- Some people find that certain foods, especially acidic foods such as tomatoes or oranges, can bring on a flare-up of bladder pain. Keep a food diary to see if foods trigger your pain. Discontinue those foods and see if your pain goes away or decreases.
Stress doesn't cause bladder pain, but it can aggravate it. Learning relaxation techniques and reducing stress in your life may alleviate your symptoms.
Bladder retraining involves gradually stretching the time between going to the bathroom, "training" your bladder to hold more urine. Since pain is often accompanied by a sense of urgency, many people with bladder pain find themselves emptying their bladder before it's really full. With bladder retraining, some people find that after the initial urgency, the pain passes.
Some people find relief by learning exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles. Ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist who is trained in pelvic floor therapy. - Over-the-counter medications may control some bladder pain. Your doctor may also prescribe an antidepressant such as amitriptyline, which has been shown to help reduce bladder pain. Your doctor may also prescribe Elmiron (pentosan polysulfate sodium). Elmiron has to be taken for up to six months before symptoms improve.
Nerve stimulation sends mild electrical pulses through the bladder. Some patients have a device implanted to deliver these pulses at regular intervals.
Bladder stretching involves filling the bladder with liquid to stretch it. This takes place while the patient is under anesthesia.
Not every treatment works for every person, so if you suffer from IC/PBS, you may need to try several different approaches to find the one that works best for you.
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