Bladder Instillation

Though most people have never heard of it, bladder instillation is a type of treatment often used in urogynecology and other forms of areas of urological healthcare for in patients suffering from condition such as interstitial cystitis or a superficial form of cancer in the bladder.

Instilling Care

Pelvic pain that is more focused into becoming bladder pain and causes such symptoms as bladder pressure and sometimes even urinary incontinence is called interstitial cystitis, a chronic and extremely debilitation medical condition that, unfortunately, has no known cures. Fortunately, however, treatments such as bladder instillation therapy have been proven for their efficacy in alleviating the pain and other symptoms related to the condition. Bladder instillation actually refers to the instillation, or gradual injection, of medications into the bladder itself, where the treatments can be their most effective.

The Gradual Choices

The two most common types of drugs used by a urogynecologist in bladder instillation currently include DMSO and Clorpactin.

DMSO refers to dimethyl sulfoxide, which is a purified form of an industrial solvent which has been shown to reduce inflammation when introduced into the bladder. When used in bladder instillation, DMSO is used in a once-weekly course of treatment over the period of one month, then once monthly for the period of four months afterward. In the event of a relapse, additional treatments may become necessary, but many patients will see results either immediately or within a few weeks. Fortunately, instances of discomfort during treatment are low; and side effects are generally short-lived and may include spasms of the bladder, an increased frequency in the need to urinate, and a garlic-like taste in the mouth which may also be present in the breath or as an odor on the body.

The type of bladder instillation called Clorpactin is generally only used in patients who were not effectively treated by DSMO therapy. Unlike DSMO, Clorpactin can actually be painful because of its high solvency levels, which are believed to cause the sloughing of the inner layer of the bladder and trigger the regeneration of new nerve fibers. Because it is the harsher and more dangerous of the two treatment methods, Clorpactin is usually used as a last resort.

Instill your health with hope! Call the team at Coyle Institute for a consultation today!