Cysta-Q- Help for Overactive Bladder and Interstitial Cystitis

Cysta-Q provides relief from symptoms of:

• Interstitital Cystitis
  
• Vulvodynia
  
• Chronic Pelvic Pain

Cysta-Q is a patent-pending blend of active ingredients and the only product that has been clinically tested and proven effective for the symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis and Vulvodynia by leading academic urologists in major medical centers.

The study published in US medical journal Techniques In Urology states: "Oral therapy with Quercetin supplement (Cysta Q) was well tolerated and provided significant symptomatic improvement in patients with International Cystitis1.

Cysta Q has been presented at the American Urological Association (AUA) in 2001 to present.

Cysta-Q is based on the unique beneficial effects of clinically proven ingredients including Quercetin, a bioflavonoid with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, Bromelain and Papain, to aid digestion, Black Cohosh, Wood Betony, Passionflower, Valerian and Cranberry (non-acidic), a group of well known anti-oxidant compounds which are used to enhance bioavailability. (Note: Dietary supplements are not generally intended to treat diseases but rather to promote bladder health).

Bioflavonoids have been shown to dramatically improve the symptoms in patients with Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes, and now with the Cysta-Q complex, patients with Interstitial Cystitis have shown equally dramatic benefits.

Cysta Q program of treating symptoms would be one capsule taken by patient two times per day. If the patient has no symptom improvement after three month, the product is unlikely to help.

Bioflavonoids have other well documented benefits: these include reduced risk of heart disease and anti-cancer effects.

Cysta-Q FAQ with Dr. Daniel Shoskes

What is Cysta-Q?

Cysta-Q is an herbal supplement containing bioflavonoids and other herbal ingredients that is manufactured by Farr Laboratories. It is a proprietory formulation with patent pending. Please refer questions on its manufacture and composition to Farr Labs.

What are your indications for using Cysta-Q ?

I use Cysta-Q in patients with clinical symptoms consistent with interstitial cystitis. I first rule out other causes of urinary frequency and pain such as infection, stones, cancer or primary bladder instability. I have used Cysta-Q successfully as first line therapy or in patients who have failed multiple other conventional therapies (eg Elmiron, DMSO, Elavil, Atarax, hydrodistension).

How do you use Cysta-Q? What is the recommended dosage?

I recommend 1 capsule taken two times per day. If the patient has no symptom improvement after 3 months, the product is unlikely to help them.

Are there any contraindications to using Cysta-Q ?

There is a theoretical risk that use of Cysta-Q will interfere with the action of quinolone antibiotics (eg Cipro, Floxin, Levaquin). Therefore, don't take these antibiotics with Cysta-Q. It is known that bioflavonoids cross the placenta and in fact are found in higher concentrations in the fetal blood than in the mother's. Since antioxidants such as Cysta-Q can behave as pro-oxidants at very high doses, harm to the fetus is theoretically possible. Therefore, don't take Cysta-Q if you are pregnant and use birth control while you are taking the product.

What side effects have you seen?

Some patients who take the product on an empty stomach report mild nauseA. Some patients report slight tingling in the extremities shortly after their first dose.

Can I combine Cysta-Q with other herbal treatments?

I don't recommend it. There is no way of knowing how ingredients in other herbal supplements or treatments will interact with Cysta-Q. Even if the other therapy is considered "safe", it may interfere with the absorption of Cysta-Q, or block its actions in other ways. Furthermore, very high doses of antioxidants can lead to pro-oxidant effects. By combining high doses of multiple supplements, you may actually be producing the opposite and potentially harmful effect.

Are there any other beneficial effects of Cysta-Q ?

Long term use of bioflavonoids has been associated with decreased mortality from heart disease and lower cholesterol. There is preliminary evidence that bioflavonoids may prevent and/or treat some forms of cancer.

What is Interstitial Cystitis? 

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 700,000 people in the United States are afflicted with Interstitial Cystitis, a chronic, debilitating condition that seems to defy the diagnostic efforts of many physicians.

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a long-term condition where the bladder wall can become irritated and inflamed, causing its victims to get up as often as 10 times in the night to urinate, with pain in the pelvis, bladder, and vagina.

These symptoms may come and go, and can occur all at once or at different times. Interstitial Cystitis is not yet an explicitly defined medical diagnosis with a clearly understood cause yet the disease is very real. Because the inflammation that produces the symptoms is within the wall of the bladder, it is out of reach of the usual diagnostic tests for bladder disease.

