Interstitial Cystitis - Self Help Tip of the Month - The Case of the Poison Underwear

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The Case of the Poison Underwear

(Submitted by Beverly Laumann)

Not to get too personal here, but having interstitial cystitis makes one really sensitive to all kinds of things, you know?.... It always seems to be something. And I'm always grateful when a fellow traveler in the IC world points out something I might need to watch out for. And for many of us, there is a lot to watch out for. Our bladders are sensitive to foods, or we're allergic to medications. Our stomachs and intestines complain a lot. Some of us are sensitive to latex. Others seem to get yeast infections easily or get rashes from wearing wool. Many of us have sensitive nerves or delicate skin. For a few of us, certain soaps may make our urethra or vulvar area burn. Those of us who've had IC many years get to be like veteran stunt pilots-- we maneuver through life zigging and zagging to gracefully avoid all the bladder flaring items, the itch causing items, the gastrointestinal irritants, the vulvar inflamers and the nasal stuffiness provokers. But every so often something new comes along. And whether we are an IC newbie or an old veteran, it just takes us by complete surprise.

My latest surprise was an unpleasant introduction to a relatively new textile fiber, noted on the clothing label as "Tactel nylon". It started innocently enough with a shopping trip.

First of all, I'm a fan of Jockey's stretchy, comfortable underwear. They make wonderful, traditional, all-cotton types and also some more glamorous styles with a bit of nylon. All these styles have soft absorbent cotton linings in the crotch area (a feature that suits the needs of IC patients well). So one day a few weeks ago I popped into the local department store to pick up some more of my favorites. I spotted them quickly and without paying much attention to the fabric content, I made my purchase. Well, unbeknownst to me, one new pair wasn't just like the old ones. This new one contained a slightly different nylon fabric. And oh the difference that made!

At the end of my first day of wearing it, my urethra was burning and I was itching like crazy. I checked the fabric label. The fabric was partly nylon. That was nothing I didn't wear everyday without a problem. I'd never had any reaction to nylon before so I figured it couldn't be the underwear. Thinking it was a yeast infection, I treated my self for that and in a few days the symptoms cleared. All well and good.

Next time I wore the underwear I got the same burning and itching. Another IC bladder flare provoked by a burning urethra. More itchiness. Again I didn't suspect the underwear 'cause I had plenty of cotton, nylon, and spandex in my wardrobe. First thing I thought of was food. I went over my diet trying to find anything that might cause such a problem. No luck--- the flare was a mystery.

Only on the third wearing (and resultant round of horrible urethral burning) did it finally dawn on me that I had been wearing this same underwear each time I had the mysterious flare. So I checked the label in the underwear again: "Tactel nylon", made in China. Is there something that makes Tactel different from other nylon? Yes. And that difference turned out to be the cause of my mystery flares. According to one Chinese textile manufacturer, soft, stretchy Tactel fabric has a bacteriostatic quality. Not just a coating that washes away, but a characteristic that's due to the chemical nature of the fibers it is made with. That makes it different from most nylon fabric. Now Tactel is a registered trademark of DuPont and chemically, the fibers are a polyamide. That makes them resistant, very elastic, strong in shape and offering good support. Textiles of polyamide fibers do not wrinkle, are easy care and don't need ironing. I can see why this stuff would be popular!

One of the most known polyamide brands is called Meryl or Meryl Skinlife. Meryl is a bacteriostatic fiber. (The human skin has a natural occurrence of bacteria. A high concentration of bacteria can cause allergies, odor development, diseases etc. So a fiber with a capability to resist bacterial growth would be a very salable product--- think of the cloths you wash or dry dishes with, bibs for babies, dressings for wounds). Tactel fabric apparently uses the Meryl fibers as a substrate.

Now if you aren't sensitive to the fabric, having anti-bacterial underwear may be a good deal. But for me, and perhaps some of you out there, Tactel makes for more misery than comfort.

Created: 10/18/05 - kj

Revised: 03/01/06 - JHO (repair of title)

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