Treatments for INTERSTITIAL CYTISIS

  I was diagnosed with INTERSTITIAL CYSTISIS in August of 1998.  
  doctor performed an IVP on me to rule out Kidney Stones.  I then
  went into Same Day Surgery and under general anesthetic, my bladder
  was stretched from 200 to 700 cc capacity.  The surgery was not as
  succesful as the urologist had hoped so he gave me my next two and
  possibly final choices:  I can either go on a medication or go in
  once a week and have a catheder directly deliver medicine to my
  bladder.  I opted for medication orally.  I was wondering if
  there are any new or perhaps other treatment plans that I can look
  at.  Please let me know.
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Sarah, Thanks for your letter. Interstitial cystitis is disease in which there is an inflammation of the bladder wall.  Exact cause is essentially unknown.  Treatment usually is prolonged and involves close cooperation with an Urologist who is interested in this disease entity.  
There are several treatment options including medication (to keep bladder under-active or create a protective layer over the bladder mucosa), intravesical instillation of drugs, hydrodistension and or surgery.  You need to find an Urologist specializing in interstitial cystitis.
This information is provided for general medical information purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. Dr. David Burks at Department of Urology, Henry Ford Hospital is interested in this disease.  He would be most interested in helping you. You can reach him through our toll-free number (1-800-653-6568). We can also arrange local accommodations through this number if this is your need. Please bring any x-rays (not just the reports) as well as any physicians  notes and lab test results that you may be able to obtain. These will help us greatly.
Sincerely;HFHS-M.D. AT
* Keyword: Interstitial Cystitis