Most people will have some form of urinary problem during their lifetime, whether it’s caused by infection or trauma. Gepan® provides effective relief from symptoms and is a treatment that can be used easily at home once a month, when you’ve been shown Intermittent Self-Catheterisation (ISC), a technique that is used for many conditions.  

Gepan is generally prescribed initially by your urologist and can then be on repeat prescription from your GP and collected from your local pharmacy. We can also sell it to patients directly – send us an email by clicking here.

One of the common problems is the chronic bladder inflammation. It is manifested by frequent and urgent need to urinate and pain in the lower abdomen. The need for urination can develop so often that it seriously impairs quality of life.

Urinary symptoms and the factors that trigger them vary in intensity between different people, and between differently defined conditions. They commonly include:

• Frequent or increased need to urinate
• Urgent need to urinate
• Burning sensation when you urinate
• Pain during urination
• An uncomfortable feeling of not being able to fully empty the bladder
• Urinary incontinence
• Blood in the urine
• Pain in the lower abdomen

For some people, these symptoms can become long-term and severe, and this is generally known as bladder pain syndrome (BPS) or chronic cystitis. The pain can become constant and the need to urinate can become so frequent and urgent that it can seriously impair quality of life. Even in severe cases, Gepan can be an effective treatment.

Distinctions are made between different types of chronic cystitis.

• Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) – characterised by increased urgency, frequent urination and sometimes pain.
• Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis – defined by constant urgency, frequent need to urinate and pain in the pelvic area. It mainly affects women.
• Recurring urinary tract infection (rUTI) – diagnosed when there have been four or more acute cystitis occurrences per year.
• Radiation cystitis – occurs after radiation therapy in the pelvic area.

Gepan is an effective treatment for all of these conditions. It has been proven in more peer-reviewed published clinical trials than any other treatment of this type.

What is Gepan? A GAG-layer replenishment therapy.

The inner lining of the bladder is made of three GAGs (glycosaminoglycans):

• Chondroitin sulphate (CS)
• Dermatan sulphate (DS)
• Heparin sulphate (HS)

(note: no hyaluronate)

It is generally understood that this lining is damaged in people with long-term forms of cystitis. The GAG-layer should be impermeable, preventing irritants in urine from reaching the deeper layers of the bladder wall and causing inflammation. When this layer is damaged, these irritants can seep through.  

Gepan is a sterile solution of 0.2% CS which is instilled to the bladder via a catheter. The CS flows into the damaged areas and the damaged areas, which may be deficient in CS, are replenished. This creates a temporary repair so that the GAG-layer is sealed again and irritants can’t go deeper. It’s a bit like silicone sealant around your bath or shower to stop water leaking through.

Gepan is the easiest GAG therapy to use at home for several reasons:

• It comes in a pre-filled syringe which can go in the household waste bin.
• Its innovative tip attaches direct to catheters.
• Its non-viscous consistency is just like water so it flows easily through the catheter.

(Some products need to be reconstituted, may involve sharps disposal, or are difficult to push into the bladder because they are so viscous).