Could cystitis symptoms be eased by anti-impotence drug Viagra?

Cystitis treatment usually comes in the form of antibiotics such as Trimethoprim, but the urinary infection could soon have an unlikely type of treatment – male erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.
Also going by the name of lower urinary tract infection, cystitis happens as a result of the lining of the bladder becoming inflamed, causing a stinging/painful sensation upon urination, or an urgent need to urinate often.

Women have a short urethra compared to men, meaning cystitis is more common in females and nearly all women will suffer from cystitis at on at least one occasion in their lifetime. The high-risk groups are: pregnant women, sexually active women and post-menopausal women.
However, the findings of new research suggests that Pfizer’s popular anti-impotence drug Viagra may help to ease the symptoms for those women that have interstitial cystitis, a more severe type of the bladder infection.

In the new study – published in the journal Urology – those women administered with just 25mg of the drug (50mg is a common dose for impotence) on a daily basis for three months had a significant clear-up of their symptoms, whereas the placebo group did not.

Antibiotics can usually help to clear the condition up, but women that get interstitial cystitis are not as fortunate as the drugs do not respond to it, and the condition may even evolve into painful long-term problem that is not easily treatable. There are thought to be 400,000 people in the UK with interstitial cystitis and around 90% of these people are women.

It is not fully clear the specific causes for the onset of interstitial cystitis, but many health experts believe it could be linked be due to a defect of the bladder lining or an autoimmune disorder, be caused because of other inflammation problems, or an inherited increase in the risk of developing it.
Studies conducted previously and involving animals, seemed to show that Viagra was helping ease symptoms.

Therefore, doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in Zhejiang, China, wanted to see if the same held true for humans, managing to recruit 48 women for the study, with interstitial cystitis, segregating them into two groups.

Each day for 12 weeks one group were told to take a 25mg Viagra tablet, whilst the other group were given a placebo. Doctors analysed symptoms according to an index, which documented the frequency the women needed to urinate and how painful it was.

Almost two-thirds of the women given Viagra reported improvements in their symptoms, having to get up on less occasions during the night to urinate and less pain, compared to those taking the placebo.

Those involved in the study are not completely certain how Viagra is benefiting the women, but think it could be working to relax the muscles in the bladder by boosting blood flow to the area, thereby relieving pressure  from the bladder and lessening the need to urinate so often.

Dr Robyn Webber, consultant urologist at the Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline, Scotland, commented on the study, saying: “Interstitial cystitis is a very distressing condition and the results of this trial do suggest that for some patients the drug may be a possible new treatment. But the number of patients involved was small and the findings need to be reproduced with bigger numbers. If the results do hold up, it could potentially offer hope to some patients.”

Condoms boost friendly vaginal bacteria

There are a multitude of reasons you should always use a condom during sex. The two most glaringly obvious ones are that this helps to prevents the contraction of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – although there is still a risk with oral sex if no condom is used – and they also severely minimise the chances of an unwanted pregnancy. Using condoms could be viewed as a mature act, showing you take care of your sexual health and are responsible.

The benefits of condoms may extend beyond these factors though, according to a Chinese study which found that sexually active women who use condoms have boosted levels of friendly bacteria called Lactobacillus within the vagina.

Lactobacillus is present in different areas of the body such as the digestive, urinary, and genital systems and supplements of the bacteria are sometimes given to women suffering with vaginal infections or urinary tract infections (UTIs) – although Trimethoprim is still one of the most effective treatments for both cystitis and various other urinary tract infections.

In the vagina, the production of lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide from the Lactobacillus is generally believed to be useful for protection against bacterial vaginosis (BV).

BV is the most common type of vaginal infection and is brought on when there is too much ‘bad’ bacteria and not enough of the ‘good bacteria’. Health experts are still not sure what causes the imbalance to occur but often the risk is increased if: you smoke, are pregnant, have a new sexual partner, have several sexual partners, use scented soap or bubble bath or use vaginal deodorant.

The common symptom is a vaginal discharge which may become very thin and watery, with an unpleasant odour and appear grey or white in colour. Other symptoms include pain after sexual intercourse and pain when urinating.

