Top Natural Remedies for Interstitial Cystitis Relief

I have been battling interstitial cystitis since February 2010 and have been on several rounds of Levaquin thinking it was a UTI. After reading this site I know its cystitis. I went to Whole Foods yesterday and bought ultra colloidal silver and took 2 tsp. yesterday right when I got home and 2 tsp. this morning on an empty stomach, as directed. As of this moment I have no urinary pain at all and no urgency to pee. This is a miracle. It worked fast and it took all the symptoms away in about 24 hours or less. I took my first dose yesterday at about 3:0pm and my second dose this morning before work at about 4:40am. Im pain free and peeing like a normal human being. I did get up last night about 3 times to pee but I expect tonight to be very different. I can feel a difference already. I will give another update in a week. Good luck ladies!! Give this a try if you are at your wits end like I was.

I have been taking a teaspoon of colloidal silver daily for 6 months and its been amazing for my IC along w/ a little baking soda now and then. I feel human again, no more peeing razor blades.

Hi All, I'm on the west coast of Canada and I find that much of what you mention I cannot find. I must admit though that I've just started to try natural remedies after feeling that western medicine has failed me!!! I feel pressure EVERY DAY and pain every day. I'm depressed and isolate. The only thing that's helped me is working out and drinking a lot of water (3-4 ltrs per day). I have tried baking soda but only get mild relief. PLEASE could anyone make suggestions to me about how to get relief and what products would be available in Canada. Also, what type of natural dr. could I see to assist me in this new journey in medicine I'm committed to trying.

Thanks to any and all that help and to all of your for your posts!!!

Dear all,

I also like the naturale food supplements and remedies. I tried a natural product composed of Quercetin, D-Mannose and other natural products from plant kingdom. It was a great solution for my IC problems and now after about 5 months of treatments I'm really feeling well.

I suggest you to try Quercetin products, there are no side effects and you won't get antibiotics anymore. Feel you free to contact me for any further information.

[email protected]

cheers.
Janet

Iodine - CAUTION!!! - SHELLFISH Allergy

If you are allergic to shellfish you may also have an allergic reaction to iodine.
Proceed with caution - consult your physician before using iodine.

Be Well

I have suffered from IC for years. I take a prescription med but also take quercetin. I have been in remission for 8 years.

Elizabeth, that's awesome you found something to rid your pain! Has the turmeric continued to give you relief?

I have found the Marshallow Root to be very helpful for flare-ups. The Baking Soda did not help me but Apple Cider Vinager has been helpful. I get flare-ups the same as you - stress, certain foods and during that time of the month. I am also prone to bladder infections and collidoial silver has been helpful for these.

I only found out about virgin coconut oil Dec 2009. I had bladder pain for 15 years - eventually diagnosed with interstitial cystitis but was always convinced it was a bladder infection since Bactrim (sulfa antibiotic) would always make me feel better with flare ups even though cultures were negative. I had a flare for months that would no longer go away with Bactrim. I started with coconut water and it helped my urethral pain. Now, I take coconut oil and coconut water. I no longer have urethral or bladder pain!!!!

I am beginning to believe that interstitial cystitis is a bogus diagnosis that thousands of MDs have earned a pretty penny off of - in fact - entire medical fields have opened due to this diagnosis. I think all women with this should try coconuts before they spend another dime! I know the frustrations - I have been to the best urogynes and urologists - Northwestern in Chicago since I was a teenager and in California. I have had my urethra widened twice, - I have been tortured like so many other women; missed life events, canceled trips, spent many days in the ER with flares - not too mention the $$$ spent! AND ALL THIS TIME -- COCONUTS WOULD HAVE SOLVED MY PAIN. I MUST TELL EVERY WOMAN!!!!

Couch grass works wonders for IC. Take it in pill form or in a tea and after about 30 days you will never knew you had it.

I wanted to know what the doctor prescribed for Leslie's daughter for the yeast allergy. I have also been diagnosed with a yeast allergy and have IC. Thanks, Melissa

this is a reply to husseypat-- evian and fiji have the best ph, which is a 7. many people drink these when trying to alkalinize their bodies... hope this helps!

The aloe works wonders for the bladder pain. I've read it actually works to repair the lining of the bladder. Slippery Elm is supposed to do that too. I use the distilled kind of aloe juice that "tastes like spring water". Can't mention the product name. I had IC pain that got so bad last summer I thought about taking pain pills. I didn't want to do that so I went the natural remedy way. After alot of trial and error this is what works best for me:

1) I drink lots of water to keep the urine as non acidic as possible. I also take Prelief when I eat or drink anything acidic.

2) I use marshmallow root liquid- non alcohol (1 dropper full), aloe vera juice (3 oz) , MSM (4000 mg), and tumeric (1000 mg) as a daily regimen. I have some break-through pain sometimes but I keep it under control most of the time. It tends to flare up more when I get close to my cycle. I've noticed that this regimen also helps quite a bit with my IBS and asmtha too.

