Caffeine and the Unstable Bladder Caffeine is considered a no-no
for many conditions, and an unstable bladder is high on the
list. One study found that women who drink the equivalent of 4
cups of regular coffee a day are nearly 2.5 times as likely to
have an unstable bladder than those who drink less than 1 cup
per day. "Unstable bladder" is also called urge incontinence. In
this condition, the muscles in the bladder wall contract on
their own, causing a sudden, uncomfortable and often
uncontrollable urge to pee. This urge has many triggers,
including caffeine, alcohol, and acidic or spicy foods. This is
a different kind of incontinence than stress incontinence, or
"Baby Bladder", which is much more common. Stress incontinence
causes bladder leakage when you cough, sneeze, exercise, dance,
or do anything that causes increased pressure on your bladder.
It is often associated with childbirth. Women with stress
incontinence are not affected by caffeine or other triggers of
urge incontinence. The bad news about i