-network.com/handbook/ Mustard is one thing many ICers cannot tolerate --- aged cheese is another. I hope you feel better very soon.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[Katrina]

I recommend some non prescription gas meds....I take them and boy do they help....I also recommend some Pepto Bismo. I too deal with IBS and IC and I know it sucks trying to figure out both diets at once .....When IBS fares it can make IC flare which can make IBS worse and so on BIG OUCH. I eat Beano before I eat all the time....because gas is a huge enemy....hope you feel better soon.

[VickiB]

Sorry you're feeling so bad. Try the baking soda, tums, or Prelief, and increase your water intake to kind of knock down the pain.

I don't think you did anything to cause your IC! I bet we're all asking that 'why me?' question though. Perhaps if they could figure out that answer we'd be closer to a cure!

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Vicki

[Annie2]

So sorry to hear you are having such problems! The others gave you good advice for dealing with your flare.

Unfortunately, you did ingest several things that could have caused your flare. Did you have a marinara (tomato-based) dipping sauce with the mozzarella sticks? Anything with tomato is a big problem for most of us. Pastrami is a highly seasoned beef and those seasonings include red pepper and cloves that can be problems for many of us. The meat is also cured, smoked and cooked. Smoked and cured meats can also be problems for an ICer. What kind of bread was used for the sandwich? Some ICers cannot tolerate rye. Also, some breads contain soy flour and preservatives that are tough on our sensitive bladders. Aged cheeses can be problematic, too. Then there was also the mustard on the sandwich. Whew! It's amazing how many irritating things can be contained in one simple, innocent-looking sandwich!

Hang on as this WILL pass and you will feel better. As the others suggested, drink lots of water, try Tums or Prelief and a heating pad or warm bath might help ease your symptoms, too.

I know doing both an IBS and IC diet is tough. There are several here who are dealing with both and I am sure they can offer you many tips.

Take care and I hope this flare will pass very quickly!

Annie

[Sarojini]

I feel your pain... I deal with IC and IBS too and it can be a real problem deciphering what foods I can eat sometimes. However, I do agree that you shoudl check out the IC Diet section of the Patient Handbook (Donna gave you the link) and start working with that. It's really trial and error, as everyone is different. It took me a while to figure out what bothers me, but in the end it's worth it!

[songbird7]

I'm so sorry for your pain. I am flaring all day and tonight myself. IC diet is important for many of us. I used to bring foods to work that caused so much problem unknowingly. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I am sorry you have IC and everyone here.
(((( ))))
Songbird

[green_the_fish]

:grouphug:
I hope your flare ends soon. It's okay to vent and be angry at your bladder, I do a lot of the time! I hope your flare ends soon...
:pray:

[Dixiefireball]

Oh hon i'm so sorry you are flareing these ladies has gave you some great advice.
I hope you feel better soon!
please check out the website Donna gave you its GREAT!
sending you hugs and prayers
Rhonda :grouphug:

[Miki]

I too am dealing with both these issues. I have had IBS since childhood.
It caused me to close down, and not want to do things. Eventually, when I hit 16 or so the doc gave me som librax, which did nothing but put me to sleep. (I was a "virgin" med person at that time!)
The IC came on in my late 30's.

I now feel as if I am agroaphobic. I didn't even want (and I didn't ) go to my son's 28th birthday dinner. He choose a pizza place, and I just haven't felt comfortable sitting up for any length of time, I need to lie down. WHY is this???!
And I have not been on any diet except a high fiber one.

I eat those high protein bars, granola types. They are low in everything, esp. sodium, so it helps keep my Menieres at bay.

I have fiber cereal for breakfast, but hardly eat anything else durning the day,

I am sure this is not a good diet, but it keeps me regular, and that is important, plus I don't have to cook. (I had it)

But I am so tired all the time.

I spent the last 6 weeks battling chronic things. Started with Meneires, then went to like a cold in chest, coughing and whezzing, then layrangitis, then my bladder flared! I took 6 weeks to feel better, but after 3 days of good days, I had a short flare on Fri.

I am SOOOO TIRED. I don't understand. I do understand the pills that make me tired, but I have dealt with that, I just don't understand why I should be tired, and not want to do anything again.
Just crawl in bed and sleep or read.

I am tired all the time.

Are other's on here feeling the same way>?

Miki

[Myli]

Like you, I often ask what did I do to cause this? I think it is because this feels like a punishment. I'd like to know what I did to warrant this punishment.