I've done alot of reading on IC causes and I think mine started because of systemic candida and having an acidic ph. Candida can affect all of your organ systems, which it has mine. I take coconut oil (2 tbspn), oregano oil, and ingest H202 to fight the candida (I'm seriously considering doing the H202 intravenously). I'm going to add fresh garlic to the mix. I also take 50 billion probiotics daily. My health is still not at 100% but I have come a loooong way in a year.

Good luck and God Bless!

I was diagnosed with mild IC a little over 4 years ago, but think I've had it more like 20...I remember trip after trip to the dr's for a UTI, finding nothing wrong, but being prescribed antibiotics. Been taking Elmiron on/off for the past 4 years and have finally had it. I've lost so much hair over the past year, and finally faced the fact that it does nothing for me! Also done the whole DMSO thing, but think that's more painful that helpful. Anyone else felt the same way? I'm usually in bed the rest of the day from pain. I've got Marshmallow Root and Whole Leaf Aloe on the way, and use baking soda for a quick fix. Will let you know how my experiment goes! : )

The same thing happened to me - test after test came up negative for any bacteria. Finally one doctor, out of desperation because I kept insisting there was an issue, decided to use a scope and look. Turns out I had a massive infection. Surprised him but not me. It wasn't showing up in the urine tests because it wasn't coming out in the urine - the bacteria was actually imbedded in the lining!

Glad to hear about all these other things you have been trying. I'll put them on my list too. thanks!

Fresh is of course always better, but I basically took premade capsules for the convenience. Started out with 4-6 a day, a couple in the morning, afternoon and evening. After the symptoms were alleviated, I gradually reduced my intake. I still will take one a day, and sprinkle fresh cinnamon on my toast or apples just for maintenance purposes. Wonderful thing is that cinnamon also helps stomach issues! (gas, bloating,etc) It is a miracle worker as far as I am concerned.

Uti or interstitial cystitis and acid/alkaline

Please read this if you have a UTI or IC!! I have been researching and this is my conclusion: Your urine is either too acid OR too alkaline. It may have caused bacteria to grow, or if cultures couldn't detect bacteria, it could just be irritated as in IC. I always read that my urine was too acidic. When I tried to make it more alkaline I was even more miserable! Once, when I was taking a barley powder product for it's health benefits, my bladder got worse. It was too alkalinizing. I read that DISTILLED WATER was very acidic, so I chugged a gallon that day. What a relief! (One wouldn't want to drink distilled water for more than three days, as prolonged use can be detrimental, but it is easy on the struggling kidney and bladder.)

Make sure you know if your urine is too acidic or too alkaline before you treat yourself. You can buy testing strips at a pharmacy. The doctors in our rural area would think I was weird if I started talking about natural cures and acid/alkaline. Be your own doctor if possible. Best wishes.

How much cinnamon do you take daily? Do you take capsules already premade or use fresh? Thanks.

I've battled bladder issues all my life, and for a while, high contentrations of cranberry (pills, not juice - juice has too much sugar which feeds the infection) helped. That was until I got IC and became antibiotic resistant. Felt like I was peeing glass. By fluke I read 3 sentences in a magazine that saved me - it basically said that cinnamon kills off E-coli. E-coli is often the cause of bladder issues and IC. I started taking cinnamon capsules and felt major relief in a matter of a few days. I highly recommend it to anyone who suffers from IC. You'll sing its praises too.

My daughter has suffered with IC for two years. She lost out on going away to college this year because of her constant pain and flair ups. I went to at least 8 different doctors and many hospital stays for pain control. I took her to my good old family doctor for a flu bug and told him about her problems. He ran allergy tests and found she is highly allergic to Yeast. She has Candida which is an over growth of yeast through out her whole body and it is inflaming her bladder. Look up yeast connection and women. Your answer is there!

IC Home Remedies

I have a mild case of IC and hoping is doesn't worsen. I notice that stress, spicey foods and menstral cycle provokes flare ups.

I am curious if the apple cider vinegar will really help prevent IC or if it is toooo acidic???

My home remedies for IC are: aloe vera juice (very concentrated) daily, Buffered Vit C, marshallow roots boiled as tea to neutralize urine for temporary and effective relief, the product called "___" for temporary relief, and pin pointing and relaxing specific abdomen muscles. The aloe vera juice seems to be very effective.

I would also like to try the baking soda and will keep it on hand at work for emergency relief. My father has always used the baking soda for stomach pain.

Peroxide, Iodine and Organic foods for Interstitial Cystitis

I started having IC symptoms over a year ago, and was diagnosed earlier this year. I tried prescription antibiotics, antifungals with minimal results. I am convinced now that IC is an infection of the bladder by microscopic parasites (schistosomes - look up Hulda Clark and IC) and fungus, because antiparasitic herbs, salts, iodine, peroxide, antifungal herbs, and other antimicrobial treatments have kept my symptoms completely gone for many months.

I started on one drop of 35% food grade h2o2 x3 daily to 25 drops. I stayed on the max dose for 3 months. I am now on a maintenance dose of 5. I also consumed about 300-500mg of iodine thoroughly mixed in 1/2 gallon fresh homemade wheatgrass juice daily. I was on this range for about 3 months also. I am now on a maintenance dose of 50-100mg daily. Other changes I made this past year was to switch to all organic, down to my condiments, personal care products, etc. I also moved out to the country here in MT, where water and air is fresher and cleaner. I regularly douche with a mixture of equal parts peroxide and acv, with a tbsp of borax per cup of liquid mixture.

