Hi Brownie
Coffee can definitely be an irritant to the bladder. I love it, but have to limit how much I drink, if I'm in a flare - I find it very hard to cut it out completely!
Cranberry juice, as has already been mentioned, has no proven benefit to the bladder and is also acidic, so is definitely best avoided. I don't know if you've tried D-Mannose to assist with bladder infection / symptoms? It's probably worth a try - it doesn't help everyone, but when it does it can make a huge difference.
As a short-term measure you can make your urine less acidic by taking bicarbonate of soda (a small teaspoonful in a large glass of water). I find it can be can be transformative when things are really bad. There are caveats with bicarb - people who have e.g. heart failure or liver issues shouldn't use it - maybe have a Google first and see what you think.
In the longer term, vaginal estrogen is the way to go as it is so effective for treating bladder issues, either Ovestin or Vagifem (or Estring, although GPs seem not to be very familiar with it). I use Vagifem and had to abandon Ovestin as I found that it irritated my vulva, but if you get on with it, either Vagifem or Ovestin should be helpful. It can take a while to start working, though.
I hope you get some relief soon - it's miserable, isn't it.
