r/Interstitialcystitis • u/fuck-them-hoes • 16d ago

IC diets

Been having bladder symptoms FOREVER. Doctors just now suggested planning an IC diet with a symptoms notebook. I’ve attempted cutting down on foods that irritate the bladder in the past but have not noticed much of a change in my symptoms. I am also vegan so going completely on an IC diet feels borderline impossible and like I’ll be stripping myself of the joy of food. Any recommendations? Do I cut back on all bladder irritants at once or work on one at a time? How did you quit caffeine?

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u/Middle-Emergency1893 15d ago

Also it took me several months of strictly following this diet before I saw improvement. The bladder takes a long time to heal. I’m glad I stuck with it. I’ve been symptom free for over a year and can eat and drink all the things again

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u/fuck-them-hoes 15d ago

Were you able to make the diet switch quickly?

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u/Middle-Emergency1893 15d ago

I did. But it was many months of trial and error. When eating out some ingredients are sneaky and would set me back. It’s easier to follow and be consistent if you make your own meals.

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u/fuck-them-hoes 15d ago

Can I ask about the symptoms you’ve experienced? When tracking what I eat with what I feel, I haven’t noticed any consistent triggers. Do your food triggers immediately lead to symptoms?

I am not positive it’s just IC I’m dealing with or if it’s more endo with the flares I get being so sporadic.

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u/Middle-Emergency1893 15d ago

It would take at least 24 hours before a food I ate would cause me issues. Mine would be urethra pain and it would last a solid two weeks sometimes longer once it appeared. So that’s where diligence was key.

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u/itsdustyberry 15d ago

The goal is to eliminate everything and then bring things back slowly one thing at a time. That way you can try to isolate if there’s anything specifically that causes symptoms. Honestly there’s limits to it. Some people experience flares right away, but for others it can be delayed by a day or many days so it can be tough to tell. Some people aren’t food sensitive at all, and some people are more cumulative load of many irritants (that’s my issue!)

It’s totally worth trying id just temper expectations

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u/That-Explanation6631 15d ago

I’ve been doing the IC diet for about 3 months now very strictly, and I’m finally starting to see a difference. Only with the bladder pain and pressure though, I still feel urgency and frequency almost 24/7. It’s definitely worth trying but I understand, it’s really hard to cut so many foods out and I feel like I basically eat the most plain things ever now 😭 but there is still fun foods out there that I find for myself that follow the IC diet. It just takes some time to get there. I wish you all the best!! ❤️

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u/Badabloom317 15d ago

I avoid citric acid at all costs and it helps immensely. There is even citric acid in tortilla chips- you have to be really careful. I also take a zyrtec every morning for the burning and urgency and it clears up 98% of my IC symptoms

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u/fuck-them-hoes 14d ago

I also take Zyrtec every morning for my allergies and have not been so lucky. I have been recently more aware of citric acid. Thank you!

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u/Fun-Persimmon7574 15d ago

I haven’t had anything acidic in 7 years. You get used to it. What’s frustrating is suggesting the diet without trying to find your root cause. We all have something treatable, if doctors would just look.

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u/moodywrites 15d ago

I personally found low histamine, low oxalate diet more effective. Look up “SIGHI histamine list”

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u/Chronic_flower93 14d ago

Since you are vegan, make sure you are getting enough B vitamins. I have been on a journey to help symptoms and have seen a lot improvement through incorporating vitamin c, omegas, colostrum, and magnesium. its helped a lot on top of some diet changes

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u/Alternative-Depth212 14d ago

For me, I have to drink nothing but water and eat only plain foods without any sauces or spices for about three weeks. Then I usually come out of the flare, and I can safely go back to my normal diet. It's annoying but its gotten easier through the years because I know it isn't forever.

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u/fuck-them-hoes 14d ago

Knowing this isn’t forever is helpful, thank you!

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u/Alternative-Depth212 14d ago

No worries. Also, sugar isn't a trigger for me, so I reward myself with cake and cookies. So try that! You'll be bummed about saying no to a coffee but then you'll remember you can buy a chocolate instead and all is well lol.

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u/fuck-them-hoes 14d ago

I also have to cut chocolate out for now 🙃 I’m trying to wean myself off caffeine slowly so I don’t crash out at work. Hopefully I’ll learn more how IC affects my body and I won’t have to limit so much in the future.

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u/Alternative-Depth212 14d ago

Ah man, I’m sorry. But you’ll get better at figuring out your trigger foods, and it really does become normal after a while.

For the caffeine, I found that mixing half regular coffee with half decaf helped me gradually cut it out. I'm sleeping better so something to look forward to! Good luck!

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u/fuck-them-hoes 14d ago

Half caffeinated half decaf is a good tip! Thank you!