Kitchen Medicine: Natural Remedies for Cystitis

I've been in bed this weekend with my second ever experience of cystitis, and having spoken to a few people, it seems that it's not uncommon amongst women...
So i've been doing a bit of research and having treated myself naturally am feeling good after maybe a couple of preliminary days when i could feel something was not right, and 1 day of acute symptoms, which ended in me breaking a sweat in the evening.

Cystitis is a term used to refer to an inflammation of the bladder and/or urinary tract, and it can be the result of infection, irritation, or bruising, or even a combination of these three factors.  Looking at my situation holistically, i am aware that there are other factors which have contributed to this episode.  I've not been paying enough attention to my body's signals and needs....and my boundaries with food have been blurry recently.
 
The two most common symptoms of cystitis are that it burns when you pee, and you feel like you want to pee all the time. Not pleasant at all!  If the infection progress further into the bladder then lower abdomen and back ache may be experienced.  Other symptoms may include  nausea and vomiting, a painful burning sensation at the outer end of the urethra, and fever, if there is an infection present.

There are three aims to the treatment of cystitis.
Firstly, you want to flush the infection out of the bladder by drinking lots of fluid, and by encouraging it to move through the body as fast as possible.  The worst thing that could happen if you don't follow this step of the treatment protocol, is that the infection will spread further into the body and cause a kidney infection.
Secondly, you want to kill the bugs causing the infection or create an environment they can't live in. And last but not least, you want to stop the pain, by making the urine alkaline (which won't do anything to kill the infection, so don't be tempted to think you're cured just because it stops stinging!)

According to Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Wholefoods,  a bladder infection is an indication of a damp condition in the bladder that has combined with heat (damp-heat in the bladder).  Infections thrive in a damp environment which is caused by too many acid-forming foods such as refined sugar, concentrated sweeteners, too much meat, greasy oily foods and too much starch.
Foods which clean out infection are bitter, cooling and/or alkalising foods, so the majority of the diet should be vegetables and foods that remove dampness and heat.  Since overeating is also a cause of damp heat, he recommends light nourishment in the form of broths and teas particularly during the acute phase.

Ingredients for broth to remove damp-heat:
aduki beans (very effective against damp heat- pre-soak before adding to broth)
celery, potatoes with skins, winter squash, broccoli, dandelion leaves, parsley (which has a special affinity with the urinary system) and any other veg that is not warming...

You could also make a green juice or smoothie with cucumber, celery, parsley, spinach and dandelion.
Cucumber: Diuretic, alkalising, cools inflammatory conditions, counteracts toxins
Celery: Bitter, cooling, dries damp conditions, promotes sweating
Parsley: Bitter, high in vitamin C, diuretic, special affinity with urinary system, alkalising
Dandelion: diuretic, tonic, stimulates immune system, alkalising
Spinach: alkalising, diuretic

Whether you choose make a broth, smoothie or juice might depend on a variety of factors, such as the weather/season, or simply your intuitive feeling about which would suit you best!

I didn't get round to making any broth, juices or smoothies as i was too groggy, but i did drink litres of Nettle and Dandelion infusion (made separately).  A herbal infusion is quite different from a tea.  It is a large amount of herb brewed for a long time (at least 4 hours), and much more potent than regular herbal teas.  To make a herbal infusion, use 1oz of dried dandelion leaves to about a litre of boiling water.  Place the dried leaves in a jar, fill to the brim with boiling water and place a lid on the jar.  Leave to infuse for 4-10 hours before straining and drinking.  Drink cold or top up with boiling water for a warm drink.   If using fresh dandelion leaves, about six dandelion leaves will do for one cup of tea. The leaves should be torn into strips first, before being placed onto the bottom of the cup. Boiling water should then be poured into the cup, and the tea should be left to stand for 5-10 minutes.

pic credit: http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/june03/herbalmedicine.htm

Cleavers, Cramp bark and Uva Ursi are bitter and cooling herbs that can be made into a cold infusion.
To make 2 cups of a cold infusion, put 3 heaping tablespoons of dried herb to a large tea strainer or muslin pouch.  Add water to a pint jar, then suspend the herb in the pouch or infuser in the water.  Let sit overnight.   squeeze or press the marc (the herb in the infuser or bag) into the tea to strain.  Drink and enjoy! source: dandelion revolution

I also recycled (drank) all my urine yesterday.  This helped to get the flow of urine going and fasting on urine is an effective way to deal with infection.  Urine is the body's own best medicine and iwon't go into details here but if you're interested in finding out more there are a few good books written on the subject.  The one i am reading at the moment is called The Golden Fountain by Coen Van Der Kroon.
Or check out this article i found on the internet.

So basically, i treated myself by resting in bed almost all day, drinking litres of herbal infusion, recycling all my pee, and by evening i was breaking a sweat as my body healed itself.  These measures pretty much covered all three aspect of a healing protocol for cystitis, ie. flushing out the infection, killing the bugs, and alkalising the urine.  I am continuing to drink lots today and have been given a herbal tincture of echinacea, buchu and golden seal which i am taking twice a day.
Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for this type of infection, and whilst there are some situations where antibiotics may be indicated, i also believe that it's really important to support the body's own natural healing capacity so that the infection is not suppressed only to return later as a deeper, more chronic ailment.  So being a more pro- than anti-life kind of person, i have been dosing up on probiotics to boost my natural immunity.  My preferred brand is Nature's Biotics, and i'm also eating homemade sauerkraut and raw goat milk kefir daily (more on that in subsequent blogs!).  That should just about cover it for now and help to prevent a recurrence.

Update: I have been having an interesting journey with this bout of illness.  I thought i was clear, and then did too much and found myself having a far worse flare up.  So i had to put myself to bed and really REST....and to keep remembering to DRINK.....
All in all, although it has been frustrating having to rest when i am actually really excited about a whole load of things i want to be doing right now, i am feeling so much gratitude for lessons learnt about listening to and trusting my body's own healing wisdom, and giving myself the time and space to heal.   I am now motivated to step up my game and achieve greater wellness and balance in my life.  In every crisis is the opportunity for empowerment, it's all a matter of perspective!  :)

Please feel free to add any other natural remedies or information you know to be effective in the comments section :)