NO Energy, Red Bull?

[Zygala87]

Hi Friends. I need some advice please. I am getting over the cold from he** and have lost all energy. The strength to make my bed and pick up the kitchen is all I can muster. I would not be very upset over it but for the fact I have a ton of visitors arriving with-in a month. My bathrooms need a major cleaning plus dust bunnies are breeding in my four bedrooms. This is not me. I enjoy cleaning and keeping up my home. I heard from my Niece that she drinks energy drinks. She has two little girls and gets overwhelmed at what she must complete each day. Does anyone here have experience with these energy drinks?? I have to get back on my feet and hit it ASAP. I am worried these drinks may hurt my bladder. I'm sleeping OK and eatting correctly. I don't know what to do. I have not been able to find someone I could pay to come in and help. Any advice would be helpful. Hugs, Ziggy

[Briza]

Gosh, I hate to even say this, but I would drink caffeinated strong coffee all day long before I would go with something like Red Bull. At least coffee has few to no preservatives/artificial color or flavorings...unlike Red Bull type drinks. I do not drink coffee anymore, I was never a huge coffee drinker...just 1-2 cups max in the morning with LOTS of milk to dilute and even that took a long while to phase out of my diet completely (tho the less I drank every bit less helped:)), but eventually I got to the point where I was only drinking it on weekends, then only Sundays, and by that time it was just b/c I liked it not b/c I needed it. Now I don't miss it at all but occasionally...like once every month or two I will have a cup w/ lots of milk with few to no problems.
I am not famiiar w/ any other energy drinks other than Red Bull, and I have never even drank that one...I sympathize with your situation but hopefully you can find another option...I replaced coffee with fresh brewed daily ICED chammomile tea...no it does not have the caffeine that coffee or energy drinks have, BUT it is VERY refreshing, especially as the days are getting warmer, and I find that even tho it doesn't have caffeine that the ice cold refreshing jolt of it now gives me the wake-up call I need in lieu of coffee. As good or even better than coffee, now, and I can drink it throughout the day without bladder issues.
Hope you find something that works for you....I would be VERY wary of Red Bull...if I HAVE to have a soda I will get a rootbeer with lots of ice....the sugar gives me a spike in energy but also rootbeer seems to be the one soda that is most easy on the bladder. I also can tolerate Perrier and Club Soda any day (others might not) but for me the those can also give me a little wake up call when fizzy and poured over ice. Take care!!

[audraac]

Well Ziggy, I'm new to the website as of today, I've been recently diagnosed and a little over whelmed right now with the do's and don't of it all. I would say yes in a heart beat andnot even think twice about an energy drink, because I'm working to take care of my husband who is out of work and I have three boys and the two younger ones are still at home and very active (Noah 6 and NIck 7), Im not sure if there is an energy out there without the caffeine but read the labels on the 5 hour shot energy drink I think it just has natural thinks like ginko baloba etc. But please don't quote me on the natural things in it because "tired" is my middle name and I don't really do the caffeine thing or if I do about 30 minutes to an hour I drink a ton of water to try to dilute the bladder. Have you tried to call a pharmacist or a nutrition/herb store to see what naturally there might be.

[ICNDonna]

You're just getting over a viral illness. You body is telling you to give it time to recover. We had horrible colds over Christmas and New Years that put us all in bed. It did take a couple of weeks to feel half way recovered and even longer to be back to normal. A few more days may make a huge difference --- if not, I suggest you see your doctor.

I would avoid the energy drinks! You don't want an IC flare in addition to what you already feel.

Sending healing thoughts,
Donna

[dyno]

I second what Donna said. I myself am in the throes of a horrid cold and I am not sleeping well and am zapped. That being said, there is no way I would touch an energy drink as much as I could use one right now.

I am having enough trouble with my bladder flaring from the meds I have to take to help with the cold symptoms I can't imagine what throwing an energy drink in the mix would do.....

[sailawaygrl]

I think those drinks also have citric acid in them as well- I drank one long before I had IC and hated how it made me feel. Never again, especially with IC.

I say don't risk it, maybe talk to your Dr. I was having severe exhaustion from meds and my Dr changed some things and added a new drug to help and now I can keep my head off my desk at work!

Sandra

[Garth949]

As for me they cause really bad flares. But if I drink only a half of red bull it doesn't really affect me that much.

[kadi]

I wouldn't touch any of those energy drinks with a ten foot pole. I don't even know how long I'd flare from those, but don't want to find out.

[Angeles]

I didn't read this whole thread but I wouldn't recomment energy drinks (not even to people without IC). They have tons of cafeine and some other energizers, them you get shakiness and yeah a peak of energy followed by somehting like a hungover...ah you may get and IC flare..Worth it?

Or...You may just do well on it.

Not my thing. If I want to get energy, I get a good night sleep, Do Yoga when I have a chance. Some excersizes use the upper body only which can give you energy... the good type with no side effects.

I also get energy from music.

[jenjen05]

Don't drink RedBull. It's bad for you even if you don't have IC.

Before I knew I had IC, I drank a ton of RedBull at work everyday. Now looking back I see the correlation between when I'd have more pain days I drank it and then I'd have LONG flares.

If your looking for an energy jolt.... if you can tolerate coffee... and most can't... I find I can tolerate a small Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee with caramel and cream with three Prelief once every couple weeks. I wouldn't try it everyday. If you really really really want to take a risk that's not as scary as RedBull, I'd try that. But remember, it's a risk.

[kadi]

One thing I've found that helps my energy a lot is the New Dawn Pilates for Patients with Pelvic pain - it has a 7 minute chair workout called "Rough Day Revitalizer".
I flare from just about anything & this little 7 minute set of exercises doesn't bother my IC at all & is great for days when I'm just exhausted & need a pick-me-up.

I also use music a lot when I'm tired.