Do the Diet Changes Work?

[chainsaw]

For those of you who do not take medications but have changed their diet to control their IC, does it really work? The reason I am asking is because I am going to have to cut out sugar and pop and probably things that will stain your teeth as I am getting ready to have some major dental work done and the dentist told me that I am going to need to stop eating and drinking certain things so that the work I am going to have done will not be ruined.

So I was thinking that maybe if I have to cut these things out of my diet, I may not have to take any medications for IC. So I wanted to ask if the diet does work?

Thanks,
Kim

[TrinityEngel]

I don't think I'm doing the diet properly because no matter how much i cut out, I still seem to have problems. There are some things that obviously irritate me (like chocolate, tomatoes, and sodas) but with other things, I don't see much of a difference. However, plenty of folks here have seen great results with the diet.

[kadi]

The diet does work! Diet alone will not manage my IC (my IC is not mild, started with voiding 60x a day), but without the diet none of my medicines work.

It takes several weeks or a month to see results on the diet with careful label reading. It's amazing the things some foods listed as "safe" can have in them-like ascorbic acid, metabisulfite, colorants, preservatives - all of which can provoke IC symptoms. One of the worst & most upsetting flares I ever had came from a tortilla. I saw "tortillas" were on the "safe" list & was so upset when I had a severe 3 day flare after eating one - I then read the package & that innocent looking tortilla had three types of preservative in it! (Ascorbic acid, sorbic acid, & metabisulfite) Owww.

For me, I initially didn't think the diet was working because I was still so sick in spite of it. But, once I got a treatment plan that lowered my symptoms overall, then I could really see the difference when I ate certain foods.

It's definitely worth a try to see how much you can improve with diet. Even if you wind up needing medicines, it will likely be at a lower level than you would need them while eating bladder irritants.

And seems like an obvious question, but why would anyone take medicine to make up for damage they are doing to themselves anyhow? I highly recommend the diet to any IC patient who is symptomatic, with or without meds.

[Rainwilds]

... So I was thinking that maybe if I have to cut these things out of my diet, I may not have to take any medications for IC. So I wanted to ask if the diet does work? ...

Hello Kim!

I've personally found that the IC Diet alone is not enough. I still take other medications to manage my symptoms. However, if I was not sticking to the IC Diet, then I know I would be in a lot more trouble.

Orginally, when I first started, I didn't think it made much of a difference. But now I've become a more educated label reader! There are many things they add to food which can upset my IC. I'm beginning to get a feel for my trigger foods and can know when it's time to try a new one. In the beginning, you feel there is nothing you can eat but after a while, when you notice the diet is actually working, you realise that you can start to add new foods back in.

I'm in pain most days, but I know that if I was to throw in all those old favorites like soda, coffee, black tea, spicy food, tomato ... I'd be in a lot more!

What helped me get started was keeping a detailed food/voiding/pain level diary!

Take care,
Ally

[bluetou]

HI there I just wanted to let you know I take no meds at all. I am following the IC diet, and I am doing very well.

I do take some natural supplements thought. I take flax seed oil in my salads (it is a natural anti inflammatory). I take omega 3's fish pills, a probiotic.

I meditate, and do yoga, use the tens machine, have massage therapy, and when needed I do go for acupuncture. I did pelvic floor therapy in the past which got me through my months of painful ic, to where I am now (feeling great!!)

I have a NO SUGAR, NO GLUTEN diet, and I find this strict change in my diet has removed yeast from my body and has also improved my IC symptoms tremendously.

I hope this info is encouraging for you. I know this regime does not work for everyone, but the natural way certainly has done wonders for me!!! :)

Peace
Blue
:pray:

[BrandiWine]

I am not currently on any medications,, I am following the diet and things seem to be working well for be depending on those days wwhere im brave and try something else and get the omg have tto rush to pee urgency stuff like today..

Went to the store and bought fat free cream cheese bad idea i didnt bother reading the label cause it was cream cheese ,, so im currently in a urgency and frequency thing i drank some baking soda and hoping that goes away..

But for the most part the diet alone is helping me. i also do peliv therapy

[kadi]

Oh, yeah. Cream cheese.... make sure you get the block kind & read the label. The tub cream cheese has acidic preservatives in it. I'm such a label reader now. A tortilla got me once - three day flare from one so-innocent-looking tortilla (that turned out to have citric acid, sorbic acid, & metabisulfite in it!)...

I'm sorry you're flaring, hope you feel better soon!

[MiLynn]

I only take Vesicare. With that and the diet, I have a very normal life. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago and have only had 2 very small flares (one was a couple hours, the other a day long) since starting the diet. Best of luck!

[ICNDonna]

Most of us find that diet helps, but we also need medications in combination with the diet.

