not affected by diet?

[Milena]

Hi All,

I was wandering how long you need to be on the diet to actually start feeling better? I was on a very strict diet for three weeks, only eating foods from column one, drinking bottled water plus not eating sweets - week three I had a horrible flare, which discouraged me from continuing. I also find I feel better with alcohol and cranberry juice/soda etc does not seem to affect me. Smoking actually makes me feel better as it stops constipation, which always puts me in bad discomfort. I did used to get bladder pain with coffee but have started drinking it again over the past few weeks with no bad effects. I have not been diagnosed with IC, have no urgency/frequency/pain but constant bladder discomfort and a feeling like I need to urinate, however this is made worse by actually going. I also have very large bladder capacity (up to 1 l awake). Does anyone else have similar symptoms?

many thanks

Milena

[ICNDonna]

Three weeks may not be long enough to feel much difference with diet. And if you're still smoking, diet may not make much difference. I know that when I quit smoking over twenty years ago, it made a huge difference, not only in my bladder, but my whole body.

You do have some of the symptoms of IC, but I would encourage you to see a urologist to rule out other possibilities.

Donna

[Milena]

Thanks Donna. I am now on my 5th urologist, they all claim 'it cannot possibly be IC' due to the large bladder and hence have refused to prescribe instills/elmiron,; have been through various tests (no cystoscopy tho), have tried atarax, ami, detrusitol etc to no avail. I will be quitting smoking soon but dread the bladder symptoms flaring from the constipation. Will give the diet another shot as well.