However it is important to realize that Interstitial Cystitis is not a psychosomatic disorder. It is a physical problem and not an indication of any form of emotional issues or poor mental health.

Cysta-Q has been shown to effectively treat the symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis in a study done by Dr. Daniel Shoskes of the Cleveland Clinic of Florida

Symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis 

You may suspect Interstitial Cystitis if:

• Pain and Pressure
• You feel unexplained pain and pressure in the urethra, vagina, area above the pubic bone, inside of the thighs, lower abdomen, lower back, or groin area, in any combination.
• Frequent Urination and Urgency
• You frequently urinate. (Normally, people urinate an average of 6 to 7 times per day. In the early stages, patients with IC average about 16 times per day, and some urinate as often as 60 times per day.)
• You are unable to hold a lot of urine.
• You wake more than once a night to urinate.
• You may feel the urge to urinate, sometimes even after you've emptied your bladder.
• Pain during Intercourse

When sex hurts, relationships may suffer. Even an understanding partner may become frustrated. Therefore, you may wish to speak with your doctor about pain you experience during sex. Here are some measures to discuss with your healthcare professional to see if they are right for you:

• Wash with a warm rinse after sex
  
• Use a plentiful amount of lubrication (such as K-Y® Brand Liquid or Jelly)
  
• Use a soothing gel or ice pack on the external genitalia
  

For men, symptoms may include pain and inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis). Women may suffer increased vulvar pain. Both men and women may experience pain in the perineum (space between the vagina or scrotum and the anus) and painful or uncomfortable sex, including intercourse and touching. For some men, ejaculation may be painful.

In addition to looking at these symptoms, it can be important to:

• Test for bacterial urinary tract infections (UTI's), other urological disorders, tumors, and sexually transmitted diseases for some patients
  
• Talk to your healthcare professional if you have any of these symptoms.

Causes and Risks of Interstitial Cystitis 

Interstitial Cystitis is a poorly understood disease with unknown causes. Although no bacteria or viruses (pathogens) have been found in the urine of Interstitial Cystitis sufferers, an unidentified infectious agent may be the cause. Others believe that Interstitial Cystitis occurs with ischemia (tissue death) or a deficiency of GAG in the epithelium. It may be an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks healthy cells, perhaps following a bladder infection. Spasms of the pelvic floor muscles may also contribute to the Interstitial Cystitis symptoms. It is likely that several factors cause the condition.

Other conditions associated with Interstitial Cystitis include the following:

• Asthma
  
• Endometriosis
  
• Food allergies
  
• Hay fever (pollen allergy)
  
• Incontinence
  
• Irritable bowel syndrome
  
• Lupus
  
• Migraine
  
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis 

Because the symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis are similar to those of other disorders of the urinary system, and because there is no definitive test to identify Interstitial Cystitis, doctors must rule out other conditions before considering a diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis. Among these disorders are urinary tracts or vaginal infections, bladder cancer, bladder inflammation or infection caused by radiation to the abdomen, eosinophilic and tuberculous cystitis, kidney stones, endometriosis, neurological disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, low-count bacteriuria, and, in men, chronic bacterial and abacterial prostatitis.

Medical tests that help identify other conditions include a urinalysis, urine culture, cystoscopy, and biopsy of the bladder wall and, in men, laboratory examination of prostate secretions.

Urinalysis and Urine Culture

These tests can detect and identify the most common organisms in the urine that may be causing symptoms. There are, however, organisms such as the bacteria Chlamydia that can't be detected with these tests, so a negative culture does not rule out all types of infection. A urine sample is obtained either by catheterization or by the "clean catch" method. For a "clean catch," the patient washes the genital area before collecting urine "midstream" in a sterile container. White and red blood cells and bacteria in the urine may indicate an infection of the urinary tract, which can be treated with an antibiotic. If urine is sterile for weeks or months while symptoms persist, a doctor may consider a diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis

Culture of Prostate Secretions

In men, the doctor will obtain prostatic fluid from the patient. This fluid will be examined for signs of an infection, which can be treated with antibiotics.

Cystoscopy Under Anesthesia With Bladder Distension

During cystoscopy to diagnose Interstitial Cystitis, the doctor uses a cystoscope--an instrument made of a hollow tube about the diameter of a drinking straw with several lenses and a light--to see inside the bladder and urethra. The doctor will also distend or stretch the bladder to its capacity by filling it with a liquid or gas.

