Current evidence also suggests the efficacy of  dimethyl sulfoxide and amitryptyline therapy .
Hydroxyzine , intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin  , and  resiniferatoxin therapy  failed to demonstrate efficacy , but evidence was inconclusive owing to method ological limitations .
Pentosan polysulfate may be modestly beneficial for symptoms of PBS/IC .
There is insufficient evidence for other pharmacologic treatments .
BACKGROUND More than 180 different types of therapy have been used in the treatment and management of  painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis ( PBS/IC ) , yet evidence from clinical trials remains inconclusive .
This study aim ed to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacologic approaches to PBS/IC , to quantify the effect size from r and omized controlled trials , and to begin to inform a clinical consensus of treatment efficacy for PBS/IC .
Safety and efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of interstitial cystitis: a randomized, sham controlled, double-blind trial.
PURPOSE We conducted a double-blind , sham controlled study to evaluate the safety , efficacy and feasibility of hyperbaric oxygenation for interstitial cystitis . MATERIAL S AND METHODS A total of 21 patients with interstitial cystitis were r and omized to 90 minutes treatment in a hyperbaric chamber pressurized with 100 % O2 to 2.4 atmosphere absolute for 30 treatments sessions or 1.3 atmosphere absolute , breathing normal air in the control group . Moderate or marked improvement in a global response assessment question naire was defined as treatment response ( primary outcomes ) . Secondary measurements included changes of pain and urgency evaluated by visual analog scales , functional bladder capacity and frequency . Changes in the O'Leary-Sant Interstitial Cystitis Index and rating of overall satisfaction with the therapeutic outcome were also reported . RESULTS There were 3 of 14 patients on verum and no control patients who were identified as responders ( p < 0.52 ) [ corrected ] At 12-month followup 3 patients ( 21.4 % ) still reported treatment response . Hyperbaric oxygenation result ed in a decrease of baseline urgency intensity from 60.2 + /- 15.0 to 49.9 + /- 35.2 mm at 3 months and decrease of pain intensity from 43.1 + /- 20.5 to 31.2 + /- 19.8 mm , respectively ( p < 0.05 ) . The Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index score sum decreased from 25.7 to 19.9 points in patients on verum . Sham treatment did not result in improvement of the baseline parameters . CONCLUSIONS A total of 30 treatment sessions of hyperbaric oxygenation appear to be a safe , effective and feasible therapeutic approach to interstitial cystitis . In the treatment responders application of hyperbaric oxygenation result ed in a sustained decrease of interstitial cystitis symptoms with a discordant profile regarding the peak amelioration of the various interstitial cystitis symptoms compared with a normobaric , normoxic sham treatment
Current evidence also suggests the efficacy of  dimethyl sulfoxide and amitryptyline therapy .
Hydroxyzine , intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin  , and  resiniferatoxin therapy  failed to demonstrate efficacy , but evidence was inconclusive owing to method ological limitations .
Pentosan polysulfate may be modestly beneficial for symptoms of PBS/IC .
There is insufficient evidence for other pharmacologic treatments .
BACKGROUND More than 180 different types of therapy have been used in the treatment and management of  painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis ( PBS/IC ) , yet evidence from clinical trials remains inconclusive .
This study aim ed to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacologic approaches to PBS/IC , to quantify the effect size from r and omized controlled trials , and to begin to inform a clinical consensus of treatment efficacy for PBS/IC .