I also love coffee, but I get pretty jacked up from the caffeine so I have to limit myself to a largish cup in the morning. I had been doing pretty well for quite a while but around January I started to have an increase in frequency and irritation, mostly in the mornings. I read your post a few weeks back about coffee and it made me think that maybe coffee was also a problem for me. I reluctantly started tapering but didn't really notice a change. About this time I had an appointment with Matia and talked to her about what was going on. We talked about what I ate for breakfast and she suggested I eliminate the walnuts I ate in my cereal every morning. Sure enough my frequency and irritation disappeared almost completely. This surprised me as I had been eating walnuts for a couple of years so why would they start causing problems for me now? Evidently walnuts are very 'hot'. So Jeanette, I thank you for inspiring me to explore what was causing my increase in symptoms. Good luck with getting off coffee again, tea just isn't the same is it :)
Carol

I gave up coffee years ago.  The caffeine bothered me a lot, and I felt so much better off of it.  It also flared my IC really bad and made me pee a lot.  It also got my bowels going, which I didn't need since mine are usually loose.My husband drinks coffee every day but maybe only one or two cups.  He said the Starbucks bold blends that he loves the most give him the blood sugar problem.  He does better with the medium dark blends.  He said Starbucks Guatemala and the Starbucks Verona don't seem to bother him as much.  He also said if he gets the blood sugar problem after drinking coffee, if he drinks a glass of water afterward, it sometimes helps.  Tea with caffeine in it even bothers me.  I steer really clear of anything with caffeine in it.  I've never read anything good about coffee other than it is good to use as an enema.  There are the alternative blends of chicory and other ingredients in the health food stores, but they will probably taste bad in comparison to Starbucks.    Good luck getting off the coffee.  My husband says he thinks he will eventually have to quit it.  I can go into Starbucks and smell the nice coffee smell, but it doesn't make me crave it anymore.

I also have given up coffee, gone through all the horrid side effects of withdrawal only to pick it up again a month later.  Its like the only thing that gives me a sense of being normal.  Like when me and my husband go out with out the kids we can no longer go out to eat, so we go out and he gets his sugar coffee drink and I get black coffee.  I have noticed my IC is bad when I drink  non organic coffee.  When I drink the organic kind my IC is not effected, this makes me think it is the pesticides they use in coffee that irritates my bladder and not the caffeine.  BOTH kinds though cause me to get kinda cranky later on in the day and even if I just have one cup in the morning I have a very hard time falling asleep even though I am super tired.  I have arthritis type symptoms in my right hand and that pain is also worse when I drink non organic coffee.  Anyway, I have to quit again...:(  I am dreading the major headache and then not having anything I can drink when I go out with my hubby.  I am on list one, but have not seen Matia yet..I am going to give it up when I see her in 12 days!

...about coffee.  I haven't had any in the 7 months that I've been symptematic.  I was drinking it every day, and usually the lattes with sugar, etc.  I've been jonesing like crazy for coffee.  Sometimes I think about it every day, but I don't do it.  I'm interested in hearing Matia's reasoning for it sometimes helping IC, because it seems to me that it's just poison for our bodies, maybe it's poison for my body.  I know that it doesn't help me emotionally and spiritually because I can get irritable when I drink it, not good for my marriage or children.  Probably a good enough reason to stay away.  But honestly, if it somehow took away my urgency, I'd be all over it.

It's really werid because I always thought that coffee was bad for people and definately a no no for ICers . Before treatment I stopped drinking it because it always seemed to bother me but maybe I was just too irritated to tolerate it I'm thinking it was the milk or creamer I was putting in it too? After a certain point I think after I made it to list 2 I found I could tolerate a little coffee. In fact in seemed like coffee seemed to help but it HAD to be the right amount. Any more than a 1/2 to 3/4 cup and it seemed to be just way too much for my body. I think the benefits of coffee stem from its properties as an herb. It is very warming as an herb and considering maybe that many of us have low circulation to the pelvic area I think it brings a healing warmth to an area that maybe has cold stagnated energy? I got benefit from hot showers to my bladder/vulva/pelvic area. (never tried the heating pad but I should to ease my cycle) and a cup of coffee seemed to help or not impact in a negative way my IC. However the other components of coffee have at times in past made my nervous system too overloaded- this was years ago when Iw as prone to panic/anxiety attacks. Until I got a handle on that - my nervous system was just overstressed and super sensitive so a stimulant was pushing me over the edge!  I think if you don't have that tendency toward anxiety and coffee doesn't mess with frequency or urgency then it can be okay.( check with matia because some kinds of IC is not good with coffee)  every one is different in what they tolerate. I would be TOTALLY screwed without coffee I love it and it gets me out of bed! I stopped drinking coffee for about a month awhile back and found that I actually was doing better with it in terms of pain. but you don't want to overdo it either. just like fruit or cheese- everything in moderation! I could have my theories of on how coffee might help physically so ask Matia to be sure I got facts straight. happy sunday!Mary 

Coffee kills my intestines and makes my anxiety really bad. My bladder does fine on it but once I start on it if I skip a day I get mad headaches so no thanks to the coffee. I drink the decaf green tea I know the pleasure not the same but something is nice about drinking tea. I am looking forward to enjoying some herbals later on.

