Revisiting the issue of preventing recurrent postcoital cystitis

Introduction. Postcoital cystitis (PCC) is not placed in a separate form of the disease, but rather considered as an isolated case of chronic (recurrent) cystitis; there are no sound recommendations for its treatment.

Aim. To determine the comparative efficacy of Furazidin and the combination of D-mannose and cranberry extract (Cystenium II supplement) in preventing recurrent PCC.

Materials and methods. We observed 60 female patients with chronic recurrent cystitis, aged 18 to 50 years (mean age 31.2 ± 4.9 years). All female patients had at least two recurrences within the previous 6 months, experiencing at least every second episode of cystitis occurring within 2–24 hours after sexual intercourse. The patients were randomized into two groups of 30 patients each: a treatment group (TG) and a comparator group (CG). The TG patients received Cystenium II at a dose of one lozenge 30–120 minutes before sexual intercourse and 8–12 hours after intercourse. In the CG, patients received Furazidin at a dose of 50 mg 2 hours before or within 2 hours after sexual intercourse.

Results. Both groups showed improvements during the therapy, but the severity of changes varied considerably. Upon completion of the treatment, the number of recurrences in the Cystenium Group was 9.5 times lower than in the Furazidin Group, while the number of sexual intercourses in the TG, in contrast, increased 1.5 times as compared to the CG. The proportion of sexual intercourses which resulted in PCC significantly reduced in both groups: from 63.6% to 2.8% in the TG and from 62.8% to 38% in the CG. The difference between the groups was statistically significant.

Conclusion. The results of this study clearly showed that Cystenium II supplement taken twice daily was more effective and better tolerated than Furazidin at a single paracoital dose of 50 mg to prevent recurrent PCC.

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