Thursday, March 28, 2024

Is There Over The Counter Medicine For Overactive Bladder

Must Read

Oxytrol For Women The First Over

Medications For Overactive Bladder

Offers More Than 20 Million Female Sufferers Newfound Sense of Control over Condition

Merck Consumer Care, the makers of OXYTROL FOR WOMEN, announced today that the more than 20 million women suffering from overactive bladder can now gain better control of their condition with a visit to the feminine care aisle at their local retailer. OXYTROL FOR WOMEN is a thin, flexible patch that is discreetly applied to the abdomen, hip or buttock once every four days for the relief of overactive bladder in women. It is the first and only over-the-counter option that treats the OAB symptoms urinary incontinence, urgency and frequency which can take a physical and emotional toll on women.

OAB is one of the top ten chronic conditions affecting American women, impacting various facets of their lives such as travel, work productivity, emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as family relationships and social activities. In fact, more than one in three women with OAB reported that the condition affects their relationship with their partnerand nearly half said they are worried about having a urinary accident in public or in the car .In addition, recent data demonstrate the overall economic impact is estimated at $35 billion annually both direct and indirect costs such as doctor visits, prescription medications and coping strategies like using pantiliners and pads, among others.

About Overactive Bladder

About OXYTROL® FOR WOMEN

OXYTROL® is a registered trademark of Actavis, Inc.

Improvements To Tibial Nerve Stimulation

Another OAB treatment modality included in the recent review is percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation . Physicians insert a small needle into the ankle to stimulate the tibial nerve once a week for the first three months, followed by ongoing monthly appointments .

Tibial nerve stimulation for OAB.

Two new implantable TNS devices have potential to eliminate the need for the frequent office visits. One is the Bioness StimRouterTM neuromodulation system. It has an implanted lead with an integrated receiver, anchor and three electrode contacts in close association to the posterior tibial nerve. The lead captures stimulation energy that is delivered wirelessly and transdermally from a rechargeable external pulse transmitter and electrode patch. Both the transmitter and patch are worn only during periods of stimulation. The patient uses a programmer to track usage and change programs. The programmer controls the external pulse transmitter wirelessly. Dr. Goldman is the site principal investigator for an ongoing clinical trial of this technology.

BlueWind Medicals RENOVATM TNS device can be surgically implanted or percutaneously injected in close vicinity to the tibial neurovascular bundle. Powered through wireless technology, this device includes an external control unit worn around the ankle during treatment 30 minutes daily. Using a computer program, the physician sets stimulation parameters for each patient to optimize therapeutic outcome.

Expectations And Concerns In Overactive Bladder: Patient Perspectives

The major driver of OAB, and therefore an essential component of the definition of OAB, is urinary urgency. This leads to increased diurnal and nocturnal micturition frequency, decreases the interval between voids, and at its extreme, urgency urinary incontinence ., A survey of 1916 men and women with OAB in six European countries found that 40% of participants had never spoken to a physician 32% had discussed their symptoms but had never tried a drug 28% had received a drug, while among these patients, only 57% were currently receiving pharmacotherapy. Thus, the following questions should be asked: why do some patients remain silent about their complaint? What words do patients use to report their symptoms when they do so?

Physicians need to consider the patient’s symptoms and their treatment expectations and moderate these in the light of the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of treatments. For example, when experiencing 20 voids and five UUI episodes per day, a patient may expect to be dry all the time with no side effects but the physician should explain that, at best, the reduction in number of UUI episodes will reach 70%, the number of voids may decrease by 20% and treatmentassociated side effects may occur .

Also Check: Bladder Leakage When Wearing Tampon

Women With Overactive Bladders Could Find Relief With Over

Women with overactive bladders could get tablets over the counter for the first time under new proposals.

Regulators are consulting on making changes to make it easier for millions of women to access medication without having to see their GP.

It is estimated that around one in six women in the UK have symptoms associated with overactive bladder, such as the sudden, uncontrolled need to urinate that can lead to accidental leaks.