Because bladder distension is painful in Interstitial Cystitis patients, before the doctor inserts the cystoscope through the urethra into the bladder, the patient must be given either regional or general anesthesia. These tests can detect inflammation; a thick, stiff bladder wall; Hunner's ulcers; and glomerulations (pinpoint bleeding) that may be seen only after the bladder is stretched.

The doctor may also test the patient's maximum bladder capacity, the amount of liquid or gas the bladder can hold under anesthesia. Without anesthesia, capacity is limited by either pain or a severe urge to urinate. Many people with Interstitial Cystitis have normal or large maximum bladder capacities under anesthesia. However, a small bladder capacity under anesthesia helps to support the diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis.

Biopsy

A biopsy is a microscopic examination of tissue. Samples of the bladder and urethra may be removed during a cystoscopy and examined with a microscope later. A biopsy helps rule out bladder cancer and confirm bladder wall inflammation.

Recommended Treatments of Interstitial Cystitis 

Scientists have not yet found a cure for Interstitial Cystitis, nor can they predict who will respond best to which treatment. Symptoms may disappear without explanation or coincide with an event such as a change in diet or treatment. Even when symptoms disappear, however, they may return after days, weeks, months, or years. Scientists do not know why.

Types of treatment include the following:

Biophysical Techniques

Biophysical techniques used to control Interstitial Cystitis symptoms include bladder retraining, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), stress reduction with biofeedback, diet modification, and exercise. Physical therapy for the pelvic floor muscles may help decrease pain and spasms. Bladder retraining is a self-help process in which patients learn to control their urge to urinate. The theory behind bladder retraining is that the bladder muscle actually weakens with frequent urination because it is not allowed to distend fully. Patients with Interstitial Cystitis experience the impulse to urinate frequently because they have pain or urgency as the bladder fills. Bladder retraining programs vary. Generally, the patient schedules times for urination (a voiding schedule) and uses a series of relaxation techniques and distractions to help keep the schedule. The interval is progressively lengthened, thus strengthening the bladder muscle. Bladder retraining may be complicated by severe pain.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

TENS involves the application of mild electric pulses to the body for minutes or hours a day. It is believed that the electric pulses increase blood flow to the bladder, strengthen pelvic muscles that aid in control, and trigger the release of pain-blocking hormones. TENS therapy may help with Interstitial Cystitis pain, though it may take a couple of months before any benefit is realized. A TENS device is worn outside of the body, usually near the sacral nerve.

Sacral Nerve Stimulation

The InterStim® device, used traditionally to treat bladder-control problems, is being used experimentally in pre-clinical trials to evaluate its effects on Interstitial Cystitis. It is implanted under the skin of the lower back, near the sacral nerve, where it delivers electrical pulses to the nerves involved in bladder function. It may help control frequency and urgency associated with Interstitial Cystitis, although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it for Interstitial Cystitis therapy.

Stress reduction techniques, biofeedback, and exercise may reduce the occurrence of flares by strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor. For some, exercise exacerbates symptoms by irritating an already tender bladde

Naturopathic Treatments for Interstitial Cystitis 

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammation of the urinary bladder. Naturopathic treatment involves inhibiting the inflammatory process by removing inflammatory and irritating foods from the diet, taking nutritional supplements, and using herbal support.

Nutrition

The importance of nutrition cannot be overstated and changing to a healthy diet may help relieve symptoms.

• Eliminate food sensitivities, which are often the cause of chronic inflammatory conditions. To determine food sensitivities, use elimination and challenge diet.
  
• Eat whole, fresh, unrefined, and unprocessed foods. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, olive oil, and cold-water fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, halibut, and mackerel).
  
• Avoid sugar, dairy products, refined foods, fried foods, junk foods, some beans (fava, lima, black, soy) and caffeine. Coffee, chocolate, alcohol, carbonated drinks, citrus fruits, and tomatoes often worsen symptoms.
  
• Drink ½ of your body weight in ounces of water daily (e.g., if you weigh 150 lbs, drink 75 oz of water daily).
  

Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicines usually do not have side effects when used appropriately and at suggested doses. Occasionally, an herb at the prescribed dose causes stomach upset or headache. This may reflect the purity of the preparation or added ingredients, such as synthetic binders or fillers. For this reason, it is recommended that only high-quality products be used. As with all medications, more is not better and overdosing can lead to serious illness and death.

The following herbs may be used to treat Interstitial Cystitis:

• Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) - Take 30 mg standardized extract triterpenes 3 times a day. It enhances the integrity of connective tissue by stimulating production of glycosaminoglycans, which are an integral component of the protective mucous layer in the bladder.

