Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder Pain Syndrome)

Interstitial cystitis, also called bladder pain syndrome, is a long-lasting condition that causes pain, pressure, or tenderness in the bladder and pelvic area, usually along with a frequent and urgent need to urinate. Symptoms come and go and vary widely between people. There is no single test for it, so doctors usually diagnose it by ruling out infections and other conditions.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases estimates that between 4 and 12 million people in the United States may have interstitial cystitis. It is more commonly diagnosed in women. Treatments include diet changes, physical therapy, bladder instillations, and medicines.

The condition matters in litigation because of one of those medicines. Elmiron (pentosan polysulfate sodium) was for years the only pill approved by the FDA specifically for interstitial cystitis pain, and many patients took it daily for a decade or more. Researchers later linked long-term use to a distinctive eye injury called pigmentary maculopathy, which can cause trouble reading, dim vision, and difficulty adjusting to low light, and can be mistaken for age-related macular degeneration. The label was updated in 2020 to warn about the risk, and thousands of people sued, alleging the warning came too late. Federal Elmiron cases were consolidated as MDL No. 2973 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

If you took Elmiron and have vision changes, an eye exam that documents retinal damage is the key piece of evidence. Our explainers on multidistrict litigation and class actions versus mass torts describe how these drug cases proceed.