Interstitial Cystitis - Your Natural Guide To Recovery
Using Affordable Supplement Therapies

Interstitial cystitis is one of those mysterious chronic illnesses that many doctors have a difficult time treating. The reason being is that when patients get tested for urinary tract infections, more often than not, nothing turns up. Hence the name "non-bacterial cystitis".

There is no known cause and no known medical cure for IC. There are medical treatments and procedures, such as bladder instillations, hydrodistensions, and Elmiron, but they only work for a small percentage of people some of the time, and often have strong side effects.

Interstitial cystitis is considered to be an "immune system breakdown disorder" because it typically appears when immunity has been compromised. It often occurs in tandem with other immune system breakdown disorders, namely chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and vulvodynia.

In fact, IC patients are 100 times more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome than the general population, and a large percentage suffer from the afore-mentioned disorders as well. This is not surprising, since a compromised immune system can and does affect many areas of the body.

Today I am completely symptom-free. I can eat anything I want, and do anything I want, without discomfort or pain. So there is hope! What worked for me may be different than what works for you, but I believe you have the best shot at healing if you approach it from a natural, holistic perspective, with the idea of detoxifying the body and then rebuilding the immune system.

Interstitial cystitis symptoms typically appear when your immunity has been compromised. The space between the bladder lining and the bladder muscle becomes chronically inflamed, leading to pain, sometimes severe. Cracks in the bladder wall allow urine to irritate bladder tissue, leading to a breakdown in the lining of the bladder.

Do you suffer from :

• pain in the bladder that intensifies as it fills and then goes away upon voiding, only to immediately return again;
• breakdown of the bladder tissue, even when infection is not present;
• extreme frequency of urination, often every few minutes;
• blood in the urine;
• digestive problems;
• low grade fever;
• recurrent vaginal yeast infections;
• joint pain and swollen glands;
• thyroid problems;
• severe food allergies which trigger bladder pain;

1. Read Catherine Simone's Book "Along the Healing Path"
   
   
2. Identify Your Allergens & Eat the Right Foods for You
   
   
3. Tackle Acute Pain for Immediate Relief
   
   
4. Reduce Inflammation for Long-term Relief from Chronic Pain
   
   
5. Rebuild the Lining of the Bladder
   
   
6. Alkalize Your Body
   
   
7. Detoxify Your Body of Heavy Metals and Chemicals
   
   
8. Use Additional Supportive Products for Bladder Health

1. Read "Along the Healing Path - Recovering from Interstitial Cystitis"

This excellent book, written by Catherine M. Simone, is a must read for anyone with Interstitial Cystitis. I can honestly say, if it weren't for this book I would not be in the place I am today, which is completely symptom-free. Catherine Simone had a very severe case of IC, which she healed using the methods described in her book.

"Along The Healing Path" is a holistic perpective of interstitial cystitis with information on various alternative treatments, herbs, and natural products.

"Along The Healing Path" offers very helpful tips and vital information for IC sufferers “from one IC patient to another…”. You can check out Catherine Simone's other two books as well, To Wake in Tears, and Awakening Through the Tears by clicking here.

"Thank you for all the information you provide on your website. Just one month ago I received the book I ordered, "Along The Healing Path". I have read and re-read it, followed what it had to say, and am symptom free for almost a week now.

I ordered the Organic Marshmallow Root Tea since I have only been able to find it in tincture and capsule form. Thank you for making these products available. My MD said there was no way to overcome Interstitial Cystitis and I almost believed him until I went on line and found your website."

- Sincerely, Sharyn B., Long Beach, CA

The first thing I did and what I encourage you to do is identify the foods that are causing you problems and eliminate them from your diet. For many of you it will seem like this will be most foods, but it is imperative that you do this so that your body has a chance to rest and heal. I did it the "laymans" way, just by noting how I felt after eating each food.

You may choose to seek professional help in identifying your allergies, but the true test is still how you feel a few minutes to several hours after eating each particular food or supplement.

