THINK YOUR INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS DIAGNOSIS IS A LIFE SENTENCE? THINK AGAIN
Discover how everything changed for Caroline.
Peeing, a natural human function that comes easily to everyone... Except you.
Welcome to your world...
Non-stop need-to-pee sensations gnawing at your mind, accompanied by panic about where the nearest loos might be.
Missing out on night's out because it's too uncomfortable to travel, let alone navigating a menu and having to explain to everyone.
The fear of a UTI setting off a full blown flare after a weekend away with your partner.
For you, peeing is unbearable and something to dread. It hurts when you go. It hurts when you don’t go. You’re always looking out for the nearest loo wherever you are. And the thought of sexy time with your partner makes you squirm (and not in a good way).
You’ve been passed from pillar to post. And the answer seems to be interstitial cystitis (IC), which feels like a life sentence at the end of a frustrating and lonely journey. You’ve started digging and fear of “acidic” foods is creeping in and, whilst the IC diet seems to be the online go-to, it looks joyless and restrictive. Right now, you may well believe that IC is a chronic disease. And that you’ll have to avoid endless lists of foods and feel miserable and in pain for the rest of your life.
I know you’ve already forked out on random supplements, relaxation tools and attempted to learn to ignore your bladder. You’ve probably tried the IC diet, the low oxalate diet, the low acid diet, gluten and dairy free diet, the candida diet. Oh yes, I see you. You bounced from antibiotics, to amitriptyline, to instillations (and back again). You’ve seen the gynae, GUM clinic, uro-gynae. No joy. You might even have resorted to seeing a Harley Street specialist. And now you feel like you’ve exhausted all avenues and there’s no hope in sight.
My friend, the IC diet and most of the “wisdom” around IC is total BS.
IC is not a disease. It is not a life sentence. Healing absolutely is possible. Food can be both a joy and part of your healing toolkit. And if you’re still feeling doubtful, this blog post is going to show you exactly how Caroline achieved all of this and more - and how you can too.
CHOOSING A NUTRITIONIST AFTER AN IC DIAGNOSIS
When Caroline first came to me she was devastated about her interstitial cystitis (IC) diagnosis. She was overwhelmed with the amount of conflicting information about treatment and nutrition. She was in debilitating daily pain and felt totally confused trying to follow the so-called 'IC diet’, an overly restrictive elimination diet based on people's perceptions of what “acidic” foods are, which was causing her to lose excessive amounts of weight.
Caroline had been struggling for years, felt exhausted, anxious and alone. She even had to quit her job due to being in constant pain. She was at rock bottom after:
A long history of recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs), antibiotics, and treatments.
Seeing multiple consultants (urologists, uro-gynae and gynae) and had numerous investigations, which were all clear, and was told it was IC and to try the “IC diet”.
Cutting out a long list of foods as a precaution. But her bladder pain, frequency and urgency continued, no matter how many foods she avoided.
Reporting constipation and bloating (to the extent she felt she looked pregnant). Her digestion had taken a hammering from the multiple rounds of antibiotics she had needed.
Suspecting she may have thrush or bacterial vaginosis but nothing was making any difference to her symptoms.
Caroline chose the Heal Year Bladder programme when she realised that this completely holistic approach, created by someone who had walked the same path as her and healed successfully, was what she had been searching for.
“MARY’S ‘HEAL YOUR BLADDER’ PROGRAMME HAS TRANSFORMED MY HEALTH IN JUST 3 MONTHS.”
HOW THE HEAL YOUR BLADDER PROGRAMME SUPPORTED CAROLINE TO BE PAIN FREE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2 YEARS
After three months working together, Caroline was pain free for the first time in two years. No more UTIs, and her IC symptoms no longer controlled her life. She finally discovered the confidence to make the right decisions for her health and knows what to do to stay well. She has bowel movements daily, her bloating is very occasional and she is no longer bothered by vaginal discomfort.
Caroline says:
“Mary's 'Heal your Bladder' programme has transformed my health in just 3 months [although we continued working together for 12 months so I could see even more benefits]. Having dealt with this awful illness herself I knew she got it. I felt in safe hands and trusted her guidance immediately. I instantly felt connected to her and most importantly she seemed to genuinely care and wanted to help me.
She recommended I underwent a series of tests and I'm so glad I did them because they all produced results that needed addressing. Nine rounds of antibiotics had left me with a leaky gut and SIBO but all the supplements Mary prescribed have seen a huge reduction in my symptoms in a short time.
I looked forward to our zoom calls and the instant messenger facility meant she could answer any of my questions so quickly. My mind was always put at rest if I had concerns or fears about anything. I feel like I've had an extensive educational crash course in nutrition and now understand what I need to feed my body to get well and most importantly - stay well. She provided me with meal plans that mean I never go hungry and have a variety of choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Mary also recommended other professionals for me to learn from and to help with my mental health which had taken a battering after trying to cope with being diagnosed with a chronic illness. She helped me see that approaching IC healing with a whole body approach is the best way to see results.
My only wish is that I'd signed up sooner, immediately after diagnosis. Mary helped me see that approaching IC healing with a whole body approach is the best way to see results. I can't explain how amazing it is to work with a practitioner who has been where you are. If you're reading this and you feel scared and desperate that no-one can help you and you'll never get better (exactly how I felt 3 months ago) please don't give up, commit to this programme and your life could be about to get a whole lot better. It’s been game changing and worth every penny. I could not recommend working with Mary enough.”
