Thought on heartburn with IC, Brenda Watson, etc..

[HelpADude]

First, I like to thank all here, I'm relatively symptom free now for better half of the last year. Am getting back to excerising once more and lifting some small weights.

As mentioned before, one of my male buddie has had terrible IC for years, way longer than I had CPPS. His IC is always there, sometime better and sometime worse but he also gets bad heartburn that last for days where he couldn't lie down to sleep.

I was watching PBS (US Public Broadcast System) a few nights ago and this lady, Brenda Watson, was talking about heartburn and how that for some people, the cause is too little acid instead of too much. She said one of the way to test that is to take a tablespoon of apple vinegar. This would be a harmless test for most people but what about for him? With IC, he said any acid such as cranberry juice would send him to major flare.

So I guess my questions are follows...

- stomach got acid anyway, so why doen't the stomach acid bother IC patient?

- Is this Brenda Watson lady legit? She got quite a few books out.

- Any suggestion for my friend? He knows stress is a major cause for his health problems but he can't get a break. His doctor had refused him Xanax.

[Jay]

Hi,

If your friend is suffering mental anguish as a result of his chronic pain, and his doctor will not assist, then I have two suggestions:

1. Ask the doctor for a referral to a mental health professional (psychiatrist or psychologist). If they specialize in chronic pain, even better.

2. If the doctor refuses, find a new doctor.

Mental health is a very important issue for people with any type of chronic pain. When you constantly have symptoms, it's very natural to get anxious and depressed, but it isn't necessary to stay that way. Such complaints need to be taken seriously and addressed before they contribute to the worsening of an already bad situation. In many cases, treating anxiety/depression can even result in some lessening of the pain itself.

[webslave]

Helpadude, the stomach produces acid in response to food, which is not the same as glugging a glass of acetic acid onto an empty stomach.

As for vinegar, that's been known as a quack cure for hundreds of years. Here's an amusing quote from the 1841 book Old Saint Paul's. A Tale Of The Plague And The Fire by William Harrison Ainsworth. The Chapter title is "The Quack Doctors"

"Of all things," said Bottesham, claiming the porter's attention by tapping him on the head with his cane, "take care never to be without vinegar. It is the grand specific, not merely against the plague, but against all disorders. It is food and physic, meat and medicine, drink and julep, cordial and antidote. If you formerly took it as a sauce, now take it as a remedy. To the sound it is a preservative from sickness, to the sick, a restorative to health. It is like the sword which is worn not merely for ornament, but for defence. Vinegar is my remedy against the plague. It is a simple remedy, but an effectual one. I have cured a thousand patients with it, and hope to cure a thousand more. Take vinegar with all you eat, and flavour all you drink with it. Has the plague taken away your appetite, vinegar will renew it. Is your throat ulcerated, use vinegar as a gargle. Are you disturbed with phlegmatic humours, vinegar will remove them. Is your brain laden with vapours, throw vinegar on a hot shovel, and inhale its fumes, and you will obtain instantaneous relief. Have you the headache, wet a napkin in vinegar, and apply it to your temples, and the pain will cease. In short, there is no ailment that vinegar will not cure. It is the grand panacea; and may be termed the elixir of long life."

"I wonder its virtues have not been found out before," observed Blaize, innocently.

"It is surprising how slow men are in discovering the most obvious truths," replied Bottesham. "But take my advice, and never be without it."