Counseling patients about what to expect from ELMIRON® (pentosan polysulfate sodium) therapy1

Counsel patients to continue their ELMIRON® therapy

  • Clinical response may require 3 to 6 months of continuous therapy
  • Patients may have expectations of immediate improvement and should be counseled that they may need to stay on ELMIRON® therapy for several months, even if relief is not immediate. ELMIRON® is not a pain medication like aspirin or acetaminophen, and therefore must be taken continuously for relief as prescribed

Discuss lifestyle changes that may help provide patients with symptom relief

Dietary Modifications

  • A wide range of foods have been reported to trigger symptom flares in IC patients2,3
  • Avoiding these foods or beverages may help provide symptom relief (eg, coffee and spicy or citrus foods)2,3
  • Try to determine which foods or beverages affect symptoms and avoid them in the diet2,3

Download dietary modifications information sheet

Stress-reduction and relaxation techniques

  • Patients can manage stress-induced symptom exacerbations through techniques such as2
    • Controlled breathing exercises
    • Applying warm or cold compresses on the lower abdomen
  • Utilize support groups4

Physical therapy

  • Certain exercises can resolve pelvic, abdominal, and/or hip muscular trigger points, and lengthen muscle contractures2,5,6
    • Gentle stretching and pelvic floor muscle relaxation

Bladder training with urge suppression

  • Practice scheduled voiding patterns to gradually increase time between voids2,4,6

References:

  • Kahn BS, Stanford EJ, Mishell DR Jr, et al. Management of patients with interstitial cystitis or chronic pelvic pain of bladder origin: a consensus report. Curr Med Res Opin. 2005;21(4):509-516.
  • Hanno PM, Burks DA, Clemens JQ, et al. AUA guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. J Urol. 2011;185(6):2162-2170.
  • Interstitial Cystitis Network. 2012 ICN Food List. http://ic-network.com/downloads/2012icnfoodlist.pdf. Accessed May 30, 2012.
  • Whitmore KE. Self-care regimens for patients with interstitial cystitis. Urol Clin North Am. 1994;21:121-130.
  • Weiss JM. Pelvic floor myofascial trigger points: manual therapy for interstitial cystitis and the urgency-frequency syndrome. J Urol. 2001;166:2226-2231.
  • Dell JR, Parsons CL. Multimodal therapy for interstitial cystitis. J Reprod Med. 2004;49(suppl 3):243-252.