The call for evidence, launched on Saturday, could lead to the medicine Aquiette being reclassified so that it can be obtained at a pharmacy without a prescription.

The tablets are used to treat women with milder symptoms of the condition which cannot be controlled by bladder training alone.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is calling on people with the condition, as well as healthcare professionals with experience of treating it, to share their views in the reclassification consultation.

Behavioral Therapies For Oab

Over

Some people with urinary incontinence may get relief by making simple changes to their lives and that’s what experts recommend trying first.

If you have stress incontinence, for instance, in which you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, or laugh, your doctor may tell you to limit how much you drink.

If you have urge incontinence, in which you get the sudden urge to urinate and can’t always make it to the bathroom in time, your doctor may tell you to avoid spicy foods, caffeine, and carbonated drinks, because they can irritate the bladder and make the problem worse.

Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, known as Kegels, can help people with stress incontinence. Kegels can also help people with urge incontinence. Sometimes, Kegels are combined with biofeedback techniques to help you know if you are doing the exercises properly.

For urge incontinence, bladder training, sometimes called bladder retraining, can also help. This involves gradually increasing the interval time between trips to the bathroom, working up to longer and longer intervals between bathroom stops.

You May Like: Ways To Stop Bladder Leakage

Overactive Bladder Vs Urinary Incontinence

Overactive Bladder

  • Condition in which the bladder can no longer hold urine normally.
  • Often feel a sudden urge to urinate or experience an accident.
  • Defining symptom is urgency, or the inability to postpone urination.
  • OAB is typically a chronic problem
  • Often requires strengthening of pelvic floor muscles to get rid of symptoms like urinary incontinence.
  • Symptoms including urinary incontinence are ongoing.
  • Bladder muscle problems at the root of it.
  • Can result from regularly consuming alcohol and caffeine in large quantities.
  • Serious health conditions can lead to OAB including a stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis , or Parkinsons disease.

Urinary Incontinence

  • Is when you lose control of your bladder.
  • Isnt a condition its a symptom.
  • Is a symptom of OAB.
  • Can be caused by a loss or weakening of control over the urinary sphincter.
  • Can be a sign of something simple like a singular occasion of too much fluid consumption, a temporary problem.
  • Is a common symptom of a UTI along with a burning sensation during urination and/or blood in the urine.

What Can Physicians Expect From Treatment For Their Patients

Mathematical modelling has been used by Darekar et al to predict outcomes from treatment using data from 12week fesoterodine studies. Unsurprisingly, the greatest response to treatment was predicted for patients who completed treatment and the lowest for those who withdrew because of AEs. The major problem with the model used here was the need to know the treatment response at four weeks a priori, and the complexity of the equation used in the study. Another method used pooled data from six fixeddose, 12week RCTs of fesoterodine 4, 8 mg, or placebo. Overall, 7080% of patients treated with fesoterodine experienced a 50% improvement in UUI at Week 12 and more than 50% of patients became dry with fesoterodine 8 mg. Some patients achieved 100% resolution in urgency episodes and more than half of fesoterodinetreated patients normalised their daytime frequency at Week 12.

With respect to AEs, Wagg et al analysed data from 6689 patients included in fesoterodine studies and found that resolution of urinary urgency by either 50% or 100% at Week 12 was associated with a reduction in the number of reported treatmentemergent AEs. This unexpected finding was observed for discontinuation rate, dry mouth, constipation, central nervous system or cognitive adverse effects. Although not explained by the method it may be that patients may be less likely to express and to report AEs when the degree of benefit from treatment is either higher or reaches their expectations.

Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Medicine For Bladder Control

How Does Interstim Therapy Work

It is believed that one possible cause of overactive bladder is miscommunication between the brain and the sacral nerves when the brain and sacral nerves dont communicate correctly, the nerves will not tell the bladder to function correctly, which can cause bladder control problems.

The theory behind InterStim® Therapy is that gentle electrical stimulation of the sacral nerves reduces the signals to the nervous system which may be causing bladder control symptoms such as leaks, the sudden urge to go, or going too often.