Donna

[SharonA]

I am not very diet sensitive, but the things that do bother me...I stay away from!!! I do take Elavil 25mg, but will never take the chance of going ahead and eating and drinking the items that I am sensitive to just because the medication helps. The combination of learning my diet triggers and the medication keeps me at a very low level of IC symptoms.

[KarenAnne]

Kim, I take amitriptyline & prelief w/ the IC diet. It took several weeks of being on the diet to see an improvement in my symptoms. Remember that your bladder wall is inflammed & it needs to heal. Going off coffee or other things won't give you a change in symptoms overnight. It takes a while for our bladders to get this bad from the original insult, it'll take awhile to improve. Listen to the support leaders, they really know what they're talking about.

[Briza]

For those of you who do not take medications but have changed their diet to control their IC, does it really work? The reason I am asking is because I am going to have to cut out sugar and pop and probably things that will stain your teeth as I am getting ready to have some major dental work done and the dentist told me that I am going to need to stop eating and drinking certain things so that the work I am going to have done will not be ruined.

So I was thinking that maybe if I have to cut these things out of my diet, I may not have to take any medications for IC. So I wanted to ask if the diet does work?

Thanks,
Kim

For me, absolutely YES!! Most days now I am able to avoid symptoms before they start by avoiding my known food and bev triggers...if I do so then it is rare that I have to dig in my purse for any medication. It took me a good 2 years to feel relief from removing and to determine my triggers, but most days now it is the most important thing I can do for myself, in addition to drinking lots of water and keepng physical and mental stress to a minimum. Wishing you the best!

[leelee88]

I am a firm believer in the IC diet!! You just have to find YOUR triggers..

[Briza]

The diet does work! Diet alone will not manage my IC (my IC is not mild, started with voiding 60x a day), but without the diet none of my medicines work.

For me, I initially didn't think the diet was working because I was still so sick in spite of it. But, once I got a treatment plan that lowered my symptoms overall, then I could really see the difference when I ate certain foods.

It's definitely worth a try to see how much you can improve with diet. Even if you wind up needing medicines, it will likely be at a lower level than you would need them while eating bladder irritants.

And seems like an obvious question, but why would anyone take medicine to make up for damage they are doing to themselves anyhow? I highly recommend the diet to any IC patient who is symptomatic, with or without meds.

My experience was much like Kadi's the first 2 yrs. First year was searching for diagnosis and had no med treatment given to me and my symptoms were quite severe and out of control. First half of second year, after dx, my symptoms still very severe but like Kadi, after that, with medical treatment my symptoms were GREATLY reduced and only then was I able to determine what food/bevs trigger my symptoms. So even tho I did not feel any relief at ALL by following the diet the first year+ , I do feel that by following the diet fairly strictly once I LEARNED I had IC played a big part in allowing my bladder to calm down and heal some, with the help of meds when I finally got them! So for me it took much longer than just a few months....but I believe any amount of time and effort put into diet is well worth it and can only do the bladder good. Once my symptoms were much under control with both meds and diet, I found, like Sharon, that my diet is really not all that restricted and that my food and bev triggers are just mainly the classic ones, and tho they may not be many, they can and will cause me much pain and other symptoms...so for me very good reason to avoid! ;)

[leelee88]

, I do feel that by following the diet fairly strictly once I LEARNED I had IC played a big part in allowing my bladder to calm down and heal some, with the help of meds when I finally got them! So for me it took much longer than just a few months....but I believe any amount of time and effort put into diet is well worth it and can only do the bladder good. Once my symptoms were much under control with both meds and diet, I found, like Sharon, that my diet is really not all that restricted and that my food and bev triggers are just mainly the classic ones, and tho they may not be many, they can and will cause me much pain and other symptoms...so for me very good reason to avoid! ;)

I totally agree!! It took awhile for the diet to start working for me to.. Or should I say it took awhile for my bladder to settle down from eating things that were much milder on the bladder!!

So after a good bit of time and after I learned my major triggers I have been able to start eating most things.. I just leave my trigger foods alone and the ones that I think could do harm to my already compromised bladder.. Like really acidy things...

[mrmcmoe]

My husband is a newly diagnosed IC patient. He went on Elmiron and Udamin last year. He just had a doctor's appointment and doesn't have to take Elmiron anymore. However, we have spent the last year adjusting his diet to conform with IC recommended guidelines. It's a little tough because the best thing I can cook is Italian food which usually has tomatoes in it! But the change in his diet seems to have made a major difference for him. When he does eat bad things now, he can tell right away so I do believe there is a direct correlation for him. He doesn't eat any tomatoes, sauce, spicy foods, hot sauce, pepperoni or salami, soda, citrus fruit or juice. Basic foods work best for him. We're still experimenting with cooking new recipes.