Difficulties with urination can be a troublesome side effect of some cancers and treatments. There are many techniques and tricks for coping with bladder control and/or frequency, starting with modifying the food and drinks that you consume, and when you do so. Bladder irritants, or items that cause irritation to the lining of the bladder, can cause you to experience increased bladder spasms, discomfort, or increased urinary symptoms. The following list contains examples of irritants which, if consumed, may worsen your symptoms, and if avoided may provide improvement in your symptoms.  

• Alcohol 

• Acidic Fruits or Fruit Drinks 

• Artificial Sweetener and Preservatives 

• Caffeinated Beverages (such as Coffee, Tea, or Soda) 

• Carbonated Drinks 

• Chocolate 

• Spicy Foods 

• Tomatoes and tomato-based foods.  

• Vinegar 

Not all food and drink affects everyone the same. One way of testing your sensitivity to these items would be to remove the full list for a period of 1-2 weeks, then each following week you can attempt to add one item back slowly to observe if there is an impact on your urinary symptoms. Keeping a food and symptom diary can help you and your provider identify which items are causing your bladder irritation. It may be helpful to decrease fluid intake to six to eight glasses of water per day and avoid fluid intake for the 2–3 hours prior to bedtime to reduce urine production overnight, if your doctor agrees that is safe for you.  

Related Resources 

Cancer Related Urinary Incontinence 

Tips for managing incontinence in your daily life  

Kegels and cancer: How and why you should be doing them