Interstitial Cystitis

[Judie P]

Anyone out there that has had this and found some natural remedies or alternative medicine for this?

[AnneNeville]

I have had what I thought were lingering UTIs with pain and urgency that lasted months after the doctor no longer could find any evidence of bacteria. Looking back, I suspect it was inflammation remaining long after the infection. I will share the home remedy that helped me immensely with the pain, with the caveat that it is not good for teeth and you should definitely keep that in mind.

A mix of a pinch of baking soda and three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water (disgusting!) does help with the pain and urgency, in my experience. It is NOT a cure for a bacterial infection, however . . . so don't mess around with that. If there's any chance you have an infection, go to the doctor.

And remember that vinegar is bad for the teeth, so make sure to swish with water after and then don't brush your teeth for half an hour or more. I used this home remedy before I knew I had Sjogren's. I don't know what I'll do next time the UTI-like pain happens.

Alkaseltzer is supposed to do something similar for the pain/urgency. I'm not sure whether that has the same implications for teeth, because I haven't tried it.

[Judie P]

I also found out tonight that Aloe Vera capsules are good to use.  You can do Aloe Vera juice, but it must be pure with no citric acid as acid does affect the bladder.  My husband takes that now for Barrett's Esophagus and gastritis.  I will borrow some of his.  It is supposed to help the symptoms.  I am going to stay away from acidic foods as well like tomatoes, chocolate, and citrus.