IC is a complex illness, and it takes commitment to major fundamental changes in one's life to see significant changes for the better.

Thanks

Interstitial Cystitis

I have IC and have suffered severe pelvic pain. Diet has helped a lot, but I am definitely not pain free. I have found that heat can help the pain temporarily and that the acid reducer listed on the IC NETWORK does help if you take it before every meal or snack. I know tomatoes drive me to a bad flare-up, so I try to avoid them at all cost. It's very hard to not eat foods with any preservatives-----that means nothing out of a box, can, or package. I do not drink ANYTHING but water. I wondered if anyone knows which of the bottled waters has the highest PH and the least of damaging processing for an IC patient. I can't walk much, stand much and definitely can't exercise. I get horrible pain. I bought an Elliptical Trainer machine and after a couple of days it had my pelvic in a complete knot. I have always exercised religiously, but not anymore. I find this condition can be very depressing because you know the lining in your bladder is gone forever and you have to deal with this the rest of your life. You look healthy when people see you, but they can't imagine the suffering you do in private. Good luck to all. pat

I am so sorry to read of soo many struggling with bladder problems and UTI's. It is miserable and costly and sometimes embarrassing!!!

I had what I thought was constant UTI's or feeling like I was getting one for about a year. I did get many uti's but even when i didn't 'officially' have one it felt one was coming on. I was finally diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis. This is when part of the lining in your bladder is thinned or damaged- causing tissue, muscle, and nerves to be exposed to your urine causing debilitating pain. If you get an infection on top of this it is excruciating. I thought I was dying one time. After being diagnosed and not ok with "experimental drugs" I looked into natural options and prayed a good deal. I asked God for wisdom as no one here seems to know what to do to end the pain.

I started taking cayenne pepper. Believe it or not it actually works! I was scared to death to try it but the incredible pain i already had made me feel "it can't get any worse". I found capsules that also had ginger root in them to help the pepper not burn your tummy. Cayenne is an amazing healer of Interstitial tissue (bladder lining included). Start slow.. maybe two pills a day at 40,000 hu. It does burn some but that means it is working. After a couple of days add more pills to your intake until you can take 3 in the morning and 3 at night. Always take with food. Hang in there through the initial tough parts... you will get some diarreah and it can be painful. Also, cut out coffee, fruits and berries for awhile. After a couple of weeks try a half cup of coffee with an antacid and see if you can tolerate. Add lots of greens to your diet.

I have been doing this for over two months now. I can drink small amounts of coffee and little bits of fruit. I went from a 10 in pain to a 0... no pain at all. At times a little discomfort but I can tell my bladder is healing. The heat of the pepper is supposed to help fight infection too.

I have had IC for 19 years so I have a lot of experience dealing with it. When I first came down with it I also noticed that antibiotics relieved my symptoms, so I kept going to the doctor and begging for antibiotics. Whatever causes it is some kind of virulent fungus. What has worked best for me is ___ ____ [anti-candida supplement] and colloidal silver.

I said I would update my IC post if I found other remedies that work and I daresay I have found something....Turmeric. I had to take a whole bottle of turmeric pills in order to start seeing a difference BUT it was totally worth it. I'm afraid to jinx it but here it goes...I am virtually pain free...no constant urethra pain and no awful urgency to pee. I do notice that if I don't drink my 8 glasses of water a day I may get a little discomfort but all I have to do is drink more water and take my turmeric and I'm good! I take anywhere between 4-6 pills a day (500 mg each). I hope and pray that I continue to stay sympton free. I was reading a report on this disease and doctors are comparing the pain (at its worst) to cancer pain. They are right. I thought I would go crazy with pain at times. It is just so darn uncomfortable (considering where the pain is located) and my pain would not let up (until I used some of the remedies from my last post). These remedies helped but did not get rid of the pain for this long a period of time. I LOVE this site!!! Thank you so much to everyone that posts their experiences on here. It helps more than you could ever imagine.

buffered C but be careful. try a little first to see how you handle it.

I am taking the supplement MSM for IC, asmtha, IBS among other things. The problem is that I cannot take Vitamin C due to my bladder problem...Is there another form of Vitamin C that would not aggravate my IC? I'm asking because I have read that Vitamin C helps the absorption of MSM tremendously.

This is for Les from WA regarding my IC post....thank you for your comment...They'll be more posts to come...I am always looking for new treatments and supplements so I will definetely keep EC updated...

Best to you all!!!

This is for Angie from Goodlettsville, TN that suffers from IC...if you had pus in your urine than it sounds like an infection to me. My urologist said that the does not rely on the urinalysis done in the office because they can be unreliable. He always sends them out to be cultured. I would definitely get a second opinion if I were you. I would much rather have UTI's which can be cleared up rather than IC which is a chronic condition. Best of luck to you.

I am replying to a post by one who excused herself for being long winded. Please keep it up. It was great reading.

From a sufferer of IC