Cimetidine in the treatment of interstitial cystitis.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effect of the H2-antagonist cimetidine in the treatment of patients with interstitial cystitis (IC) refractory to other conservative therapies.

METHODS

A group of 9 patients previously treated conservatively for IC without success were entered in the study. They were thoroughly investigated and treated with cimetidine at the dose of 300 mg orally twice a day for 1 month.

RESULTS

Six of the 9 patients (66%) experienced various degrees of symptomatic relief while on the drug. Of these, 4 (44%) have noted a complete and sustained response to the medication.

CONCLUSIONS

The encouraging results observed in this pilot study together with the simplicity and tolerance of the treatment makes it an alternative when other options have been exhausted. Its use as a first-line monotherapy remains speculative.