Herbs to consider as a tea:

• Buchu (Barosma betulina) - A soothing diuretic and antiseptic for the urinary system.
  
• Cleavers (Galium aparine) - Traditionally used as a urinary tract tonic.
  
• Corn silk (Zea mays) - Has soothing and diuretic properties.
  
• Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) - An astringent and mild diuretic with tissue-healing properties.
  
• Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis) - Has soothing demulcent properties. It is best taken as a cold infusion; soak the herb in cold water for several hours, strain, and drink.
  
• Usnea (Usnea barbata) - Has soothing and antiseptic properties.

Homeopathy

A trained homeopathic practitioner is needed to diagnose and prescribe a deep-acting, constitutional remedy. The standard dosage for acute symptom relief is 3 pellets of 30C every 4 hours until symptoms resolve. Lower potencies, such as 6X, 6C, 30X, may be given every 2 to 4 hours. If the right remedy is chosen, symptoms should improve shortly after the second dose. If there is no improvement after 3 doses, a different remedy is given.

The following remedies may be effective in treating Interstitial Cystitis:

• Apis mellifica - Indicated for stinging pain that is worse with heat.
  
• Cantharis - Indicated for intolerable urgency with burning, scalding urination.
  
• Staphysagria - Indicated for a urinary tract infection that is the result of sexual intercourse.
  
• Sarsaparilla - Indicated for pain that burns after urination has stopped.

Special Concerns with Interstitial Cystitis 

Cancer

There is no evidence that Interstitial Cystitis increases the risk of bladder cancer. However, the long-term effects of Interstitial Cystitis require further observation and research.

Pregnancy

Researchers have little information about pregnancy and Interstitial Cystitis, but believe that the disorder does not affect fertility or the health of the fetus. Some women have a remission from Interstitial Cystitis during pregnancy, while others have more pain and pressure during the third trimester, possibly due to the weight of the fetus on the bladder.

Working

Symptom flare-ups that result in frequent absences from work may make it difficult to get or keep a job. The Social Security Administration provides information on Social Security Disability benefits. The National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives can refer you to a lawyer experienced with Social Security claims. (See "Other Resources.")

Coping with Interstitial Cystitis

The emotional support of family, friends, and other people with Interstitial Cystitis is very important in helping patients cope with the disorder. Studies have found that Interstitial Cystitis patients who learn about the disorder and become involved in their own care do better than patients who do not. The Interstitial Cystitis Association can provide the address and phone number of the nearest support group. (See "Other Resources.")

Other coping tips:

• Find a health care team that is sympathetic, helpful, and receptive.
  
• Understand that your health care team does not know all the answers and may be as frustrated as you are.
  
• Don't become isolated from family and friends.
  
• Involve your family in treatment decisions.
  
• Do not allow Interstitial Cystitis to become the center of your life.
  
• Try to put Interstitial Cystitis in perspective -- worse could happen.
  
• Talk to other people with Interstitial Cystitis about their experiences and ways of coping.
  
• Trust yourself.

Testimonials:

After years of suffering with Interstitial Cystitis and undergoing many treatments that weren't helpful, I finally found Cysta-Q and am experiencing total relief from my condition! I have absolutely no pain and no extreme urgency like I was experiencing. Needless to say, I will be ordering more Cysta-Q!

Susan

IC is a horrible disease. When you are in pain you can't complain because people do not understand it. I am trying to maintain a normal life and Cysta-Q has helped the pain. If I am going to a meeting or will be under more stress or even going a long distance while traveling I will take an extra tablet and it will help. If there is anyone who needs help I would certainly give them some of this product. Thank you.

Kathy

About Farr Laboratories, LLC

In 1999, Farr Laboratories, LLC and leading Academic Urologists at the Institute for Male Urology began working together to develop a safe, effective and natural way to help prevent the symptoms and pain from Non-Bacterial Chronic Prostatitis, Interstitial Cystitis, and Vulvodynia.

These astounding results are published in prestigious medical journals such as Techniques in Urology, Urology, as well as Urology Times. All of these publications plus presentations at major medical conferences such as the annual AUA (American Urological Association) meetings have brought international recognition to our products.

Academic Urologists from major medical institutions worldwide have conducted studies on our products Prosta-Q and Cysta-Q, which contain bioflavonoids and other natural ingredients that demonstrated significant improvements in subjects of peer reviewed, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials for the symptoms of Non-Bacterial Chronic Prostatitis and Interstitial Cystitis as well as Vulvodynia.