link for a Naturopathic approach to IC

[massagedoula]

I just got in contact with another IC patient in my town who is my age through a mutual friend. Talking to her has helped me immensely with my fears. She is treating her IC with a Naturopathic Doctor, and she said that for the last 6 months she was been getting better and better due to a variety of suppliments. She gave me the name of the ND that wrote the article that her ND was basing her treatment off of, and I found the actual article on the ICN site! THANKS GUYS!

I wanted to post the link to it because it is fascinating.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_2001_Feb/ai_70777335

I had been recommended many of the same suppliments by other IC patients on the boards as well as a well known herbalist who was my teacher when I was at school (who also has IC!) but I never knew the dosages.

I plan to try this regimen, I will contact a naturopath in my area to work with me on it....I feel so relieved, after seeing uro after uro and not getting anywhere. I really like to have a professional guide me through things in the beginning. It has been hard for me w/o a supportive doctor for these last 10 weeks.

I am just really excited about this article, as you can tell.

[Janie Miranda]

Looks like a really interesting article massagedoula. I read it and would be interested in seeing how you do on the supplements. Keep us posted!

I just started on Elmiron and so I don't want to add anything else right now because then i wouldn't know if it was the Elmiron that worked or something else but I am very interested in a more natural approach too.
Janie

[ScottR]

Massagedoula: I am also going to pursue the Naturopathic approach. In my state they
are licensed just like MD's. I have a Naturopathic Medical school and center in my area. I did go to a URO last month and got my first diagnoses for IC. I have had a flare
3 times in 15 years and no Dr. ever mentioned IC. My URO wants me to do the Elmiron, Vistral, Fomax, Alogonot and Diet therapy. Diet and PreRelief have made a major difference. I know there is a big diet connection for me since my first flare started right after I changed my diet radically.

I am only doing the Algonot/ CystoProtek and the Diet. My next step is the Naturopath.
For a Naturopath in your area go to WWW.Naturopathic.org.
ScottR

[diane57]

Massagedoula, thanks for the link! Fascinating article. Hope you get a great result with this approach!

[Portia17]

hi guys

I read the atricle and very interesting. I also read the changes we should do but I don't understand how to do it.

Please let me know

Thanks

[massagedoula]

What didn't you understand, Mary? Perhaps I could help clarify things if I can.

[Portia17]

massagedoula

I did not understand about certain things they put there that we should take? I don't know lol. What stuff should we take?

Thanks

[massagedoula]

Oh, like about the suppliments? Well, I have found all those suppliments in my health food store or online. I bought a "trial" bottle of each. So here's what I will do. First I will take one suppliment for a week. Then, if no bad effects, I add another the next week, and so on...Right now I am doing my trial of Desert Harvest (I am also using things that are not on the list like the aloe) and then if I tolerate it well, I will add the Quercitin/Bromelain/Buffered C (non-acidic, so it says) next week, and then go from there.

I made an appt. with a Naturopathic Doctor too, even though I am doing it by myself, so I can be under guidance and care while I try this. I will tell her what I plan to try and ask for her reccomendations or feedback on it.

Right now I am taking:
Fish oil capsules (2 a day-lowest reccomended dose)
Desert Harvest (4 a day-working up to 6)
George's Aloe Juice (still trying to find out if it is OK to take with the Desert Harvest)
Marshmallow Root tea (as needed)
Prelief (before questionable foods)

and that is all. As you can see, I am taking this very slowly, so I don't get worse from too much stuff at once.

Next week I will start the Quercitin/Bromelain/Buffered C OR the Cystoprotek, I have not decided.

Yes, it is expensive, but it is just like medicine, I feel that once I find the right combo, then it will be just maintanence doses, right now it is just trial and error.

I need to go do a massage now....so if you have any more questions, please post or PM me.

Also, for those on the boards who are not that into a natural approach to IC-I am NOT saying that everyone should do this...it is just something that I feel personally much more comfortable with, rather than going with the instillations, Elmiron, Elavil, etc....I have ALL those perscriptions in my filing cabinet, I just choose to not take them yet until I know if I can control my symptoms with a natural approach.

I am better this month than last and so on...but I don't feel cured or normal by any means. I just realize that this all takes time, it is hard for me to rationalize that, but once I came to peace with that fact, I feel ready to SLOWLY try this protocol.

[sydney42]

Thank you for this--I am also interested in pursuing a naturopathic approach--am also considering acupuncture--has anyone had any success with that? Also, Massagedoula, I was wondering where the ND you mentioned is located? I thought I saw on another thread that you are in my state, Washington?

[poetgirl]

Thanks for sharing this article. I am interested in, and have incorporated some, naturopathic approaches to treating my IC. (Calcium Citrate, Magnesium, MSM, Glucosamine/Chondroitin and Flaxseed Oil.)

My problem is laziness -- I get tired of taking so many pills each day! However, I would love to eventually wean myself off Elmiron and Elavil, and hope that if I can stick to a naturopathic treatment method, it may be possible. I think everyone should do what works best for them, so I would never advocate a medicinal approach over a naturopathic approach and vice versa. It's just nice to know there are other options out there.

