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How a decaff teabag changed my life.

(34 Posts)
Sago Mon 07-Aug-23 08:35:00

I woke up this morning in our London hotel after a good nights sleep, we had a seamless journey down in the train from East Yorkshire and Im looking forward to our day.

None of this was as easy a few weeks ago until I cut out caffeine, tomatoes, strawberries and gin, these are all the things that send my bladder into overdrive.
Every journey and event was dominated by my endless peeing!

I could go to the loo every 10 minutes after eating/drinking an irritant at night 4/5 visits were not unusual.

I hated having to use public lavatories especially during Covid, I managed the whole journey yesterday without paying a visit.

No health professionals ever suggested the problem could be diet related.

I just wanted to share this on the off chance any of my fellow GNetters have the same problem!

I feel like a new woman!!!

dogsmother Mon 07-Aug-23 08:53:53

I have moved to decaf coffee and sleep so much better most nights for it however I drink both equally and some nights are not so good so this is interesting. I will monitor.

Aveline Mon 07-Aug-23 08:57:13

Great news for you Sago. Enjoy your trip. Thanks for the tip.

Wyllow3 Mon 07-Aug-23 09:04:02

Strawberries are interesting! I follow a low FODMAP diet and they are in the "OK" bit.

nandad Mon 07-Aug-23 09:12:07

Interesting Sago, I have been told by the bladder nurse and women’s physio that decaffeinated tea isn’t caffeine free and so I have had to stop drinking it. Rooibos is caffeine free as are herbal and fruit teas, but again you have to be careful with fruit teas due to acidity. GP was worse than useless when it came to advice.

nanna8 Mon 07-Aug-23 09:23:17

One of my daughters is allergic to strawberries and tomatoes. They give her rheumatism and gout. I find they irritate my bladder and so do sparkling wines. I like all those things so I still have them but only a few. My Auntie used to get eczema with tomatoes and it took her quite a while to work out the cause.

Sago Mon 07-Aug-23 09:38:39

nandad

Interesting Sago, I have been told by the bladder nurse and women’s physio that decaffeinated tea isn’t caffeine free and so I have had to stop drinking it. Rooibos is caffeine free as are herbal and fruit teas, but again you have to be careful with fruit teas due to acidity. GP was worse than useless when it came to advice.

I have done loads of research, decaf tea has traces of caffeine, not enough to ever cause a reaction.

SecondhandRose Tue 08-Aug-23 11:15:36

As caffeine is a diuretic do watch out for swollen ankles.

Glorianny Tue 08-Aug-23 11:19:11

I know someone who is an incontinence nurse she tells all her patients to cut out coffee etc because of the caffeine.

Schumee Tue 08-Aug-23 11:23:22

I used to be a “continence nurse” it is really surprising how many foods and fluids can irritate your bladder but equally not drinking enough and going just in case can make overactive bladder worse

Soozikinzi Tue 08-Aug-23 12:01:54

My mum's arthritis in her handsvwas always worse after tomatoes .

Bijou Tue 08-Aug-23 12:05:41

I try to cut out coffee because of weak Bladder.
Oranges and tomato’s make my arthritis worse.

Lostmyglassesxx Tue 08-Aug-23 12:13:54

Tomatoes are high in histamine
And histamine intolerance causes inflammation

Angharad19 Tue 08-Aug-23 12:14:15

When I had a kidney stone when I was young and didn’t drink enough water, I was in Barcelona and had an excellent doctor who put me on a bland diet and forbade spirits, caffeine, tomatoes, strawberries, rhubarb, gooseberries. It worked. I am a lot older now and it never happened again.

grannybuy Tue 08-Aug-23 13:00:38

I have found that since I stopped taking a statin, I have been more ‘ continent ‘.

spabbygirl Tue 08-Aug-23 13:15:52

I'm just discovering how its better to manage some health conditions without medication I have diverticulitis where you get huge pain and infections in the large colon, usually it gets worse and worse & then dr prescribes strong antibiotics & they have side effects too. But recently I have eaten an alkaline diet and when I did get a problem I ate half a teaspoon of Mauna hone and it went within an hour! I do think its worth changing things in your life too.

Theexwife Tue 08-Aug-23 13:25:24

Water changed my life, for many years I suffered from a post-nasal drip, where excessive mucus goes down the back of your throat, and constant coughing which also causes heartburn. I was constantly taking decongestants and using nose sprays.

I was talking to an assistant in Boots about it and she said to drink more water. I now drink two litres a day and it cleared up instantly, it also helped with constipation and my skin looks so much better.

grandtanteJE65 Tue 08-Aug-23 14:17:25

Watch out for rhubarb too if rheumatism or related conditions are a problem!

My godson as a baby suffered dreadfully from ear infections until his paternal grandmother declined a glass of a well-known brand of blackcurrant juice in his home. This made my godson's mother wonder if the child, like his grandmother was allergic to the stuff - and would you know it? He was,

So stuffed noses, frequent colds, earache, urinary infections, coughts or just needing to wee constantly can all be caused by some form of allergy.

So if your doctor has assured you there is nothing wrong with you and the problem still exists, keep a diary of what you eat and drink for a month or so. Doing so, frequently high-lights whatever is the cause of your reaction,

TheMaggiejane1 Tue 08-Aug-23 14:51:57

How interesting Sago, I have been on a acid free diet for a month now following an horrendous bout of GERD. It suddenly occurred to me after being on the diet for 2 weeks that I hadn’t given my normally overactive bladder a second thought. I’m now having to weigh up how much tasty food and alcohol is worth compared to pain free days and, as you point out, the freedom of being able to use public transport again!

HowVeryDareYou2 Tue 08-Aug-23 15:03:35

I was treated for 15 years for an overactive bladder (weeing 20-30 times daily) until a few years ago, when I asked to be referred to a Urologist. He advised cutting out all caffeine and fruit juice, and the difference has been unbelievable.

nadateturbe Tue 08-Aug-23 15:04:10

I drink rooibos tea. Apparently mothers in S Africa use it for colic.
Wyllow3 I can't eat strawberries.

fancythat Tue 08-Aug-23 16:20:26

Theexwife

Water changed my life, for many years I suffered from a post-nasal drip, where excessive mucus goes down the back of your throat, and constant coughing which also causes heartburn. I was constantly taking decongestants and using nose sprays.

I was talking to an assistant in Boots about it and she said to drink more water. I now drink two litres a day and it cleared up instantly, it also helped with constipation and my skin looks so much better.

Ooh, interesting.
I was diagnosed with this early last year.
I used nose spray initially.
But I dont like taking medication in general so set out to find out what I could do myself.
Weirdly, I worked out that if I kept my chest warm, kept my chin at a certain angle at night, and my left chin warm, that cut out the worst of it.

I dont drink a whole lot of water.

The whole thing is not so bad in warm weather. Bearable.
But I will try the water suggestion this winter.

Wyllow3 Tue 08-Aug-23 16:53:59

I shall buy raspberries now and think hard about caffeine.

Theexwife Tue 08-Aug-23 17:08:12

fancythat it may not be so bad in the summer as you probably drink more than in winter. I thought I drunk enough tea and coffee throughout the day but as I said two litres of water made all the difference.

fancythat Tue 08-Aug-23 17:11:22

That could be true. Thanks.