Elmiron

I've been Elmiron for about four years.  My insurance doesn't cover it very well so even though I'm supposed to take one pill three times a day I usually only take one or two.  My symptoms have gotten so much better over the years.  I was wondering what would happen if I stopped taking the Elmiron all together?  Do I need it now that I'm doing better?

[David A Burks, MD]

Hi,  Elmiron 100mg 3or 4 times daily is the recommended treatment dose.  For patients who respond and have been on it for greater than a year I always reduce the dose to a maintainence dose of 1 tab 1-2x per day.  As you may know, Elmiron repairs the defective protective lining of the bladder in IC patients.  If you stopped it all together probably nothing will happen immediately.  The drug takes a long time to build up in your system.  If you stop, you just run the risk that the symptoms may return. It would have to be restarted, probably with some delay before you notice improvement again.  IC symptoms usually get better spontaneously but can quickly recur.  Talk with your urologist about stopping treatment for a while, but adhere to a strict IC diet plan.  Good Luck,