10 Foods and Drinks to Avoid if You're Managing Incontinence

If you’re managing incontinence, you may notice that certain foods and drinks affect you differently. It's true that some foods and beverages can irritate your bladder, making urinary incontinence worse (although many are delicious!). Here is a list of 10 foods and drinks you should try to avoid if you’re managing incontinence.

#1: Caffeine. This includes coffee, tea, caffeinated sodas and energy drinks.

#2: Alcohol. This includes beverages such as beer, wine and spirits.

#3: Acidic and Citrus Fruits. This includes fruits (and fruit juices) such as lemons, pineapple, plums, cranberries, apples and more.

#4: Spicy Foods. This includes foods like chilis, hot peppers and anything else spicy you might eat or drink.

#5: Tomato-Based Products. There are many tomato based products. Some examples are; tomato juice, salsa, tomato sauce and paste.

#6: Carbonated Drinks. This includes drinks like sodas/pop (Coca Cola, Pepsi, etc.) and energy drinks.

#7: Chocolate. Whether it’s a chocolate bar, chocolate sauce, or chocolate ice cream, it’s best to steer clear.

#8: Milk and Dairy Products. This includes certain cheeses, milk, yogurt and many other dairy products.

#9: Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners. If you can, avoid sugar. Sweeteners are not a good alternative either.

#10: Vinegar. Whether you’re putting vinegar on or in a dish, it can still irritate your bladder. 

It’s important to note that everyone is different, and this list should not be taken as hard medical advice. While one of these foods or drinks may affect you, someone else could be perfectly fine consuming it on a regular basis. If you think one or more of the items on this list are affecting you, it may be a good idea to discuss the issue with your healthcare professional. If you need help with incontinence products, please give our Healthwick customer care team a call!

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Sources: Hopkins Medicine, Cleveland Clinic