so, how do you know?

[ashleyf56]

i haven't been officially diagnosed with ic yet. my doc is still on the fence about me but i went ahead and started meds and i am doing the diet (elimination-style, woohoo!). i am pretty much only eating rice (nothing on it), vegetables (sauteed in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, no tomatoes), and lean boneless-skinless chicken breast, and water as my only liquid. I throw in some pears and watermelon for fruit. my question is how do you know what is a trigger? does it hurt right away, a few minutes later, the next day? i am a bit confused as before i started this diet i never noticed any food triggers.
any advice would be great!

ashley

[kari1980]

It's hard to say because everyone is different...I ususally notice mine within an hour or so, but sometimes it could be the next day. I'm still trying to figure out what flares me, good luck to you to.

Kari

[cprice25]

Record every time to go to the bathroom. Every day at noon (better than midnight) count the previous 24 hours and write it down along with what you ate during that time. When the number of times per day goes up, then you know something you ate in the last 3 days was a problem. It can take up to 3 days for a food to have a negative affect so only add one new food every 3 days. For me it takes 3 days for a bad food to show itself.

[ashleyf56]

thanks

thanks for the suggestion. fortunately, i don't have any problems with urgency or frequency just the burning urination so i can't use that as a guide. the only things i've actually noticed having any effect is soft drinks and citrus juice. and i don't notice it until i go to the bathroom.
this is all so very confusing. i appreciate the help though.

[plaedes]

For me some things like tomatoes and coffee hurt within minutes. No more than an hour and I'm in aggony. For other things like MSG I usually don't notice for a few hours and even then it is still more of a dull pain than that from tomatoes. I have very good tolerances on a lot of things, but I've noticed that SOME chocolate bothers me. I am not sure if it is the chocolate itself or if it is just my cycle or allergens. Richer chocolate seems to be a problem though. Good luck as it is a long and trying process to figure out what triggers symptoms for you.

[amartaingirl]

in luck

i had that "just burning" feeling for years
before i knew what it was...

it wasn't until the frequency interrupted my sleep..that i sought help.
only to find it was ic.

it was stress that brought it out..full blown...for me.
and a change in Birth control pills

so i think you will be ok
you caught it very early

just cut out the soda, juice, cafferine
and i think you are going to be just fine
dont change your bcp's either.

eliminate stress..and i think you will be fine

[mellusk]

For drinks, I usually notice within 45 minutes, but as my symptoms have improved overall my drink-related flares have diminished too. For food, I know within 90 min-2 hours. Everybody is different in that regard, and you may not know how long it will take until you add something new into your diet and have an adverse reaction.

I will say, I think artifical sweeteners like what are in diet sodas and a lot of "sugar-free" products are evil. I can drink beer like a champ, but aspartame will make my life miserable. Also, artificial color additives are a big problem. That pretty much rules about almost all sodas (except for a few BlueSky offerings at my local natural foods stores) and rootbeer. For me, artificial preservatives aren't as major, but I tend to avoid them so they won't have a cumulative effect.

If you have caught it early, just keep up with the diet and slowly add things back in. I think you may find early on like I did that there's not a whole lot you need to be afraid of, and stress might be a bigger deal than anything you eat. In that case, maybe take up an exercise routine you can handle, or maybe yoga, and get a hobby! I mean it! I get a huge amount of relief from drawing, or now, gardening. Distraction can be my friend. I'm working on getting down some sort of zen-like state of constant calm, but I'm afraid I'm a few years' worth of practice from that!

[lnseagraves]

Ashley,

Unfortunately, the short answer to your question is that everyone is different. If I have a food trigger, I generally get a flare that evening. However, I am one of those patients that rarely flares because of food. My flares coincide more often with my hormonal cycle and any allergic reactions that I have. Sometimes eating something bad WHILE I'm allergic or on my period will cause a flare. Everyone is different. You basically have to "listen" to your own body. I would say though, that if youve added one item, and haven't had a flare in 48 hours after adding it, your fairly safe on that item.

Good luck!