Incontinence medications treat the occasional loss of bladder control, which is a condition that can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Sufferers involuntarily urinate if he or she sneezes or engages in strenuous exercise. In other cases, people with the condition involuntarily urinate before they can reach a bathroom because the urge is overpowering. Incontinence can have a variety of causes, including diseases such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis. About one-third of women suffer from the condition after they undergo childbirth, especially if they deliver vaginally. Women can suffer from incontinence after menopause if the tissue of their urethra atrophies as a result. Men can have the condition if they suffer from an enlarged prostate. Men who undergo treatment for prostate cancer, such as radiation, chemotherapy, or radical surgery will likely develop incontinence as a result. Anyone who has incontinence should be referred to a urologist, who can prescribe a variety of treatments. The top three medications for incontinence include anticholinergics, mirabegron, and alpha blockers. Consider these questions when researching medications for incontinence.
A number of drugs exist can address incontinence depending on the type and underlying causes of the problem. These drugs include anticholinergics, mirabegron, alpha blockers, and topical estrogen. The benefit of these drugs varies according to each case, and some have side effects.
Anticholinergics are a family of drugs that include oxybutynin, tolterodine, darifenacin, fesoterodine, solifenacin and trospium. These medications are usually prescribed to calm an overactive bladder, which typically causes the sudden and involuntary urge to urinate.
Mirabegron is used to relax a tightened bladder muscle, another underlying cause of incontinence. As a result, the patient should not only be able to hold more urine but should be able to empty the bladder more thoroughly, thus cutting down on the frequency of urination.
Alpha blockers include tamsulosin, alfuzosin, silodosin, terazosin and doxazosin. These medications are prescribed for men with urge or stress incontinence. These drugs relax both the prostate fiber and bladder neck muscles, thus making it easier to urinate more thoroughly and thus cutting down on the frequency of having to go.
Topical estrogen is applied to the vagina in the form of a cream or is applied as a patch or a ring. The idea is to restore some of the tissues of the urethra and vagina that may have atrophied as a result of menopause. In this way, the medication is supposed to alleviate to one degree or another the symptoms of incontinence in women.
In addition to alternative therapies, some doctors will try injections of Botox, which may be able to calm an overactive bladder. Botox is only considered after the more normal medications have failed to have an effect.
Alternative treatments for incontinence include behavior changes, surgery, electrical stimulation, certain medical devices, absorbent pads, and catheters. These kinds of approaches are prescribed depending on the type and severity of the condition.
Various clinical trials are performed using slings which use tissue or artificial material to help keep the urethra closed, thus treating stress incontinence. Other studies are delving into the use of artificial urinary sphincters to treat the condition.