Can Elmiron be instilled into the bladder?
Dr. Kaufman: Yes, but if you are ready to put a catheter into your bladder, don’t use Elmiron because it is very expensive. Use heparin. Elmiron is just an oral analogue to heparin. We were looking for something that acted as well as heparin, and this is Elmiron. Heparin already comes in liquid form and it is perfectly suited to put in the bladder. Heparin was used in the bladder before Elmiron was in use. Q: What happens during pregnancy? Dr. Kaufman: Those patients I mentioned who are not taking Elmiron stopped it because they wanted to get pregnant. There has not been research about the effect of Elmiron on the fetus, so I don’t feel you should take it if you are pregnant. The ICA has literature on IC and pregnancy. If you are breast-feeding, you shouldn’t take Elmiron. You can go back on Elmiron when you are finished breast-feeding. If they have felt well while off the Elmiron, they will take Elmiron once a day or every other day. They can then wean themselves off Elmiron, if they
