The following symptoms and complaints may indicate interstitial cystitis (IC):
Main symptoms
- Alguria (pain during urination).
- Pollakisuria (agonizing urge to urinate frequently without increased urination) with nocturia (nocturnal urination) – up to 60 toilet trips in 24 hours
- Genitourinary pelvic pain (stabbing) – pain radiates to the back, bowel, pelvic floor and genitals
Secondary symptoms
- Pressure or discomfort in the area of the urinary bladder, urethra.
- Dyspareunia (pain during sexual intercourse).
- Dysuria (painful urination with difficulty urinating).
- Urinary incontinence (bladder weakness): less urine can be held, although the volume of the bladder is greater than the amount of urine.
- Arthralgia (joint pain).
- Discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract).
Exclusion criteria are:
- < 8 micturitions (urinary bladder emptying) per day.
- Absence of nocturia (nocturnal urination)
- Longer symptom-free periods
- The complaints improve under therapy with antibiotics/antifungals (antifungals)