How Should This Medicine Be Used
Solifenacin comes as a tablet and a suspension to take by mouth. Solifenacin tablets are usually taken once a day with or without food. Solifenacin suspension is usually taken once a day. To help you remember to take solifenacin, take it at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take solifenacin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Shake the suspension well before each use to mix the medication evenly. Use an oral dosing syringe to measure the correct amount of medication. You can swallow the suspension straight from the syringe followed by a small glass of water or milk. To avoid a bitter taste, avoid taking the suspension with another liquid or food.
Swallow the tablets whole do not split, chew, or crush them. Swallow the tablets with water or another liquid.
Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of solifenacin and increase your dose later in your treatment.
Solifenacin may help to control your symptoms but will not cure your condition. Continue to take solifenacin even if you feel well. Do not stop taking solifenacin without talking to your doctor.
Urinary Incontinence Treatment: What To Expect
A complete evaluation will allow your doctor to offer you the right solution for your care. You can expect the diagnostic process to include:
- A complete medical history and physical, which may include a brief neurological exam to assess any nerve damage. If you have had treatment or surgery in the past, your doctor may also review your medical records.
- Urine sample, to test for infection or other pathology that may cause incontinence.
- Urodynamic tests or a urinary stress test, where your doctor may assess urine loss with stress, such as exercise, sneezing, coughing or laughing, may be recommended.
Following your evaluation, we will review treatment options with you to develop a care plan that best meets your needs. Nonsurgical treatment, such as Botox injections of the bladder in women with overactive bladder, can be performed at any of our medical offices.
If you choose surgery, our team will recommend procedures that best treat your symptoms. A common option is the insertion of a bladder sling, a minimally invasive procedure in which a small strip of mesh is implanted to support the bladder opening to prevent leakage.
Take Charge: Seek Your Doctors Advice
Approximately 80% of those affected by urinary incontinence can be cured or improved, yet only one in 12 people with incontinence issues seek help. Talk to your doctor about your bladder control as it can dramatically improve your lifestyle.
Your doctor can investigate and establish a cause for your overactive bladder. Treatment can then be tailored to this cause and may involve medications, bladder retraining, pelvic floor exercises, absorbent products, surgery, or combinations of these options.
Plus, consider joining the Drugs.com Overactive Bladder Support Group. Here, you can connect with people with similar questions and concerns, share your experiences, and keep up with the latest new drug approvals, ongoing research, and medical news.
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Minister For Womens Health Maria Caulfield Said:
When it comes to sensitive issues such as bladder control, speaking to a GP may act as a barrier for some women to seek help. Reclassification of Aquiette would enable women to access vital medication without needing a prescription.
Making it easier for women to access healthcare is essential in supporting them to live well and reducing the gender health gap.
I encourage any women who have experienced these symptoms to make your voices heard by responding to the call for evidence.
The Commission on Human Medicines has been consulted and advised that it is safe for these is products to be made available as a Pharmacy medicine.
Common Questions About Mirabegron
Mirabegron is a type of medicine called a beta-3-adrenergic-receptor agonist.
It works by relaxing the muscles around your bladder. This increases the amount of pee that your bladder can hold and reduces your need to pee as frequently or as urgently.
Mirabegron starts to work after about 3 to 4 hours to relax the muscle surrounding your bladder.
However, it can take up to 4 to 8 weeks for you to notice any improvements in your symptoms.
Usually, treatment with mirabegron is long term.
However, if you no longer have bladder problems, your doctor will advise you to stop taking mirabegron.
Mirabegron is generally safe to take long term, as long as you’re not bothered by side effects.
Many people take it for several months or even years without any problems.
It is safe to take mirabegron with everyday painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Do not stop taking mirabegron without talking to your doctor first.
If you stop taking this medicine, it will take about 10 days for it to be completely out of your body.
Your symptoms of overactive bladder may come back or get worse.
Mirabegron is not usually the first choice of treatment for an overactive bladder.
Your doctor will usually try you on a type of medicine called an antimuscarinic first.
Antimuscarinics include:
There’s no clear evidence to suggest that taking mirabegron will reduce fertility in men or women.
Yes, you can usually drive or cycle while taking mirabegron.
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How Soon After Treatment Will I Feel Better
Pelvic floor exercises and changes to your lifestyle may take six to eight weeks before you start to see results.
Many medications start to relax your bladder muscles after a few hours. But they may take up to a month to work fully.
Botox should start to work after one to two weeks.
Most people start to see improvement after six nerve stimulation treatments. However, it may take up to 12 treatments to see results.
What Other Information Should I Know
Keep all appointments with your doctor .
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
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When Should I See A Healthcare Provider
See a healthcare provider if you experience any symptoms of an overactive bladder.
Age-related OAB may develop gradually and slowly worsen over time. If your symptoms develop suddenly and you have heavy leakage, your OAB may be a symptom of another condition, such as an infection or a neurological issue. Its best to have a provider check these symptoms sooner rather than later.
