Is there an appropriate strategy for treating co-morbid irritable bowel syndrome and bladder pain syndrome?

INTRODUCTION: Two of the most frequent components of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and bladder pain syndrome (BPS), characterized by considerable overlapping symptoms and pathophysiology. Currently, its management is challenging meaning there is high the demand for novel efficient therapeutics to aid patient care and to tackle the socioeconomic burden of IBS and BPS. As there are presently no sufficient treatment strategies, identifying the mechanisms that result in their main symptoms is the opportunity for developing appropriate therapies. Areas covered: Herein, the authors explore the potential common treatment strategies for co-morbid IBS and BPS and highlight the absolute need for further research of these deliberating clinical entities. Expert opinion: In the future, the authors summise that the discovery of predictive molecular biomarkers combined with clinical phenotypic categorization will likely allow for more definitive differentiation of patients and thus for better treatment options. Furthermore, it has been suggested that effective IBS treatment strategies would be of great value to co-morbid IBS and BPS therapy.