We used a root cause diet and supplement approach, implemented gradually. A few of the dietary changes we implemented included:
An anti-inflammatory diet.
Antimicrobial foods to balance bacteria.
Foods to support a healthy bladder lining (irritated and inflamed from repeat UTIs).
Probiotic rich foods to replenish the good bacteria and heal the leaky gut.
Tailored supplements for targeted support.
You can take a look at the full programme breakdown for yourself here.
CAROLINE’S OWN JOURNEY THROUGH THE HYB PROGRAMME LOOKED LIKE THIS:
Step 1 - testing and exploration
1. We ran a vaginal microbiome test to see what was going on at a microbial level in her vagina because an imbalance here, (inflammation, bacteria, yeasts, ureaplasma and pH) can influence the risk of painful bladder symptoms and UTIs.
What the vaginal microbiome test showed…
Elevated ureaplasma, multiple bacteria associated with UTIs and bacterial vaginosis (BV). An imbalanced vaginal pH, increasing the risk of urinary and vaginal infections.
2. A comprehensive stool test to get a snapshot of her gut health as she had a long history of antibiotic use. This test also includes markers associated with UTI risk, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), histamine, constipation, diarrhoea, and leaky gut.
What the stool results showed…
She was missing multiple "friendly" bacteria which regulate our ability to tolerate foods and support our immune system. Mucin degrading bacteria which are associated with leaky gut and food intolerance.
Higher than normal methane producing bacteria, associated with SIBO, constipation, bloating and gas.
3. A small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) breath test to look for bacterial overgrowth in her small intestine which could be driving her bloating and constipation.
What the SIBO test showed…
Elevated hydrogen producing bacteria, which can make bloating much worse.
4. A blood test for vitamin D because it’s involved in immune function and UTI prevention.
What the vitamin D test showed…
Her vitamin D result was deficient putting her at increased risk of recurring UTIs, inflammation and inadequate immune protection.
Can you start to see how it’s really unlikely to be just one thing that needs to be addressed or one supplement that will “fix” everything? In order to start feeling better and to minimise your risk of repeat flare ups and recurring infections, it’s important to take a whole-body approach to healing. It’s why I created my tried and tested framework, the Heal your Bladder programme which now includes both urinary and vaginal testing as standard. I dive deeper into why these tests are included here.
Step 2 - review and improve
We reviewed Caroline’s stool and vaginal microbiome test results. Added in further support with antimicrobials to reduce the BV and SIBO-associated bacteria, supported a healthy mucosal lining (due to mucin degraders in the gut) and focused on balancing gut microbes (due to missing “friendly” bacteria). Then we ran a stomach acid test, as low stomach acid can be a risk factor for SIBO recurrence and optimised her diet in order to do everything possible to keep her feeling well.
Step 3: nervous system and sleep
To help calm her anxiety we adjusted her diet to include calming nutrients, mineral rich foods, and gut nervines to support the gut-brain connection and encourage better sleep.
Having test results meant we could get to work straight away on achieving the quickest and best possible results. We had a snapshot of what was going on at a microbial level, and this helped establish what supplements and foods were going to be most beneficial, saving Caroline heaps of cash, guesswork, and time in the long-term.
Well armed with the results of Caroline’s functional testing results, we switched from a restrictive elimination diet, to one bursting with anti-inflammatory, immune boosting and antimicrobial foods. A way of eating that would really focus on healing (not just one that cuts out foods). She suspected dairy made her digestion worse, so we trialled a dairy free diet, and introduced wheat free days to reduce her bloating while we got to work on reducing her SIBO, supporting gut healing, and balancing everything going on in her vaginal microbiome.
FROM "ROCK BOTTOM" TO "GAME-CHANGING RESULTS WORTH EVERY PENNY"
If you too are at rock bottom, I want you to know that help is available and you could achieve the kind of transformation that Caroline has experienced. Actually, here’s a message from Caroline 18 months on from our time together that should show you the difference this could make to your life:
“Hope you’re well.
Just wanted to let you know so far so good for me since we finished working together :)
I’m still having some flare days but they’re exactly that - odd days rather than weeks- so I’m able to panic less and work through it. My last round of supplements finish in November so I hope by then I’ll be even better. Staying part time at work for the rest of the year.
Just got back from a holiday in Turkey with my boyfriend which was FAB. Haven’t been abroad for 2.5yrs so I just wanted to thank you for all your help in getting me to a place where I was able to travel again. I had an ice cream on the beach and cried tears of joy. Feels like all my hard work the past 18 months is finally paying off.”
I built the Heal your Bladder programme for you, because you’ve been failed by standard urinary testing, you’ve been dismissed, you’re at your wits end with painful symptoms, and want a solution that truly gets to the heart of your bladder pain - no more sticking plaster solutions. Yes, healing is possible no matter how many so-called ‘experts’ tell you otherwise. Working with an experienced IC nutritionist can help.
I’ve spent years helping women who’ve been struggling with recurring UTIs and symptoms of IC. So many solutions out there focus solely on the bladder. I take a whole-body approach. The gut, bladder, vagina, nervous system - it’s all interconnected. And to restore balance, (although it might feel tempting to fixate only on the bladder), we need to support your body as a whole.
Ready to experience the kind of shifts that Caroline went through? It’s all available to you with the Heal your Bladder 1-1 programme.
