Allopathic medicine has acknowledged a relationship between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and interstitial cystitis (IC) from population studies but due to its model of healing it has little to say about the association. It exists but we don’t know why.
According to the science of Ayurveda the vast majority of disease begins in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This is why nutrition is the first mainstay of therapy. Of course it depends on what kind of nutritional advice is given. Molecular nutritional advice is at best guess work based on anecdotal IC sufferers’ reports.*
So what is the link between IBS and IC? It’s estimated that about 70% of people with IC have some signs and symptoms of IBS. From my vantage point in dealing with patients it’s more like approaching 100%. And this makes sense because of what I just related about the origin of almost all chronic diseases.
* For more information, please read ‘Foods Heal: Why Certain Foods Help YOU Feel Your Best‘.
The Relationship of IC and IBS
The symptoms of IBS are related to poor digestion. This leads to the increased qualities of hot and mobile which leave the GI tract and lodge in weak bodily areas predisposed to disease. The mobile quality leads to the frequency, urgency, getting up at night, and at times incontinence if certain characteristics of the continence mechanism are present. The hot quality leads to the intermittent burning in the bladder and vagina leading to vulvodynia like symptoms. In men the symptoms of chronic prostatitis are similar except that the perineal burning is often more severe.
Approximately 60-70% of people with IC become asymptomatic and their symptoms dramatically lessen over time. They experience minor flares that are tolerable and dealt with by small interventions that quiet the above qualities. The remaining 30% of patients become debilitated with symptoms.
More often than not this debilitated group of patients have not only IC symptoms (bladder, prostate, and vagina) but also extreme bowel symptoms as well. This leads to the diagnosis of IBS. Unfortunately there is little from the matter or molecular science discipline to deal with these symptoms as well. So this unfortunate group of patients have IC and IBS both of which are not managed well by the current medical system. Nothing to be offered.
Understanding IBS and Mucous
Incapacitating IC almost always has a component of IBS that is also severe. Since all disease starts in the GI tract the management of these severe cases must hinge around dealing with the problems in the GI tract. Typically when the GI symptoms are managed the IC symptoms take care of themselves.
As I talked about earlier the cause of IBS is poor digestive strength. Once this process of poor digestion is set in motion the accumulation of undigested unprocessed food disrupts the absorption and assimilation of food leading to toxicity.
All of these digestive disruptions lead to increased mucous production by the lining of the GI tract. Because of the hot and dry qualities in the GI tract this mucous over time becomes thick ropey and creates intermittent functional bowel obstruction, leading to bloating and pockets of gas. Another serious problem with this inspissated mucous is that it is incredibly inflammatory which produces severe cramping pain.
Over years this mucous becomes a major obstacle to clearing symptoms not only in the bowel but also the bladder. Both systems then create symptoms that interrelate causing a constellation of symptoms that are uninterpretable by allopathic medicine.
Healing Cystitis + IBS: What To Do
If early on in symptoms using licorice or slippery elm can serve as demulcents to the problematic mucous. Until the mucous is cleared the symptoms won’t be relieved. But the healing process of bowel recovery is another hurdle that has to be managed until the gas and bloating is controlled.
The important realization to the management of these difficult situations is that the process of healing from the science of Ayurveda view requires time. There is no magic fix, no magic pill, no magic operation. What’s needed is patience, diligence, and the courage to do the work.
All the best in your healing journey,
Dr. Bill
Photo courtesy of Morguefile.com.
I am a 50years old lady, and I am suffering from ic from past and a half years. As a professional, it’s very difficult to stay back at home all the time as I have shootingpain at times and severe urgency for urinating which is between 30-40 times a day and little less times during the night too. Twice I have got done the procedure and 15 installations weekly. it did become better, but relapsed again. In the latest ultrasound, it’s founded that the size of bladder have shrunk to 50cc holding capacity with collapsed urethra. With constant pain, and urgency, my life has become a living hell. Dr Bill, please advise me for a solution and help me.
thanks.
Hi Alka Probably would be worthwhile for you to visit ic-solutions.tv and explore the website and see if you would be interested in an energy science approach to your problem best in your healing journey DB
Hi! I’m a medicinal chemist/molecular biologist. 5 yes ago I was diagnosed w/IBS. Personally, I find that diagnosis a “no duh”. I’m non-Celiac gluten intolerant (family history of Celiac’s) and have cross are activity to cow casein. I follow a strict GF/cow dairy-free diet, but eating out is tricky, and sometimes CC results in a flare. There are other foods (potatoes, sesame) that appear to upset my system if I eat more than a little. For the first couple of years I avoided them entirely. Over the last year, potentially longer, but symptoms were misinterpreted, I’ve had intermittent pelvic pain. Around 6-8 mo ago I had an acute flare which clearly indicated my bladder as the problem area. My gynecologist confirms this and suspects IC. No uroligist in my area is in-network. Even if they were, my reading leaves me w/little hope, as they only treat symptoms.
I take tumeric, quercetin (sporadically), fish oil (sporadically) and multivitamins and probiotics. I have a healthy diet, with coffee and chocolate being my worst offenders. Even so, it seems the IC has worsened rather than lessoned. Both recent flares resulted w/in short time after running out if probiotics.
I want to heal my bladder. My hormones also appear to be low. I’m not sure what to do next?
Hi Hilaire
Every IC patient begins their disease journey with IBS because from the energy science model of Ayurveda’s point of view ALL disease begins in the GI tract(except for trauma) IBS is a collection of symptoms not really a true disease condition from the energy science perspective and it stems from low digestive strength(aka agni) This concept is not given much emphasis in the matter science tradition and because of that does not have any tools to manage the disease Hence patients with IBS have no answers
In order to manage your IC and heal it you have to deal with the IBS issue as well Here are some links from blogs done in the past at ic-solutions.tv
http://goo.gl/bPkFWE IBS
http://goo.gl/roJlH7 mucous
http://goo.gl/B8V8t4 bloating
If you’d like to schedule an indepth consultation using the energy science approach you can make an appt at the below link
Best in your healing journey DB
http://goo.gl/1Ahlgt