Quality of Life and Sexual function in women with interstitial cystitis

Introduction

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic disease of unknown aetiology presenting with urinary frequency, urgency, nocturia, suprapubic pressure or pain. The prevalence of disease is not clearly known by using different criteria for diagnosis. A clear therapeutically management is not defined by any expert.

Patients and Methods

The local ethics committe and each patient gave informed consent to the current study.

We included prospectively 69 patients with IC according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Disease (NIDKD) into this prospective case control study evaluating the effect of our therapeutical management on sexual function, quality of life and symptoms with validated tools FSFI, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Kingrsquor;s Health Questionnaire.

Results

We used a stepwise treatment using oral tetracycline administration, bladder instillation with heaprin, natriumbicarbonate and lidocain, steroids, instillation with DMSO and neurostimulator. Additional antiphlogistic use was possible at any time of the treatment. Each step was evaluated.

We were able to show that our management reduced significantly pain, nocturia, urinary frequency and urgency in. Kingrsquor;s Health questionnaire showed a significant improvement of all domains but emotions and sleep, and FSFI improved significantly in all domains but orgasm.

Conclusion

Patients with diagnosed IC undergoing this defined therapeutical follow up with tetracycline, bladder instillation and anti-inflammatory agents improved significantly regarding sexual function, quality of life and symptoms.

FSFI - King's Health questionnaire - VAS - interstitial cystitis - prospective case control study