Question about why urelle, utira C, prosed ds etc for IC?

[Bluheaven]

The Methenamine in these drugs doesn't hydrolyze unless the urine is acidic. These drugs all contain ingredients that extremely acidify your urine (PH 5.5 or lower) to break down and allow the Methenamine work at a theraputic level.

If acid is bad for the IC bladder... then why are these drugs ok? Isn't that just like keeping your bladder in an acid bath? :confused:

[tigger_gal]

They are used to control bladder spasms. They contain an anesthetic in them.
Urelle sent me to ER. The best one I took was urised, but they stopped making it because of the lack of raw materials. I have been taking Pyridum 200mg. I take them at night if I don't my bladder pain will stay at a 10. I hope this helps!:smile tee

[ICNDonna]

Healthy urine is slightly acidic. If the urine is alkaline it almost always means infection. The med you mention help reduce the pain of bladder spasms.

Donna

[Tuckersmom]

Actually, even if we eat acidic foods, by the time they reach our bladder our digestive system has neutralized the acid. That makes me wonder why acidic foods cause flares.

[Bluheaven]

I know they reduce pain and spasms and thus provide relief for a lot of people and that is why they are used....

but majority of us don't have infections and have 'mostly' normal already acidic urine yes? Making it more acidic is supposed to bad yes? for example... Benzoic acid is in the 'bad' list of the IC diet and it's used in prosed DS to acidify the urine more.

I'm just wondering if the acidifying action is keeping things irritated (even though you can't feel it because of the drug) or keeping the bladder lining from healing or at least healing as fast as it could.

Maybe it doesn't matter because as the Methenamine in these drugs degrades (in an acidic environment) it releases formaldehyde so your bladders are well preserved :lmao:

I'm not trying to start an argument or anything.. This popped into my head because I was going to ask my Doc about starting a pyridium alternative and possibly something to reduce spasms. I've taken enough pyridium for so long that it does very little or nothing and then I just burn worse afterwards.

These were all the other alternatives and most of them have similar chemical make-up. I research drugs obsessively because I'm drug sensitive and always want to know what it is supposed to do, what it contains and what the side effect risks are.

[Goldfinch]

The obvious disconnect between theories about which foods actually make urine more or less acidic surfaces here periodically. Foods which seem to be bland or IC friendly are supposed to cause urine to become more acid, while things like orange juice are supposed to alkilize urine.

It never seems to make sense; whatever the actual chemistry, practical experience supports the general IC diet. Urine is acidic, as Donna points out. In fact, it's the only bodily fluid that IS acidic.That's supposedly what got us all into this mess in the first place; normal healthy urine needs to be protected from all other tissue (interstitial tissue layers) by the bladder lining. A degraded or compromised bladder lining prevents that from happening.

My husband had a terrible--temporary--complication from prostate surgery. Typically when the prostate is removed the bladder neck needs some expert repair. My husband's surgery turned out to be long and difficult. A week after he came home--with a catheter--he began having painful cramping that would come and go. Then the cath was removed and suddenly the cramps became excruciating. He was doubled up on the floor, sweat pouring off him. And he's a stoic guy with a high pain threshold. I've never seen anyone in so much pain (later he said it was worse than his kidney stone pain.) He was rushed to emergency and one of the urologists in his practice guessed the problem: there was a small leak in the surgical repair at the bladder neck and urine was getting into the surrounding cavity. It was probably touching the outside of the intestine and who knows what else.

So, anyone for whom beef and chicken are triggers and orange juice a panacea should please weigh in here! I would love to see some scientific light shed on this question, but I have to admit that when I look at websites about the "acid/alkaline" diet they sound unconvincing. And often they are trying to sell you a book. Check out Quackwatch for the cynical perspective.