Food affecting the bladder???

[LindaP]

Hello everyone-

I am often asked this question and have difficulty giving a medical, logical, correct answer to this question...here is what I was asked just today
"ok, I'm not saying I don't believe you or anything but tell me this, how can EATING FOOD affect the bladder. It makes sense that drinks might but food goes to your stomach, intestines and out...how can it affect your bladder?

the other question I'm often asked is...how can you react so quickly to anything you eat or drink? It takes the body awhile to process foods.
(I can react within 2 hours). (I don't have a good answer to this one either, I just know my body).

Anyone have the correct clinical answers to these questions?

[Tweety69]

Hi Linda,

Interesting question!! I'm a nursing student, and after thinking about this for a short while, my guess is that when absorption takes place in the small intestine, the nutrients from digestion pass into the bloodstream via various transport mechanisms. Once this blood has gone to the kidneys for filtration, urine is produced containing the usual constituents from the body's metabolic processes. It may also contain foreign and toxic substances contained in foods and drugs hence our discomfort in consuming such products.

I hope this helps to answer your question.

Tweety

[Julie B]

There are a couple of explanations that may account for food affecting the bladder. (People also ask, "why does something affect you immediately and something else won't affect you until hours later or even the next day?")

One way that food can affect the bladder symptoms is by the "junk" that is left over after the food is digested or metabolized. That junk is likely irritating to the damaged bladder lining (not necessarily CAUSING the IC). This also includes the acidification or alkalinization of the urine itself. Either too high or too low of a pH can cause an IC patient pain. That process may take many hours since digestion and absorption can take that long (which is why *I think* IC patients often have increased symptoms at bedtime....again just my guess.)

The other way that food/beverages can affect bladder symptoms is a "chemical" reaction. When we eat things like chocolate, drink coffee, or take a drug like Sudafed, the chemical reaction is nearly immediate. I remember when I used to take Sudafed, within minutes, my sinuses cleared. When people drink caffeine, the "charged up" feeling is nearly immediate. That chemical reaction is also happening in the bladder because it doesn't depend on the complete metabolism of the food/beverage to act. I imagine that "allergic" reactions would fall into this catagory since it is the histamine release from the bladder mast cells, basically a chemical reaction, that irritates the bladder.

The thing to remember is that the same things are happening in a normal person's bladder. They just don't feel it because the bladder lining is usually very effective at protecting the bladder tissue from these changes.

As more research is done on IC, I am sure we will get more definitive answers to the food vs IC dilemma.

[tbokay]

wow - great explanations! I will have to remember that the next time someone asks me how eating a tomato can cause my pain ... and why it always seems that my worst pains (that require ER) are at night. Never thought about that connection! Just figured I try to avoid calling docs while at work and by the time I get home from work, my only option is ER as doc office will be closed.

[csocain]

I am new to the IC Network but not new to IC. Diagnosed in May, 2004, I have discovered that I am extremely diet sensitive. No medications have helped but watching my diet makes all the difference in the world. It's nice to know the whys and wherefores of food affecting the bladder. Nice to be aboard.

[Julie B]

Welcome csocain! There is a lot to browse here on the website. It is always the first place that I turn when I have questions of any sort. :) Glad that you found us!

[csocain]

Thanks, Julie. I've been learning from the posts on the IC Network message board for a year now but just now joined. Go figure! The information has been invaluable to me as I have walked through the first year of IC. Quite a journey, I must say!

[sydney42]

I likewise am extremely sensitive to foods--the benefit of which is I can control my symptoms pretty well with diet modification. I have also wondered why some foods seem to have such a nearly immediate effect, while some I don't know about until the next day. Thanks for the explanations.