Caffeine and Incontinence

Hi Ron, thanks for your post! As you've discovered, all bladder irritants work on a bit of a "case by case" basis - some people react to all of them, some people react to none of them, and most people react to some combination of different irritants. I haven't heard of water being an actual "bladder irritant" in the same way that caffeine or spicy foods can be, but the more water that you drink, the more your body has to process, and thus the more opportunity for leakage.

Because water is essential to survival, as well as to our quality of life (because our bodies work best when well-hydrated), it's important to make sure you get enough water - if you're thirsty, drink. But, like you've shared that you try to be close to a toilet and wear protection, there are things we can each do to help offset the water that our bladders sometimes don't handle so well - like trying to drink water earlier in the day rather than right before bed, or a few hours before going out so that most of it has time to exit your system before leaving home.

I know you've been dealing with incontinence for some time now, so you've probably got this all down pat, but since the issue came up I wanted to take the time to explain the importance of water for any "newbies" out there! :)