“I’m finally free of bladder pain!”
Since childhood, Lisa King had been plagued by chronic discomfort and a frequent urge to urinate. She never imagined the culprit was what she was eating— and that a simple change in diet could put an end to her embarrassing symptoms at last
B‘‘ e right back!” Lisa King called to her family as she ducked out of her son’s baseball game for the third time to race to the bathroom. I can’t believe I’m missing yet another one of his games because of this, Lisa thought, frustrated.
Missing out was nothing new for Lisa—she had lived with an overactive bladder (OAB) for over 28 years, diagnosed as a child with interstitial cystitis, a chronic condition causing bladder pressure, bladder and pelvic pain and a frequent urge to urinate. Everywhere she went, Lisa’s first order of business was to locate the closest bathroom. She came to dread social events—the embarrassment of having to excuse herself multiple times. Her doctor recommended over-the-counter pain relievers and antihistamines, which, for some, can help alleviate the urge to urinate, but they didn’t work for Lisa.
After more than three decades of misery, fed up, Lisa changed urologists. And that switch turned out to be life-changing.
Reclaiming her life
Lisa was surprised when, at her first visit, her new doctor started by asking about her diet. When she told him that her favorite dishes were Italian foods, like pasta with tomato sauce, eggplant parmigiana, salad with balsamic vinaigrette and chicken or fish with basil and lemon, he nodded knowingly. They are all acidic or acid-forming foods, he noted, and explained that these foods can irritate the lining of the bladder and upset the nervous system that controls the bladder, sparking the need to urinate more frequently.
I never dreamed my nonna’s beloved recipes could be the problem, Lisa marveled.
Desperate for relief, she began eliminating acidic and acid-forming foods from her diet, including coffee, tomato sauce and citrus. After about one month, Lisa noticed she was making fewer trips to the bathroom and her bladder pain began to subside. As the weeks passed, her symptoms kept improving. Not only did she feel better physically, her confidence soared, and she finally felt like she could truly enjoy social events without the fear of having to rush to a bathroom.
Today, Lisa, now 56, continues to watch her diet but admits she will occasionally enjoy a cup of coffee or an Italian dish. “Moderation is the key,” she says. But she has also learned that the over-the-counter supplement calcium glycerophosphate can reduce the acid in foods and prevent them from triggering symptoms of OAB.
“After years of suffering, I have reclaimed my life,” Lisa beams. “Today, I am completely free of medication and, best of all, pain!
“Eliminating acidic foods and adding them back one at a time helps identify which ones trigger OAB symptoms”
— Leann Poston, M.D.