Is anyone on here NOT diet-sensitive?

[miz_sunshine87]

Hi everyone,

I gave the IC diet a real try. For december-January I followed it almost to a T. I literally ate the same thing for dinner every day. Boiled chicken, carrots and rice with a little non-soy margarine. Breakfast and lunch was usually some kind of IC-friendly sandwich. I was going crazy with the lack of food options, but I needed to give it a try. Then, I started slipping up. A little piece of chocolate here, some fruit punch there. By the end of February I had totally given up on the diet. I've eaten fruit, pizza, chinese take-out, drank lemonade, wine, you name it! At first I was so nervous about going off the diet. And I WAS flaring more, but thinking back, I think it may just have been the guilt of going off the diet.

Overall I haven't been feeling much worse now than when I was following the diet. The only thing that I can really tie to an increse in symptoms is vinaigrette. Everytime I've had salad dressing it has been an instant flare, but I'm fine with mayo or anything else like that.

Right now I am feeling awful and frequency is every hour or less (bad for me), but I think it is more related to my cycle and stress than diet.

SO am I just kidding myself, or is it possible that I'm just not diet sensitive? Is there anyone else that diet doesn't seem to make a differnece for?

[LeeAnn]

diet

The diet seems to only help me when I'm in a flare. By flare I mean the pain is so intense I cannot sleep at night, like right now, which is why I'm up at 3:15 in the morning, LOL!

When I am in a flare like this it seems that the diet makes a huge difference--all the usual suspects---coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, fruits, tomatoes, onions. So annoying. UGH ! ! ! ! !

[miz_sunshine87]

LeeAnn,

hope you feel better soon
I think that maybe I'm the same way as you. I just had some chocolate and cherry yogurt and oh man... I just peed 10 minutes ago and I have to go again.

Maybe if I'm already flaring, food makes it worse, but otherwise food doesn't make much of a difference? Eh who knows!

P.S I see you're taking fish oil supplements, have you noticed it helping overall? (aside from this flare of course).

[cprice25]

On the list of foods you gave, it's possible some were bad. I can't have carrots, sandwiches or margarine, especially not margarine. But then if I eat some thing bad I get worse so maybe you're not diet sensitive.

[lnseagraves]

Hey,

I'm not particularly diet sensitive. There are some foods I stay away from becaues they increase my frequency even more, and (like your vinaigrette) some that weill cause pain. Its a short list though: tomato sauce, oj, alcohol, coffee. Aside from those repeat offenders, I can eat most things most of the time unless I'm at a time I'm already prone to IC flares, ie., my period, ovulation or MAJOR life stress. In those situations I'm back on a strict diet just in case. I've found though that when i'm strict on the diet my immune system goes to pot, and I'm sick for weeks afterwards, so I actually try to avoid being on a STRICT IC diet unless I'm really bad and need to get it under total control.

[swarr]

At the very beginning of my IC green peppers, onions gave me trouble. Now I don't have any diet sensitivity. When I drink soda or tea it does tend to make me go to the potty more, no pain. I think it helps to drink water with a good ph, I drink evian and fuji.


sandy

[Sarojini]

I have to stay away from some foods and drinks, but I am nowhere near as diet sensitive as some people on this site are. My IC behaves the way it wants to, regardless of what I eat -- although like I said, I do have a list of some foods to stay away from (including artificial sweeteners, MSG, orange juice, cranberry juice, red wine, beer, vinegar based salad dressing, etc).

[ngazerro]

I don't seem to be diet sensitive either. I don't have any frequency at all except after I had two operations last year ,before I knew I had IC. My doctor thinks this is strange because after a hydro he said I only hold 600cc. I do feel worse when I drink coffee or diet cokes. I have cut them out. Most of my pain comes from doing to much or sitting too long. I had pain after my first two instills, but the third was better. Stress makes me hurt worse. Everyone talks about flares but I not sure I flare the same way. I don't have frequency, I just get a lot of pain in my back, bladder and flank area. If I walk a lot ( 5 miles) I don't hurt during but I will pay for it for the rest of the week. I can eat spicy, candy, and other IC no's but don't have any problems.

[L. Thomas]

I am not food sensitive. Full panel allergy testing shows I have no food sensitivities. The allergy testing was not for IC. I was tested before total knee replacement for allergy to metals.

[ads]

Years ago, after my frist hydro the diagnosis of IC was given, and I started on a strict IC diet for three months. I didn't want to cheat at all and my motivation was extremely high because of trying to save my employment status. The diet made no difference at all for me. I would look on this board and see people post food items, which would make them flare and wonder why I couldn't identify a food item that made me worse. It frustrated me greatly!

There is a part of the IC population who aren't diet sensitive and you may be one of them. It is good to know you have given it a good try because every IC patient should try the diet as a therapy. I wish the diet would have worked for me! Boy, that would have been a blessing compared to the meds.

I noticed you said you had drinks on vacation and your flare stopped. One IC doctors believes wine can help with PFD. It probably helps relax the muscles -- not sure. Have you tried treatments for PFD too? I wish you the best and can relate to your question.

ads

[waterflow]

The only thing I can't eat is cabbage. On the drinking part no grapefruit juice, orange juice or crystal light. Oh and pop. Everything else is fine. I can even eat salsa with no problems.

[mellusk]

Aww, miz_sunshine, I remember when I first came here and you were one of the people who gave me hope about the diet, and I guess I did get to be one of the "lucky" ones who doesn't have too many food triggers. I just absolutely cannot have any artificial sweeteners or color additives, and I've got to be moderate with the soy and the preservatives. I don't know about a lot of fruit yet. Otherwise, I do fine eating jalapenos and drinking beer. Even when I do flare from food, I can quickly manage it with a little baking soda in water. On one hand, I guess it's a bonus because hey, I don't have to give up red wine or thai food. On the other, though, it means I have less direct control over my symptoms than someone else who owes most of theirs to what they eat. For example, I got into a rare but absolutely huge fight with a close friend. For most of the next day, I felt physically horrible, which of course did little to make me feel forgiving about the matter. It's just a little easier sometimes to turn down a handful of Doritos than it is to avoid someone occasionally being mean to me.

[CrazyAZZGirl79]

hiya mostly my triggers r.. fruits and things that have hot peppers in them i knock on wood cause i can have a lot of things and i have no pain just urencey issues..

[jen74]

Hi.
For me, there are foods that will make me feel worse, but like you, I have been on the IC diet for a couple months and I did not feel like it helped any at all. I know diet helps some people alot, but not everyone.
Jen

[ICKIRSTI]

good for you!

I want to express my contentment that in fact there are some without the diet sensivity! I am not one of them! Never have been, never will be. However, I am a firm believer that the dietary habits of the current generations are just plain awful. I also am very amused that we could ingest such appalling substances in such massive quantities and then actually HAVE THE NERVE to wonder why it hurts!!! So from someone whom at 23, has already made all the wrong choices, already tried virtually every restriction diet known to man, and still has no hope for happier digestion...heed this warning!! CHOOSE YOUR POISON's WISELY. For if we consume away without doubt or regret today, our bodies may very well retaliate and demand much more respect tomorrow. All the best ... and then some....