Cystitis is a broad term for bladder inflammation. There are different types of cystitis, the most common of which is a UTI, or urinary tract infection, caused by bacteria. Interstitial cystitis, or IC, however, is chronic, or long-term, bladder inflammation with an unknown cause. Dimethyl sulfoxide, or DMSO, is a medication doctors prescribe for the treatment of interstitial cystitis.
Basics
There is no cure for IC, and symptoms may disappear with a change in diet, with treatments, or without any known explanation. Without a known cause, treatments simply aim to relieve symptoms. One such treatment is bladder instillation, which is when the bladder is filled with a solution for different periods of time, usually about 10 to 15 minutes, before the bladder is emptied. According to the National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse, or NKUDIC, DMSO is the only drug with FDA approval for bladder instillation.
Research
An initial small study reported in "Urology" in July 1986 demonstrated that nine out of 10 patients report improvement after self-treatment with DMSO. Another study, reported in the July 1988 issue of the "Journal of Urology," evaluated DMSO's effectiveness at treating IC in 33 patients. Researchers reported that 53 percent of DMSO patients improved after treatment compared to 18 percent of placebo controls.
How It Works
Doctors and experts remain uncertain about how DMSO provides relief from IC. Doctors think it may work in several ways. According to NKUDIC, by passing through the bladder wall, DMSO may reach tissue more effectively, helping to reduce inflammation and pain. Doctors also believe it may prevent the muscle contractions that cause symptoms such as pain, frequency and urgency.
Considerations
DMSO treatment has side effects. One common side effect is a garlic-like taste and odor on the breath and skin, lasting potentially up to seven hours following treatment. Some studies of the use of DMSO on animals revealed long-term treatment can result in cataracts, though this has not occurred in humans, according to the NKUDIC.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Cystitis
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Dimethyl Sulfoxide
- NKUDIC: Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
- "Urology": Self-administration of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) for Interstitial Cystitis
- "Journal of Urology": A Controlled Study of Dimethyl Sulfoxide in Interstitial Cystitis