For information on what foods to eat and what foods to avoid, visit our page Interstitial Cystitis Diet.

Acidic or spicy foods can often "trigger" bladder symptoms of IC. Prelief® dietary supplement takes the acid out of foods to make foods less acidic without affecting the taste. Consider it the same principle as taking the caffeine out of coffee or the lactose out of milk.

The studies and consensus are clear: Where IC symptoms are triggered by acid foods, studies confirm that nothing works on those foods as well as Prelief® with no drugs and no side effects.

The Emergency Way to Relieving Pain Fast!

If you are having a painful flare-up right now try this fast and effective tip:

Take one half of a teaspoon of baking soda and put it in a full glass of water. Stir, let sit a minute, and then drink it down. You can repeat this up to 4 times a day, not to exceed 2 teaspoons per day.

Baking soda is an extremely fast and effective way to alkalize your body. It works very quickly to relieve painful flare-ups.

NEW! We now carry Bob's Red Mill® Aluminum-free baking soda which is ideal for people with chronic health conditions because it does not contribute to the toxic heavy metal load on the body.

For more information and to order the aluminum-free baking soda, click here.

Take NutriBiotic® Grapefruit Seed Extract

NutriBiotic® Grapefruit Seed Extract is an effective anti-bacterial and anti-fungal substance. I do not know why it has worked for me to reduce flare-ups, but it did.

Used with the baking soda, it took away the pain from my flare-ups within 45 minutes, every time.

NutriBiotic® Tablets contain Citricidal, which is a natural compound synthesized from the seed and pulp of certified organically grown grapefruit.

This process converts the grapefruit bioflavanoids (polyphenolics) into an extremely potent compound that has been proven highly effective for numerous applications.

Along with the baking soda, NutriBiotic® Grapefruit Seed Extract is an extremely effective and inexpensive way to halt painful flare-ups!

Try Serrapeptase Proteolytic Enzymes

Serrapeptase is one supplement that is having tremendous results for inflammation and pain in all forms, but particularly for bacterial and non-bacterial cystitis.

This product's clinical studies and anecdotal evidence is so promising that we have included it in our support pack, and it is available to purchase separately as well.

For the long-term relief of painful flare-ups, you will likely need to take some additional measures. You may find that even when you eat completely "safe" foods, you may still get symptoms of burning and pain. This was also the case with me.

Research has shown that inflammatory conditions in the body are often a direct result of a deficiency of essential fatty acids. As a result, I started taking flax seed oil and fish oil capsules everyday.

Essential fatty acids are very important because they suppress the cytokines in the body that produce inflammation, especially interleuken-6 (IL-6).

You can try either flax or fish oil, but fish oil is recommended since a minority of people are unable to metabolize or break down the flax oil. You can try a fish oil which comes from the entire fish, or cod liver oil which is strictly from the liver. The disadvantage of cod liver oil is that the ratio of vitamin A to vitamin D can sometimes be too high, thereby deactivating the naturally occuring vitamin D which has so many health benefits.

We sell a an excellent liquid fish oil called Omega-3D™ from Nordic Naturals, which is molecularly distilled and guaranteed free of heavy metals, dioxins, and PCB'S. This is extremely important.

Omega-3D™ is a purified deep sea fish oil (from anchovies
and sardines) and contains d-alpha tocopherol, rosemary extract, and additional vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). It comes in a great-tasting natural lemon flavor, with no fishy taste or after-taste.

As another direct antidote to the pain of IC, I found that I was able to take a supplement called Activated Quercetin™ by Source Naturals, which is quercetin plus bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapples.

This seemed to help within a few hours, giving me several hours of relief at a time. But I had to keep taking it, because if I didn't the pain would come right back.

Activated Quercetin™ is a unique bioflavonoid derived from plant sources.

In human cell culture studies, quercetin has been shown to inhibit histamine release.

The bromelain enhances the effects of the quercetin, making it more bioavailable. Quercetin by itself without the bromelain is not as effective.

