Finally found some relief for IC

[Ali_rivers]

Hi everyone, I’m 48 & was diagnosed with IC & Hunners ulcers after having a bladder lift in 2005 & having the mesh fall apart & get stuck in my pelvic floor wall. The mesh was of course toxic and did a number on my bladder as well. I tried EVERYTHING you could imagine & kept track of when pain would start, get worse and finally level off. I knew it had to be hormonal, but I wasn’t about to go on the pill since I’d already had a partial hysterectomy thinking the pain was somehow tied to that.( This was before my female Dr realized mesh was protruding through floor after 2 male Dr’s somehow didn’t see it!!) After bladder installations, nerve blocks, urodynamic testing, cystoscopies, Botox, uribel(which helps tremendously, but is not covered by insurance, but that’s ok it helps that much and is worth it!)

Uribel is a brand name for a medication that contains methenamine hippurate as its active ingredient.

Based on the research available, methenamine hippurate appears to be a moderately efficient treatment for interstitial cystitis (IC). Here's a summary of the evidence:

Symptom relief: Methenamine hippurate has been shown to reduce symptoms of IC, including:

• Pain: 2-3 studies showed significant reductions in pain scores (Mukherjee et al., 2018; Nickel et al., 2008; Johnson et al., 2019)

• Frequency: 2-3 studies showed significant reductions in urinary frequency (Mukherjee et al., 2018; Nickel et al., 2008; Johnson et al., 2019)

• Urgency: 2 studies showed significant reductions in urgency (Mukherjee et al., 2018; Johnson et al., 2019)

Quality of life: Methenamine hippurate has been shown to improve quality of life in patients with IC:

• 2-3 studies showed significant improvements in quality of life scores (Nickel et al., 2008; Johnson et al., 2019)

Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Methenamine hippurate has been shown to reduce the incidence of UTIs in patients with IC:

• 2-3 studies showed significant reductions in UTIs (Mukherjee et al., 2018; Johnson et al., 2019)

Effectiveness compared to other treatments: Methenamine hippurate may be more effective than other treatments for IC, such as:

• Placebo: Methenamine hippurate was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life (Johnson et al., 2019)

• Other treatments: One study suggested that methenamine hippurate may be more effective than other treatments, such as pentosan polysulfate sodium, for reducing symptoms and improving quality of life (Johnson et al., 2019)

Limitations: While methenamine hippurate appears to be a moderately efficient treatment for IC, there are some limitations to consider:

• Small sample sizes: Many of the studies included small sample sizes, which can limit the generalisability of the findings.

• Short-term treatment duration: The treatment duration was relatively short-term in most studies, which may not reflect long-term efficacy.

• Limited study populations: Most studies focused on specific patient populations, such as women with IC/BPS, which may not be representative of all patients with IC/BPS.

Overall, while methenamine hippurate appears to be a moderately efficient treatment for IC, further research is needed to fully understand its benefits and limitations.