How Do You Buy The Best Over The Counter Bladder Control

Overactive Bladder
  • Is it worth buying an Over The Counter Bladder Control?
  • What benefits are there with buying an Over The Counter Bladder Control?
  • What factors deserve consideration when shopping for an effective Over The Counter Bladder Control?
  • Why is it crucial to invest in any Over The Counter Bladder Control, much less the best one?
  • Which Over The Counter Bladder Control are good in the current market?
  • Where can you find information like this about Over The Counter Bladder Control?

buying guides for Over The Counter Bladder Control

  • Brand Value: Every brand of Over The Counter Bladder Control has a value all its own. Most brands offer some sort of unique selling proposition thats supposed to bring something different to the table than their competitors.
  • Features: What bells and whistles matter for an Over The Counter Bladder Control?
  • Specifications: How powerful they are can be measured.
  • Product Value: This simply is how much bang for the buck you get from your Over The Counter Bladder Control.
  • Customer Ratings: Number ratings grade Over The Counter Bladder Control objectively.
  • Customer Reviews: Closely related to ratings, these paragraphs give you first-hand and detailed information from real-world users about their Over The Counter Bladder Control.
  • Product Quality: You dont always get what you pay for with an Over The Counter Bladder Control, sometimes less, and sometimes more.
  • Read Also: Alka Seltzer For Bladder Infection

    Which Medications Are Used For Oab

    Your doctor may use multiple strategies to relieve your overactive bladder symptoms.

    In addition to the exercises and behavioral modifications, many medications are available one is even available over-the-counter.

    Extended-release forms may cause less dry mouth as a side effect.

    Medications include:

    Dealing With Overflow Incontinence

    After-dribble/overflow incontinence is where a small amount of urine leaks out after youve finished.

    The good news is that this type of incontinence responds well to self-treatment. Here are some tips:

    • Sit down on the toilet to empty your bladder.
    • Make sure elatics, belts or briefs are not tight around your penis and scrotum to ensure the urethra is straightened when urinating.
    • Alternatively, place your fingertips behind the scrotum and apply gentle upward and forward pressure to encourage urine flow.

    Recommended Reading: Frequent Bladder Infections In Females

    Solutions For A Leaky Bladder

    Research has found that at least half of people with urinary incontinence dont discuss the condition with a health care provider. But theres no need to feel embarrassed. If you have a leaky bladder, youre definitely not alone. Bladder leakage, or urinary incontinence, affects women and men of all ages, though it becomes more common later in life.

    And its definitely worth discussing, because of the many ways it can interfere with enjoying daily lifefrom exercise and travel to social outings and romance, says E. James Wright, M.D., director of urology at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

    Precautions And Proper Diagnosis

    Overactive Bladder: What to Eat and Drink and What to Avoid

    The main symptoms of OAB can also occur in other health conditions like bladder cancer, urinary tract infection and enlarged prostate. Seeing blood in your urine is not a symptom of OAB.

    A sudden and frequent need to urinate is common in both OAB and a UTI. How can you tell the difference between these two urinary health issues? Unlike OAB, a UTI also comes with other symptoms such as discomfort while urinating. In addition, OAB symptoms are continuous while UTI symptoms are sudden and may also include a fever.

    Overflow incontinence is characterized by the involuntary release of urine from an overfull urinary bladder, often in the absence of any urge to urinate. This condition is not associated with OAB. It typically occurs in people who have a blockage of the bladder outlet, which can occur with benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer or a narrowing of the urethra. Overflow incontinence can also occur when the muscle responsible for removing urine from the bladder is too weak to empty the bladder in a normal way.

    It is very important to see a doctor to ensure a proper diagnosis if you experience any changes in your urine and/or urination habits.

    Also Check: Used Bladder Scanner For Sale

    Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation

    Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation is a minimally invasive procedure used to alleviate urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and urge incontinence. In 2010, the FDA formally included OAB as an indication for treatment.

    PTNS is a form of nerve stimulation. An electrical needle is inserted into the ankle to deliver low-level impulses to the tibial nerve that runs to the knee joint and connects to the larger sciatic nerve.

