Does anyone know of an alternative to bladder pain relievers that contain phenazopyridine hydrochloride?
The reason I ask is that I found that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Report on Carcinogens lists phenazopyridine hydrochloride as, "Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen"
(link to pdf file)
. This is the active ingredient of various prescription and over-the-counter medications such as the several strengths of Azo, Baridium, Phenazo, Prodium, Pyridiate, Pyridium, Uricalm, and Uristat. Urologists commonly either prescribe these or recommend patient's buy them over-the-counter to relieve bladder pain after TURBT procedures to remove bladder tumors.
I know that this isn't saying that these medications have been proven to be carcinogens, but I still find it disturbing that the medication I and many others have been taking while we are trying to fight bladder cancer is "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." As far as I am concerned, they would now have to be proven to not be carcinogens for me to feel safe taking them. So, I would like to know what alternatives there are.