Employees and housewives comprised find more around 70% in our study group. Patients with a yearly income below NT$400 000 (US$12 000) comprised 71%. (The annual average GNP of Taiwan in 2003 was around US$ 12 000.) (Table 1) Forty-four percent of the patients indicated that they felt stress pressure from their life. The onset of first symptom occurred at the age of 37.6 years (ranging from 18 to 81 years).

The duration of urgency/frequency was 62 months (ranging from 9 to 396 months). The duration of pain was 46 months (ranging from 9 to 492 months). The average daily voiding frequency was 16 times (ranging from 9 to 50 times), including 3.7 times (ranging from 1 to 18 times) during sleeping time. While 94% had frequency and complaint, 80% suffered from pain, 53% had nocturia, 10% associated with incontinence. Forty-seven

percent of the IC patients in the study complained that their symptoms were persistent in nature. Eighty-three percent of the pain with a full urinary bladder was the prominent pain characteristic followed by 74% of pain relief after voiding. Forty-five percent reported pain when their urinary Selleck DMXAA bladders were not full. Forty percent had burning pain during voiding. Fifty-four percent of the IC patients in the study complained the type of pain was a full sensation, followed by 32% of soreness, 22% of sharp, 21% of stabbing, 11% of spasms, 8% of dull, and 4% of throbbing. Fifty-two percent of patients pointed to the pain at the lower abdomen area, 23% at suprapubic, 22% at vagina,

14% at left low abdomen, 12% at right low abdomen, 11% at left flank area, 10% at right flank area, 9% at inguinal area, and 8% at low back area (Table 2). The factors that aggravated interstitial cystitis symptoms were screened. Resminostat Among the factors, 44% of the patients indicated that stress was the factor most frequently encountered, followed by 31% of urinary tract infection. Beverages such as tea and coffee were the most frequent fluid that would aggravate IC symptoms. Oranges and pineapple were the most noted fruit that made IC symptoms worse (Table 3). The most associated diseases were recurrent urinary tract infection (28%), migraine headache (24%), neurodermatitis (21%), and hay fever/allergic rhinitis (20%). The family history of the IC patients in this study were hypertension (18%), diabetes mellitus (14%), hay fever/allergic rhinitis (11%), heart disease (18%), urinary stone (10%), migraine headache (7%), neurodermatitis (7%) (Table 4). Thirteen percent of female patients had the history of hysterectomy and 15% had tube ligation. The average of doctor visitation was 3.2 doctors (1–37) and traditional doctor 1.3 doctors (0–10) before diagnosis. Eleven percent had a history of anti-depression or anti-anxiety drug intake. Five percent had an allergic drug intake. The average number of the children from married patients discussed was 1.9 persons. Sixty percent of these children were normally delivered.