Big Improvements with Colostrum

[Wyllyam]

Ok, I know I didn't post over the past two years until recently, and many people mention posters don't come back if things improve, so I felt duty-bound to mention what has worked. These are solutions Urologists and GP's would probably never have given me. (I bear no ill will, as they all wanted to help me as best they good, and never blew me off as a crazy person, as I know some people have experienced!) I must give my last Uro in my old town credit, as he saw in my urine that there was inflammation, which the other three didn't , and he put me on a "low acid" diet (basically the IC diet) which helped a bit and led me here (instead of the prostititis community where I had been chasing the wrong cause). Once I knew it was IC, it made sense. Here's what helped from my trial and error:
First: In an effor to reduce what I thought was Prostate pain, I began the "broccoli treatment". It basically involves boiling broccoli and drinking the broth. It tastes as bad as it sounds, but it also gave quite a bit of pain relief. I now know that it was releasing Quercetin from the broccoli.
Q-urol: Again focused on Prostate symptoms, but gave a bit of relief. Anti-inflammation?
After learning the low-acid diet and coming here...
Cystoprotek: This gave me pain-reduction within a few days. However, deviation from the IC diet would set me way back. Adding Aloe Vera to it just didn't really make an appreciable difference.
Now, after reading "the healing path" ...
Bovine Colostrum: Just to see if I could tolerate it (and it's a cheap brand). Boy. I am a bit amazed. Within a week almost all of my pain is GONE. As I sat here last week, at my desk, I realized for the first time in two years I just needed to pee. All of you know what I mean when I say that. Usually, I would be told my (tiny) bladder was full by knife-like pain from my bladder to the points of my hips. And the burning after urination would mean ten to twenty minutes before finally feeling close to normal, even though I would still feel like I had to pee, etc. But this time it wasn't hurting. I just needed to pee. Within a few more days, even that didn't hurt. My hip muscles are still tight, and some yoga and excercise will certainly be next, but for the most part its really working!
My question for any of you that have or still use Colostrum: Is there a brand difference? If it's rebuilding the GAG, should I reduce taking it once it's done its job? Why does this work for me and not everyone?!?

Without the knowledge from this forum and its founder, I would probably be on narcotics and anti-biotics (which I was for MONTHS) maybe for years or forever. I felt like all I needed was a fridge and stove in my bathroom so I never had to leave a hot bath.

My journey is nowhere near over (you won't find me with a coke and a smile any time soon), but this kind of improvement is giving me MY LIFE BACK! I wish the same for everyone here.

[greeneyes]

Great post and thanks for sharing your story.

[earthlady]

That's great you found something that works. Unfortunately I don't have any personal experience with colostrum but would be interested to see if anyone else here has. I'm currently doing well on just the Quercetin, hyaluronic acid, and prelief with diet but it's always good to keep up with what's working for other people because I know how unpredictable this condition can be. Let us know how well it continues to work for you.

[Jinny Jean]

(Note from ICNDonna: The ICN recommends books written by medical professionals, such as the IC Survival Guide by Robert Moldwin or Ending Female Pain by Isa Herrerra PT. The book mentioned in this posting represents one patients opinion and is not, that we are aware of, supported by any IC research studies.)

Hey! Great news! I have colostrum in my fridge right now... lol I took a few pills a little eile ago and my frequency went up for a few hours. I have the book along the healing path to, and it said that it COULD cause an increase in symtoms at first because it is also a cleanser? Did you find that? and then did it start to help or did you just not react? It could have just been a coincidence or something else I ate that could have triggered the increased peeing! Not sure haha. So far Elmiron seems to be working the best for me

My Dr actullay told me the other day that sometime when people have these kinds of prob the BEST solutions are natural remedies! THIS coming from my Dr! lol So I have the OK on everything I am doing naturally too! Hes the first one that has actually believed in what I have been telling him!!!!

Jenn

[greenredhead]

Awesome post Wyllyam. Thanks for stopping by and updating us.

[Wyllyam]

Well, still so far so good. Except for a mistake of feeling too good and having four chocolate mint cookies, which as you might expect were a chemistry experiment. That set me back two days, but I'm back to good again. The only remaining symptom is slightly sore hips, but I'm on to a lead about the nerves which go around the Illium(?) to the lower back. I no longer commute as far, but thats when the problem began. Yes, a 40 mile commute and IC, absolute joy.
I can't guarantee the colostrum did it, and Jinny there were no symptom increases when I started taking it. However, I've been on Cystoprotek a month longer, and maybe it's doing most of the work. I have read that like Elmiron it can take a long time to show real improvement. Either way, this combination (with a bit of diet modification) seems to work. What I find interesting is that items like tomatoes no longer hurt, it's the chemicals in processed foods and potassium (bananas) that get me. Oh, and REALLY acidic bottled water. I found a guide online and saw that some had a pH lower than 6.5! I can almost hear the sizzle. As long as I stay with Fiji or Evian, etc., I'm great. Even Iced Tea usually ok. No coffee, though. Not willing to risk that yet...

