Doctors often prescribe oral medications, too. Elmiron, believed to create a protective coating over the bladder lining, helps about a third of patients. Elavil, an antidepressant that relieves chronic pain when taken in low doses, is also frequently prescribed. About a third of patients respond to bladder instillations of soothing medications. Ingredients might include the anesthetic Marcaine, the anti-inflammatory DMSO, and hydrocortisone.
Many patients swear by acupuncture and acupressure as other alternative treatments.
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