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 .
Prevalence of clinically confirmed interstitial cystitis in women: a population based study in Finland.
PURPOSE Interstitial cystitis ( IC ) is a clinical condition occurring predominantly in women that is characterized by irritative voiding symptoms , including urinary frequency , urgency and pain . To our knowledge its etiology is unknown and little is known about its occurrence . We evaluated the prevalence of  IC in women in Finl and . MATERIAL S AND METHODS A total of 2,000 participants were r and omly selected from the Finnish population register . Urinary symptoms were evaluated using the vali date d O'Leary-Sant IC symptom and problem index question naire . Women with moderate or severe symptom scores ( 7 or higher ) without any urinary tract infection during the last month were invited to undergo clinical examination . RESULTS Of the 1,331 respondents 32 had moderate or severe symptoms involving a suspicion of IC , of whom 21 underwent clinical evaluation . Three women were found to have probable IC and 4 had possible IC . Thus , the prevalence of clinical ly confirmed probable IC in women was 230/100.000 ( 95 % CI 100 to 360 ) and that of possible/probable IC was 530/100.000 ( 95 % CI 140 to 910 ) . Considering the lack of information on 8 patients with urinary symptoms the corrected estimates were 300/100,000 ( 95 % CI 120 to 770 ) and 680/100,000 women ( 95 % CI 360 to 1,300 ) , respectively . CONCLUSIONS Our results based on a large and representative population , and clinical ly confirmed diagnoses indicate that IC is substantially more common than previously thought
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 .