Glucosamine 500mg/ MSM 500 mg - 2 Week Update

[futurehope]

During the first week or week and one half, I had some setbacks requiring me to do something about the pain so I could sleep at night. I do not like taking the AZO, so I took a tranquilizer (klonopin) instead, and that helped me sleep through the pain. The first week my bladder still felt irritated all the way through to the urethra.

Keep in mind, I've pretty much been eating whatever I feel like.

I'm now beginning week two. I have not let any of the pain "glitches" distract me from my intended course. I am currently taking 3 glucosamine/MSM per day, one at each meal.

I have also added on a 500 Ester C (I've been very much neglecting this vitamin), and I feel like I have way more energy. I suspect strongly that I was heading towards scurvy because of how much better I feel while on this vitamin. A few months ago, I wouldn't have tolerated it.

Update: I'm making progress and intend to stay the course. I will not begin Elmiron if my supplements get me to where I want to be.

Note: I am not posting this to urge anyone else to do what I've done. After much trial and error with meds and "food deprivation (self-imposed)", I feel this is the right course for me. Each person has to decide for themselves along with doctor input, which course or action to pursue in taming the IC.

Peace.

[Sally939]

I am happy you are making progress with your IC. It is hard, but I think it is important to remind our selfs and others that while IC does not go away it can be controlled. Some go into remission and others treat there IC to where they feel a lot better. At first I really felt like this was my new life, a life of pain. my doctors kept saying IC will not go away. So I felt I needed to except that. It was this site that taught me to be patient and that I would feel better it time.

[gopher7895]

futurehope...glad to hear you're doing well. I'm taking MSM/glucosamine and quercetin but they haven't helped yet. Hopefully they will and I can get off Elmiron at some point. I tried stopping Elmiron last week but the pain came back fast. I noticed in your signature you were diagnosed with small intestine bacterial overgrowth. What treatment did you do for that? Did it help? I was just diagnosed with that last week and am waiting to hear from my doctor about treatment. Hope all continues to go well for you...Sue

[glassd18]

I don't know why, but I flared when I took the glucosamine/MSM. I took Natural Factors brand. They are suppose to be some of the best products because they have no fillers, preservatives etc..., but I still flared anyway. I'd love to hammer through the pain to find out if in the long term it might help, but I can't take the flare that comes with it.

[futurehope]

I think that the fact that you were diagnosed with SIBO will be a great help.

My doctor prescribed Rifaxamin 2 pills 3 times/day for 10 days. Some people stay on a small dose of erythromycin to keep the bacteria in check. I could not tolerate that antibiotic.

So, I take two probiotics/day for the same purpose - to populate my intestines with the correct bacteria and keep the other ones from overgrowing.

Anyhow, once I got my SIBO under some semblance of control, I could eat more foods without bloating and cramps. I believe if my intestines are doing better, my bladder does better. Just my opinion.

I'm glad you're sorting this all out. Sometimes understanding our bodies is like trying to understand a riddle wrapped up in an enigma?!

Patience and persistance is the key to finding a useful treatment.

It's hard to have either of those when you're in pain.

BTW, during my "year-long" stint of following the IC diet, almost everything would make my bladder hurt. I decided that for me, the diet was counter-productive and not helping me heal.

I do not want anyone on this forum to think that my way is the only way. Anything that helps you is what you need to do, and if that includes medicines, so be it.

Peace.

[formom]

gopher7895---i noticed you do acupuncture NAET--does that really help? I scheduled an appointed with a NAET practicioner and then cancelled because i was not sure what to expect or if it would really benefit or not. Very confused. I was always curious about this and never knew if anyone tried this route. Please let me know. Thanks, Renee'

[gopher7895]

I know the whole NAET thing is confusing and I hesitated doing it myself. I can say I feel better since I started having it done in September. My IC pain is pretty random and I can't usually figure out why I'm having a flare. Maybe it's simply a coincidence and the NAET isn't why I'm better. Who knows but I'm sticking to it.

The woman I see is very intuitive and calming. She can tell by muscle testing what my allergies are. So far she's been right and I try not to tell her too much because I want to test her instincts. The last time I went I was cleared of vitamin C. For 25 hours after I needed to avoid certain foods and I accidentally ate the wrong thing around hour 23. She knew right away from the muscles testing that I cheated. That blew me away! Feel free to pm me if you have more questions...Sue

[gopher7895]

Thanks for your response. I was reading about different antibiotics used and it's helpful to know what worked for you so I can be more informed when I see my doctor. I'm hoping my IBS will improve once the SIBO is treated.

I like your attitude and open mind. Having IC is so frustrating since there's no one treatment that's successful for everyone. My doctor convinced me to try Elmiron after 5 months of supplements wasn't helping. I wanted a natural alternative to medication but it got to the point where my pain wasn't allowing me to function anyway near normal and I had to do something different. I'm better now but my goal is to be medication free at some point. It's encouraging to hear you're doing well. Keep us posted on your progress.

[futurehope]

I DO believe that the IC diet helped manage my pain symptoms, as I'm sure it does for others.

The problem I have with the diet is that it was not healing my ongoing irritation. My bladder was still unable to tolerate any deviation from the IC diet. My suspician was that my body was not getting the necessary nutrients needed for healing. I also have other health issues and did not feel comfortable with continuing.

In any event, this is an ongoing journey for me, and I persist and try different avenues of healing. Eventually, I may need to retry more of the Hydroxyzine HCL and/or Elmiron. But for now.......... My goal is noticeable healing, not just pain relief.

Take care and be strong!

Gopher, BTW, the Rifaxamine antibiotic is used for traveler's diarrhea and tends to stay in the intestines, so I've read. That's the antibiotic I was given for SIBO.