Some people find that the only way to relieve their pain is to take pain medication prescribed to them by their doctor. I say if it works for you in the short term, that's great. But these medications do nothing to heal the underlying cause of your condition, so it is best not to rely on them exclusively.

"I love the Activated Quercetin™. I took it for my bladder symptoms and found that it quickly helped my bladder and unexpectedly helped with other allergy and asthma symptoms as well."

- M. Scheer

In order to experience permanent relief from painful flare-ups and food sensitivities, you will need to do something to help repair the lining of your bladder.

I did not begin to experience long-term relief from my symptoms until I tried a supplement called bovine colostrum. This is one of the recommendations also found in Catherine Simone's book, "Along the Healing Path - Recovering from Interstitial Cystitis".

Colostrum is the first food mothers produce for their young. It is packed with antibodies and immune factors, and also reduces inflammation. One of the most important things it did for me was that it slowly but surely relieved my severe food allergies.

It took about a year, but in that time my food allergies and chronically inflammed bladder were 90 percent improved. I started out by taking only one or two capsules a day, and by the end of that year was taking eight to ten capsules per day.

I feel strongly that colostrum was the supplement that was the most important in helping relieve my IC symptoms. In my opinion, I believe the colostrum is what healed the lining of my bladder as well, since colostrum has the documented ability to heal the lining of the digestive tract.

Today, I no longer need to take any quercetin or colostrum capsules, and I only take them if I feel like I am coming down with a cold or flu, or am fighting an infection.

For those of you who have difficulty using powdered colostrum and would prefer capsules, we also carry another excellent colostrum product called New Zealand Colostrum.

New Zealand Colostrum is 100% pure colostrum that is free of any additives such as whey powder or magnesium stearate.

It is also free of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and other pathogens.

New Zealand Colostrum is a nutraceutical grade colostrum that is standardized from pasture-fed New Zealand cows for maximum purity and effectiveness.It is processed fresh, and never exposed to high heat.

100% New Zealand Colostrum contains the full range of immune and growth factors necessary to provide the essential nutrients needed for a healthy immune system and good health.

The New Zealand Colostrum is also available in powder form (6.3 oz jar), which is very cost effective compared to purchasing the capsules.

Many thousands of people with bladder problems attest to the near miraculous effects of this healing herb. The one we carry is a potent liquid extract in an alcohol-free base.

Scientific Name: Althaea officinalis

Description: The herbal supplement is extracted from marshmallow root using a proprietary extraction process and then formulated in an alcohol-free liquid base.

Actions & Pharmacology: Marshmallow root relieves bladder and bowel irritation, functions as an anti-inflammatory, and soothes the lining of the bowel and bladder.

General Precautions: Marshmallow root extract is safe to use; some people may have an allergic reaction if they are sensitive to other herbs.

"I just want to thank everyone at EBN. I have IC but my symptoms at this point are very mild. My urologist put me on Elmiron and I did not like the way it made me feel. EBN is the only site I found that not only acknowledges the condition but also offers support for it. AND, along with my research, I found some detoxifying products that I referred my friend with MS to and she has been using your products for over a year now and has found more relief from your plan than she did with the toxic scripts her doctors were giving her. Thank you so much!!! I recommend this site every time I have a chance to. Keep up the great work. My utmost gratitude."

- Jessica H., Phoenix, AZ

Read All Our Great Customer Feedback for IC!
To read how others have gained relief from IC bladder symptoms using the products on this page, click here.

I achieved a 90 percent reduction in my interstitial bladder symptoms over an 18 month period using colostrum, and I eliminated most, if not all of my food allergies.

However, I wa still experiencing mild periodic flare-ups. This frustrated me since it didn't seem to matter how much colostrum I took, I still would have periodic flare-ups approximately every 3 months for about 3 - 4 days. It seemed I had reached a plateau in my healing, and I wasn't sure what steps to take next.

