IC and Marijuana

Hi Jaime,

First off, welcome to ICadvice.com! This new version of the site (we've been in operation since 2004) is still having a few kinks worked out here and there, but overall it's looking great - and is loaded with helpful IC information. (BTW, I've moved your post away from the diet section of the forum, and here to the Non-invasive treatments and alternative therapies area.)

As you can imagine, the topic of IC and marijuana, is one that must be approached both rationally, and always as legally as possibly. ICadvice.com does not advocate or support the use of any illegal substance ever. Though in cases where it has been prescribed by a licensed physician and used strictly for medicinal purposes, that is a somewhat different matter and each case must be judged and evaluated individually.

As an open minded person I do clearly understand that IC (and many medical conditions for that matter) could be affected either adversely or positively by the use of cannabis or cannabis derived substances. I do not have any firsthand experience with the situation that you described, but I have heard from a couple of other people (who I believe were recreational pot smokers) who also said that smoking (marijuana) seemed to be upsetting their IC.

It has long been known that cigarette smoking can cause a spike in peoples' IC symptoms, and some ICers choice to give up smoking because of how negatively it impacts their bladder. In this regard a doctor might suggest that IC was a possibility, if he/she was a aware of the fact that many ICers feel a symptom increase from smoking, coupled with other factors as well (ie, other signs, triggers, test results, etc). You are the first person, however, who has said that their uro informed them that smoking marijuana and feeling IC pain afterwards in a telltale sign of IC.

I'd be greatly fascinated to learn why your doctor said this, as it is (IMHO) a rather novel and somewhat radical statement, the likes of which are not commonly brought up by urologists. Though again, where as (in a strictly medicinally prescribed situation) marijuana is sometimes used by people with neurological and varying chronic pain conditions, a link between how marijuana effects IC has not been greatly established within the medical community.

I have long wondered what affect cannabis would have on intense IC pain, or the pain from other related medical conditions such as Fibromyalgia. Especially if the patient has not responded well to more traditional forms of pain treatment, and the prescribed pot usage is monitored by a doctor.

I think that cannabis as a form of medical treatment for chronic pain is an issue that absolutely, 100 % needs to be given full and proper research. I mean they derive morphine from opium, and that is legal by prescription, yet pot which has a far lower addiction rate than opium and heroin is illegal in almost all parts of the world for medicinal use (just one link on this subject, there are hundreds of similar stories out there).

I am not (nor have I ever) advocating that everyone with a cough or pain spark up a spliff this moment, but I think that it is an issue that must be fairly studied and researched. Medical pot is not for everyone, that much is certain, but from what I have read and interviews I’ve seen on TV, it does appear to help many people who are in debilitating chronic pain, such as that caused by MS or glaucoma. Some people and researchers have even proposed it use for IBS, as a few Chron’s patients have benefited from medical ganja.

In 2000 the IC Association posted this brief paragraph on IC and marijuana

For more info on this topic, check out these sites:

The official Health Canada site regarding the distribution of medical cannabis

Canada Medical Marijuana

International association for Cannabis as Medicine

Medical Marijuana Research Program full name The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

The American Medical Marijuana Association

Though, in some ways I've strayed from your original question, by bringing up the topic of medical cannabis use and IC. Jaime, I'm not a doctor or a health care worker myself, and so I can merely offer you my opinion on your question. Chances are that if your uro (or GP) has prescribed Elmiron, they think (or know, with the help of diagnostic testing) that you have Interstitial Cystitis, and if you have IC, it is likely a very good idea to do whatever you possibly can to help your bladder be as healthy as possible. Smoking anything (be it cigarettes, cigars, pot) or using other illegal drugs (or drinking alcohol) will have a very real impact on your bladder. Just as with food, (nearly) anything that enters your body will eventually find its way to your blood stream, renal system (kidneys) and bladder (not to mention a host of other organs and bodily systems). While IC is not linked to an increase risk of bladder cancer (or vise versa), it has been established within the medical community that smoking (cigarettes) puts you at a higher risk or bladder cancer, which leaves me to wonder, just what is it doing to someone's bladder if they have IC and therefore their bladder is already in a "damaged"/wounded state of existence.

As you may know, Elmiron works somewhat like a protective shield for your injured bladder lining (the inside layer of your bladder, which is what comes in contact with your urine), helping to both protect your bladder lining from substances in your urine and to perhaps give your bladder a chance to rebuild/heal beneath this protective layer. Elmiron does not work for all ICers sadly (estimates say that 30-40% of ICers who try Elmiron feel positive results), and it can take up to several months before any good results are felt - if they are to be experienced at all (personally it took about 4 months for me, before I noticed that Elmiron was helping me in some ways). In my opinion, I would not want to do anything at all which might give Elmiron an even harder time than it already has, as it attempts to help protect your bladder lining and smoking pot may be counterproductive to what the Elmiron is trying to do (and that is to help try and rebuild and protect the cells of your bladder lining).

I think it's great that you have the kind of relationship with your urologist where you are comfortable discussing marijuana usage with him/her, this kind of frank openness is important for your doctor to truly understand those things which provoke a sharp increase in your IC symptoms. If the marijuana usage is not being done (via prescription) for another medical conditions, it is my feeling that if at all possible, you try to stop smoking it both for the sake of your bladder's overall health, and because you want to do everything that you possibly can to allow the Elmiron to work (helping your IC in general can include following the IC diet, reducing your stress levels, limiting strenuous exercise, relaxation therapy, trying other medications, using a TENS machine, wearing comfortable clothing so as to avoid putting pressure on your bladder, etc) - not to mention the legal implications of the drug itself. If you decide to stop smoking marijuana (at least for the next few months while your bladder waits to see if it will be helped by Elmiron) and feel that you need support, guidance or other assistance in doing so, remember that your doctor(s) can help point you towards other people and support systems which are in place to help people give up drug usage. If you are a recreational smoker, you may have no (or very little) trouble quitting, though in either case it would be a very good idea to keep your health care team heavily involved in the process and to speak to your doctor(s) with any and all concerns regarding marijuana use and its effects on your IC.

So in short Jaime, until a lot more in known about the role of marijuana and IC bladders (let alone chronic pain conditions in general), I do think that going off of pot is a fantastic way to help your IC. It may very well boost the chances that Elmiron (and/or any further IC prescription drugs that you try) will help your bladder, because the cells of your bladder lining will not be damaged any further from smoking, while they are already having a hard enough time dealing with the painful ramifications of Interstitial Cystitis, which even medical science itself has not yet fully begun to understand.

Remember that you are not alone in your quest for IC help and healing, and that your questions are welcome on this or any subject.

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Jessica Cangiano: ICadvice.com creator and administrator

I have IC, but IC doesn't have me!

Interstitial Cystitis Advice

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Welcome to ICadvice, Jaime