Chronic Bladder Pain Syndrome in Women: Can Doxycycline Help? A Prospective Study

Summary

Chronic bladder pain syndrome is a chronic disabling disorder characterized by chronic pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort perceived to be related to the urinary bladder accompanied by at least one other urinary symptom such as persistent urgency or frequency in the absence of an identifiable cause. Chronic bladder pain syndrome severely decreases an individual's quality of life and represents a significant financial burden to those affected by it. Currently, multifactorial pathogenesis is assumed including endocrine-involvement, pelvic floor muscle irregularities, immunologic aspects and chemical causes. Corresponding to the wide spectrum of presumptive triggers, a large number of therapeutic approaches are propagated, however most are associated with limited effectiveness. Thus, treatment of BPS is a challenge and the ideal therapy remains to be elucidated. Microorganisms such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma genitalium remains a challenge so that these organisms may well be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic bladder pain syndrome. The investigators hypothesise that doxycycline orally for 4 weeks, including therapy of the sexual partner, can significantly relieve symptoms in women with chronic bladder pain syndrome

Timeline

Start

2012-11

Primary completion

2015-03

Completion

2015-03

Publications

• Background van de Merwe JP, Nordling J, Bouchelouche P, Bouchelouche K, Cervigni M, Daha LK, Elneil S, Fall M, Hohlbrugger G, Irwin P, Mortensen S, van Ophoven A, Osborne JL, Peeker R, Richter B, Riedl C, Sairanen J, Tinzl M, Wyndaele JJ. Diagnostic criteria, classification, and nomenclature for painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis: an ESSIC proposal. Eur Urol. 2008 Jan;53(1):60-7. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2007.09.019. Epub 2007 Sep 20.
• Results Burkhard FC, Blick N, Hochreiter WW, Studer UE. Urinary urgency and frequency, and chronic urethral and/or pelvic pain in females. Can doxycycline help? J Urol. 2004 Jul;172(1):232-5. doi: 10.1097/01.ju.0000128698.93305.2e.
• Results Temml C, Wehrberger C, Riedl C, Ponholzer A, Marszalek M, Madersbacher S. Prevalence and correlates for interstitial cystitis symptoms in women participating in a health screening project. Eur Urol. 2007 Mar;51(3):803-8; discussion 809. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2006.08.028. Epub 2006 Aug 30.
• Results Leppilahti M, Tammela TL, Huhtala H, Auvinen A. Prevalence of symptoms related to interstitial cystitis in women: a population based study in Finland. J Urol. 2002 Jul;168(1):139-43.
• Results O'Leary MP, Sant GR, Fowler FJ Jr, Whitmore KE, Spolarich-Kroll J. The interstitial cystitis symptom index and problem index. Urology. 1997 May;49(5A Suppl):58-63. doi: 10.1016/s0090-4295(99)80333-1.

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