Work Your Way Back To Coffee With Our Coffee Challenge

Coffee lovers often ask when they can drink coffee again. It depends entirely on the health and integrity of your bladder lining. Here’s our five-step hot drink and coffee challenge that we suggest to every patient considering drinking coffee again. Start at Step One and slowly work your way down. If any of these trigger your symptoms, then stop and go back up a step. If your bladder tolerates one well, then proceed to the next step and give it a try. Please note, however, that whenever you’re struggling with active symptoms, it’s best to keep your hot drinks mild and simple! (i.e. one through three)

Step One: Hot Water or Milk!

Most patients can drink hot water or milk during even the worst IC flares. This is your “go to” whenever your symptoms are active. Mild flavorings are optional such as a vanilla or caramel syrup to give it some more flavor.

Step Two: Chamomile & Peppermint Herbal Tea Challenge

Chamomile and peppermint herbal teas are mild, comforting and well known for their calming effects on the smooth muscle of the bowel and, we believe, the bladder. If you’re sick of water, it’s time to try these herbal teas and see if you tolerate them well. Please note, however, that peppermint can be too strong for patients struggling with GERD and a sensitive stomach.

Step Three: Rooibos Herbal Tea Challenge

If you tolerate chamomile and/or peppermint herbal teas well, you can liven them up by trying some of the brown rooibos herbal teas and/or roasted grain teas.

Step Four: Herbal Coffee Challenge (Pero, Kaffree Roma, Teecino)

Herbal coffees aren’t quite the real thing but they are close. Made with roasted barley and other grains, these herbal coffees are much less irritating to the bladder due to their lower acid levels and lack of caffeine. They are, however, an acquired taste. Some patients love them while others find them bitter. Using cream and sugar helps develop the flavors.

Step Five: Low Acid Coffee Challenge

If you’ve passed all of the previous steps and your bladder tolerates them well, then it’s time to try the real thing but there’s a catch! You need to try LOW ACID coffee. These are grown at lower altitudes, tend to be darker roasts and, ideally, should be brewed using a cold brew process (i.e. The Toddy Coffee Maker) to make a genuine low acid coffee!

We love Simpatico Low Acid Coffee for its flavor and acidity level! This small company based in Holland MI has made the crafting of low acid coffee an art form with great flavors, mouth feel and satisfaction. We sell them in the ICN Shop – www.icnsales.com