Coffee and IC?

For a person with Interstitial Cystitis (IC), acidity in food and drinks can cause a flare-up and is just not good for a “sick” bladder.  One of the hardest things to give up is coffee.

Morning without coffee is just not the same. 😦

In a previous post, I wrote about how the acid reducer, Prelief, was a product used by many people with IC.  Prelief enables IC sufferers to consume certain products that they love but are not always good for the bladder.  Coffee is one of those products that people with IC miss.  So here is another potential option: low-acid or acid-free coffee.

Take a look below at a couple of testimonies from some people with IC who drink coffee.

“I….have IC, and coffee was one of my worst triggers. I can now have coffee everyday with no worries….It is so worth it if you have IC or bladder discomfort from coffee.”

“I, too, suffer from Interstitial Cystitis.  With this disease, you have to cut out tomatoes, chocolate and coffee, three of my favorite things.  Being able to now drink coffee….is making me very happy.  It is tasteless and does the trick to keep me from hurting.”

Do you have a “coffee” testimony?

There are many low-acid and even acid-free coffees available.  If you want to try drinking coffee again.  Take it slow.  Find a low-acid or acid-free coffee.  I would suggest taking Prelief a few minutes before.  Limit yourself to one cup a day in the beginning.  See how you tolerate the coffee.  Another tip that may help is adding milk to your coffee.  The calcium in milk neutralizes some of the acids in the coffee.  Also, according to a study done by Toddy, cold-brewed coffee is 67% less acidic than hot-brewed [Toddy Cafe].

There are going to be people with IC that can handle a low-acid/acid-free coffee, and there will be others that absolutely cannot drink this beverage.  Also, if you are in a “flare-up” refrain from consuming it.

Thanks,

Mazoli