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Other Things that
Affect IC Symptoms
L
Sometimes it seems that I react much more severely to certain foods than
at other times (tomato-based foods and citrus). Is this the experience
of others? Why? How does one know when those more severe reactions might
happen?
Answer:
Thank you for your question. What you are experiencing is quite common
in people who have mild to moderate forms of IC. Sometimes the food and
beverages that we consume at the same time as a trigger food will
moderate the latter’s effect on the bladder. For example, a person may
find that they can eat a small piece of lemon meringue pie because the
egg whites in the meringue will temper the acid from the lemon filling.
Other people find that food will bother them in one form and not
another. You may be able to tolerate one slice of tomato on a hamburger,
but not a cup of tomato sauce on spaghetti.
Finally, many other things can affect IC bladder symptoms. Fluctuating
hormones, stress, disrupted sleep, allergy flares, and other illnesses
may amplify an IC patient’s pain and frequency, giving the impression
that something s/he ate is the culprit. I suggest that all IC patients
keep a basic food intake and symptom diary. A stenographer’s notebook
with the line down the middle is good for this. You can record your food
intake in the left hand column and note your symptoms on the right.
Don’t forget to track the other things mentioned—your periods, stressful
events, allergy flares, etc. You should be able to notice some patterns
after several weeks of journaling. It is also a great idea to share your
food/symptom diary with your urologist, dietitian, or other healthcare
professional who is working with you to help to manage your IC symptoms.
Sometimes a new set of eyes can see things that we can’t!
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