[Portia17]

poetgirl

I have asked this question before. The stuff you are taking how much of it do you take a day and where do u get it from

Thank you

[poetgirl]

Mary,

You can purchase all of these items from your supermarket or pharmacy (CVS, Walgreen's, etc.) in the vitamin/supplements aisle. Except for Citracal, I don't stick with any particular brand, although Nature Made is pretty good.

The dosage is indicated on the bottles. I usually go with that, although a naturopath might recommend a specific dosage as part of an overall treatment plan.

- Calcium Citrate (Citracal - brand name)
- Flaxseed Oil softgels
- Glucosamine & Chondroitin Complex tablets
- MSM capsules
- Magnesium tablets

Hope that helps. I will let you know in advance that this supplement treatment can be expensive, and unlike prescription medicines, is not typically covered by insurance. In my case, I happen to be fortunate in that I can have a set amount deducted pre-tax from my pay each month to set aside for reimbursing prescription co-pays and over-the-counter remedies and supplements. A lot of times, stores will run 2-for-1 sales on vitamins/supplements -- take advantage of that whenever you can and stock up! :)

[massagedoula]

Sydney,
That Naturopath that wrote the article is in Portland. I was give the article by someone else, I did not see that ND personally (however..maybe not a bad idea!) I took it to a local ND and said that I wanted to start this approach. It turned out that the author was one of her teachers at school, so she was receptive to that. However, I don't think I will be able to to the whole approach, because I have a history of cold sores, so the L-Argenine may bring them out, as it feeds the herpes virus.

My ND gave me the N-Acetyl-Glucosamine for now, she wants to start slowly. I have not taken it yet, because I am going for my first chiropractic appt. today and don't want to start 2 things at once. The good thing about going to an ND is that the suppliments they use are superb quality, so you know they do not cotain any allergens or fillers.

Sadly, I tried acupuncture. I went to 3 differerent practioners, and had a total of about 8 treatments. I was not helped, but I still feel that it was because none of the 3 I went to understood about IC...or whatever it is that I have.

[sydney42]

Thanks for your feedback about the ND and acupuncture treatments. I feel hesitant to try anything that is going to require MORE dr appts and money (and isn't covered by insurance), and doesn't seem to have good odds of working. I hope your chiropractic treatment and work with the ND prove helpful.

[sydney42]

P.S. Wow, just briefly looked at that article and it looks great! Thanks for the link.

[sydney42]

Massagedoula and others,
Wanted to let you know that I just went to see the naturopath, Jane Guiltenan, at Bastyr clinic in Seattle. She seems to know what she's talking about and has treated many patients with IC. Also, she's friends with Tori Hudson, the woman in Portland who wrote the article on naturopathic treatment approaches that you gave us the link to, Massagedoula. She put me on the "IC Blend," which has some ingredients in common with, but does not overlap perfectly with, the Algonot Plus that is sold here in the store. The IC Blend has: (per capsule--I'm supposed to take 6 a day)
Vitamin A 2500 iu
Bioflavonoids 500 mg
L-Arginine 500 mg
Quercitin 400 mg
N-acetyl glucosamine 300 mg
Corn silk (zia mays) 300 mg
Oregon grape root (berberis aquilfolium) 170 mg

She said that the corn silk, which is not in the Algonot Plus, is good for pain/inflammation, and that the Vit A is important for rebuilding mucous membranes (i.e., bladder wall).

She said that I should expect to see some results in a month, and by results she means not just symptom relief but being able to reintroduce some of those problem foods! Boy would that be great!!! So, I'm gonna give it a try--and I liked her, for those of you who live in Seattle area and are looking for an ND. I'm also going to see another ND, Cynthia Buxton, in a couple of weeks, just to comparison shop--I'll let you know how that goes too.

Hope all are doing well or at least coping--

Syd

[massagedoula]

Thank you so much for posting that. I just had a follow-up with my naturopath and she ordered me the same "IC Blend" to try! Right now I am taking many suppliments individually
-Glucosamine Sulfate (another form of Glucosamine) 500mg tid
-Beta Carotene from mixed carotenoids (precursor to Vit A)-25000IU daily
-Kyo-dophilus probiotics
-Kyolic Garlic
-MSM 1000mg bid
-Desert Harvest Aloe (I can only tolerate one a day, but hope to go up soon)
-Calcuim/Magnesium Citrate (this I put myself on for burning, from the recommendation of someone on the boards)

I was taking Quercitin but I stopped because I thought I might be sensitive to it. I will restart it next week and try again.

I was also taking L-Argenine but I stopped it on personal choice. The naturopath was unhappy that I stopped it, as she says that it is really good for IC. I stopped it because I was afraid of re-activating the herpes virus in my body (it gets activated by argenine) and also because I found out that mycobacteria live on argenine, so I want to get checked for mycobacteria in my bladder before I start taking it again. But I am just being really hyper-cautious. I still think that Argenine is very helpful.

I have been taking this for about a month now and I am not better, but I can see a difference from this time last month.

I should get my "IC Blend" soon and I will give it a try after I run out of the suppliments I am currently taking. I am also trying to find a non-acidic Vitamin C I can tolerate. So far no luck but I really want to find one....maybe you can ask your next ND for me? :)
Keep me posted on how you are doing!!!!!!
-Emily