Some 700,000 people in the United States suffer from interstitial cystitis, with ninety percent of these patients being women. Why women are more susceptible to painful bladder syndrome than men is not known.

Treatment

Description

Lifestyle Changes

Some patients with interstitial cystitis find that reducing the level of caffeine in their diet, avoiding bladder-irritating foods such as grapefruit, and quitting smoking eases their symptoms. Stress reduction techniques also help some patients.

Aspirin / Ibuprofen

Used by patients to manage relatively low levels of bladder pain.

Bladder Distention

Performed under anesthetic, a gas or liquid inflates the bladder, temporarily enlarging it. This helps reduce the frequency with which patients need to urinate.

Bladder Instillation

Medications, most commonly dimethyl sulfoxide, are inserted into the bladder in liquid form through a catheter. The medication is held in the bladder for 10–15 minutes, and works directly on the inflamed bladder walls.

Elmiron

Elmiron is an FDA approved oral medication for interstitial cystitis. Unfortunately, patients may not notice any relief for up to four months after beginning the medication.

Surgery

A last resort when treating painful bladder syndrome, surgery may involve removing ulcerous tissue or burning ulcers off the bladder with a laser. Augmentation surgery uses a section of the large intestine to make the bladder larger, reducing the frequency of urination.