• Techniques in Urology: Treatment of IC with a Quercetin Supplement
  
• Pilot Study Assessing the Efficacy of Quercetin Supplement for Treatment of Women with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Vulvodynia
  

 

 

Techniques in Urology: Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis with a Quercetin Supplement

 * •Floyd Katske, M.D., * •Daniel A. Shoskes, M.D., •Mark Sender, M.D., •Ray Poliak, M.D., *Kim Gagliano, L.V.N., and * •Jacob Rajfer, M.D.

• Division of Urology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, Torrance, and * Institute of Male Urology, Encino, California, U.S.A.

 

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a disorder of unknown etiology with few effective therapies. Oral bioflavonoid therapy utilizing quercetin recently proved to be clinically effective in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome, a disorder with similarities to IC. We therefore tested in an open-label trial a quercetin-based supplement in patients with clinically proven IC.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-two patients (5 men and 17 women; average age 53.1 years) with classically documented IC received one capsule of Cysta-Q complex (equivalent to 500 mg of quercetin) twice a day for 4 weeks. Symptoms were assessed before and after therapy by the IC problem and symptom indices as well as by global assessment of pain (range 0-10).

Results: Two patients did not complete the study. In the remaining 20 patients, im- provement was seen in all three parameters tested. After 4 weeks of treatment, the mean (:I: SEM) problem index improved from 11.3.:o!: 0.6 to 5.1:1: 0.7 (p = .000001), the mean symptom index improved from 11.9 :I: 0.9 to 4.5 :1:0.5 (p= .000001), and the mean global assessment score improved from 8.2:1: 0.4 to 3.5:1: 0.4 (p = .000001). None of the patients experienced any negative side effects, and all but one patient had at least some improvement in every outcome measure.

Conclusion: Oral therapy with the quercetin supplement Cysta-Q was well tolerated and provided significant symptomatic improvement in patients with IC. Larger, randomized, placebo-controlled trials appear warranted based on these preliminary open-label results.

Key Words: Interstitial cystitis-Quercetin-Bioflavonoid.

Techniques in Urology Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 44-46
@ 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc., Philadelphia

Participants: Floyd Katske, M.D., *Daniel A. Shoskes, M.D., Mark Sender, M.D., RayPoliakin, M. *Kim Gagliano, L.V.N., and *Jacob Rajfer, M.D.

Division of Urology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, Torrance, and *Institute of Male Urology, Encino, California, US.A.

 

Read the full study

 

 

PILOT STUDY ASSESSING EFFICACY OF QUERCETIN SUPPLEMENT FOR TREATMENT OF WOMEN WITH LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS AND VULVODYNIA

KYM KANALY M.D., ARIAL RING, PA-C, ANNIE CONKLIN, LAURA BERMAN Ph.D., JENNIFER R. BERMAN M.D.

 

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Oral bioflavonoid therapy utilizing quercetin has proven to be clinically effective in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome and prostatitis, as well as women with interstitial cystitis(IC). The goal of this study was to determine efficacy of the bioflavanoid supplement Cysta-Q for treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms and vulvar/vaginal pain in women with vulvodynia.

Methods: 30 women, median age 43, (19 with urinary complaints and 11 with vulvodynia) received 2 capsules twice daily for a minimum of 14 days. One woman had documented IC. Symptoms were assessed before and after therapy using bladder health and pain assessment questionnaires.

Results: 14 of 19 women with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) completed both pre and post treatment questionnaires. Urinary symptoms, as assessed by the bladder bother score and total bladder health score, improved significantly (p=0.008 and p=0.O02 respectively). A total of 13 patients completed the pain scale assessment (7 with LUTS and 6 with vulvodynia). Pain severity and pain frequency scores, improved significantly (p=0.004 and p=0.031 respectively) in these women. Median percent overall improvement reported was 45% for women with LUTS and 20% for women with vulvodynia.

Conclusions: These preliminary results demonstrate that oral quercetin supplement provides improvement in women with lower urinary tract symptoms and vulvar/vaginal pain in women with vulvodynia. Although larger placebo controlled studies are necessary, these data suggest that antioxidants may improve not only pain associated with LUTS, but also vulvodynia.