I did some more research and learned that people with chronically inflamed bladders are considered to be very acidic. Acidic bodies are toxic bodies, and excess acidity also causes symptoms of pain. When you start to alkalize your body, either by eating an alkaline diet (which most people with interstitial bladder symptoms patients cannot do) or by taking alkalizing supplements, your body starts to come back into balance and your symptoms slowly but surely begin to recede.

Alkalizing your body definitely begins to eliminate some of the burning sensations associated with painful flare-ups. In a German study on people with chronically inflamed bladder, the researchers found a substantial reduction in inflammation and pain after 3 months of taking alkalizing supplements.

Alkalizing Supplements

We offer two excellent products for alkalizing the body which are described below.

AlkaLife® drops were invented by Sang Whang, a Korean scientist and the author of "Reverse Aging". He invented AlkaLife® to make alkaline water available to the general public at a low and reasonable cost.

It is designed to boost the pH value of any drinking water, changing it into healthy alkaline water. AlkaLife contains a patented ratio of potassium and sodium hydroxides to maintain the proper mineral ratio in the body.

"I was diagnosed with IC approximately 15 years ago. Up until recently, I have been managing my pain with DMSO treatments from a urologist. They were OK; however, flare-ups were frequent, resulting in loss of work and loss of life in general. The pain from this disease is amazing. In the past few months, the treatments have not worked, and different ones were tried with no success....

One of the main things to do is make my body more alkaline. I purchased your product, AlkaLife® drops. With pH paper, I was able to chart the acidity in my body. The drops really work; the acidity has dropped significantly, resulting in less bladder pain. I truly feel that this product, along with other alternative measures I am taking, will lead me to better pain management, if not a cure, than the painful DMSO installations I have been receiving. Thank you for a wonderful product."

- Nancy B., Sparta, New Jersey

"I would like to thank you for such great products! I suffer from "painful bladder symptoms", and the AlkaLife drops seemed to have helped me immediately. I don't feel like I have to urinate every second of the day. I saw results pretty much immediately after adding the drops to my water...for sure within a day!

Also, the AlkaLife® drops helped me with my bloating....and I LOVE the book - Never Be Sick Again!!! I'm recommending it to EVERYONE!!!"

- Wendy B., Ely, NV

Another very effective alkalizing supplement is VAXA® Buffer pH™.

Besides balancing an overly acidic pH, VAXA® Buffer pH™ also replaces minerals that have been drawn out of the body tissues to counteract over-acidity.

VAXA® Buffer pH™ buffers overly acidic residues and removes them safely from the body, while replacing important minerals that may have been leached out of the bones and tissues by an overly acidic diet and lifestyle.

The recommended starting dose is 3-5 capsules daily, depending on your level of acidity; this can then be reduced to a maintenance dose of 2 capsules daily after the first few days of monitoring your pH.

People with a chronically inflammed bladder need to be very careful with what supplements they take into their bodies, since they are so very sensitive to many different agents including beneficial vitamins, minerals and other supplements.

With this in mind, the alkalizing supplement I recommend you try first is the AlkaLife® Drops. These drops are composed of simple mineral salts with no added ingredients, so they are very gentle and mild and not likely to adversely affect the sensitive bladder tissues..

The Buffer pH™ capsules can be taken if you have milder bladder symptoms or are not as sensitive to various ingredients, such as aloe vera. It works faster at regulating your body's pH, but it is a stronger formula. It may be beneficial to start with the AlkaLife® Drops and then add the VAXA® Buffer pH™ after a few weeks to accelerate improvement.

Eliminating your allergies, healing your "leaky gut syndrome" and alkalizing your body will go a long way in ensuring a return to health. Not only will colostrum and alkalizing products assist you in these areas, but they are also gentle cleansers and detoxifiers as well.

As I said before, sick, tired and hurting bodies are toxic bodies. In fact, if there is one thing that people with interstitial cystitis have in common, it is that they have a toxic body.

