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Interstitial Cystitis Treatment for Bladder Burn

Often misdiagnosed as a urinary tract infection, interstitial cystitis can take up to four years to be properly diagnosed. Once it is diagnosed, your doctor can offer you treatment for it and its symptoms, including bladder burn.

  1. Interstitial Cystitis

    • According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, interstitial cystitis, a medical condition that causes inflammation of the bladder wall, affects 1.3 million Americans, 1 million of whom are women. Symptoms include mild or burning pain in the bladder and pelvic area; frequent urges to urinate; and pain during sexual intercourse.

    Bladder Distension

    • In bladder distension, your bladder is filled with water or gas and stretched. Afterward, you could experience relief from the symptoms of interstitial cystitis. If the relief is not long lasting, this treatment can be repeated as needed.

    DMSO

    • One treatment for intersitial cystitis is DMSO, or dimethyl sulfoxide. This medication is placed in your bladder through a catheter. It passes directly into the bladder wall to reduce inflammation and pain.

    Electrical Stimulation

    • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, can relieve the bladder burn caused by interstitial cystitis. Mild electric impulses target and stimulate the nerves that lead to your bladder, increasing blood flow and encouraging the release of natural pain blockers.

    Oral Medications

    • Oral medications are available to treat interstitial cystitis and the bladder burn it causes. According to the National Institutes of Health, they include opioid painkillers and tricyclic antidepressants.

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