If symptoms are not controlled by IC alone, a medication such as Ditropan XL, Detrol, or one of the others mentioned above, may be added to the routine in order to relax the bladder. Some people need to do IC for only a few weeks or months, as the bladder often returns to normal or near-normal function in time. For others, IC simply becomes a part of life. Complications Emptying dysfunction causes urine to be retained, and bacteria multiply freely in stagnant urine. Thus urine left in the bladder, which is known as post-void residual urine , may predispose a person to frequent UTIs, or urinary tract infections.
Kidney damage can occur from frequent upper urinary tract infections.
Infected urine can actually back up through the ureters into the kidneys if the exit is blocked by a contracted or tight sphincter. Bladder or kidney stone formation is another potential complication of incomplete emptying. Minute mineral particles normally expelled in urine may clump together to form stones which cannot be passed through urination. Stones can further complicate normal voiding. Frequent UTIs, kidney or bladder stone formation, and kidney damage all suggest a problem with chronic urinary retention.