diet only, anyone?

[s@ssy]

Hello all!
My question is, has anyone been able to control their IC with diet alone? I mean, without any medication? I'm still very early in trying to figure out the diet, and am trying to hold off on beginning meds. For one thing, I'm thinking it will help me figure out which foods I really react to if I'm not taking meds, and also I'd love to be able to handle this without the meds! But I don't know if this is wishful thinking....anyone tried this?

[traceann]

Hey Sassy, I know that some can and do control with diet alone. LOL, I am not one of then, but I know it's done. Hopefully others will add their 2 cents in!! I do know the diet is a huge tool for me, and went miles toward getting my bladder to behave! ;)

Hugs!

[ICNDonna]

Diet effects me a great deal. However, it also took treatment and medications to get me where I am today, living a normal life. I do go to the bathroom more frequently than everyone else, but I'm used to that. When we go to new places, I always locate the restrooms first.

Some of the medications can take time to work --- my suggestion would be to try the treatments along with diet until you feel better. If you still feel the same about taking them, you can then try weaning away from them, working with your doctor.

Donna

[GayleK]

Donna, what treatments and meds have got you to this point besides the diet?

[Lynda]

Hi, I found that diet alone did not give me the relief I needed. But if I stray from the diet just a little bit I am in horrible pain. I take Elmiron but it did take about 8 months to work so you will feel like giving up but don't. But like I said, diet to me was the key. Not a pleasant diet but better than pain. Lynda

[janee]

I am having a hard time staying on the diet. Everything that I normally eat is not on the diet. Can I ask what do you eat?

[Lynda]

Hi janee. Go to the ICN Handbook and the foods they list in the safe column are the only ones I will eat. If I stray from that list even a tiny bit I am in trouble. don't get me wrong. it is about the most boring food selection I have ever seen but it does work. I am so sick of making dinner for myself and then something really good for my husband. It is horrible. I had a really hard time sticking to it in the beginning but the only person I was hurting was myself. don't get me wrong, I do stray off of it and boy the pain is there within a half an hour for me. Good luck.

[hoping4acure]

Diet was a HUGE factor for me. I agree with Donna. I was VERY strict and only drank water. It's difficult at first but like anything else, you get used to it, BUT...I still needed other meds and treatments to help me into my remission. :)

[Sharon]

I learned to control my IC through diet alone. I use to be in terrible pain, and I have learned to manage my pain through diet. It takes time and patience.

Now my bladder lets me get away with pizza and spaghetti a few times a month. Unless I am in a flare, I only use the bathroom about 6 times a day.

[Tina K]

It's hard, I am not doing great myself with it, but keep trying. You will get used to it eventually.

I also need meds too and am looking into other things as well to help me feel better.
Good luck!

[s@ssy]

Thanks everyone for replying. Glad to hear there are a few out there who are able to do this diet only thing. Of course, I still don't know if I will be one of them, but I don't feel so silly for trying it! Also I feel a little better knowing there are meds available if the diet alone doesn't do it.
Sharon, so you aren't taking any meds for IC at all? And spaghetti....anything with marinara sauce!!! mouth watering!! Yum. Not to the point where I feel like I can try that yet!
I'm still slowly trying to wean off of coffee. I'm mixing mostly Kava (low acid coffee) with a tiny splash of real coffee, about 1/2-3/4 cup total per day. If I try to just cut it out completely I get big bad headaches!

[hoping4acure]

Coffee was the hardest thing for me to give up...I actually got migraines. Doing what your doing will help. I did it cold turkey. I found once I cut out the coffee completely...some of the bladder pain went away. I went to decaf green tea.

Good luck
:)

[Sharon]

My IC was considered severe. It took me a few years of following the IC diet as strict as I could possibly stand, to get to the point where I could enjoy my beloved tomato sauce again. I believe my bladder needed a break, time to heal as best it could. Then, and only then, was I able to add some of the no no foods back in from time to time, but never on a daily basis, and yes, I did it all without any meds. Today the only meds I am on is 10mg Atarax once a day. Doesn't help me all that much, but every little bit counts. Just last year I tried Elmiron, and Elavil, neither worked for me. I was sad, but it wasn't a crushing blow to me because I had already learned to control my pain and frequency through my diet.

My husband commented to me the other day that I can eat "almost normal" now! I suppose what he meant was that I have been able to add a lot of foods back into my diet. I can eat out at most restaurants with little problem. But there are still many things that I just can't handle, like juice, soft drinks, and all fruits.

[tigger_gal]

I still am working on the diet thing.. there are some who really can control IC with diet alone. like Sharon said ((((hugs)) happy for you:)

[bigred]

I follow the IC diet vey closely. I won't say there are not times I eat something I know that might but me in a flare. I am following now 4 different diets for other med. condistions also. It is hard. I cook two different meals almost every night. The other way I do it is to take out of what I am making for my husband what I can eat and set it alside and then make his dinner. With all these diets my food is a limited choose. I my IC doesn't flare something else will.

[ICNDonna]

Right now I'm not on any medications for my IC. My uro suggested we try my wings without monthly DMSO and "wait and see" --- I had my last hydrodistention in May and am hoping I will still go for several more months.

Kava does contain caffeine so if you're addicted to coffee, it should be a good alternative to try. The only tea I can tolerate is some of the herbal ones --- green tea is a big "no" for me. I now drink low acid de-caf coffee and can tolerate one cup every morning. I don't miss the caffeine, but I do like the taste. I don't drink carbonated beverages or most fruit juices. If I get a real hunger for oranges I can drink a small glass of low acid orange juice if I'm careful with everything else during the day.

I'm severely allergic to tomatoes so spaghetti sauce isn't a temptation for me. I do like spaghetti with other toppings, however, and sometimes I eat it with just butter and a bit of salt and IC safe cheese.

Donna

[bigred]

Donna
That is interesting that Green Tea is a no no for you. My doc. after my hydro. told my husband that I should drink no Caffiene Green Tea. I have been decarrinated for around 10 years now.

[hoping4acure]

bigred: I think it's an individual thing. I drink decaf green tea all the time with no problems.

[traceann]

I just wanted to add my other 2 cents, lol, think that brings me up to 4 cents now -- but anyway-- I found the Diet & IC board a lifesaver when I was first trying to navigate the diet issues. Plus, I always had the thought in my head that it was only that strict for a little while...I would be adding foods back in slowly but surely.... I also built myself a diet out of everything on the "Usually Ok" list, and was fairly happy. Not thrilled, lol. But it did the trick....

Hugs!