Caffeine & Me

[kwarendorf]

I have had one foot on either side of the urinary hesitancy/urgency line for  a few years now. I have also been a coffee drinker for 40 years. 2 weeks ago I stopped drinking coffee and all caffeine. The improvement has been pretty amazing.

It has taken about 2 weeks to drain the residual caffeine, but a 2+ hour car ride last night involved no pit stops'

Submitted FYI


Kyle

[firerescue9]

I also have cut 90% of the caffeine that I used to drink.  No more morning coffee, no more soda. (I do drink tea sometimes)  It has made a big difference for me.  I also have had less issues with urgency/hesitancy since. Just wish it would take all of it away.  LOL

I have tried decaf, coffee and tea and am learning if I want to drink them to go with the decaf.

But most of what I drink these days is Non Fat Milk, water, and juice sometimes.
Leanne

[supermum_ms]

I've had a cappuccino machine for years but lack the coordination to make a decent cup of coffee with it, so mine also lives in the closet, um that's a kitchen cupboard and not where you store your clothes, right?  :D

ROFL ess, well you'll feel much better to know that cappuccino and coffee pod machines were last years hot Christmas's gift over here, so we're not so backwards with the coffee situation over here lol

Cheers........JJ

[essdipity]

JJ, it's normal for people in Oz to drink instant coffee?? Wow, first negative thing I've heard about the place.

Anyway, back to the subject. Personally I avoid caffeine when I have the choice, even in tea. Over the years I found that it made me jittery at work, so that by noon I felt wired. Delete caffeine, problem solved. I do drink decaf, which many people hate, on winter mornings to warm up, but since it's very much summer here I really have little desire for coffee. Maybe an iced coffee here and there. Guess I'm not much of a coffee person on the whole.

Still, I wish I could correlate caffeine, or anything really, with my bladder issues, so I could change whatever it is. I have hesitancy, extreme urgency sometimes resulting in puddles, and occasional (but not more than that), excruciating spasms. I think this last is coming from the bladder muscle insisting it's time to empty at the same time the sphincter muscle is deciding absolutely not. Holy moley.

The big majority of us have bladder problems, so there are loads of opportunities here for us to grouse. Very satisfying. And sometimes, like now, someone has found a personal solution. Yay!

ess

[kwarendorf]

My wee little problem was the sole reason fo killing coffee/caffeine. It's two weeks today and I will say that I like the way I feel overall, including better sleep, which leads to better energy. The bladder issues have definitely improved. So I just put my coffee grinder in the closet :-)

Kyle

[supermum_ms]

Well done giving up caffeine!

I'm not surprised that it's made a difference to your wee little problem though [sorry couldn't resist :D ], caffeine is recognised as a CNS stimulant, stimulates spasm in nerves and muscles in the bladder. I'd call my self a coffee drinker, though the coffee people more commonly drink at home in OZ is instant coffee, so not typically the same coffee you guys mean. Instant only has around a quarter of the caffeine that peculated actually has, so i can still get away with having a cuppa :D

I was stunned when i found out that a cappuccino has almost double the amount of caffeine a can of redbull or V has lol i honestly don't think many people would consider guzzling down a couple of cans of redbull to kick start their day but it's basically the same amount of caffeine lol ugg what a thought.

Rachel - bladder bowel and sexual dysfunctions are associated with spinal cord lesions in MS, UTI's are very common in women and not usually a good indicator of something more going on, so i'd assume it is just a normal bout of cystitis at this stage....  

Cheers.........JJ

[Poppy7402]

Caffeine is the one vice I have left after cutting out all things processed.   I'm thinking this one is now going to have to go too as my PCP has just given me antibiotics for my first ever UTI.  I assume this is due to some retention issues so a referral to a Urologist is probably next.

Poppy

[suspiciouscombo]

This is interesting. What's more intriguing is how you noticed a significant difference regarding the absence of caffeine.

Though I understand that all humans are different, I was unaware the timeline to rid caffeine of our bodies.

Hmmm.

[ConfirmedRachel]

How timely could this post be! I've been wondering about this side of things as I'm currently having a horrible bout of UTI cystitis and will be phoning the docs in the morning - pleeeeease let it be a 'normal' bout but I don't think I've ever been this bad before.

Literally have to zoom to the loo and get there, just, with a couple of near misses. Must be min 20 times a day and I'm pretty sure retaining too. Does that happen 'normally' as opposed to MS related?

Now I know this is a subject I've seen posted before so I feel less embarrassed to mention it, but I literally feel the need to go all the time, even having just been. The pain on stopping is horrible and goes through my whole body.

Are there normally other signs before you start to have this as a problem or does it just grab you? Is it considered a relapse? Does it get better if it is? Having just had a clear MRI I'm leaning to it not being connected but it feels different to when I've had it before.

I'm clearly run down and despite taking Aciclovir to prevent cold sores, have a set brewing - first ones like this since I've been on the tablets nearly two years ago.

I guess my query around all of this is, if this is linked to MS how would I know the difference?

Thanks peeps
Nx

[immisceo]

Interesting! How have you found your energy levels in the absence of the typical caffeine boost? Was the end result the reason for cutting out the caffeine, or is this more of an added bonus from a different motivation? Roadtrips, here you come!