    Although the exact mechanism of action remains unclear, PTNS has proven to be safe and as effective as OAB medications in people with severe OAB. PTNS is performed once weekly on an outpatient basis and involves a total of twelve 30-minute sessions. People tend to experience an improvement of urinary function within six weeks.

    In 2019, an implantable PTNS device was released, which early studies have shown may reduce severe urinary urgency by 94% and severe incontinence by 71%.

    Who Can And Cannot Take Mirabegron

    Mirabegron can be taken by adults .

    It is not suitable for everyone. To make sure it’s safe for you, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting mirabegron if you:

    • have had an allergic reaction to mirabegron or any other medicines in the past
    • have liver or kidney problems
    • have high blood pressure
    • are not able to pee or empty your bladder completely
    • have a blockage in your bladder
    • have a heart problem called QT prolongation
    • are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding

    Read Also: What Causes Loss Of Bladder And Bowel Control

    Many Americans Struggle With Incontinence

    There is a wide array of overactive bladder treatments, and an FDA report discusses overactive bladder and it’s implication on health. If you have OAB, know that you are not alone. OAB is common in older women , but roughly 25% of older men suffer from its effects, too.

    If you have symptoms of OAB, consider talking to your healthcare provider about treatment options.

    • OAB can have a negative impact on social, family and work routines.
    • Experts state that patients need to take the first step to seek advice from their doctor to determine whether their symptoms are due to OAB and which treatment is the best.
    • Be sure to discuss any possible side effects and cost of prescribed medications.

    Also, you should consider joining the Drugs.com Overactive Bladder Support Group to ask questions, keep up with research and news, and voice your opinion with medications.

    Lifestyle Fluids And Diet

    Overactive Bladder? There Are Options!

    A few small changes to your lifestyle could help to alleviate urgency and frequency symptoms associated with an overactive bladder . It is important to make sure that you are drinking enough fluids to avoid bladder irritation and infection. It is advisable to limit your intake of fizzy drinks, caffeine and alcohol. More advice on Lifestyle, Fluids and Diet.

    Recommended Reading: Oregano Oil For Bladder Infection

    Also Check: Best Pads For Bladder Incontinence

    Natural Treatment For Overactive Bladder

    Bladder training and pelvic floor exercises are just two natural treatments for overactive bladder. Research suggests that these nondrug remedies can be very effective for many women, and they have almost no side effects.

    But before starting any OAB treatment, itâs important to understand bladder function and what things may cause overactive bladder.

    Another way to strengthen pelvic floor muscles is electrical stimulation, which sends a small electrical pulse to the area via electrodes placed in the vagina or rectum.

    Until you get your overactive bladder under control, wearing absorbent pads can help hide any leakage.

    Other lifestyle tips for preventing incontinence include:

    What Other Lifestyle Changes Can A Person Make To Control Their Symptoms

    A lot of OAB management comes down to lifestyle.

    Certain foods and drinks can worsen symptoms, such as coffee, alcohol, spicy foods, and chocolate. Cutting back on these items or avoiding them altogether can make a big difference for some people.

    Smoking, having obesity, and drinking carbonated beverages can also worsen symptoms. Weight loss and smoking cessation may help OAB symptoms and benefit overall health.

    Also Check: What Causes Bladder Control Problems

    Herbal Supplements For Oab

    An abundance of herbal products claim to give you confidence, make your bladder better, or help you go less. However, the science behind these assertions is very thin. Some animal studies show a potential effect of certain herbs on the bladder, but the studies are small and havent been repeated on a large scale in humans, if at all.

    study involving 44 women with OAB in Japan demonstrated decreased urinary frequency and improvement on a quality-of-life scale in those who took 7.5 g of gosha-jinki-gan daily for eight weeks. Larger-scale studies would need to confirm the results.

    The Chinese herbal blend hachi-mi-jio-ganHE for shortcontains several of the same herbs found in gosha-jinki-gan. HE may inhibit bladder contractions prompted by the chemical acetylcholine, according to a Japanese study done on rats. No human trials have been conducted.

    More articles

    Popular Articles