Just some information for you all on this subject.  From a purely health and nutrition standpoint, coffee is not really good for us. Especially if we rely on it to get us going in the morning.  A lot of money is spent on "studies" to reassure us that coffee is beneficial in our diets.  It is not. Like sugar, it's an addictive "drug" and can cause lots of health problems.  Despite that fact, everyone drinks it and if most doctors drink it it must be ok, right?  Coffee blocks the absorption of nutrients and minerals and has been linked to miscarriages, osteoporosis and heart disease. Caffeine causes stress on your nervous system and can lead to weakening the immune system, which I think we are all trying to strengthen.  It creates tremendous acidity in our bodies.  So if you are like me and not only trying to heal IC but prevent any future illness ever again, this would be a good time to eliminate it or find a healthier alternative. I haven't spoken to Matia about coffee since I don't drink it, but if she says it helps IC symptoms (which is your primary focus right now) and you want to drink it, then great. Just remember to do it in moderation and don't rely on it for waking up or for making you regular!  If you rely on it for those reasons, think to yourself...why should you need something to get you going?  Shouldn't you try to get yourself healthy and to a point where you don't need that artificial stimulation?  If you need to wean off, try using teas which have a lower caffeine content.

i just want to say, that since we a) dont drink b) dont eat sugar c) eat mostly veggies then a little coffee is not going to kill us.  Furthermore, I don't trust those studies in the first place, because a study is only as good as its sample; and who is their sample?  People that do other nasty things!  Its not like they took people who abstain from toxicity for the most part and studied them.   I LOVE coffee.  The 4 months I gave it up before I found Matia was a very sad time for me!  Honestly, if thats the one "bad" (and I'm sorry ladies, I disagree, I dont think its bad for you) that one does, I sincerely doubt that its going to give you heart disease! The whole point of this program is to learn moderation, not to become dogmatic about this stuff.  With that, I'm going to stop procrastinating, have a cup and start my hw.

i just want to say, that since we a) dont drink b) dont eat sugar c) eat mostly veggies then a little coffee is not going to kill us.  Furthermore, I don't trust those studies in the first place, because a study is only as good as its sample; and who is their sample?  People that do other nasty things!  Its not like they took people who abstain from toxicity for the most part and studied them.   I LOVE coffee.  The 4 months I gave it up before I found Matia was a very sad time for me!  Honestly, if thats the one "bad" (and I'm sorry ladies, I disagree, I dont think its bad for you) that one does, I sincerely doubt that its going to give you heart disease! The whole point of this program is to learn moderation, not to become dogmatic about this stuff.  With that, I'm going to stop procrastinating, have a cup and start my hw.

Just wanted to put the info out there is all.  You do with it what you choose.  I can see why, since you've given up so much other stuff, this would be a tough one.I feel about chocolate and bread the way you feel about coffee; it's been torture to give up but somehow, for the sake of my health, I've managed so far.  Not to say I won't cheat once in a while :)  Moderation is key.  Every day, in my opinion, does not mean moderation. And yes, be very skeptical of studies that tell you it's good for you as well. Cheers! 

The headaches caused by skipping a day of caffeine are caused by toxic die off essentially. Like die off with yeast, the toxicity in your body is being released and causes headaches and general irritability.  Remember when we started Matia's diet and felt lethargic and ill in the beginning?  This is the body's way of releasing the toxins which make you feel yucky for a few days while you cleanse.  So the headache is actually a GOOD thing and should not be remedied with more caffeine or drugs!  And if you can get past 3 or 4 days of the withdrawl symptoms, you will feel much much better and will have more energy in the long run.

I didn't drink coffee for months, and I didn't notice a difference in my energy levels with or without it!  My happiness levels, yes, but energy absolutely not.

At my appointment about coffee and she said if you are someone who is already drinking it every day and start treatment, then you can have one maybe two cups a day..depending on your symptoms.  If you do not drink it, not to start it.  That is what she said, it can be soothing to the bladder.  BUT..I think every's body is different and at different levels.  For  ME, coffee makes me insane and throws my into an anxiety attack, my face turns red, I get bloated..not fun.  It does not effect my bladder, but the other symptoms are making me stay away for now.  I also get a headache just from having one cup in the morning and then not having it the next day.

I found a low acid coffee brand, Puroast. It is organic and taste great! They also have decaf. I drink it black with stevia. I do not have a reaction to it.   However, if I drink more than 2, 8 ounce cups of regular I  have irritation. There are recipes to make your own low acid coffee on the net.

Jillian,
I know you just started so I just wanted to make sure you know stevia is a NO. later on you will be able to use agave in small amounts.

Before treatment, I didn't drink coffee, just teechino, which is a great tasting and clever substitute. Unfortunately, the mix of herbs in teechino is not ok during treatment :-(I love the aroma of coffee plus it's a great hot drink... sometimes, there is just nothing like it to help me push through the day. I guess it's fine to have one espresso every other day... But for me, more than that and I get addicted and anxious.

Since I got moved to list 2 I had been drinking coffee every morning.  (naturally decaf) and I stopped because I realized it was making me flare.  But, whats interesting is when I stopped my constipation has gotten much better.  I am wondering if coffee is possibly a drying herb.  I thought before it helped me go, but not the case.  I was only going little pebbles when I drank it, now I am going better.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400968/Coffee-and-Cancer-Risk.html

I could not do this treatment without coffee.  I have 2 cups with cream everyday and it puts a smile on my face.  Also, helps me feel sort of normal.  I can actually have coffee talk with others. 

i drink a 16 oz in the morning with sugar free cream im not sure if this is an issue for me with my ic just will start the pills she gave me and see if that does it if not then i guess i have to give up my only "for me" thing i do.. bummer i was a patient of matia 10 years ago fell off the wagon and now im back