Solifenacin May Cause Side Effects Tell Your Doctor If Any Of These Symptoms Are Severe Or Do Not Go Away:
- extreme tiredness
Solifenacin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online or by phone .
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How Did We Conduct Our Studies
The ODPRN conducted a drug class review consisting of multiple studies: a qualitative study to determine the experiences of use and prescribing a systematic review to determine efficacy and safety a pharmacoepidemiological analysis to determine patterns of use in Ontario and across Canada an environmental scan to determine national and international guidelines and public drug coverage models and pharmacoeconomic analyses to determine the cost of public drug funding under different coverage policies. Detailed descriptions of each of these studies are available at the ODPRN website: www.odprn.ca
| Final Comprehensive Research Plan |
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How Is Oab Treated
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What Is The Main Cause Of Overactive Bladder
Conditions or injuries that affect your detrusor muscle cause overactive bladder. Your detrusor muscle is a collection of smooth muscle fibers in the wall of your bladder. These conditions may include:
- Abdominal trauma. Pregnancy and childbirth can stretch and weaken your pelvic muscles. Your pelvic muscles are the muscles and tissues that support the organs in your lower abdomen. Your bladder may sag out of its normal position if your pelvic muscles weaken.
- Nerve damage. Sometimes your body sends signals to your brain and bladder to pee at the wrong time. Certain diseases and trauma can cause nerve damage, including pelvic or back surgery, herniated discs, radiation therapy, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis or a stroke.
- Medications, alcohol and caffeine. All of these can dull your nerves, which affect signals to your brain and cause your bladder to overflow. Diuretics and caffeine may cause your bladder to fill rapidly and potentially leak.
- Infection. An infection, such as a urinary tract infection , can irritate your bladder nerves and cause your bladder to squeeze without warning.
- Extra weight. Having overweight can put extra pressure on your bladder, which can cause urge incontinence.
- Estrogen deficiency after menopause. Hormonal changes may cause urge incontinence. Vaginal-only estrogen therapy can help.
Pelvic Floor Exercises Can Help Immensely
You cant see your pelvic floor muscles however, just like other muscles in your body they lose their strength if they are not put to use.
Pelvic floor exercises help strengthen the pelvic floor when done consistently at least twice a day. How are they done?
- Imagine you are holding back gas or urine.
- Squeeze and lift the rectal area without tightening your buttocks or belly. Try and hold it for a count of three before relaxing. Repeat this cycle 10 times. Do 10 sets of Kegel exercises, at least 3 times a day.
- Increase your contractions as your doctor recommends.
- Do not hold your breath when you do Kegel exercises. Keep your stomach, back, and leg muscles relaxed.
- Don’t use Kegel exercises to start and stop your urine stream which can lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder and an increased risk of a urinary tract infection.
Review our information about Kegel exercises for both women and men to learn more about the techniques.
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Surgical Options For Overactive Bladder
Do you often feel like you need to go to the bathroom immediately? Overactive bladder , characterized by the urgent need to urinate, can be inconvenient and annoying and can impact your quality of life. It can also lead to certain health complications, such as infections.
If lifestyle changes and medications havent worked to treat your OAB, you may want to consider surgery. But take note: Surgical options come with significant risks and side effects, so be sure to weigh your options carefully.
A Mans Guide To Overactive Bladder
Incontinence and overactive bladder can be potentially embarrassing conditions for men. Before using meds, find out about alternate therapies for relief.
They are problems that many men dont want to talk about out of potential embarrassment. Still, many men have to contend with overactive bladder and urinary incontinence in laymans terms, when control over urination is lost which can be an indication of bigger problems. Just as important, it can lead to emotional issues and impact a mans social life.
There are treatment options available for the condition, though many doctors will first turn to prescription medication, especially if the leakage is the result of an overactive bladder. Drugs such as Ditropan XL , Detrol , VESIcare , Avodart and Flomax are just some of the ones used. But did you known that there are a host of side effects that are associated with them?
If taking medication doesnt sound like a great prospect to you and the possibility of wearing pads makes you anxious, dont panic. The good news is there are plenty of non-pharmacological treatments available that have good outcomes with fewer side effects. One of them is even a simple exercise you can do at home.
But before we get into treatments, lets start with a primer on urinary incontinence and what could put you at risk for suffering from it.
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Eating To Reduce Constipation
Sometimes constipation can place extra pressure on your bladder. You can prevent constipation by exercising regularly and including more fiber in your diet. Foods high in fiber include beans, whole-wheat breads, fruits, and vegetables.
The Cleveland Clinic recommends eating 2 tablespoons of a mixture of 1 cup of applesauce, 1 cup unprocessed wheat bran, and 3/4 cup of prune juice every morning to promote bowel regularity.
What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture .
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
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What Can Physicians Expect From Treatment For Their Patients
Mathematical modelling has been used by Darekar et al33 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.34 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 al35 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.
What If I Forget To Take It
If you forget to take your medicine, take it as soon as you remember unless the next dose is due in less than 6 hours. In this case skip the missed dose and take your next one at the usual time.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.
If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.
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Lifestyle Fluids And Diet
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.
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