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 .
Cyclosporine A and pentosan polysulfate sodium for the treatment of interstitial cystitis: a randomized comparative study.
PURPOSE In a previous retrospective analysis , cyclosporine A ( CyA ) was highly efficient in treating patients with interstitial cystitis . A prospect i ve r and omized study with this immunosuppressive agent was warranted . We compared CyA to pentosan polysulfate sodium ( PPS ) in patients with interstitial cystitis . MATERIAL S AND METHODS A total of 64 patients with interstitial cystitis meeting the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases criteria were enrolled in a r and omized prospect i ve study . Patients were r and omized in a 1:1 ratio to 1.5 mg/kg CyA twice daily ( 27 women , 5 men ) or 100 mg PPS 3 times daily ( 26 women , 6 men ) for a period of 6 months . The primary end point was daily micturition frequency , and secondary end points were mean and maximal voided volume , number of nocturia episodes , O'Leary-Sant symptom and problem indexes , visual analogue scale for pain , and subjective global response assessment . RESULTS CyA was superior to PPS in all clinical outcome parameters measured at 6 months . Micturition frequency in 24 hours was significantly reduced in the CyA arm compared to the PPS arm ( -6.7 + /- 4.7 vs -2.0 + /- 5.1 times ) . The clinical response rate ( according to global response assessment ) was 75 % for CyA compared to 19 % for PPS ( p < 0.001 ) . Although there were more adverse events in the CyA arm than in the PPS arm , 29 patients completed the 6-month followup in both groups . CONCLUSIONS CyA is more effective than PPS in interstitial cystitis
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 .