Tiny's Blog

Tiny's Blog

Tiny's Blog

Do Standing Desks Help With Interstitial Cystitis and PGAD?

Do Standing Desks Help With Interstitial Cystitis and PGAD?

I have not been paid or offered any other incentive to write this post. I simply wanted to share with you something that I have personally found to be of great benefit.In one of my earliest blog posts, Tiny Tips for Dealing with a PGAD Flare, I talked about various things that I found helpful in dealing with the symptoms of my own persistent genital arousal disorder. Although it took me a while to notice any patterns or triggers, I eventually realised that sitting at my desk for long periods of time made me much worse. I worked as an audio typist when I first got PGAD, so I spent hours a day sat at a desk with my foot on a pedal. I also liked to sit on my bed with my legs crossed to read or study, which meant I had to lean forwards to see my books.…

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Herbal Medicine Week

Herbal Medicine Week

This week is Herbal Medicine Week, so to mark the occasion I thought I’d write a post! As regular readers will know, my mum is a medical herbalist, so using herbs as medicines has been a natural part of my life. I tend to forget that not everyone knows what herbal medicine is and that not everyone can just pop in ‘the surgery’ when they’re feeling under the weather and whip up something appropriate for the ailment. I feel very fortunate to be able to do so and thought I’d take this opportunity to share a little about herbal medicine for those who may not know anything about it.Simply put, herbal medicine is the use of plants to treat illnesses and restore health. When they first hear of it, most people are quite sceptical and ask, “Do you actually believe in it?” or, “Does it really work?” However, when you…

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The Embarrassing Side to Digestive Disorders

The Embarrassing Side to Digestive Disorders

Did you know that there is a word to describe the phobia of having a bowel movement when other people are around, or are likely to be around? If you are a naturally confident, uninhibited person with normal, healthy bowels, you have probably never imagined that there could be such a fear! However, if you are a shy or socially anxious person – and especially if you suffer from a digestive disorder – it doubtless comes as no surprise to learn that inhibitions surrounding bowel movements can develop into real and serious issues.Many people would admit that they feel awkward emptying their bowels in situations where other people might know about it. Ideally most of us try to cultivate a routine where we go to the toilet before or after work, so that we can have privacy and secrecy for the act. While it’s acknowledged that everyone empties their bowels…

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Tiny Tips for Common Colds (Part 2)

Tiny Tips for Common Colds (Part 2)

This was such a long post that I uploaded it in two sections to make for a more manageable read. You can check out Part One here.Take a mustard powder footbath.This is another thing I swear by in the early stages of a cold – a bowl of really hot water with a tablespoon of mustard powder dissolved in. Soak the feet in it (or hands if you prefer) for about 15 minutes, ideally just before bed. It’s great for warming you up and helping you to sweat things out – I do this whenever I feel like I’m coming down with something. I sometimes do it just to warm my feet up as well, especially if I’ve been wearing high heels and am feeling ‘cold to the bone’. Mustard is a good detoxifier and in a footbath it draws blood to the surface (you can tell by how pink…

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Tiny Tips for Common Colds (Part 1)

Tiny Tips for Common Colds (Part 1)

This turned out to be another really long post, so I'm uploading it in two parts to make it a more manageable read! You can check out Part Two here. It’s that time of year when colds are upon us again, so I thought I’d write a blog post all about how to deal with them. I used to think a lot of this was common knowledge to everyone, but it turns out many people outside the alternative health community have no idea what to do when they get a cold, other than take painkillers and feel miserable until it passes. I’m not averse to taking painkillers and feeling miserable myself when I get one, but I’d be seriously panic stricken if I didn’t have all my remedies with me at the first sign of a prickly throat! Once in a while we all get hit by a horrible cold, but there is…

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Would You Be Kinder to Your Bladder and Bowels if You Could See Them?

Would You Be Kinder to Your Bladder and Bowels if You Could See Them?

