Bladder pain syndrome

Bladder pain syndrome (also known as interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome) results in pelvic pain, often made worse when the bladder is full. It may mean people have to empty their bladder very often and wake during the night to go to the toilet. They can experience the strong urge to empty the bladder, often with significant discomfort or pain, and find it difficult to wait to go to the toilet. It mainly affects women. Dr Shona Brown explains more in this leaflet.

Further information and help

• The International Painful Bladder Foundation website http://www.painful-bladder.org/
• Bladder Health UK http://bladderhealthuk.org/
• Pelvic Pain Support Network http://www.pelvicpain.org.uk/

An award from The Women’s Fund for Scotland has allowed us to produce the following resources:

• Airing Pain programme 87: Vulvodynia radio programme 87 and accompanying leaflet, Vulval Pain
• Airing Pain programme 88: What to EXPPECT When You’re in Pelvic Pain and accompanying leaflet, Bladder Pain Syndrome.

Dr Shona Brown is clinical psychologist with EXPPECT, NHS Lothian’s multidisciplinary pelvic pain service.