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.
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.
Put in the simplest terms, Ulcerative interstitial Cystitis, or IC is an invisible, lifelong chronic condition that affects the lining of the bladder.
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.
In most cases, full recovery from interstitial cystitis is not possible and treatment will be ongoing or whenever symptoms appear. However, sometimes symptoms get better and disappear over time.
In the early phase of IC the symptom flares are intermittent in most patients. Over time symptoms increase and pain cycles may appear and last for 3-14 days. When these cycles become more frequent and last longer they are likely to be referred to a specialist.
Interstitial cystitis may not be completely cured but remission occurs in a few weeks to months after the commencement of therapy.
Genetic and immune disorders, recurrent bacterial infections, and pelvic floor dysfunction are possible factors that can lead to this condition. Excessive frequency of urination, urinary urgency, and urethra, bladder or pelvic pain are common symptoms.
Actor and model Charlotte McKinney takes us through a day in her life while managing interstitial cystitis, a chronically painful bladder health condition.
Things you can do to help BPS (interstitial cystitis)
Things that may help improve your symptoms include: reducing stress – try exercise, warm baths and mindfulness-based meditation techniques. making sure you are hydrated regularly throughout the day.
The most proven treatment for interstitial cystitis is natural. Pelvic floor physical therapy resolves IC symptoms naturally and gets to the underlying 'why' of symptoms for lasting relief. Natural supplements and remedies have also been tested and proven to help those with IC.
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic and painful condition of the bladder. People with IC have a bladder wall that is tender and easily irritated, leading to uncomfortable symptoms. Although IC currently has no cure, the symptoms can be managed to help you feel better and live more comfortably.
However, it is more common in women than men. 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.
The symptoms may range from just needing to urinate more often to severe pain and urgency. Work, sexual activity and normal social functioning can become difficult or impossible. The symptoms of IC may stay the same over time or get worse. Some patients may go into remission for extended periods.
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.
IC is part of the “Widespread Pain Phenotype (WPP)” syndromes, which is a classified group of disorders that are somatic in nature, where the underlying pathophysiology is attributed to a long term mental and emotional stressor, rather than solely an underlying anatomic, biochemical, functional, or infectious pathology ...
[20] The majority of these are due to human factors and patient status, which in the healthiest group has an estimated mortality of 0.4 per 100,000 patients.
If you have interstitial cystitis, the signals from the bladder are painful and may occur even when the bladder is not full. The condition most often occurs between ages 20 to 40, although it has been reported in younger people. Women are 10 times more likely to have IC than men.
Most people with interstitial cystitis are diagnosed during their 30s or older.
If you have no pain but are bothered by urine frequency or urgency, you may be able to train your bladder to hold more. You can train your bladder by going to the bathroom at scheduled times and using relaxation techniques. After a while, you try to make the time you can wait longer (see Bladder Training leaflet).
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.
Diet changes, such as avoiding citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons or limes) or spicy foods, and limiting caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol can help control symptoms. Cranberry products may also trigger irritation in an IC bladder.
Ural Daily Supplement High Strength Cranberry 60,000 mg capsules support urinary tract health. This concentrated cranberry extract supplement helps reduce the occurrence of medically diagnosed cystitis, assists in the flushing of the urinary tract and the maintenance of urinary tract health.
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.
Interstitial cystitis is often seen as a disability because the pain can be nearly impossible to stand. Because of this, only about half of women with the condition are able to hold down a full-time job. Their quality of life, research shows, is similar to that of a person suffering from prolonged cancer pain.