After I'd completed the BCG "induction phase" (one dose/week for 6 weeks), I'd developed severe pain, level 5-7, during urgency and urination as well as frequency of 3-4 times/hour. I had a cystoscopy after that and saw that bladder wall was bright red. My urologist at that time said he'd never seen anything like it. He offered a cystectomy or else advised I continue with BCG. I changed urologists but opted to continue BCG. Second urologist offered mirabegron 50mg. After using that for several days I noticed a very slight reduction in symptoms. I was also prescribed phenazopyridine (AZO). I got a little more relief from that but directions were to use it only a couple of days in a row. Neither of these meds helped much. The pain only got worse.

Long story short, after many really difficult months I went to an Infectious Disease doctor who diagnosed me with BCG Cystitis and treated me with three antibiotic medications generally used to treat TB. Within two months the symptoms began decreasing and within three months they had disappeared entirely. My uro-oncologist had stopped the BCG and started me on Gemcitibine/ Docetaxel.
Ultimately I had 18 months of BCG and 18 months of Gem/Doce. Those treatments ended January 2026. So far no evidence of disease.