Interstitial Cystitis

1 medicine

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic bladder condition causing recurring pelvic pain and urinary urgency, distinct from a bacterial infection. Treatment focuses on protecting the bladder lining and reducing flares.

Elmiron

Pentosan polysulfate

100mg

Elmiron is a bladder medication containing Pentosan polysulfate, available as 100mg tablets.

from $4.25 / tablet View

Key facts

  • Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic condition in which the bladder wall becomes inflamed and hypersensitive, causing persistent pelvic pain and an urgent, frequent need to urinate, often without any bacterial infection.
  • It is more common in women and can significantly disrupt daily life and sleep.
  • Pain typically worsens as the bladder fills and eases after voiding, a pattern that helps distinguish IC from other bladder problems.
  • There's no single cure; pentosan polysulfate is one of the few medicines studied specifically for IC, alongside dietary changes and bladder-retraining exercises.

What the bladder is doing

In IC, the protective lining of the bladder appears damaged or unusually permeable, allowing irritants in urine to reach deeper tissue layers. This triggers ongoing inflammation rather than the short, sharp cycle of a typical urinary tract infection. Pain typically worsens as the bladder fills and eases after voiding, a pattern that helps distinguish IC from other bladder problems. Because urine tests come back clear, diagnosis usually rests on the symptom pattern itself, once infection and other causes of pelvic pain have been ruled out.

Managing the condition

There is no single cure, so treatment focuses on calming inflammation, protecting the bladder lining, and lowering the overall symptom burden. Pentosan polysulfate is one of the few medicines studied specifically for IC; it is thought to help restore the bladder's protective surface layer, though benefit can take several months to show. Dietary adjustments, limiting caffeine, alcohol, acidic foods, and artificial sweeteners, can reduce flares for many people, and keeping a simple food and symptom diary often reveals individual triggers. Stress management and bladder-retraining exercises, which gradually lengthen the interval between bathroom visits, also have supporting evidence. Physical therapy aimed at the pelvic floor muscles helps some people whose pain has a muscular component.

When to see a doctor

Symptoms that are severe, worsen rapidly, or come with blood in the urine warrant prompt medical assessment to rule out other causes.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.