Elmiron has become a very commonly used pharmaceutical in the management of interstitial cystitis which is part of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) For any herbal or pharmaceutical intervention there is always a question overall effectiveness because of other interventions associated with use Nonetheless it has been shown to be effective in the management of interstitial cystitisAloe vera has had a growing popularity in the IC community because of its effectiveness(90% of patients have a 50% reduction of symptoms in 6 weeks) and lack of side effects(Elmiron has an incidence of hair loss that seems higher than its reported 4%) Certainly aloe is cheaper than Elmiron even with insurance
GAG Layer Disruption and Mannose
The most well accepted matter science theory as to the cause of interstitial cystitis is that the bladder’s protective glycoprotein layer(aka GAG layer) becomes affected such that the underlying mucosal surface and submucosa are exposed to the urine’s acidity This acidic submucosal exposure then produces the bladder wall irritability causing urinary frequency and urgency
From a matter science point of view the reason the GAG layer is damaged is unknown while the energy science understands the process as the hot and mobile qualities affecting the functioning of the bladder There is as we would expect molecular and energetic transparency since energy and molecules are interchangeable That is, molecular acidity is represented by the energetic hot quality that leads to IC
Like proteins there are some simple sugars that are not easily made by the body so if these sugars are not readily available in the diet then tissue repair becomes impaired This is the case with the disrupted GAG layer in which mannose is not available for repair of the damage
The stage is set for repair and that’s where elmiron and aloe which are both able to supply mannose that is deficient in the diet Aloe molecularly is composed of long chains of mannose molecules Aloe also does not have the pharmaceutical side effects, improve GI tract function which is usually affected adversely in all diseases of the IC bladder pain syndrome, and has what’s called rasaynana effects A rasayana has rejuvenative physiologic effects when taken over time which means that reduces the impact of aging, improves decision making, and strengthens and revitalizes the physiology
Forms of Aloe
Perhaps many IC patients will have some flare reaction using aloe vera gel or juice with citric acid as a preservative
The advantage of the freeze dried aloe is that it doesn’t have the need for preservatives such as citric acid which is appealing to those with IC Some time ago Desert Harvest perhaps to avoid the citric acid preservative began using a freeze dried product in capsule form for IC patients….and maybe the primary reason when they thought of it was to make it more user friendly for patients(everybody is used to taking a pill)Since that time other companies have followed even having powders available Aloe Farms has such a pill form freeze dried product In general I have some misgivings about these products because the freeze drying process which may affect the the bioavailablity of the aloe vera herbal nutrient….the rasayana energetic effect of aloe may also be lost since it’s not just about the molecules but also the subtle energetics of the plant which has significant medicinal value
The value of aloe vera gel is that when used as an anupan(serves as a taxicab to take the herbs to targeted tissues) with herbal formulas it can theoretically produce a slow release to the GIT mucosa Agni is invariably adversely affected so this technique assures that there will be good absorption and assimilation of the herbal mixture The amount of aloe when used as a anupan is small so citric acid is not a problem For IC patients using large volumes(6T three times per day) the citric acid could be more of an issue But the remedy is simple….cut back on the dosing
The two brands that don’t have citric acid are George’s and Aloe Farms Aloe Farms uses Vit C(ascorbic acid) and potassium sorbate as preservatives These two gels available don’t have caraggeneen which has concerned the IC community due to studies suggesting the seaweed is carcinogenic in animal studies using large doses(I tend to discount such “unbiologic studies”) Both available through Amazon or the ic-solutions.tv Amazon store under Health and Personal Care George’s goes for 7.42 for 32oz and cheaper in the gallon size per oz
George’s gel by their labeling has no preservatives making it a favorable product in the market
Remember that just like pharmaceuticals aloe can become a bandaid so we can go on eating foods that aggravate and produce IC However when used appropriately to help with symptoms as we make dietary changes makes the most sense
Aloe should not be thought of as THE tool in the tool chest to heal IC but rather as one of the many Remember that energetically it’s not just one thing that causes IC but a multiplicity of things(foods, incompatible foods, season, lifestyle choices producing too much of the hot quality etc) and so it’s just not one thing that deals with healing IC but a multimodality approach with herbs like aloe vera being one small part
