Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a term used to describe the condition of bladder pain or discomfort with a frequent and often urgent need to pass urine. Nine in ten people with IC are women. Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS) is another name for the condition when there is no abnormality visible in the bladder. Bladder Pain Syndrome is the name suggested to include both IC and PBS.

People with interstitial cystitis may have many of the following symptoms:

  • An urgent need to urinate, both in the daytime and during the night.
  • A frequent need to urinate. Women with severe cases of IC may urinate as many as 20 times a day or more.
  • Pressure, pain, and tenderness around the bladder, pelvis and perineum (the area between the anus and vagina). This pain and pressure may increase as the bladder fills and decrease as the bladder empties.
  • A bladder that won’t hold as much urine as it did before.
  • Pain during sexual intercourse.

For more information on IC/PBS, please refer to the Patient Information page.