Understanding Interstitial Cystitis(IC)

What is IC?

Interstitial cystitis – or IC – is a long-term, treatable, inflammatory condition of the bladder wall. If you are diagnosed with IC, you are not alone. And, since healthcare professionals are more aware of IC than ever before, attention is now focused on whether the pain you experience is the result of IC.

Is IC the cause of your symptoms?

IC symptoms can vary from person to person. If fact, your own symptoms can vary over time.

Symptons

• Pelvic or abdominal pain or pressure
• Pain during or after sexual intercourse
• requent, sometimes painful, urination
• The urge to urinate, even after relieving the bladder
• Waking during sleep to urinate
• Pain 1 week before menstruation

Keeping a step ahead of IC

Although IC is not life threatening, it can present many challenges. The good news is that once a diagnosis is made, there is effective treatment available.

The answer for IC relief:

Fighting the pain and discomfort with effective IC treatment:

ELMIRON(pentosan polysulfate sodium) is the first and only oral medication that’s been approved by the FDA for treating the pain or discomfort of IC. While the mechanism of action of ELMIRON in IC is not fully understood, ELMIRON is believed to help repair and restore the damaged bladder lining. ELMIRON is available by prescription only.

Once on ELMIRON therapy, it is important to stick with your therapy. While some patients may experience symptom relief in as soon as 4 weeks, it may take at least 3 months for others to experience improvement. The good news is that the longer you take ELMIRON, the better it may work. So, it is important to continue your treatment as directed by your doctor. Remember, don’t stop taking ELMIRON or reduce your dosage just because you’re felling better.

Also, keep in mind that symptom improvement will be gradual. If you don’t experience any relief within 6 months, talk to your doctor.

When should I take ELMIRON?

The recommended dose of ELMIRON is 300 mg per day, taken as one 100-mg capsule by mouth 3 x’s per day. For optimal effect, ELMIRON should be taken with water at least 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after meals.

What should I expect when I take ELMIRON?

ELMIRON has helped many people with IC, and it may help you. Scientific studies show that WLMIRON relieves bladder pain in up to 61% of IC patients after 3 months of continuous treatment. Relief may be gradual. Therefore, it is important to continue with your treatment as directed by your doctor. It may take a few months to feel relief of symptoms.

You are what you eat:

Some people will experience flare-ups of their IC as long as 3 days after they have eaten certain foods, which may include:

• Foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as chocolate, coffee, tea, and colas
• Fermented foods and drinks, including cheeses and alcohol
• Aged, canned, cured, processed, and smoked meats and fish; anchovies; caviar, chicken livers; corned beef; and meats that contain nitrates or nitrites
• Fava beans, lima beans, onions, rhubarb and tofu
• Rye and sourdough breads
• Most nuts, except for almonds, cashews and pine nuts
• Spicy foods(especially Chinese, Mexican, Indian, and Thai foods)
• Acidic items, such as oranges, tomatoes, and cranberry juice
• Foods and drinks containing artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame(NutraSweet) or saccharin

Incontinence/Bladder Control

We all want to be in control of our bodies. Losing control of the bladder can have some very devastating consequences, both physically and emotionally. That is why bladder control is such an important health concern for women of all ages.

Childbirth and menopause are major life events that change womens bodies forever – events that sometimes lead to urinary leakage and incontinence. Studies report that anywhere from 17% to 55% of women are affected by bladder control problems. But the number of women affected may actually be greater than reported.

Why? Women often simply will not seek help with urinary leakage because they have been told that it is a normal part of aging. As a result of the misconception, women try to manage on their own by making lifestyle changes, like wearing pads and dark clothing, decreasing their fluid intake and limiting their physical activity. Younger women may quit exercising, participating in sports, or playing with their children. Older women sometimes stop attending church, social activities and family events.

With treatments available today, these sacrifices are unnecessary. A visit to The Hubbard Clinic can help you “live life without limits” once again.

If you experience symptoms that go beyond inconvenience and discomfort to outright pain, you may have a more serious condition – one that requires special attention.

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder syndrome that is usually characterized by excessive urinary urgency and frequency day and night, pressure above the pubic area, pelvic pain and pain during or after sexual intercourse. The most typical symptom of IC is pelvic pain. The course of this disease is usually marked by flare-ups and remissions. An estimated one million Americans are affected by symptoms of IC.

