Most patients need to continue treatment indefinitely or the symptoms return. Some patients have flare-ups of symptoms even while on treatment. In some patients the symptoms gradually improve and even disappear. Some patients do not respond to any IC/BPS therapy.
Living with IC can be difficult. Because there is no cure for IC, eating well and managing health is an important way to fend off flare-ups. Planning ahead for travel and other activities can make daily life easier as well. The Interstitial Cystitis Foundation has some tips for eating, exercise and travel.
And it usually takes weeks or months to calm the symptoms. The first stage of treatment is to try to avoid triggers and try lifestyle changes that may help ease symptoms. Retrain your bladder to hold more urine. For example, if you feel the need to pee every 30 minutes, try to stretch it out to 45 minutes.
There's no cure for interstitial cystitis, but many treatments offer some relief, either on their own or in combination. Treatment (see chart) is aimed at relieving pain and reducing inflammation.
Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline or imipramine (Tofranil), to help relax your bladder and block pain. Antihistamines, such as loratadine (Claritin, others), which may reduce urinary urgency and frequency and relieve other symptoms.
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.
The cause of interstitial cystitis (IC) is unknown. Researchers are looking at many theories to understand the causes of IC and find the best treatments. Most people with IC find that certain foods make their symptoms worse.
Coffee, soda, alcohol, tomatoes, hot and spicy foods, chocolate, caffeinated beverages, citrus juices and drinks, MSG, and high-acid foods can trigger IC symptoms or make them worse.
What is the outlook for interstitial cystitis? IC is a chronic disease. Patients may find some comfort in the fact that it is not life-threatening and it does not lead to cancer. However, because the symptoms are always present, patients need to develop coping skills to deal with them.
Dimethylsulfoxide — Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is a liquid medication that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). DMSO is put into the bladder through a temporary catheter and is held in place for approximately 20 minutes, if possible.
Pentosan polysulfate sodium is the only FDA-approved oral medication for interstitial cystitis. The drug binds to the walls of the bladder, helping replace and repair the lining. Symptom improvement can take up to six months, but several studies have shown moderately positive results.
Stress does not cause IC, but if you have IC, stress can cause a flare. Physical stress and mental stress can lead to flares. Remember, every flare will settle down and worrying about it only prolongs the discomfort. Understanding stress and how to minimize it is the best way to limit the intensity of your flares.
Early prevalence research suggested that IC ranged from 1 out of every 100,000 to 5.1 out of every 100,000 in the general population; but updated epidemiologic research conducted in 2006 suggests that up to 12% of women may have early symptoms of IC.
Interstitial Cystitis Facts
90% of patients with IC are women, and the average age of onset is 40. Interstitial cystitis is not contagious. It does not spread in the body and does not seem to worsen with time. It is not a cause of bladder cancer.
How do you fix interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome? You can't fix or cure IC/BPS. However, there are many ways to treat it. The goal of IC/BPS treatments is to relieve your symptoms.
Foods to eat
Fruits: bananas, apricots, blueberries, dates, melons, prunes, pears, raisins. Vegetables: avocados, asparagus, broccoli, beets, eggplant, peas, mushrooms, spinach. Grains: oats, rice. Proteins: beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, eggs.
The clinical presentation of interstitial cystitis is similar to that of many other conditions commonly seen in female patients, including recurrent urinary tract infections, endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, vulvodynia, and overactive bladder.
The most recent, population-based studies on the incidence of IC were conducted in the United States by the RAND corporation, and found about one in twenty people have the symptoms of interstitial cystitis. In Australia, that would equate to about 1.3million people living with IC.
A rare non-infectious, chronic and most often progressive disease of the urinary bladder. It is characterized by varying combinations and extent of pain, urinary frequency (pollakisuria), nocturia and urgency.
Signs You Should Get Help for Interstitial Cystitis
Pressure and tenderness in your bladder and pelvic area. Urgent need to urinate or frequent urination (often small amounts) Pain intensity that changes as your bladder fills or empties. Pain during sex.
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.
Managing a chronic illness like interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) depends, in part, on your choice of doctor. Your primary care physician (PCP) may refer you to a specialist. A urologist is a doctor specializing in bladder diseases.
Supplements to Avoid with Interstitial Cystitis
Patients often report multi-vitamins irritate their bladder and pelvic pain symptoms. Vitamin C, which is found in almost all multi-vitamins, may be a trigger for many. We also want to avoid any supplements causing constipation, diarrhea or GI issues.
Though the most widely used antihistamine to treat IC/BPS is hydroxyzine, some people with IC/BPS find relieve from Claritin, Benadryl, and Singulair.