By Wendy Cohan RN & Jill Osborne MA It’s a problem no one feels comfortable talking about – always running to the bathroom! Bladder problems run the gamut – extended bedwetting in children, frequency and urgency in adults, stress incontinence after childbirth and in seniors, and difficulty urinating in older men. Perhaps most problematic of [...]
Why oh why would we even be talking about soda on an interstitial cystitis website? Yes, for the vast majority of patients, both sugar and artificially sweetened sugars are well known to trigger IC flares but some patients continue to drink them. It's in our interest to educate you about why drinking sodas are bad. For [...]
It's not unusual for some patients to have no bladder sensitivity to foods. Why? Because their form of IC probably involves their muscles rather than their bladder wall. If your bladder symptoms do not get worse after eating certain foods OR you do not struggle with pain BEFORE urination that suggests that your bladder wall [...]
We are proud to announce that our latest publication, the IC Chef Cookbook, features more than 260 recipes submitted by IC patients over the past ten years to our on-line cookbook. Julie Beyer RD, author of the Confident Choices®: A Cookbook for IC and OAB, contributed the foreword to the book. She wrote "For the [...]
For newly diagnosed patients struggling with bladder or prostate symptoms, finding a hot drink that won't cause more symptoms can be challenging. Why?? Foods high in acid (i.e. green tea, black tea, coffees) create irritation in much the same way that acid poured on a wound on your hand would feel. Caffeine acts as a [...]
In this issue: (1) ICN Editorial - What are you willing to do to get better? This issue begins with an editorial about a woman who, after years of struggling with bladder pain, admitted that she had never read a book, an article or even a website about IC. She was the epitome of a [...]
One of the easiest ways for patients to try to reduce their bladder and prostate discomfort is by removing foods which are high in acid, alcohol or hot spices. Even one cup of coffee day, one green tea or one soda can trigger severe bladder irritation and discomfort. Worse, that daily acid wash may prevent [...]
The IC Optimist is the ICN's quarterly patient and professional magazine dedicated to all things IC and pelvic pain. Subscriptions are available for just $25 per year via email of $50 per year to have a printed copy mailed to you. This issue is also available for single purchase (print or electronic pdf.) Proceeds are [...]
Many interstitial cystitis patients dread holidays, such as Independence Day. The joyful family picnic or nighttime firework display lose their appeal when you’re struggling with a sensitive bladder, need restroom access and would like to eat something that won’t trigger an IC flare. Yes, we have a bladder disorder. Yes, it gives us plenty of [...]
What You Can Eat When You Have Interstitial Cystitis, Bladder Pain Syndrome or a Sensitive Bladder The IC Diet is a very healthy, simple, natural diet. If you're addicted to junk food, this is going to be a big change. Rather than buying pre-made foods, we suggest making homemade meals so that you know exactly [...]