What would you do differently if you could see the inside of your bladder or bowels? How would it alter your attitude to their healing process? I frequently hear from IC sufferers who are experiencing only limited relief from symptoms with Aloe Vera Capsules, Waterfall D-Mannose, or other herbal and nutritional supplements. They are usually aware that what they eat and drink can impact on their wellbeing, but all too often they tell me they ‘mostly follow the IC diet’ (which I don’t recommend – see this blog post), or ‘try to avoid gluten’, but on closer questioning what they mean is they still eat/drink things that they know exacerbate their symptoms at least a couple of times a week, even though for some days of the week they comply with what they believe to be appropriate protocols.All too often I read on forums comments from people who have been…

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Does D-Mannose Help Interstitial Cystitis?

Does D-Mannose Help Interstitial Cystitis?

“Will D-Mannose help with my interstitial cystitis?” is one of the questions I am most frequently asked by customers, closely followed by, “Can I take D-Mannose and aloe vera capsules together?” I have therefore decided to write a blog post to address these questions in detail!Regarding the latter, the answer is a simple yes. Yes, you can take D-Mannose and aloe vera capsules together. And yes, you can take each or both of these alongside any other medication you might be using as well. Regarding the former, the answer is less straightforward, but if I had to sum it up in one word I’d go with ‘probably’.Often, interstitial cystitis (IC) comes about after a bout of bacterial cystitis – in essence the symptoms of the bladder infection remain after the infection itself has seemingly been cleared. In these cases, it is thought that residual levels of bacteria remain in the…

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Tiny Tips for Dietary Approaches to Chronic Health Issues - a Beginner's Guide!

Tiny Tips for Dietary Approaches to Chronic Health Issues - a Beginner's Guide!

I’ve been struggling with how to write this blog post for weeks now. Having been candid in my thoughts regarding the IC Diet, I knew I wanted to write about the nutritional approaches I DO recommend for managing interstitial cystitis. I receive quite a lot of enquiries from IC sufferers and in general they have had no dietary advice from their doctors or specialists, nor are they aware that their condition may be very much improved with some adjustments to their eating habits (beyond the avoidance of orange juice and coffee). Having been passionate about nutrition since my late teens, as well as managing my own anxiety, tummy troubles and persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) with careful nutritional practices, I almost take it for granted that everyone understands the link between gut health and overall health. I also tend to assume that everyone knows how to eat in a way…

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A Bladder Friendly Form of Vitamin B6?

A Bladder Friendly Form of Vitamin B6?

Most interstitial cystitis sufferers know that vitamin C comes in many forms and understand that, for the majority of people, only the ascorbic acid form is irritating to the bladder. Other forms such as Ester-C and mineral ascorbates are usually perfectly safe for sensitive bladders, even in high doses. I get bladder pain from only tiny amounts of ascorbic acid, yet can take magnesium ascorbate all the way to bowel tolerance with no urinary side effects at all.Far fewer people seem aware that vitamin B6, also often blamed for bladder irritation, also comes in different forms. The one most commonly used in multivitamin supplements or B-complexes is pyridoxine hydrochloride, although pyridoxal and pyridoxamine can also be found in some brands. Before these can be utilised by the body, they must be converted into the active form of vitamin B6 – Pyridoxine-5’-Phosphate (P5P). For many individuals this is not a problem…

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Why I Don't Rate the IC Diet

Why I Don't Rate the IC Diet

Reading around interstitial cystitis forums as I occasionally do, I am often frustrated to see posts from people who follow the IC diet, yet continue to experience symptoms. While the IC diet may work as an emergency short term strategy for a minority of people, I have absolutely no time for it as a long term strategy for the majority of IC sufferers and I am going to use this blog post to outline why. If you are unfamiliar with the diet but are interested in why I don’t like it, you might want to Google it and have a look at the list of safe foods and unsafe foods before you continue with this article. If you have been following the diet without much success, or with limited success but without a sense that you’re actually healing, this post is for you.It should be noted at this point that…

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