Hi,
 Yes, I felt worse at first but am now feeling much better.  I haven't been able to tolerate probiotics.  Keep working with Matia to find the right combination of herbs for you.  Long term consistency is the key.  In time you will feelbetter too:o)

Hey LvB,
I have been in treatment for almost 6 years. I began with a lot of intense bladder pain and very little urgency frequency, endometrosis and later VV pain and gut issues. Contipation and nausea being pretty off and on. This has been a steady SLOOOOW progress for me but my body was allll kinds of layers of messed up going back to childhood. I am doing I think very well but I am not feeling done with treatment. I feel I have turned a mjor corner though recently.
A BIG part of my history involved TONS of antibios going back to bronchitis as a kid, ear infections etc.
Too many ibuprofen to treat cramps, a short stint with BC pills and a mild history of err exposures to some recreational substances. ahem. One of the factors that seems to be REALLY a stubborm problem was I lived in a house with SEVERE mold issues and I did not know.
I mean I lived in it and breathed for oh I don't know 5 years and I think that is why I am still in treatment. Considering my history I think I am doing really well. I was totally functional after 2 years but was dealing with some seriously painful VV symptoms for several years which are now very low to almost non existant. I am list 4 but have dabbled in list 5. Ic annot tolerate soy anthing and that will flare me and some things I still cannot digest.
I cannot really speak for anyone else but the crew of ladies that I started out with NEVER post on here anymore and I can see that that its been several years since they even checked in.
My bladder? I don't feel it. It had melted back in my body. My labia sorry if TMI but hey that can burn sometimes ( it would be SO easy for you guys to deal my level of pain I promise) and that can make my urethra feel a bit sore but urination is mostly good and the clarity of it is crystal. It used to be pale and cloudy and greenish?
 
I take that to mean that the majority of them have healed and moved on. I think that Matia called me a medium bad case but I am thinking I am maybe worse than that.
In the past 6 months digestion has been a HUGE thing for me. I was having trmendous time feling sick while eating which in turn made me not want to eat. :( I used to WOLF food in the beginning. I shoudl also mention that at about 3 years I was doing well but so well that I kind blew it and dabbled in tobacco ( I know I know) and drinking alcohol. I missed having my 20's entirely when its the time that most people party and have fun so I guess I was making up for it in this backlash rebellion kind of way.
I feel we are making some real progress here with the digestion which is having a good effect on the VV in relieiving the redness and inflammation that lingers on the vulva/labia for me. I can have sex no problem even unprotected and only a day or two of kind of a strange soreness or discomfort which passes after some yogurt and some rest. The last time was even less!
Truthfully sex feels better than it ever has which leads me to the conclusion I had VV for maybe a lot longer than I realized? I have been except for my rebellious deviations with subtances like alcohol and tobacco which I cut out of course over a year ago I ahve been ALWAYS strict as hell with the foods and avoiding sugar and etc. I NEVER cheated in especially in early treatment cause I know how it can drive IC deeper into the body.
In a sense I think that the IC and the VV are the same thing its just its being moved OUT and down out of my body. My progress can wax and wane especially as we are doing heavy cleansing. Right now my right foot is throbbing along the gallbladder meridian as my body pumps out some seriously toxic stuff.
I gave up wheat products which I had incroporated back in after I found out it was toxic due to genetic manipulation.
So I started making yeast free spelt breads and biscuits. Appetite has recently gotten better. I eat the diet 1-4  but I am not a good cook and honestly I just love simple natural food. So I will always eat the diet with just maybe more natural jam one day and slighl amounts of agave and cocoa.
I don't feel like I am reacting to any foods unless I somehow got some coconut or soy or something off list  in me by accident or tried some beauty product with something bad in it.
I HAD to clean up a spill on the carpet and use something kinda toxic to us to do it but it only flared me for a day and I was the next day. Never doing that again. Usually vinegar and baking soda is good enough with rubber gloves!
The truth is that there are plenty of people who are better its just they don't use ICAMA anymore or never did in the first place. You just REALLY MOVE ON and don't post or read because really you just want to put it all behind you. In a sense I stopped coming here for awhile  because I needed to not feel sick anymore or identify as that and I WAS. This is a personal expereince I was having and I am grateful for this support group but it felt like I was compounding that image for myself. I REALLY want everyone to see and think of me right now as someone who is continuously healing into a strong sense of vibrant shinging  health and only getting stronger and stronger after a long recovery. I know that is true about me so please DO NOT send me any fear or crystalize me as still sick in your mind or have any despairing thoughts about how long my treatment path has been- I was not suffering that whole time BTW. For me its just been so many tangles to undo and we have been acheiving that successfully.  Perception is everything and I feel like I want to send an encouraging message as an example of someone who has healed very slowly but surely.