The Researchers involved in the study at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, assessed the vaginal bacteria of 164 healthy, sexually active married women in China, varying in age between 18 and 45 years old.  All women were not using a hormonal method of contraception.

From the 164 participants, 72 women used condoms, 57 used an intrauterine device (IUD), and 35 were using the ‘rhythm method’. This is where a couple forgoes sexual intercourse during the period of a woman’s cycle when conception is more probable.

Following analysis, it was found that the women using condoms had a 95.8% prevalence of lactobacillus. This was in comparison to just 84.2% in the IUD group and 88.6% in the rhythm group. In addition, a primary factor of normal vaginal microbial flora – L. crispatus – was actually 20% more prevalent in the group using condoms compared to those using an IUD.

The researchers say their study, published in the journal PLOS One, suggests that condoms are beneficial in helping the vagina to maintain its natural acidic defences. “As a perfect barrier, condom can help maintain the vaginal acidic buffer system and the vaginal lactobacilli population when sperm enters vagina during sex,” the researchers wrote.

However, with so many counterfeit condoms  in circulation across the UK and other areas around the world, condoms and other contraception methods should always be obtained from a highly reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. You can rest assured that each medication or product dispensed to our patients is 100% genuine. We have a wide range of both Durex and Skins condoms at great prices from our chemist shop, including an incredible deal of 72 Durex Performa condoms for just £60.00!

Cranberry juice is not so good after all for bladder infections

Cystitis is a condition that many may not have heard about, but it is a common health complaint that many will suffer from at least once during their lifetime. Also known as a lower urinary tract infection, cystitis occurs when the lining of the bladder becomes inflamed and causes a stinging/painful sensation upon urination, or an urgent need to urinate quite frequently.

It is commonly brought-on by bacteria entering your bladder via the urethra – the tube where urine passes through to get out of your body from the bladder. In addition to infection, cystitis can also happen due to irritation or bruising of your urinary tract caused by friction during sexual intercourse. Due to this, it is sometimes given the moniker of ‘the honeymoon disease’.

Because women have a short urethra, the condition is more prominent in females compared to men and it is thought that all women will suffer from cystitis at least once during their life. The high-risk groups are: pregnant women, sexually active women and post-menopausal women.
For a number of years, many women have been under the illusion that cranberry juice works as some kind of miracle treatment for a number of bladder infections such as cystitis. However contrary to popular belief, scientists are now shattering this myth and saying cranberry juice is largely ineffective for this purpose.

Spanning back several decades, high numbers of women have been drinking cranberry juice to treat mild cystitis or to try and stop a recurring infection (known as recurrent cystitis). This is down to many GPS urging them to try it as it will cause no harm and possibly help due to compounds in cranberries working to prevent bacteria attaching to cells lining the walls of the urinary tract. It is the sugars and plant pigments called flavonoids that can supposedly combat infections and get rid of harmful bacteria.

Therefore, a team of researchers from the University of Sterling decided to look into the issue a little further. They collated data contained in 24 different studies that in total involved a massive 4,473 people. In the studies, patients had been assigned a whole variety of things to treat their complaints such as cranberry juice, tablets and antibiotics, or placebos such as just water.

After thorough analysis of the studies, researchers strongly argue than cranberry juice is a lot less effective than first thought. They say that the juice may be useful to some extent for women who suffer from recurrent cystitis; however any possible benefit would only be seen after many months of drinking a minimum of two glasses of juice daily.

Lead researcher Ruth Jepson commented, “We can’t see a particular need for more studies of the effect of cranberry juice, as the majority of existing studies indicate that the benefit is small at best. More studies of other cranberry products such as tablets and capsules may be justified but only for women with recurrent UTIs, and only if these products contain the recommended amount of active ingredient.”

A much better option for those suffering with cystitis is the most widely prescribed antibiotic for the condition; Trimethoprim. This treatment is used to fight both cystitis and various other urinary tract infections. This wonderful antibiotic is highly effective and is estimated to cure approximately 90% of urine infections. You can obtain 6 x 200mg Trimethoprim tablets for the low price of £16.50 at Medical Specialists.