IC is an enigma in that we really don’t know what causes it, nor do we currently have a cure. The most widely held theory at present is that clinical IC begins with the development of an injury to the bladder epithelium (lining). This injury may have occurred following a bladder infection, childbirth, pelvic surgery or a traumatic sexual assault. The variation seen in both the range of symptoms and patient responses to different therapies suggest that multiple factors are involved in this disease process.

Due to this uncertainty, IC is often either undiagnosed or improperly diagnosed. A patient often consults with multiple specialists before diagnosis of IC is made.
The diagnosis of IC is often one of exclusion – other conditions such as chronic bacterial infection, urethritis, vulvar vestibulitis, endometriosis and bacterial prostatitis must first be ruled out. There is not one single test that will positively diagnose IC. Presumptive diagnosis may be made based on a thorough patient history, pelvic exam, bladder diary, potassium sensitivity testing or urodynamics. Confirmation diagnosis is based on cystoscopy examination with hydrodistension under anesthesia.

At the Hubbard Clinic, we will work to determine if IC is the cause of your symptoms, and begin an appropriate therapy strategy right away.

The goal of treatment for IC includes repairing epithelial dysfunction, reducing neutrogenic inflammation and stabilizing mast cells. Given the possible multiple causes of IC, it is unusual for patients to respond to a single treatment.

It is crucial in the treatment of IC to establish a multimodal (more than one method) treatment strategy. Diet modification has proven quite effective. Multimodal drug therapy using antihistamines, antidepressants, urinary analgesics, Elmiron and or intravesical agents are also extremely effective in the treatment of IC. Because each patient is unique and symptoms vary, each patient must receive an individualized treatment plan to get IC in remission.

If you are experiencing pelvic pain and/or frequent urination, please don’t delay in seeking treatment. It’s important to bring this serious condition under control.

The Treatment - Incontinence

You will be glad to know that treatment for incontinence has come a long, long way in recent years. Major surgery isn't always necessary anymore. Medication is helpful for some forms of incontinence. But often, the best solution is a simple, outpatient procedure that offers permanent relief with no need for further medication.

Contact the Hubbard Clinic to discuss the best options for your particular symptom.

TVT

One of the most popular and successful treatments for stress incontinence is known as TVT (Transvaginal Tensionless Tape). TVT is an outpatient procedure which takes only about 25 minutes. It involves sedation and local anesthesia, with minimal post-op discomfort. Patients can usually walk around the block the day after surgery, and drive a car three days after that.

TVT results at The Hubbard Clinic have been remarkable. Since 1999, Dr. Hubbard has performed over 1,000 TVT procedures. Of those, approximately 80% have seen their symptoms disappear completely, and over 99% have experienced significant improvement in their symptoms.

Women who have had the TVT procedure are our happiest patients. Just ask a friend or neighbor about TVT at The Hubbard Clinic. Better yet, ask any of the surgical nurses at Suburban, Baptist East or Health South Outpatient Surgery. They'll tell you it's a wonderful thing.

Video Center

Previous Articles

• TVT Sling
• The new Procedure Center
• Incontinence/Bladder Control
• TVT
• Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
• Male Sexual Problems
• Menopause
• Prostate Health
• Bone Density and Osteoperosis

doctors

Location and Hours

The Hubbard Clinic

Office Address:

3920 Dupont Square South, Suite C

Louisville, KY 40207

(502) 893-3510

Location Map

Hubbard Clinic Pamphlets

Stop by The Hubbard Clinic to pick up the following pamphlets and learn more about The Hubbard Clinic and what they can do for you…

• The choice to End Stress Urinary Incontinence
  Find out how to stop urine leakage like Bonnie did…(Bonnie Blair, 5 time Olympic Champion, Speed Skating.
• Interstitial Cystitis – The Interstitial Cystitis
  AssociationPatients, Researchers, Caregivers Putting the Pieces Together
• Stress urinary Incontinence in Women – What YOU can do about it…
• Embrace Life without Enlarged Prostate- Cooled ThermoTherapy
• Be Yourself: Helping you manage menopause step by step
• Looking Toward better bone health
• Male Bladder Control : The Simple Facts
• The Women’s Life Cycle
• The Prostiva RF Therapy for Symptomatic Enlarged Prostate
• Prostate Health for men over 40
  Inside the pamphlet
• What is an enlarged prostate
• Signs and symptoms
• Getting treatment
• Symptom scorecard
• Take Control…Incontinence: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management
• Freedom From Stress…Urinary Incontinence It’s within your control…