Urinary cystitis, which is more frequently called interstitial cystitis, is a bladder condition affecting roughly 1.3 million Americans, more than 1 million of whom are women, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. There is currently no cure for interstitial cystitis, although treatments are available to reduce the symptoms, such as dimethyl sulfoxide, or DMSO. If you have interstitial cystitis, consult your doctor for treatment options, because DMSO is only available as a prescription.
Definition
Interstitial cystitis is a poorly understood disease characterized by inflammation of the bladder with no apparent cause. A variety of symptoms may be associated with interstitial cystitis, including abdominal pain or discomfort, as well as a frequent or urgent need to urinate. Diagnosis of interstitial cystitis is often difficult, and the disorder is often confused with a bladder infection. However, interstitial cystitis usually occurs without any sign of infection in the bladder, explains the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
DMSO
One possible treatment to relieve the symptoms of interstitial cystitis is to flush the bladder with medicine, a procedure known as bladder instillation. DMSO is the only currently available drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating interstitial cystitis by bladder instillation, reports the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. Flushing the bladder with DMSO appears to reduce pain and relax the bladder, reducing the contractions that lead to the frequent or urgent need to urinate.
Treatment
To flush the bladder with DMSO, a tiny, flexible tube, or catheter, is inserted into the bladder through the urethra. A measured volume of DMSO is flushed into the bladder through the catheter. The DMSO is held in the bladder for roughly 15 minutes and expelled from the bladder by urination. To treat interstitial cystitis, DMSO treatments are usually given once or twice a week for six to eight weeks. Additional treatments are given as needed when symptoms flare up, the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse explains.
Side Effects
DMSO used in bladder instillation is generally safe and results in only minor side effects. During instillation, minor bladder discomfort may occur, which typically lessens with each additional treatment, according to Drugs.com. DMSO is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body. As a result, a bladder instillation with DMSO may result in an unusual garlic taste in the mouth. A garlic-like odor may persist in the breath and body odor for up to 72 hours after treatment.
References
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome; September 2010
- "Reviews in Urology"; Treatment Approaches for Interstitial Cystitis: Multimodality Therapy; Robert J Evans; 2002
- Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Treating Interstitial Cystitis; January 2004
- Drugs.com: Dimethyl Sulfoxide; September 2011
