Sensitive bladder

Sensitive Bladder Syndrome is, in all likelihood, an outdated name for a condition now called "interstitial cystitis (IC)." In interstitial cystitis, patients experience a frequent need to urinate, as well as an urgent need to urinate. Some may also experience bladder pain, particularly as the bladder fills with urine.

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The IC bladder is exquisitely and often painfully sensitive to foods high in acid and caffeine due, in part, to the presence of small wounds in the bladder, known as glomerulations or petechial hemorrhages. Thus, as the bladder fills with urine, the wounds become more irritated as urine penetrates through the bladder wall and into the deeper levels of the bladder. After urination, the wound discomfort is often relieved until, yet again, the bladder fills.

A sensitive bladder is felt most often at night when symptoms can disrupt sleep. IC patients may urinate up to 60 times a day and struggle with nocturia (excessive urination at night). Night time discomfort is often directly related to foods and activities of the day prior. Patients with diets high in coffees, green teas and sodas often experience severe symptoms and discomfort. Thus, diet modification is often the first strategy that provides some relief.

A diagnosis of IC is based upon the exclusion of other conditions which can also cause bladder sensitivity, such as UTI, chemotherapy induced cystitis, radiation induced cystitis, etc. Patients are usually given a number of tests before a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis is made, particularly the PUF questionnaire and KCL test. Patients who would like to participate in clinical trials or other research studies may be required to have a hydrodistention with cystoscopy, a far more invasive test during which a biopsy can also be performed.

Support Resources

• Interstitial Cystitis Network
• Canada IC & OAB Resource Center
• 2006 IC & PBS On-Line Patient Conference
• Interstitial Cystitis Advice (A Patient Based Community for People with IC)