Skullcap for Interstitial Cystitis

well i have been working on the post i said i would be doing next, but i am having issues getting the details on one of the treatments, since to be honest most doctors don't know about it and apparently there isn't exactly research on its use either, and i don't know how to give details about it without quoting right now so i will start off with the safest treatment that anyone should be able to get their hands on, and in the next post i will cover the next treatment and so on.

Alternative treatment for bladder issue, in my case semi diagnosed Interstitial Cystitis (i think i have explained being "semi diagnosed" in a past post, though later i might check and if not, i will explain it in a later post)

Herb (found at health food stores)
name: Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Traditional Use:
It is used in alternative medicine as an anti-inflammatory, abortifacient, antispasmodic, slightly astringent, emmenagogue, febrifuge, nervine, sedative and strongly tonic.
Traditionally it is known as a nerve tonic and sedative for relieving anxiety, neuralgia, and insomnia. In China it is found in prescriptions for fevers, colds, high blood pressure, hypertension, insomnia, headache, intestinal inflammation, vomiting of blood, and other
conditions. Because of its calming effects on the nervous and musculoskeletal system, it was also at one time considered to be a remedy for rabies, thus it's name "mad dog weed."

Percautions: A medicinal infusion of the plant is used to promote menstruation, it should not be given to pregnant women since it can induce a miscarriage. There have been no documented cases of negative interactions with other herbs or medications, it does have a sedative effect and should not be combined with prescription sedatives.(for the record i have never had it effect my menstruation in any way at all, and i have taken scull cap and then a prescribed sedative without thinking and no issues personally). Overdose symptoms include giddiness, stupor, confusion, irregular heartbeat and twitching

Preparations:
Skullcap is available in dried form as teas, capsules, tablets, and tinctures. Care should be taken to buy skullcap from a reliable source to ensure the identity of the plant material.

How i take:
2-4capsles (425 MG each) when i am starting to get a flair or getting really bad sudden issues. (granted i find my IC flairs are at times semi anxiety related so that might be why it helps me but it being a sedative effecting nerves might also be part of it, so who knows. But i do often find it impressively effective.  I find if i am feeling urgency and pain before i take it, it takes effect and makes it so i don't feel the need to rush to the washroom within 20-40minutes of taking the pills. This seems to happen for more anxiety based flairs or when its not too extreme IC flair.

Future Post.

because of a recent comment i got i will soon be doing a post about how i came to be "diagnosed" with IC (or whatever it is) and the tricks and solutions of medications and things i do to help with the pain and urgency. just have to get the information together and the goods and bads about each medication (for those of you in the usa 2 of the 3 i use you can simply go buy at the store. those in canada like me only 1 of the 3 can you go buy... however if you have friends who go to the USA every now and then you can get the 2nd medication brought home to you) will go into all this more later.

My 30

1. The illness I live with is: Endometriosis, Interstitial Cystitis, 2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2005 for endo, 2010 for IC 3. But I had symptoms since: 2001 for endo, 2008 for IC 4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: Not being able to be "normal". Achievements such as finishing college, having a job, having a social life are things that when others speak of or ask me about leave me fighting to keep it together. 5. Most people assume: No idea. Can't say for most people only one who has spoken their mind and they don't think i can be in that much pain or possibly have constant pain, and lecture about using pain medication yet didn't see a problem with taking theirs with a bottle of wine. 6. The hardest part about mornings are: sitting up to get moving, often i can be awake in bed without any pain when i first wake up since its as though the rest of me isn't fully awake, but once i move the nerves wake up and my reality comes rushing back. 7. My favorite medical TV show is: Grey's Anatomy 8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: Toshiba Laptop, TENS unit, PS3 9. The hardest part about nights are: thinking back over the day and thinking i didn't mange to do anything useful or worthwhile. 10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins: currently 1-5daily 11. Regarding alternative treatments I: liked acupuncture and many other things but $$ so right now DIY acupuncture and massage now and then along with herbs as needed. 12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: invisible since that's what i know. 13. Regarding working and career: sole crushing.... no idea, if in years able to work well, and drive perhaps a dula. 14. People would be surprised to know: That the thought of giving up occurs to me now and then, yet i am not depressed 15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: having all my goals postponed 16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: last this long still smiling 17. The commercials about my illness: there are none that i have seen 18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: diagnose date didn't make the change, the day the pain came did. but so many things. 19. It was really hard to have to give up: my education and physical strength. 20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: crafting, sewing/beading/wood carving/card making. 21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: go camping, walk/hike the trails and horse back riding. 22. My illness has taught me: things that i would rather keep to myself. 23. Want to know a secret? I will never get over the heartbreak of having a hysterectomy. 24. But I love it when people: try to work with my reality (Anne and Jackie are great at that) 25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;" 26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: you can ask me anything as there are very often issues and symptoms never mentioned in literature or by doctors (about 5+a year ask about leg pain, or mention it not thinking it is connected to endo.) 27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: its made me more creative. 28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Hold me. 29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: it will only stay invisible if no one tries. 30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: warm