In fact, according to Catherine Simone, the author of "Along the Healing Path", people with interstitial bladder pain/inflammation have pretty much the epitome of a toxic body. The more severe the symptoms, the more toxic and sick the rest of the body.

The symptoms of a severely toxic body are exactly the same symptoms experienced by people with chronically inflamed bladders, including chemical sensitivities and allergies, inflamed and irritated mucous membranes, digestive disturbances, lowered immune system, and mysterious muscle and joint pain.

Catherine Simone states in no uncertain terms that until the toxins that are causing these symptoms in the first place are removed from the body, nothing else you do is really going to have a beneficial healing effect, since the same environment that caused the immune system breakdown is still present.

To put it bluntly, adding supplements and other healing agents to a toxic body is like putting good oil in a crappy engine - the supplements simply can't work as well and won't be nearly as effective. As some people with chronic diseases have found, healing supplements may seem to work for a short time and then stop working altogether.

In my opinion, this may be why some people who have had a chronically inflamed bladder for years and years seem to have very little improvement - all the good things they may be taking simply cannot work as well if the body environment is compromised.

So while I believe that taking colostrum and other supplements and using alkalizing products may definitely help over time for you like they did for me, I now firmly believe that detoxifying the body may further accelerate the healing process and reduce the time needed for healing.

Remember, it took me approximately one year to go from being extremely sick to having mild, intermittent symptoms with periodic flareups, and then another six months to having no symptoms at all. I had not been using any detoxifying products since I had a difficult time taking anything internally, even good things like vitamins and herbs.

An external detoxifying product we now offer is called EBN® Detoxifying Clay Baths. I believe that using a detoxifying product such as this clay can accelerate your healing, so that you do not have to wait as long as I did to feel 100% better.

EBN® Detoxifying Clay is a simple, inexpensive, and extremely effective method of clearing the body of harmful metals, chemicals and other pollutants, all of which have been implicated in the breakdown of the immune system.

And the great thing about it is that it is not taken internally, so it will not irritate your already sensitive and inflamed bladder.

You can dump years worth of accumulated toxic metals and chemicals in a very short time, simply by taking a bath with this specially formulated clay!

EBN® bentonite clay is edible (only pharmaceutical grade is safe to eat) and can therefore be used as an internal clay for cleansing. Eating our clay is an excellent way to absorb toxins from within the body and help in the overall detoxification process.

Suggested Use: For adults is 1-2 teaspoons (mixed in 6-8 oz purified water) daily for as long as needed (Children can take 1/2 teaspoon daily). Please allow the clay to sit in the water for 10 minutes, then stir before drinking. Follow the clay water with another 6-8 oz glass of water and eat plenty of fiber to ensure easy passage of the clay through your gastro-intestinal tract.

In addition to being an excellent internal detoxifying agent, our clay can be very helpful for acute upset stomach, indigestion and diarrhea. We do not recommend taking clay internally on a long term basis.

Our clay was used in Malawi by a non-profit group based out of Missouri to inhibit the incidence of diarrhea in infants and children in that country.

the damaged glycosaminoglyan (GAG) protective layer in the bladder.

Please Note: People allergic to eggs, soy, shellfish or olive oil should consult their doctor before taking this product. Additionally, it may take 3-4 months to offer relief from symptoms.

Natur-Leaf® is a laboratory premium tested blend of plant sterols and sterolins which help to restore, strengthen and balance your immune system.

Natur-Leaf® controls inflammation caused by excess interleukin-6 activity and regulates autoantibody reactions.

Silver Biotics™ is the most scientifically studied colloidal silver on the market.

Silver Biotics™ is your first line of defense against harmful bacteria, yeast or viruses. It was proven to be 200-300% more effective than any other silver product.

Author's Story of Recovery From Interstitial Cystitis

As owner and founder of Evenbetternow, LLC, I [Andrea Nichols] wish to share my story with you so that you may know that I did indeed have the same or similar symptoms that you may be experiencing.

Click Here to Read My Full Recovery Story