PH level & IC???

[C_Lynnie]

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what role that your PH level plays with IC. I spoke with a woman that said it was important so I bought the test strips. I am a little confused :confused: about the whole thing. I thought that I would be definetly acidic but the readings keep showing Alkaline. It showed a 7.6 & then a 7.8 I thought with the 7.8 Id be close to dead! lol Not sure I understand the whole deal with this so if someone could fill me in that would be great. Thanks a bunch! ;)

[mbhbarb]

You can learn more about this by reading the pH Miracle by Robert Young. I also heard pH could play a role in bladder pain so I read the book and changed my diet last Spring. I was very acidic and have to work hard to stay even neutral. In my experience, it doesn't make much difference what my pH level is with regard to bladder pain level. It matters much more what I eat. The IC diet has been a huge help in that respect.

I also do the pH Miracle diet and adhere to the basic idea that raw foods are good for me, but I do it for general health not because I think it helps with IC pain. I'd be interested to read what other people's experience has been with this.

barb

[jen74]

This is a big debate with the PH thing. For one, your urine PH will change depending on what you are eating/drinking.
A year and half ago when I first started getting IC, I thought it was an infection, and I drank a ton of cranberry juice, and I mean pure cranberry juice, not that cocktail crap. Of course this put me in agonizing pain. I went to my doctor the next day and had my urine cultured again, and she said my urine was extrememly alkaline. That is funny since you would expect it to be the opposite after drinking all the acidic cranberry juice.
Really weird. I am not sure I even trust those paper strips to be that reliable even.
Jen

[C_Lynnie]

Thanks for your input. I talked with someone who "believes" that the reason Im so Alkaline is because I take Prilosec everyday for acid reflex. It makes sense but who knows if its really the case. I hope to find one of those herbal people that can straighten me out. Im just looking to go in a better direction health wise and I am checking all directions if ya know what I mean.:) By the way, mbhbarb, Do you feel that book was helpful? Do you think the diet has made a difference health wise??

Well once again Thanks! Cherie

[mbhbarb]

C_Lynnie,

I started the pH diet in June. It begins with a cleansing diet. That is pretty restrictive but I think it did me a lot of good. Now I follow the diet the best I can while still adhering to the IC recommendations and, unfortunately, omitting things that aren't compatible with the candida diet until I can get rid of a stubborn fungus infection I got after procedure in September. Good things I think I get from the diet:
- I have a ton of energy
- If you need to lose weight this is effective
-Probably the best thing is that I am completely free of all of my digestive issues. No more IBS symptoms, no excess stomach acid. I am off of the Prilosec and Zantac.

This book sets forth a theory about the interrelationship of food and health and disease. They have their own food pyramid (house actually) that is quite different than the one the FDA recommends. If you are interested in learning about alternative ideas for health, you may find this worth reading.

Shelly Young, the author's wife, has written two companion cookbooks. Many of the recipes are too spicy for people with IC, but they can be modified and they are still quite good.

I am not sure about a connection between IC symptoms and the pH diet. I've had bladder pain when my urine was acidic and I've had bladder pain when it was alkaline so based on my experience I would not say definitively that it has had a positive effect in that regard.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your research. Please feel free to pm me if you want to know more.

barb