Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is not well understood but the
link between food and the occurrence of pain episodes is very clear. The list of foods that can irritate the
bladder and thus cause pelvic pain in patients with IC is long. The important point is that not every food on
the list will be an issue for every patient.
As in the case of most situations, every person is unique and will
respond differently to different foods.
I tell patients to follow the Interstitial Cystitis (IC) diet in a
strict fashion for two weeks. At that point evaluate their body’s
response. If there is no change in your
pain level, then diet may not have a significant impact in your case. However, most patients with IC will notice a
change. Most patients with Interstitial
Cystitis will notice a significant decrease in pain severity and episodes after
following these diet rules. If this
occurs then you have confirmation of the diet link to your pain.
Once you have established that there is a dietary component
to your pain, the next step is figure out which foods are the culprits. At this point, I suggest adding one food item
per week back to your diet. Start with
the food that you miss the most. If your
pain is exacerbated by this item, then you know that in your case this food
item should be avoided. If you have no
recurrence of pain, then this item is likely ok for you. Continue this process weekly until you have
clearly established which foods you should avoid.
With all that said, here is the list:
Fruits:
Allowed: Bananas
Coconuts, dates, blueberries, melons and pears
Avoid: All other
fruits and juices (especially acidic
and citrus fruits)
Special note: While Cranberry juice can help to prevent bladder
infections it can worsen interstitial cystitis pain and flair ups. Avoid cranberry juice. The acid is a strong bladder irritant.
Vegetables:
Allowed: Most vegetables
except those listed below
Avoid: Tomatoes and tomato
sauces (ketchup, pasta etc.), onions, soybeans, fava beans, tofu
Beverages:
Allowed: decaffeinated tea or coffee. Flat soda
Avoid: Coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, alcohol,
fruit juices (especially citrus and cranberry
Dairy:
Allowed: Milk,
American cheese, cottage cheese, white chocolate
Avoid: Yogurt, sour cream, soymilk, aged cheese, chocolate
Carbohydrates:
Allowed: Pasta (avoid
tomato based sauce), rice potatoes
Avoid: Rye and sourdough bread
Meat:
Allowed: chicken,
fish
Avoid: processed,
aged, canned, cured or smoked meat
Nuts/oils:
Allowed: most oils, almonds cashews and pine nuts
Avoid: other nuts
Seasonings/condiments:
Allowed: Garlic
Avoid: Mayonnaise,
miso, soy sauce, vinegar, spicy foods
(especially Chinese, Mexican, Indian and Thai)
Preservatives
Avoid: Benzyl alcohol, citric acid, MSG, NutraSweet,
saccharin. Any food with preservatives
and artificial ingredients or colors.
Tips for
dining out:
Ask for “ no tomatoes or onions”
Have a plain baked potato rather than loaded with condiments
Ask for salad dressings and other possible trigger items on
the side
Look for plain non marinated steak or chicken (spices will
throw you off)
Quick
Synopsis: This was a lot of
information. Here is the short and sweet
version. Avoid:
- Citrus fruits
- Tomatoes and
tomato based sauces
- Coffee
- Tea
- Carbonated and
alcoholic beverages
- Spicy foods
Last tip: If you just
have to have something you know will cause a problem use “Prelief”. Prelief is an over the counter neutralizer
that if taken 30 minutes before eating can help to decrease the occurrence of
pain. I hope that this helps. Diet alone will not solve the problem and
there is no known cure for Interstitial Cystitis. Diet
along with the other therapies and interventions can offer significant relief to those suffering from the pain and bladder symptoms associated with Interstitial cystitis.
Melvin L.
Ashford, MD
Minnesota
Women’s Care
OBGYN and
Pelvic Specialty Care Center
