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"In an IC tool kit, there are many IC treatment options that can be explored. From antihistamines to antispasmodics, bladder coatings to alternative therapies, IC patients must be persistent in their quest for knowledge and in their willingness to try as many treatments as they need until they find relief. However, they must also be cautious consumers, particularly of untested & unproven alternative strategies"
IC Treatments
In the years since the first formal meeting on IC in 1987, scientists have explored many potential and, in some cases, controversial treatments. Unfortunately, no one treatment has yet to be established as a "cure" for IC. Therefore, it is important to understand that most treatments are palliative, designed to alleviate symptoms rather than cure disease.
IC treatments generally fall into two categories: oral drugs or intravesical therapies
(medications that are placed directly into the bladder). Neuromodulation and/or surgery are more extreme and are usually considered only after all other treatment options have been explored.
In this chapter, we include new, conventional and controversial treatments (in no particular order) to give IC patients a sense of the variety of options available to them. We have not attempted to make an exhaustive list of everything that IC patients have tried. We have focused our discussion on current treatment approaches to IC.
Contents
- Selecting a Treatment
- Intravesical Treatments
- Rescue Instillations
- Oral Medications: Bladder Coatings, Antispasmodics, Urinary Local Anaesthetics, Antihistamines, Antidepressants, Other Pain Medications, Combination Therapies
- Bladder Hydrodistention
- Bladder Training & Holding Protocols
- Nerve Stimulation
- Surgical Alternatives
- Antibiotic Therapies
- Alternative/Holistic Approaches
- Pelvic Floor Therapies
Selecting A Treatment
Medical research is just beginning to explore ways of identifying which patients may respond best to which treatments. In the future, there may be tests to help doctors decide which option would most likely succeed in each case. One example is the relatively new potassium sensitivity test developed by Parsons (1), which assesses the integrity of the epithelial layer in the bladder wall. If there is damage to those tissues, as demonstrated by a negative response to a potassium chloride instillation, then the use of a bladder coating, such as ELMIRONŽ or heparin, may be indicated.Most doctors utilize their own experience with patients to help decide what treatment to recommend. It is comforting to know, however, that if the first selection doesn't help, there are many other approaches to try.
As you consider various IC treatments with your medical care team, you may wish to review the following questions for each treatment.
- How does the treatment work?
- What is its method of action?
- What are the potential side effects or risks?
- What has been the doctor's experience with this in his other IC cases?
- What has the research shown?
It can also be very helpful to talk with patients who have tried various treatments! The ICN Forum has more than a dozen message board on most IC therapies, including experimental therapies currently under development and/or in clinical trials. Read about them by clicking here!