But, logic tells me that I didn't do anything. This is biology and living beings have very complex biological ecosystems. I do believe that stress over time can cause our bodies to become susceptible to disorders like this. I lived with stress for many years. I find stress to be one of the things that can happen that will cause a flare in a very short time. For me, it can follow within minutes or hours of a strongly stressful event. When I told my urodoc that, he seemed to disbelieve that stress was a cause of flares. I like my doctor a lot, but I do think he has some blind spots. :rolleyes:

If you find a way to take a vacation from your bladder, please post it!!! I'd give my urinary system away free.... When I was young, I had a lot of allergies, mainly to air borne things. I always said they should invent wash and wear lungs and nasal passages, so I could take the annoyed ones out and wash them. I'd be happy to send my urinary system out for repairs, though I doubt they are still under warranty. :lmao:

Miki, you are presenting symptoms, especially the tiredness, that I was having. I believe your body's ability to deal with the problems that IC and other ailments present, is strongly related to having the proper nutrition. I suspect your diet is insufficient to keep you in good health. My dietition was horrified to read my diet. She told me I was skirting malnutrition and showing signs of loss of lean muscle mass. This is a bad thing, needless to say.

She worked with me to create a diet to accomodate both my IC and hypoglycemic needs, that also provides all the components needed to keep me in good health. (I took her a copy of the diet in the handbook. But, she already knew what we were dealing with in terms of diet.) It has made an amazing difference in my life. I am no longer tired all the time. I can again exercise regularly when I am not flaring. However, I do not have to cook anything at all. I am a non cook. If it can't be nuked, I eat it raw or cold. :rolleyes: So you can work with a dietition to accomodate not cooking.

Because of the ic and hypoglycemia, seeing the dietition was covered by insurance. You might check yours to see if it would cover such.

/hugs
Myli

[ConnieM]

Miki, you may want to get your iron levels tested. You sound like me when I was anemic. The dietician sounds like a good idea also...

Another thing to consider is you may be depressed. You have so much going on in your life that can be hard to deal with, and depression can make you tired and unwilling to do anything.

I hope you find an answer that can help you feel yourself again!

:grouphug:

[Miki]

myli, and connie:
thanks for the posts: I know my diet sucks, I am just trying the best to keep my bowels regular. It takes so much fiber to do this. I like the granola bars and the cereal, and I have one semi decent meal a day.
I have never eaten correctly: being a Ballet dancer causes one to really scrimp on food, and eat at weird times. I am still in that mode, and after 48 yrs. I really have no desire to try to change my eating patterns, as far as time.
I used to have almost no breakfast at all. Just toast and coffee. If I ate more than that I would look fat in company ballet class. Can't afford to look like that.
Then at "lunch break" I would have almost nothing but a drink.
Again, can't be full or even partly so, cause it would show when rehearsing.

Finally, on performance days, I would have a really light dinner at about 5 pm.
performance at 8pm then over by about 10-11pm.
After performance, that was when we could eat. And we did. I would have either salads or hamburgers, or something that was a real meal.

When I taught, I still had the coffee and toast for breakfast. (I hated feeling full or starting the day with food, because I would not stop eating all day! The starving syndrome thing)
I would have a plate of pasta for lunch at 1pm or so. A power nap at 2-? hours.
Teach from 3:30pm till I got home at about 8:30or 9:30pm.
Then the family would sit around the table and talk while I ate my dinner.

I have never had normal eating hours....
So, to have a "dinner" at 9 pm is very normal for me. For my Hubby, he likes to eat at 6 or 7 pm.

When I began teaching here, I gave him a choice, he could cook for himself to eat at 6pm (I was not there), or wait till 9pm when I was home, and could cook.
He chose to cook for himself and the kids.
I would have the leftovers.
Now kids are no longer part of the routine, and I am still not eating at an early time.

As for blood work. It is fine. The main concern is that my calcium levels are too high. this indicates a disease of the para thyroid. Hopefully, it will just keep being watched, and will not leach calcium from my bones.

Anyway, thanks. I don't think I would be really open to a dietitian. I don't know why, I just think it is someone who will show me another aspect of my life in which I have no control. And being a control freak, that is not a great thing for me. I think the person who would work with me, would probably be really good for me. I just don't want to expend the effort or the money.

I never will feel myself again. Besides the IC and the other chronic stuff, I am getting older, and slowing down. My daughter does things really fast, the way I used to be.
Now, I see no reason to rush, and to live on adrenaline again.
I am a stuborn idiot!!! LOL.