Food Intake & Symptom Diary

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?  Thank you.  Lucy

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!