Interstitial Cystitis is a chronic bladder disorder that can be disabling for some of its patients. Interstitial Cystitis occurs when the lining of the bladder, or bladder wall, becomes irritated and inflamed. Causes of Interstitial Cystitis are still unknown but the illness is linked to other chronic immune dysfunction related illnesses. Some of these include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Endometriosis and Lupus. Along with Interstitial Cystitis I also have Fibromyalgia and CFS. My urologist told me that approximately 25 percent of his Interstitial Cystitis patients have Fibromyalgia.
There are different ways to treat Interstitial Cystitis. Depending on how severe the patient’s symptoms are will determine what treatment methods and if a combination of treatment methods is necessary.
Along with prescription medications, bladder instillation and distention are common forms of treatment for Interstitial Cystitis. A bladder instillation is a procedure where the bladder is filled with a therapeutic solution for a period of time (a few seconds to 15 seconds) before being drained through a catheter. A bladder instillation is also referred to as a “bladder wash” or “bladder bath”. Different types of bladder instillations will treat different symptoms: some medications injected will treat inflammation while others will coat the bladder lining.
Heparin
Heparin is a blood thinner that is used through bladder instillation to fight inflammation. It works similar to the FDA approved IC medication, Elmiron. It builds a protective coating over the bladder wall.
The heparin is instilled into the bladder through a catheter. This method is often used for those with more severe IC and is used in conjunction with medication. Once the urologist has shown the patient how to do this procedure, it is done at home up to three times a week. According to the IC Network, remissions of 56% were seen in IC patients who had used this treatment consistently three times a week for three months. If treatment was maintained on a regular basis after three months, 80% to 90% of patients remained in remission for up to one year. When my Interstitial Cystitis was very severe, I would catheterize myself almost daily with Heparin and Marcaine, an anesthetic used in surgeries to numb the affected body part.
DMSO
Dimethyl sulfoxide, or DMSO, is not used as much today as it was when it was first FDA approved to treat IC Disease. Over the last several years it has been found that DMSO may be damaging to the bladder wall. I had a brief course of DMSO treatments where I had to go to the hospital once a week for two months. I did not respond well to DMSO and was having a lot of side effects that made my Interstitial Cystitis worse. That is when I started using the Heparin and Marcaine cocktail.
DMSO is a sterile and purified version of a chemical that was used as an industrial solvent. DMSO works in about 50% of patients who use this method by decreasing inflammation and it acts as a muscle relaxant. One side effect of DMSO is a garlic taste to the mouth and garlic smell to the body that lasts for a couple of days. According to the IC Network, 35% – 40% of patients’ symptoms will relapse after their course treatment.
Bladder Distention
Bladder distention is a procedure that is performed as a same day surgery, or outpatient surgery. The IC patient is given general anesthetic and is not awake for the procedure. With this procedure, the physician or urologist stretches the bladder by filling it with water. This is also the same procedure used in diagnosing IC Disease where the physician will look for the classic Hunner’s ulcers associated with the illness.
How bladder distention works is a mystery, but after the procedure Interstitial Cystitis patients will note an improvement in symptoms after two or more weeks. The first few days after a bladder distention can be horrible and the pain in the vaginal area and bladder area can be excruciating. But after that time period passes, a significant number of patients will notice less pain, and less frequency and urgency. Unfortunately, the effects of the procedure don’t last forever and symptoms will reappear.
