Treatment and Maintenance of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome in Female Patients with Cetirizine-Famotidine: A Case Series

Abstract

Purpose: Interstitial cystitis/Bladder pain syndrome is an inflammatory disorder of the bladder, for which histamine has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. The condition is often refractory to standard-of-care medical treatments, including the antihistamines hydroxyzine or cimetidine, and procedures. Herein we report a physician-sponsored proof-of-principle case series of four adult female patients with chronic painful bladder and frequent urination, who were treated once daily with a low dose H1 + H2 histamine receptor antagonist combination. Materials and Methods: Four adult females with Interstitial cystitis/Bladder pain syndrome were treated once daily with a compounded oral dosage form containing the H1 receptor antagonist-cetirizine 8 mg in combination with the H2 receptor antagonist-famotidine 22 mg. The case series consists of a retrospective review of the symptom severity prior to versus following H1 + H2 treatment. Results and Conclusions: The once daily dual histamine receptor antagonist therapy substantially reduced the pain and urination frequency, and prophylactically maintained all four patients long-term with substantially reduced disease severity. The reduction in symptom severity was achieved