Can a Medication Trigger an IC Flare

         When a sudden IC flare begins, we’re often puzzled about what started it. Was it a long car ride??Intimacy?? That secret bite of chocolate??Ovulation???...You may be surprised to learn that some flares can be triggered by medication, including simple over the counter cold medicines to newly prescribed antibiotic. Symptoms of frequency, urgency, pressure or pain can occur within 30 minutes of taking the irritating product.

  During a recent support group meeting, an IC patient mentioned she had tried 8 different medications to help lower her cholesterol. With each brand she tried, she developed more severe bladder symptoms. After much difficulty, she found alternative ways to reduce her cholesterol and is now symptom free. Another IC patient in attendance had no problem taking his cholesterol medication. This drives home the point that drug sensitivity and reactions are very individual.      

   It’s also worth noting that it may not be the medication at all triggering the flare, but the dyes, fillers and inactive ingredients included. Some patients may discover that a medication they’ve taken over time with great success suddenly becomes bladder irritating. Why?? The formula may have changed or, perhaps, the pharmacy could be using a new, different manufacturer. This is particularly true with generic medications that are often rotated by pharmacies.