Bladder Irritants

If you asked one of my patients with urinary urgency or increased urinary frequency where to find a bathroom, they could tell you where pretty much anywhere in the city. Which gas stations have the cleanest bathrooms? Which retail store has a bathroom at the front of the store, rather than tucked waaaaaayyyy back in the back corner? Which bathrooms are easy to navigate with toddlers? Ask them - they’ll know. 

Because they have to pee all the time. Some folks have to go every 20-30 minutes. It literally dictates how they live their lives.

Every patient who comes to me with any bladder symptoms, including increased frequency/urgency, leakages, or pain with urination, gets the bladder lecture. And a big part of the bladder lecture is how what we eat or drink can affect how happy and healthy our bladder is. 

The kinds of foods and drinks that can irritate the lining of the bladder, thus increasing unwanted bladder symptoms, varies from person to person. It’s not a hard and fast “cut all of these things out of your diet NOW” list. But there are some common things that are considered bladder irritants:

• Coffee

• Tea (non-citrus herbal teas are generally ok)

• Acidic foods (tomatoes, citrus fruit/juice, vinegar)

• Spicy foods 

• Soda/pop/Coke/whatever y’all call it in your neck of the woods

• Artificial sweeteners

• Milk (though for some people, products made from milk are ok)

• Chocolate

Let me be up front when I say I’m realistic about asking people to give up foods or beverages that they truly enjoy. Coffee is high up on the list of bladder irritants and you should see the panic in the eyes of my coffee drinkers when they hear that and I don’t expect someone who feels like they can only function with a cup of coffee in the morning to be happy about giving it up. 

I’m not a coffee drinker, but you’ll see chocolate on the list, and let me tell you how hard I’d roll my eyes at you if you told me to give it up. 

I typically tell people to see if there is something on the list that they frequently consume and start paying attention to their symptoms after consuming them. For some, it’s worth giving up something to feel like they have control over symptoms that have had control over them for so long. 

For others, it may be a matter of weighing the choices - maybe some days, that morning boost of caffeine is worth having increased symptoms. 

I approach dietary changes for the bladder like I do everything else with my patients - it’s YOUR body, and these are your choices. I’m just here to provide you with information and guidance on your road to healing and feeling better.

Do you know where every bathroom in the city is? Hit me up, I can help!