Replied by Elizabeth (Nashville, Tn) on 09/24/2010
Aloe Vera juice is very soothing and healing on the bladder. It is best to get the clear, distilled version and drink a couple ounces in the morning and again before bedtime. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut oil has been a blessing also. It coats your insides and helps heal tissue. I take 1-2 tbspn a day and LOVE it. My body actually craves it. I feel your pain since I know firsthand IC flareups are miserable. I've researched and tried so many remedies within the past 1 1/2 years. I've pinpointed, hopefully, my IC to having systemic candida. So I also take antifungals and probiotics every day to alleviate that. 1) Coconut Oil- this is an antifungal and rich source of omega 3's, which aid in tissue repair. Take 1 to 2 tbspn daily. I put mine on toast or in my coffee... Yum! 2)Turmeric- this is an anti-inflammatory and helps heal tissues. I bought the capsules and took up to 6 daily for a couple months. Now I am down to 1 or 2 daily. 3) Aloe Vera Juice- get the clear, distilled kind, tastes just like water. This, I believe, was one of the best remedies. Drink in the morning and at night. 4) Uva Ursi- I LOVE this herb. It helps to disinfect and tone your urinary tract. I took this daily for about 2 weeks and noticed a huge difference. I took 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Now I take it bi weekly as a urinary cleanse.
4) Oregano Oil- AWESOME antifungal/antibacterial. I use this a couple times a week internally for fungus related issues. You can buy the capsules at any health food store. 5)Probiotics- A MUST for everyone to take. These help replace beneficial bacteria and get rid of yeast and bad bacteria in your digestive tract. I take a 50 billion capsule every day. It took me almost a year to find what works for me. You just have to keep trying and don't give up! God Bless!Replied by Renae (Mpls, Mn) on 11/06/2010
Couch grass! Why is no one talking about this?? I got a bottle of capsules about 1 week ago. Then got a flair yesterday, and nothing of the normal stuff was working (Apple cider vinegar I took but get digestive upset.... And I also get digestive upset from baking soda). So I took 2 pills 5x today. I feel really great NO PAIN. Compared to yesterday when I stayed up till 1:30 in pain and went to bed with a cold pack. I was in hell. Ok, this was FAST!! Pretty much thought I'd be stuck in the house for days, but I am planning on going out to dinner and drinks (I get water) tomorrow. By the way, Cold Packs (keep soft pack in freezer) on the belly will help most people sleep (don't use during the day) when nothing else will work (research Edgar Cayce) on the internet. These capsules of couch grass can be obtained over the internet, but are not in your basic health food store. Everywhere I saw "no side effects". It's bedtime, and tonight I get to go to bed with no pain. Who else finds this to be great?Replied by Renae (Mpls, Mn) on 11/17/2010
Update on couch grass. I found the capsels make me farty, but bulk tea (sold on the internet) doesn't and it works just as good. The couch grass is actually the root of the grass, and it's like wood pieces, thus bulk tea looks like pieces of wood and sticks. This needs to be boiled about 1/2 hr to make a tea. 1 fistful of tea in about 2 cups of water, boil 1/2 hour, strain in a coffee filter, and I felt better in about 15 minutes and relief lasts for hours/overnight. Over time I am finding less is needed. If capsels make you farty, boil a bunch of them and drink the water, and strain, leaving the powder. This stuff is absolutly fabulous.
