Painful Bladder syndrome
Urology Foundation, Great patient info (link)
What is Interstitial Cystitis(IC)/Bladder Pain Syndrome?
Interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a chronic bladder health issue. It is a feeling of pain and pressure in the bladder area. Along with this pain are lower urinary tract symptoms which have lasted for more than 6 weeks, without having an infection or other clear causes.
Treatment
No single treatment works for all people with IC/BPS. Treatment must be chosen for each patient based on symptoms. Patients usually try different treatments (or combinations of treatments) until good symptom relief occurs. It is important to know that none of these IC/BPS treatments works right away. It usually takes weeks to months before symptoms improve. Even with successful treatment, the condition may not be cured. It is simply in remission. But, most patients can get significant relief of their symptoms and lead a normal life with treatment.
Most treatments are aimed at symptom control. IC/BPS treatment is often done in phases with constant monitoring of your pain and quality of life. It is important to talk to your health care provider about how your treatments are working so that together you can find the best treatment option for you.
The following are the different phases of IC/BPS treatment: (if the links don’t work - here is pdf version)
Diagnosis and Treatment Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (2014)
Published 2011; Amended 2014
The purpose of this clinical guideline is to provide a clinical framework for the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), including discussion of first through sixth line treatments and treatments that should not be offered.