Medication. Types of oral medication include muscle relaxants such as Oxybutynin which can calm the contractions of the bladder muscle – also used for an overactive bladder. Anti-inflammatories such as Diclofenac can reduce the inflammation and antihistamines such as hydroxyzine can be used.
Muscle relaxants help control muscle spasms that cause your bladder to squeeze at the wrong time. Common side effects include dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, a fast heartbeat, and a flushed feeling (feeling warm and red). The medicine can be prescribed as a pill or patch.
Pentosan polysulfate sodium — Pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS; Elmiron) is an oral medication that was developed to repair the lining of the bladder in people with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).
Bladder pain is a characteristic disorder of interstitial cystitis. Diazepam is well known for its antispasmodic activity in the treatment of muscular hypertonus.
The most commonly prescribed drugs to relax the bladder and prevent spasms are called anticholinergics. They include tolterodine tartrate (Detrol LA), oxybutynin chloride (Ditropan), darifenacin (Enablex), oxybutynin (Oxytrol), trospium chloride (Sanctura XR), and solifenacin (Vesicare).
Mirabegron (Myrbetriq)
It relaxes the bladder muscle and can increase how much urine the bladder can hold. It might also increase the amount you're able to urinate at one time. This may help you to empty the bladder more completely. Mirabegron is available as a tablet or granules.
Hydroxyzine hydrochloride is an antihistamine that is used for treating allergic and inflammatory skin conditions – it can be used in the treatment of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome as it blocks the chemicals that can cause inflammation.
It is thought that this damage to the bladder wall then allows particles in the urine, such as potassium, to leak into the bladder lining. Once these particles get into the bladder lining, they can lead to a variety of body responses that may further damage the bladder and cause chronic nerve pain.
Much of the pain experienced by IC/BPS and vulvodynia patients appears to be neuropathic. Neuropathic pain is a primary excitatory disorder of the nervous system occurring through a variety of mechanisms such as infection, trauma, or with no apparent etiology.
Medication – Medications like sleeping pills, anxiety-reducing drugs, or muscle relaxers, can all interfere with your ability to maintain control of your bladder or bowels. Often, a change in medication can improve incontinence due to medication.
Magnesium is a mineral with an important role in muscle relaxation throughout the body. Due to its relaxing effect, it may be used to ease pelvic pain caused by tight or taut muscles.
Medications such as pyridium, buscopan, and vaginal suppositories (e.g., valium, baclofen, gabapentin, +/− lidocaine) are useful on an as-needed basis.
Antihistamines such as hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril) interfere with the mast cells' release of histamine, helping to relieve bladder inflammation and pain, urinary frequency, and nighttime voiding.
PPS is one of the most studied therapies for IC/BPS, and different studies, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analysis supported the improvement of symptoms with PPS treatment as compared to placebo, with the reduction of pain, urgency, and frequency [39, 40].
If you have interstitial cystitis, your symptoms may also vary over time, periodically flaring in response to common triggers, such as menstruation, sitting for a long time, stress, exercise and sexual activity.
Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) has several well-known comorbid psychiatric manifestations, including insomnia, anxiety, and depression. We hypothesized that somatoform disorder, which is a psychosomatic disease, can be used as a sensitive psychiatric phenotype of IC/BPS.
Interstitial cystitis is a severely debilitating disease of the urinary bladder. Symptoms of interstitial cystitis include excessive urgency and frequency of urination, suprapubic pain, dyspareunia and chronic pelvic pain. Interstitial cystitis interferes with employment, social relationships and sexual activity.
As your bladder starts to fill, you may feel pain—rather than just discomfort—that gets worse until you urinate. The pain usually improves for a while once you empty your bladder. People with IC rarely have constant bladder pain. The pain may go away for weeks or months and then return.
The TENS contains wires connected to electrical pads attached to the body. For Interstitial Cystitis, they are placed either just above the pubic area or on the lower back. The nerve stimulation is thought to help block pain receptors and may also relax irritated bladder muscles.
Antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl, others) and loratadine (Claritin, others), which may reduce urinary urgency and frequency and relieve other symptoms.
Patients with IC often avoid Vitamin C as it tends to flare symptoms. More sensitive patients avoid multivitamins as it is difficult to find one without vitamin C. Those patients who have their IC more under control can tolerate some specially buffered Vitamin C and benefit from the IC Multi.
First, take a slow, gentle breath in through your nose, and allow your belly and ribs to flare out to the sides. “Open” your pelvic floor with your inhale breath. Exhale slowly and gently through your mouth, allowing your belly to fall. Let the air out of your upper lungs, relax your ribs, belly and pelvic floor.
-Drinking plenty of fluids: This will help to keep the urine diluted and reduce irritation. -Taking over-the-counter pain medication: This can help to relieve pain and inflammation. Tylenol is better than Motrin or Advil. -Using a heating pad: This can help to soothe pain and cramping.