The IC/IBS connection
I guess you don't really realize how much this disease has changed your life until you try to summarize it in a short story, which is almost impossible for me. I have IC, IBS, and gastritis. Side effects have bothered me since 1995 or earlier, but I wasn't diagnosed until 2006 when I got so sick I literally thought I was going to die because I was so weak and the pain was excruciating. I had gone on this semi-low carbohydrate food plan for 5 months, with lots and lots of artificial sweeteners and my body has never been the same since. The urologist who examined my bladder said it was extraordinarily scarred. Needless to say I have to watch everything I eat and drink or pay the piper. Slowly I have given up many of my foods and drinks, but couldn't figure out why I was still living with regular flares until I found this website. The flares are still occuring but at least I understand now! When I eat or drink something that affects my IBS it also causes an IC flare, and when I have an IC flare it causes an IBS flare. I never really believed my IBS diagnosis, perhaps because my diagnosis came after everything else was ruled out like cancer. Now I am understanding how IC and IBS interact and do their dance. Naturally it is a slow process figuring all of this out, but I just wanted to say thanks for the information on your website and getting the ball rolling for me.
I'm getting better one day at a time!
LeAnne
You are so very welcome
Welcome LeAnne, and thank you very much for sharing your personal story here.
The IBS and IC connection is an area which the medical community is very, very slowly stating to acknowledge, but I often find that it is us patients who end up being able to assist each other the best, as we know what it's like to live on the front lines with these truly perplexing and painful conditions.
I'm very sorry that you've been through so much over the last few years, but I commend your perseverance and that you're actively trying to "eat for" your conditions. I'm a huge supporter of using diet to help manage both IC and IBS. I know that if I through caution (and at this point, common sense) to the wind and just ate whatever I pleased, I'd either end up flaring to the point where the pain would cause me to pass out, or at the very least I'd end up hospitalized. Non-IC/IBS people may not always grasp just how much diet can truly affect (many of) us, but the reality is that what we eat can often have a huge impact on our quality of life (and the management of our symptoms).
I promise you that I know what how tough it can be to give up so many foods (I find it's the healthy ones like oranges and raw onions that I miss more than most of the unhealthy ones like soda and processed foods), but hopefully you will be able to find a number of foods that please both your bladder and GI system. Some of my favourite "dual purpose" foods (aka, ones that don't cause my IBS or IC to flare) are: carrots, peeled low acid apples, potatoes, rice, parsnips, mushrooms, beets, French bread, plain pasta, skinless chicken and turkey, and flour tortillas (if your bladder is ok with them, bananas are great too, as they're a good source of soluble fiber).
To make meals easier, I often avail of the use of Prelief (which can help both IBS and IC!), digestive enzymes (for my IBS), and Beano (also for my IBS - though I knew one ICer who was bothered by Beano, so maybe try a small dose first). The regular use of peppermint capsules and tea can also help make meals somewhat easier to handle. Though with gastritis, please check with a doctor first to see if peppermint is safe for you, as some types of stomach and esophageal conditions are worsened by eating mint (such as GERD).
Thank you for your kind words, LeAnne, and again for sharing your story, it's terrific to have you here. Please don't hesitate to post any questions or thoughts that you may have.
I look forward to talking with you more & wish you a lovely day,
Jessica
-----
Jessica Cangiano: ICadvice.com creator and administrator
I have IC, but IC doesn't have me!
Hi Jessica
You would not believe how much better my health is since applying what I learned on your website. The transformation has been pretty profound!
I have discovered dairy to be a major trigger and have been slow to give it up. Oranges and onions don't bother be at all, but orange juice does. Spicy foods do, as well as chocolate, artificial sweetners, coffee, tea, any juice like tomato or citrus, cold medicines, any dairy (because of lactose intolerance I think and dairy ease doesn't work well), beef, pork, egg yolk, sausages, goldfish type crackers, heavy fatty foods like mexican, anything really high in fat. It's complicated because like you said certain combinations do me in. Stress adds to the load. Beano does not work that well for me and anything that causes gas causes flares in IBS and/or IC, so is avoided. Even one sip of coffee will put me in a major 2-3 day flare.
Excercise helps more than anything except dietary changes. Doing things for others just to help, spiritual practices, keeping the house clean instead of a chaotic mess, avoiding crazy messed up people, keeping my life fairly simple all help a lot.
Sometimes I wonder if some of the bladder damage was caused by riotous living in younger days.
Thanks for responding. Take care of yourself!
LeAnne