I clearly did not keep up with detailing my ongoing experiences with the butrans patch, so i will try to do some catch up now. At this very moment i have a huge headache or borderline migraine, and this as been my reality for most of the last 4 weeks since my dose was upped from 5mcmg/h to 10, though it seems to be laying off a bit since earlier in the day i was headache free. Thought i would would write out a detailed update but this isn't working with my head hurting so bad, but the key is things are getting better again, and for pain it works well though might adjust more when i can cope with more changes in medication.

Start of day 3 on Butrans

Today (day 2) i was feeling pain so stayed in bed since normaly i would take some pain pills and still not move much but with no pills as a choice i just didnt move at all really.

yesterday (at the start of day 2) i was finding scott talking to me really rather frustrating to the point i was about to break down into tears, i simply could not handle comunicating or at least not out loud in speach. If he was in the room it was slightly better but if he was out of sight i couldnt do it and was getting really really cranky about it i simply couldn't pricess the information i guess. I was also experiencing leg and arm cramps due to there being no dilauded in my body, or way way less then there has been since last october (when i started changing from demerol to dilauded) so i was extra annoyed due to simply how uncomfertable i was.
I had been feeling like i was in a fog all day before this inability to comunicate but the comunication might have been an issue already i just dont know since i was home alone for 13hours and i dont seem to be finding the issue as bad with comunication via writing or typing, still haveing some issues with the ability to think out what i want to say or get accross but not nearly as bad.

Today as i said i was in pain so didnt move much, and didn't feel to foggy over all just sleepy and mellow. Had a bad headache for a while, but cant say if thats a result of the butrans, or the fact it was raining here since i often get weather related pressure headaches. Now that S is home again it is quickly comming clear just how much communication out loud is still being an issue for me but today i could at least explain it to him to let him know it wasn't him that was driving me loony it was i couldnt handle information comming to me in that form let alone responding in a timely fashion. He even thought to ask about if it was in all forms and i clued in when i was texting him earlyer in the day it wasnt nearly the same level of issuse or when talking to friends over msn.

Also i feel really in a fog now but it could be that its kicking in more or that its the same as it was earlyer i am simply more tired at the moment who knows.
Hope it mellows out though seeing as i am about to pay some one a deposit for what i beleive is my largest purchase yet, and she is friendly and i was chatty to her when i saw her on sunday and looked at what i have now desided to buy (will explain when everything is finished an is all good) so she will likely expect me to be able to talk again, and yet today i dont really think i can handle it so i have been telling S all the things we have to ask or tell her when we see her next cause i simply am unsure if i can or will do it on my own.

All this said the patch has stayed on no issue, haven't scratched off and its right in reach of my hand when i am sleeping or resting. (on the middle front of my right thigh) and today it went through a shower with no issue, though i did avoid getting soap on it as much as possible.