In this episode of ‘Gluten Free RN,’ Nadine discusses the urinary system and urinary issues associated with the ingestion of gluten, gluten intolerance and/or celiac disease. If you are experiencing health problems related to the urinary system, it is possible that eliminating gluten and dairy will eliminate the problem.
Nadine utilizes anecdotes from her own experience and those of her friend and colleague Wendy Cohan, author of The Better Bladder Book, to illustrate the connection between diet and urinary health.
This episode explains how your urinary system works and outlines the difficulties you may be experiencing. Click and listen to learn how changing your diet could alleviate your pain!
What’s Discussed:
- The symptoms of interstitial cystitis (IC)
- The connection between gluten and IC
- After adopting a gluten-free diet, colleague Wendy Cohan no longer has IC
- Other urinary issues that may be caused by the ingestion of gluten
- Kidney and brain stones
- Repeat urinary tract infections
- Bed wetting
- The health problems specific to men that are caused by inflammation in the urinary system
- Chronic prostatitis (CP)
- Prostate cancer
- Erectile dysfunction (ED)
- When it is appropriate to treat urinary infection with antibiotics
- Antibiotic stewardship means we use them judiciously
- Why implementing a gluten-free diet may be better than taking medication for urinary issues
- 95% of female IC patients and 77% of male CP patients reported food sensitivities
- The ways in which other body systems are affected by urinary issues
- It is rare for these difficulties to occur in isolation
- Large numbers of IC and CP patients report having additional symptoms, i.e.: irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia
- The importance of addressing the underlying cause of your urinary issues
- The components of the urinary system
- What healthy urine looks like
- The need for additional research to confirm the effects of gluten on urinary health
Resources Mentioned:
The Better Bladder Book: A Holistic Approach to Healing Interstitial Cystitis and Chronic Pelvic Pain by Wendy L. Cohan
Connect with Nadine:
Books by Nadine:
Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism
I went gluten free and dairy free for 2weeks. After only 3 days I noticed I didn’t wake up 3 times a night with the urge to pee. Now I wake up once in the early mourning and then it’s only a slight urge.
So very glad you are able to sleep!
After getting up every 2 hours a night to void for 38 years it was astonishing to sleep 4-6 hours straight when gluten free. I don’t have other signs of celiac but this change is directly due to decreasing my pain which always woke me up every 2 hours. I wish I’d known years ago!
That is a long time to suffer without any helpful answers. I am happy you are not in pain and able to sleep!
I ate at a mexican place and in about two hours had a bad episode with gluten. Bloating, diarrhea, gas and stomach cramps. I also had symptoms of uti and my urethra was very painful and itchy. I have had this trouble before and I go to the doctor with uti symptoms and no uti. Twenty four hours later I am finally feeling better. I tested positive for gluten two years ago. I am so thankful to find that these symptoms of a uti are because of the gluten.
Is it possible that having IC could lead to frequent kidney infections in children?
I was diagnosed with celiac a year ago. Every thing I eat runs right through me. I been eating a very restricted diet, trying to get it under control. Now I’m experiencing bladder infections I can’t get under control. I’m having difficulty finding a doctor who deals specifically with celiac disease and someone who can help me with diet. I know that taking antibiotics with celiac is risky. I’m not sure what to do.
Good day. I started 2 days ago to cut all gluten. As substitute I added chickpea to my diet. I went for detox 4 months ago. The machine pointing out my allergies. So I have wheat allergy. So all wheat is out of the question. Although it helped the itchy skin improved but not enough. So I decided to go gluten free. This morning I suddenly started with excessive urination. Every 15 minutes. So I did a search and see that both eliminating gluten and adding chickpeas can cause excessive urination. Can you maybe give any advice on this.
Thanks