Advice on Bladder Issues in Women from a Pharmacist
It’s important to know and trust the source of advice you get on bladder issues in women, and I personally know a very respected, retired pharmacist. I’ve met Lisa a couple of times and not only does she have medical knowledge, but she has also struggled with these issues, and thus her advice comes with empathy.
I don’t have a lot of interviews on my site however, there are a couple that I thought would interest you. Bladder issues in women is definitely something I believe with which we can help each other if we share and be open about the facts.
Other interviews you might be interested in reading
Dementia Training for Caregivers with Jill Lorentz
Learning More About Living the RV Lifestyle
The photo below is one of the times I met Lisa. It was at the Happily Ever After League Fairy Tale Tea which was founded by Lisa’s sister (the coauthor of their book, Tiny Life Changes). The tea supports mothers going through cancer recovery.
1-We would love to know your story of your life and profession?
I have always loved the idea of going into medicine and my grandmother strongly encouraged me to become a pharmacist! She absolutely loved her pharmacist and I’m so glad that I listened to her! It’s been an amazing career!
I married my high school sweetheart while still in pharmacy school. Pharmacy was the perfect career to be able to work full time while raising our three boys. I have always loved working with people so I knew I wanted to go into retail pharmacy where I spent most of my career.
Pharmacy has experienced some changes over the years and working retail was becoming very hectic. I am grateful that last year I was able to find a new position in a closed door pharmacy that specializes in medical foods. It has been an interesting change for me and I love being able to pivot my career into this new avenue of pharmacy practice for me!
I am also passionate about health, wellness and disease prevention and that is how The Fulfilled Pharmacist was born on Instagram. My account has taken many turns including sharing about my own Interstitial Cystitis ( Painful Bladder Syndrome) diagnosis.
2- Why do you think we don’t hear much about bladder and woman issues? How can we change that?
There is so much shame and stigma surrounding bladder issues. Even when I was first asked about this subject I thought .. ‘Oh no! Why am I talking about this?’ It is important to me for women to know they are not alone and there is hope in finding solutions to bladder issues.
Recent studies ( from Aeroflow Urology ) show that nearly three fourths of women in midlife will experience some sort of bladder leakage at least once in a month. The study also shows that women will wait nearly 5 years before discussing their bladder issues with their doctors.
If this is so common, why are we not talking about it? My goal is to be a voice for women with bladder issues and to empower them to be able to discuss best how to navigate these issues with medical professionals and even their friends and families!
3. Do you prefer more natural or pharmaceutical products and why?
I am all about a balanced approach to gaining freedom from bladder issues that includes both a natural and traditional medical approach. Whatever is best for the individual!
Diet is the first step to look at for controlling symptoms of a painful or overactive bladder (overactive bladder is defined by eight or more bathroom trips in 24 hours or two or more trips per night). Foods that are spicy, acidic, or sugary can affect the bladder, as well as caffeine and alcohol. The full list of foods to avoid can be found in my free ebook ‘ Say Goodbye to Bladder Pain in Five Easy Steps’ www.ditchbladderpain.com . “
There are many diet and lifestyle changes that can be helpful including reducing stress and including pelvic focused workouts like kegels and yoga into your daily routine. Of course if a medication is needed there should be no shame in including that into a healing plan as well!
4. Tell me about some of your favorite products for yourself? And why?
I absolutely love D- Mannose. D- Mannose is a sugar that is not absorbed by the body. When taken, the ‘bad’ bacteria in the urinary tract adhere to the D- Mannose. This helps to prevent urinary tract infections which can also increase in midlife due to hormonal changes. It is very helpful for UTI prevention and also to help sooth a flaring bladder. I highly recommend www.westcoastmint.com for its purity and it comes in tablet and powdered form. (Code FP15 for 15% off.)
Pumpkin seed extract can be very helpful for overactive bladder and has been used for many years!
Toning the pelvic floor can be very helpful in controlling symptoms of overactive bladder and bladder leakage. Raspberry leaf extract, vitamin D and collagen supplementation can be included into a wellness plan to help tone the pelvic floor.
5. Are there exercises or any clothing that helps with bladder issues?
Exercises like kegels and yoga can help with bladder symptoms. Some women have a very tight pelvic floor that can be painful. Seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist to properly learn how to do kegel exercises can be very beneficial!
Loose clothing can also help with irritation that can cause bladder symptoms.
I also highly suggest Speax by Thinx. They are an absorbency underwear that come in so many cute colors and styles. No one will know you are wearing them! The confidence that comes from not worrying about bladder leakage from this product is fantastic! They even have workout wear that is the most comfortable that I own! I highly suggest every woman know about this product not only for themselves but to recommend to a friend, sister, mother who may need them too! You can get $10.00 off your first pair here.
6. Tell us some nutritional tips that help any woman over 50. What we should eat and what we shouldn’t eat.
Eliminating bladder triggering foods as mentioned above is extremely helpful in controlling bladder issues.
Gut health is important as well as constipation can exacerbate symptoms of a painful or overactive bladder. Include foods that are high in fiber like fruits and vegetables, oats and beans in your diet. Taking a probiotic can be helpful as well or eating fermented foods like yogurt or Kombucha ( caution, fermented foods can cause bladder pain in women with a painful bladder).
Reducing sugar in the diet is important as well as sugary foods and drinks can increase symptoms of bladder pain and urgency as the excess sugar spills into the urine. Sugar is also a ‘food’ for bacteria and can increase chances of urinary tract infections for women who are prone to them. Hormonal changes in midlife can cause vaginal dryness and create an environment where good bacteria does not thrive, thus the reason for increased urinary tract infections as women age.
Insider tip: Lisa’s YouTube video 5 Ways to Naturally Prevent Vaginal Dryness is too good not to share. In fact, I’ve been using Kindra vaginal moisturizer since learning about it from Lisa. Use JODIE20 through this link to get 20% off.
7. Is there anything else that you’d like to share??
My goal on sharing about bladder health is always for women to gain freedom from bladder issues and lead the fulfilled life they desire!
Take it one step and one day at a time, you can control your bladder symptoms so they do not control you!
For more information you can find me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube as The Fulfilled Pharmacist
And also at : www.ditchbladderpain.com.
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