Reactions

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A patient requested that I post on how to tell if you are reacting to a food or product,so 
here it goes: once you have used a product, like a shampoo or eaten a food, typically, the
response time is within a half an hour or up to an hour. YOur symptoms will go up
considerably from where they were prior. some patients take a little longer, and few
patients may not react for a couple days. This is highly unusual though and is only the
case in perhaps 1 % of the time. More typically it is rather fast unless it is sugar. Sugar usually takes a few days because it is not the sugar that makes you bad right away but rather that feeds
the disease process and makes you worse overall in a sustained way. Makes sense?
At first, it is hard to see if you are reacting to food if your symptoms are so bad that
you are bad all of the time, but as you get into treatment and your symptoms are
improving it becomes easier and easier to tell. Because your skin is like a sponge
you absorb everything you put on it, so products are like food, you feel them absolutely
as much. This is why product use is so important, especially lotion and sunscreen, but
also all other products. I hope this helps. if you have more questions, just post a response
and I will do my best to answer clearly. 

Comments

mgingras20's picture
mgingras20

I never knew that body products like lotion and shampoo could make my IC symptoms worse.  How do I know which lotion and other products are safe to use?

Angela's picture
Angela

Go to www.bomasense.com  you can buy all safe natural care products.  The liquid soap I have been using as shampoo ever since I started the treament, it works great. These products are 100% safe for you to use.  Check it out :)Angela.  
 

drbrizman's picture
drbrizman

Angela's advice is really appropriate. The reason I made those products is because I was so frustrated with what was on the market. Your skin is like a sponge, absorbing all the ingredients you place on it into your body and greatly affecting you!

janejones's picture
janejones

I have tried the Bomasense unscented lipbalm, unscented f/h/body lotion, lubricant, salve, jojoba oil and sunscreen and would recommend all these. They are very pure and have a 'pure' smell and lovely texture. They are the best products I have used - and I have tried a lot of products specially formulated for those with skin allergies. 

emmarenee's picture
emmarenee

I was an occassional tea drinker before IC but coffee always smells so good. I have heard that coffee (in small amounts) is good (beneficial) to ICers Could you verify this and maybe explain. I wouldn't mind a small sip now and then. Thanks, Tammy

drbrizman's picture
drbrizman

All traditional IC diets advise against coffee. However, I have found that coffee actually can be helpful in most cases of IC. This is because coffee is an "herb", it is warming an moving inside the body, which, moves the blood gently, a vasodialator. This helps reduce pain in many cases.I always advise doing a test with just a tiny bot to see if this is true for the individual first though! 

janejones's picture
janejones

Is it the caffeine in the coffee that has the action of warming and moving or is it the overall action of coffee and not one ingredient? Is it advisable to avoid even 'naturally' decaffeinated coffee?

icnot4me's picture
icnot4me

That is interesting about coffee.  I"ve never tolerated it--causes awful stomach and head pain, and now I know why.  It stirs the bowels.What about foods you eat duriing the day affecting you at night?  I seem to get the most effect from whatever herbs, probiotics or foods I have eaten at night.  Do other patients have that?

Kriste's picture
Kriste

Same for me icnot4me.  My nights are always the worse if I am going to react.

drbrizman's picture
drbrizman

Nights will always be worse in general, so if you ate something not so great, it will maket he night worse than it would have been in the first place. That makes sense.

emmarenee's picture
emmarenee

I've read some post hear recently and I recall seeing them some time ago about drinking our water warm or hot and how that is better for ICers and people in general. I was wondering your thoughts on that. Thanks.

drbrizman's picture
drbrizman

Hot WAter provides warmth and movement. Cold causes constriction--like when you go outside in the cold and tighten and shiver. This is not good for pain syndromes. Hot is best or room temperature.