Diet and IC

No matter how long you’ve had IC, you’ll aways be learning something new. I still learn new things about IC, about my body, and how it reacts to foods even after having bladder problems for years. Just this last winter I learned that not all my IC flares come on in a few hours either. Aged or fermented soy products like soy sauce, tofu, or miso have always bothered my bladder. They contain high amounts of inflammation- stimulating monoamines. I usually avoid soy protein isolate or hydrolyzed soy protein too. (The way they’re manufactured results in MSG – a notorious nerve sensitizer – being formed. Even the tiny amount of MSG present in hydrolyzed protein products is enough to trigger a bladder flare for me). But I thought I was safe with non-aged, unfermented, unprocessed soy products. I’d had soy sprouts on salad and soy ice cream for dessert on a couple of occasions without any bladder problems. So I assumed that soy was basically alright for me, but there were just a few forms of it I had to stay away from. Well, it was just as my mom always said, “Don’t ‘assume’. One day last winter I was feeling fat and wanted to lose a little weight. I decided to shave some calories from my diet by substituting low-calorie soy milk for my regular milk at breakfast. I bought a quart of soy milk and began using about a cup daily. At first, there seemed to be no problem. Like other IC patients, I had never experienced a flare that didn’t come on within hours or a day or so at most. After several days went by with no increase in bladder symptoms, I felt safe in using the soy milk. Then about two weeks into my plan my bladder began to get worse. And worse... and worse. I became super-paranoid about sticking to my diet. I watched my fluid intake, my stress levels, how much driving and sitting I did. I began wearing looser clothing. I exercised like crazy. Then I tried avoiding all exercise. I checked for infections. I reduced my medications. Then I doubled up on them. I checked and rechecked all the inert ingredients in all my medications. I stopped wearing perfume, I changed soap, I changed laundry detergent. Nothing, but nothing, made even the tiniest dent in the miserable and constant bladder pain I was in. What’s more, my facial complexion was a mess, I would get weepy and cry at the drop of a hat. My breasts ached a bit like they did when I was I was pregnant with my kids. Sure enough, as soon as I gave up drinking the soy milk, my bladder gradually began to improve, though it took about two weeks to get back to normal.