[Jinny Jean]

Hey! Im so gla your doing well! I have actually tried taking it again and so far so good! It must have been a coincidence as to why i was flaring before. I think it is actually helping though--- I have felt great for awhile now, and I have been taking it every day, I hope its helping!!! I have been on elmiron 4 months now so that could also be it too!.

Jenn

[Bojana]

How much of colostrum are you taking, Jinny and Wyllyam?
I am lactose intolerant so its a bit difficult for me with colostrum, I try to get lacto free, but best brands don´t have it. So for now I take only 2 pills in evening, I know its not high enough to see a real difference.
So I wonder on what dose are you on? Thanks

P.s. So great to hear that someone is getting better and better and this with more "holistic" approach

[Jinny Jean]

Hey! I started out with just two a day and then went to 3 ... now I take about 4 and sometimes up to 6. Ill prob stay with six though.

Jenn

[Jinny Jean]

Colostrum!

Hey guys! Found this! Lots of cool info!

Jenn xoxoxoxox



Organic colostrum benefits and rebuilds the human body at a deep foundational level


To understand how bovine colostrum benefits your health, you have to first understand what it is and what it's composed of. All mammalian mothers produce colostrum milk for a short period of time after they've given birth. This "first milk" is available for a set amount of time (it varies from species to species) after the mother has given birth and then her milk transitions over to regular milk, which is produced for the rest of the suckling stage of her offspring. Colostrum is vastly different in it's nutritional composition than regular milk and this is what makes it one of the most powerful and rejuvenative antiaging foods available.
The health benefits of colostrum can be attributed to the fact that it contains 97 immune factors (constituents that build and improve different aspects of the immune system), 87 growth factors (bio-identical hormones and hormone precursors) and a variety of different probiotics along with prebiotics that help grow and feed the beneficial flora in the colostrum and in your gut! When harvested within 6 hours (for bovine colostrum) after a calf is born and exposed to as little processing as possible, colostrum benefits 4 aspects of the human body. It builds, repairs, strengthens and restores:

~the hormonal system back to levels associated with youth
~the immune system to it's top fighting form
~the digestive system to it's optimal function
~and it even provides you with every basic essential nutrient known

When the Australian Olympic swim team won more gold medals than the Chinese in both 2000 and 2004, they attributed it in part due to their us of colostrum supplements. It is popular among athletes as the health benefits of colostrum milk include decreasing recovery time, increasing strength and performance gains and preventing sickness due to overtraining (a common phenomenon among peak performers). This makes raw colostrum both a powerful yin jing tonic and a live superfood!

Asides from containing the building blocks (all the parent essential fatty acids, all the essential amino acids, etc) for every nutrient needed by the body, the health benefits of colostrum milk can be attributed to these key compounds:
Naturally occurring lGF-1 (which stands for insulin-like growth factor 1) could be considered the crown jewel as to why cow colostrum benefits human longevity potential so well. According to wikipedia, "IGF-1 is one of the most potent natural activators of the AKT signaling pathway, a stimulator of cell growth and proliferation, and a potent inhibitor of programmed cell death" (this helps combat the metabolic effects of aging). IGF-1 is one of the many growth factors found in bovine colostrum that helps create a state of anabolism in the body which can lead to increased lean muscle mass, bone density and tissue regeneration.

The oligosaccharides that are present in colostrum benefits the healing of the skin externally in the form of reversing wrinkles (SurThrival's organic colostrum powder can be mixed with a bit of fresh spring water in your palm and applied as a mask that you leave on overnight for skin rejuvenation) and internally in the form of healing the lining of the digestive tract. These long chain sugars also serve as a prebiotic and feed good bacteria in the intestine (including acidophilus) and aid in the maintenance of peak health for the digestive system. You can get great deals on SurThrival's cow colostrum powder (the best colostrum available, in Zak's opinion) by clicking here!
Thymosin Alfa and Beta are hormones that are naturally produced by the thymus gland (and endocrine gland located in the chest). When a healthy baby is born, this gland is about the same size as their heart. By mid adulthood people past 40 rarely have a thymus glad much larger than a pea and by the time they are seniors, there is usually nothing functional left except some fibrotic tissue strands. A functional thymus gland plays a central role in immune health and studies have shown that raw colostrum can actually begin to re-grow this shriveled gland in adults!

Lactoperoxidase is an enzyme that acts as an anti-microbial agent. It is found naturally in milk and colostrum to prevent the proliferation of bad bacteria. These beneficial properties are then transferred over to those who consume it. Colostrum benefits your oral health if you let is dissolve in your mouth around your gums. This can prevent or even treat gingivitis and may be able to help re-grow a receding gum-line. Lactoperoxidase has also been shown to stimulate macrophages (white blood cells) to gobble up cancer cells present in the body.

The lactobacillus acidophilus in raw colostrum is a strain of healthy bacteria that is an important part of the human immune system. Many people develop an imbalance of not only their intestinal flora (healthy bacteria) but also the flora on their skin and other bodily orifices (ears, nose throat, mouth etc) over time due to poor diets and the use of medication and specifically antibiotics. Acidophilus taken orally in organic colostrum benefits the flora of the entire body by populating first the gut and then it eventually "overflows" into all other areas of the body. As previously mentioned, there are naturally occurring prebiotics in organic colostrum that feed acidophilus as well as any strains of good bacteria already present in your body.

