Hi,
Before starting treatment with Matia I drank marshmallow root tea (after hearing the same thing about it being helpful to bladders)
I found it did not help me at all. I also noticed an increase in pain/urgency/frequency. It could be that it is a mild detox, as you suggest, but I would be cautious about drinking something in conjunction with Matia's program. I think the detox process she puts us in has a pretty delicate balance.
I'd be interested to hear her thoughts on this. Do you plan to bring it up during an appointment?
 
 

I have an appointment this Friday, and I can ask. Also, there are support group meetings (phone conference calls). I've never actually "attended" one, but there is one on Saturday that I hope to participate in.
If I remember correctly, the support meetings are open to people who are not yet in treatment with Matia. Maybe if you call Bomamed, you could ask to join in?
Sorry to hear you are struggling.
 
Have you started on the list 1 diet?
Hope things improve for you...
 
Erin
 

I can remember trying this tea long ago for releif but it was not working for me. Someone healed their IC with marshmallow root tea? Do you know if they were doing other treatment modalities in conjunction with that? I can beleive she did but everyone's treatment pathway is different. I would think that in general since IC is less a bladder condition and more of a GI tract condition that unless the GI tract issues were resolved( pathgens,bacteria,yeast ) as well as any other agents factoring into the IC - diet hormones liver toxciity etc etc. that there would be a steady inflammation source and it would be like treating the symptom in a sense instead of addressing the sources of the inflammation itself and then healing the inflammation. The properties- the thermal and active properties of an herb ie- (like the way jalapenos are hot is an example or how watermelon and cucumbers are cooling to the body)are also a factor in whether or not it may be good for the individual. for example chinese medicine recognizes that marshmallow is very "yin" - it has cooling downward moving actions. sounds like it could be good for an inflamed bladder right? but actually its so complicated! Sometimes in a pain situation -applying  cooling or cold things foods and herbs can be very bad and increase our symtoms and irritation. I get benefit from drinking a small amount of coffee which is warming as an herb and that is usually a big no-no in all the IC herb/food proticals guides out there. My guess is the coffee has a positive affect on warming this area that is simultaneously stagnant( a cold condition) bloated and numb inflamed  and painful - (for me) I think the the increase in circulation of fresh blood to that area is good. So in some cases maybe marshmallow is helpful but I would say if you are not getting any noticable benefit you should cease! So many things that might make logical sense may not when you consider the bigger interconencted picture. Marshmallow root may have soothing properties but it could also have another active ingredient that happens to be irritating to the inflamed tissues of IC patients. So much kind of depends on where you are in treatment too. The bladder can take a long long time to heal! thanks -Mary 

My naturopathic doctor had me try marshmallow root tea and also cornsilk mixed in.  I tried both individually too.  They never did anything for my IC.  I think Matia told me not to use it because it would coat the bladder and not help matters or mask the symptoms or something.  I can't remember exactly what she said, but I do know she didn't want me to use it.  I remember reading that business about someone saying it healed their bladder too, but I can't imagine it.

I'm pretty sure Matia doesn't allow this during her treatment, I asked her when I started this second time around.  I have read the same, probably the same person, and she was doing a lot of other things, did not work with Matia, but over years did heal herself of IC and other ailments.  I tried the marshmellow before my first time in treatment, when I read about it, but it did not help me.It's so tempting to try things when not yet in treatment, but I'm wondering if it would be better to not do anything except the diet so that you don't do anything that may be damaging to your system before Matia gets to it.