Interstitial Cystitis: It’s NOT always a urinary tract infection!

How to deal with Painful Bladder Syndrome

Using extrapolated statistics, it’s calculated that approximately 12,000 New Zealanders and around 62,000 Australians are suffering from the symptoms of interstitial cystitis, also known as painful bladder syndrome. Women tend to develop it more often than men. It can occur at any age but is usually diagnosed in people during their 30s and 40s. Are you one of them? Let’s find out.

Medical conditions that produce bladder pain are common, and interstitial cystitis is one of the possible causes. Here are the symptoms:

Pain when your bladder is full. You get a little relief from the pain when you urinate. The pain is located over your bladder region (the area below your belly button).
For women, additional pain may be felt in the abdomen, pelvis, and vagina. For men, other sources of pain can come from the prostate, penis, and scrotum. Both sexes may feel pain during intercourse.
Frequent urination. People with interstitial cystitis can urinate up to 60 times a day compared to the normal average of fewer than ten times a day.
Urgency may also increase. It’s that uncomfortable feeling of needing to urinate again right after you just did.

The diagnosis of interstitial cystitis is not an easy diagnosis to make. More often than not, a urologist’s (a doctor who specialises in urinary tract health) expert opinion is needed to nail down its diagnosis and also act as an aid to your primary doctor’s assessment. No single laboratory test or imaging procedure diagnoses it. It’s commonly mistaken for a repeated or incompletely treated urinary tract infection. Most of the time, other diagnoses are ruled out first before your doctor arrives at a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis.

What causes Painful Bladder Syndrome?

The exact cause of painful bladder syndrome is unknown. But, medical experts do have some theories of what contributes to its causation.

Prolonged use of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) has been associated with interstitial cystitis.
A defect in the mucus layer covering the cells lining your bladder wall allows toxins in your urine to irritate and inflame the bladder wall.
Autoimmune cause. Your body’s defense system may behave abnormally following a bladder infection.

An allergic reaction may irritate your bladder through the release of histamines.
An infectious agent like a viral infection of the bladder may trigger it.
Something in your urine may be toxic to the lining of your bladder thereby producing pain.
It may be secondary to a surgical procedure. Removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) in some women may contribute to its development.

How does it affect your quality of life?

Wherever you go, you will always have to ask where the toilet is. Unpleasant.
Some people almost never go out of their homes which can lead to social isolation. They’re afraid to watch movies in theaters, go to the mall, or simply have fun outside.
Job choices become limited because of the frequent need to urinate.
Sleep deprivation becomes a constant enemy because of frequently having to get up to urinate at night. This can have huge consequences on your quality of work and family time.
Depression and frustration can settle in.
Pain during intercourse can have serious drawbacks on your relationship.

Available and Common Medical Treatments

Bladder hydrodistention may reduce pain in some cases.
Bladder training to expand the capacity of your bladder may help to reduce the frequency of urination.
Neuromodulation or electrical nerve stimulation of the sacral nerve root helped to improve severe symptoms of interstitial cystitis.
Oral drugs like amitriptyline (an antidepressant), gabapentin (pain reliever or modifier), and antihistamines.
Pentosan polysulfate (Elmiron) is a special drug formulated specifically for painful bladder syndrome.
Introduction of drugs right INTO your bladder for more targeted local treatment of the bladder.
Surgery

Alternative and Natural Treatment Options

Make adjustments in your diet. Avoid foods that may worsen your symptoms. These include coffee, tea, citrus fruits, tomatoes, chocolate, cheese, nuts, onions, spicy foods, alcoholic drinks, and carbonated beverages.

Stop smoking, please. Smoking worsens your condition.

Try Acupuncture. The fine needles placed at strategic points increase your body’s natural pain relievers as well as hormones, immune cells and beneficial chemicals to decrease inflammation, support natural healing and reduce pain.

Chinese herbs have been well-documented to relieve the symptoms of interstitial cystitis. In one study, the herbs Gardenia, Cornus, Rhubarb, Psolarea, Curculigo, and Rehmannia combined in tea form significantly alleviated symptoms in 61% of the participants.

Biofeedback. Some people have found this helpful to manage physiological processes like reducing muscle tension of the area.

The bioflavonoid quercetin has shown some promise in relieving pain because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also helps to inhibit the release of histamine from mast cells. Sources include olive oil, citrus fruits, seeds, red wine and tea. It can also be taken in supplemental form.

Some people also report some pain relief when they take probiotics. Fermented foods like miso, tempeh, and sauerkraut are good food sources or you can take a broad spectrum probiotic supplement.

Don’t forget to join a support group for people living with interstitial cystitis. It’s good for your mental health.

The Verdict

The symptoms of interstitial cystitis are chronic and can be on and off for several years. There are conventional and alternative treatments you can try to see which one works for you. The results can vary from one person to another.