Lactoferrin and hemopexin may be two key nutrients in "leveling the playing field" in terms of the difference of lifespan between men and women. One suspected cause for men living shorter live than women on average throughout the world is that they don't regularly shed their blood the way women do once a month. Iron is a pro-oxidant and the theory is that "rusty" old iron that is floating around the body for too long causes damage that builds up over time. Lactoferrin and hemopexin are known to bind to excess iron and remove it from the body safely.

Nucleosides found in dairy products and specifically in higher amounts in cow colostrum, have a number of beneficial functions for the body. Dietary nucleotides support immune modulation, meaning that they intelligently alter the immune system to become more effective, as opposed to just blatantly boosting it which may exacerbate underlying autoimmune conditions. These nutrients also enhance iron absorption in the digestive tract as well as help in the desaturation of fats, making them easier to digest!

Proline rich peptides (PRP's) act as hormones that regulate the thymus gland and help modulate the immune system (much in the same way as the nutrients mentioned above). Specifically, PRP's promote better functioning of T-lymphocytes, they help produce cytokines, they stimulate the activity of natural killer cells (NK cells) and they stimulate and modulate many other immunological functions. What makes cow colostrum one of the best antiaging foods is that PRP's increase the permeability of blood vessels in the skin, resulting in the improved uptake of nutrients into the skin which results in a healthier and more youthful complexion!

Are there any cow colostrum side effects?
When people who are lactose intolerant learn about how effectively bovine colostrum benefits human health, they are sad because they think that it will trigger their dairy "allergy". As a matter of fact, most people's intolerance to cow's milk (and other types of milk) is for the most part due to the fact that they have only ever consumed pasteurized dairy. After pasteurization, lactase (the enzyme naturally found in milk that is needed to break down the milk sugar lactose) is destroyed and thus people get indigestion when they drink milk.
If you consume truly raw colostrum milk (or fresh) then you will be getting lactase within it to help digest it. On top of that, colostrum benefits the regeneration of your digestive system in a way where many people can eventually consume dairy once again after many years of being "allergic" to it (especially if they make a point to just consume raw dairy from cows, goats and/or sheep).

The organic colostrum powder from SurThrival has the added benefit of being taken from a wide number of cows from hundreds of different farms (click this link to get some!), which makes it help improve your immune system against a wider range of pathogens (the ones all these cows were exposed to in their lifetimes). Fresh colostrum benefits your health in that it would be more "living", but since it is only from a single cow (or single farm) it would be limited in it's range of diseases it has developed an immunity against.

Specifically this article covers the health benefits of bovine colostrum. This is because cow colostrum benefits human health much in the same way as human colostrum because they have nearly the same combination of immune modulators and growth factors (yet bovine colostrum is many hundreds of times more powerful). Also, cow colostrum benefits all types of mammals (great for pets!) as it is not species specific, whereas colostrum from certain other mammals are.

[Bojana]

Thanks for the info Jenn, do you feel the difference, does it work for you?
How long are you on it?
It´s about a month for me but I am still on 2 x night, starting with 3 now.

[Jinny Jean]

Hey! I have only been on it about 2 weeks, but the two weeks have been really great, so either its a coincidence or its helping! Im taking 2 twice a day and sometimes three times a day. I started off slow though just to be careful and only was taking one twice a day. But good so far doesnt hurt so thats good! Im hoping its only helping

[Wyllyam]

Dosage

For me, I stayed at 3 per day for a long time, now sometimes only 2. I think its important to say that I have no full evidence that it's working, only that it really seems to match up within a week of when my improvements really happened. This may be a coincidence. I have also been on Cystoprotek for awhile, and take four a day since May.
I never really had a lot of luck with other Quercetin brands, or with NSAID (Alleve) type pills. I didn't try Elmiron, as I was worried about the effects. I also did make quite a few diet changes as we all pretty much have to.
I'm not advocating anything, just that it seems like a very inexpensive thing to try and so far I've had no side effects. My pills are ~500 mg.

[Jinny Jean]

Hey, thats the same for me, it matches up when I started feeling really good. I do think hormones play alot in my case, and I have a feeling that come ovulation time I will have some discomfort, but I always do. What I can say is that I think the discomfort times will gradually become few and far between, I have a feeling it will just keep getting better and better... at least I hope so! lol.

My cycle has been going like this : Period I feel GREAT. Cramps, yes, but my bladder is no where to be found. lol. (I started the colostrum about the second day of my period and have been feeling really well ever since) for the five days days after period, even BETTER. When about day 8 or 9 after my period hits I start having some bladder twinges and my frequency tends to go up.... that lasts for about a week... then I start to wax and wane so some good days and some bad or "iffy" days (but I only flare if I eat something I shouldn't) and then it starts all over when I get my period.... Strange, but at least I know what im in for now.

Jenn

[Claire_A]

Is this worth trying? It sounds too good to be true? Where would I buy it? Healthfood store?

Thanks,

Claire