Bladder Pain Syndrome

Bladder pain syndrome, also referred to as interstitial cystitis (IC), can feel like a constant bladder infection. Symptoms can show up severely and then disappear or stay underwhelming.

Diagnosis

BPS/IC is experienced in the form of pain, discomfort, or pressure in the bladder as it fills up. The severity of symptoms varies. For a diagnosis, you will be asked about the pain and the frequency of it as well as urinary symptoms. Your medical history will be looked at.

Treatment

Symptoms of BPS/IC can be treated and minimalized, although there is no cure.

Diet: food sensitivities vary based on the individual. It is important to identify which foods and drinks irritate your symptoms and limit their intake to help control symptoms of BPS/IC. A registered dietitian nutritionist will be helpful when it comes to identifying trigger foods.

Stress Management: Stress has been shown to worsen symptoms for most women. Managing stress via activities such as meditation and yoga is effective.

Physical Therapy: This helps manually relieve pain in your pelvic area by loosening tight pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor strengthening exercises, on the other hand, will worsen symptoms and should not be done unless they are done under the instruction of a specially trained physical therapist.

Medicine: Dr. Shabana will prescribe your medication. While there are non-FDA-approved drugs that help with BPS symptoms like amitriptyline, pentosan polysulfate sodium (brand name Elmiron) is the only FDA-approved drug that helps women control their symptoms.

Bladder Instillations: Some women prefer having medicine inserted into their bladders, which can be done 1 to 2 times a week as a day procedure.

Cystoscopy under Anesthesia: Stretching the bladder wall provides relief for some women, but often causes severe pain right after the procedure. It is done under general anesthesia.

Neurostimulation: This helps relieve symptoms by placing electrical simulations inside or outside the body that reach the pelvic area.

Botulinum Toxin (Botox): Dr. Shabana will use a small camera and needle to inject Botox into the bladder wall, which increases bladder size to help patients urinate less.

Surgery: In extreme cases, a surgical procedure can be done with laser. It is a rare situation where the bladder needs to be removed or enlarged surgically.