Interstitial cystitis: treating this painful condition naturally.(Women's health: natural solutions for common problems)

Jan, a 67-year-old woman, came to me with the complaint of chronic urinary pain, which varied from mild to severe. The episodes lasted from days to weeks, and her symptoms returned periodically.

Jan's condition, interstitial cystitis (IC), is a urinary pain syndrome that is poorly understood. There are several theories as to its cause, but most involve conditions that lead to an increase in inflammatory mediators in the bladder tissue. Minimizing the triggers that stimulate these mediators--along with rebalancing immune function--is key. This isn't an easy condition to treat. Therapy must be carried out for at least a year, and beneficial effects may not be seen until months have passed.

There are several foods that seem to be connected with IC, including coffee, alcohol, chocolate, carbonated drinks, vinegars, citrus, tomatoes and many fruits. So I recommended eliminating them from Jan's diet. On the other hand, dietary fiber in the form of legumes, hemp seed, flaxseed and whole grains acts to improve detoxification, so I encouraged Jan to eat more of these foods.

Jan's pain management regimen involved the use of herbs and nutritional supplements. I recommended N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG) at a dosage of 500 milligrams (mg) three times per day to act as an anti-inflammatory and ...