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Over The Counter Bladder Medication

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Use Of Myrbetriq And Important Safety Information

Does Azo Treat Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)? Phenazopyridine | How to Manage a UTI with OTC Meds

Do not take MYRBETRIQ® if you are allergic to mirabegron or any ingredients in MYRBETRIQ. MYRBETRIQ may cause your blood pressure to increase or make your blood pressure worse if you have a history of high blood pressure. You and your doctor should check your blood pressure while you are taking MYRBETRIQ.

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

What Are Utis And What Are The Symptoms

A UTI is an infection in any part of your urinary system. This includes your ureters, bladder, or kidneys.

As mentioned previously, UTIs are one of the most commonly occurring infections. According to the National Institutes of Health, “UTIs account for as many as 8.1 million visits to health care providers every year.”

While both men and women can get them, women are at a much higher risk for UTIs. According to estimates by the American Urological Association and the NIH, in their lifetime, women have a 40% to 50% risk of contracting at least one UTI. The NIH explains that this is mostly due to women’s shorter urethras which allow bacteria easier access to the bladder.

There are two general types of UTIs: lower UTIs and upper UTIs.

In lower UTIs, it’s typically the bladder that becomes infected after bacteria travels up to it via the urethra. This type of infection is called cystitis which isn’t usually life-threatening or serious-especially if it’s caught and treated early.

However, if left untreated, the infection can spread to the kidneys. This is considered an upper urinary tract infection and is called pyelonephritis. This condition is much more serious, and, according to Harvard Medical School, it is potentially fatal.

According to American Urological Association, the usual symptoms of UTIs include:

  • Pain in stomach and pelvic region
  • Urinating more frequently but passing smaller amounts of urine
  • Burning sensation while urinating
  • Cloudy and/or strong-smelling urine

Recommended Reading: Losing Control Of Your Bladder

Prevalence And Epidemiology Of Oab

As many as 17% to 40% of adult women in the United States have OAB.4,7This is approximately 20 million OAB patients. However, the true numberis likely to be far higher, as many patients do not enter the healthcare system. There are three major reasons for this reluctance to do so.4First, many patients view OAB as an inevitable part of aging and chooseto take various self-care measures rather than visit a physician foradvice. Second, as many as 61% of OAB sufferers do not realize that thecondition can be successfully treated with medication and therefore donot seek help. Finally, OAB can induce shame and embarrassment inpatients, and the resultant negative social stigma may cause them toavoid any mention to health care providers.

Although OAB occurs in women of all ages, it exhibits a strong age association.3,8 The median age is 52 years, and the most common age range is 45 to 60 years.4

What Are Common Bladder Irritants

AZO Bladder Control, Capsules

Before you find out what products to buy, it is important to learn more about the bladder itself. After all, most of us dont know enough about organs and their functions. The bladder is a muscular sac in the pelvis located right above and behind the pubic bone.

When its empty, the bladder resembles a pear in shape and size. On the other hand, when its full your bladder expands. The inner lining of the bladder tucks into the folds and it expands to accumulate the fluid i.e. urine.

Kidneys make urine which then travels to the bladder via tubes called ureters. The urine is stored in your bladder. During urination, muscles in the bladder squeeze, and two sphincters open to allow urine out. On its way out of the bladder, the urine goes through the urethra, a tube that carries it out of your body. Men have a larger urethra than women because it passes through their penis.

Weak bladder control is a frequent problem that happens due to a wide array of causes. Some of the most common causes of weak bladder control include:

  • Diabetes
  • Stay hydrated drink enough fluids, particularly water
  • Take enough time to empty your bladder completely
  • Urinate after sex
  • Wear loose-fitting clothes and cotton underwear

Bladder control requires some lifestyle adjustments, but sometimes you need more than that. This is where bladder control products step in. They help you get rid of the unpleasant symptoms and urgent urination in an entirely natural manner.

Read Also: Reasons For Lack Of Bladder Control

Cystex Urinary Pain Relief Tablets

Cystex Urinary Pain Relief Tablets is yet another product that contains Methenamine, and therefore works in the same way as AZO Urinary Tract Defense.

The dose of Methenamine in both products is identical and both contain the same amount of Sodium salicylate .

Cystex Urinary Pain Relief Tablets will not change the color of the urine as some other OTC medications do.

Botox Injection For Bladder Problems

Botox injection has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of overactive bladder for patients who have failed to respond to standard therapy with anticholinergic medications.

Overactive bladder is a type of urinary incontinence caused by overactivity of the muscles in the bladder, causing frequent squeezing of the bladder and, thus, frequent urge to urinate. Botox can be injected into the bladder directly through a cystoscope .

Common side effects of Botox injection may include incomplete emptying, urinary tract infection, and painful urination.

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What Is Overactive Bladder

Normally, your urinary tract functions quite well. Yourkidneys produce urine that is stored in the bladder, and your bladder isrelaxed when there is no urine present. As your bladder fills withurine, your nerves send a signal that it needs to be emptied. When youhave overactive bladder, the signals to empty the bladder are sent eventhough the bladder is not full. As a result, you may notice thefollowing: 1) you feel the need to urinate 8 or more times during theday, and 2 or more times during a typical night 2) you feel a sudden,strong, and immediate urge to urinate and 3) you leak urineuncontrollably after you have the sudden and strong urge to urinate.Further, when you attempt to urinate, there is often very little urineor no urine at all.

Overactive bladder is not the same as stress incontinence.With stress incontinence, you leak urine when sneezing, laughing, orcarrying out other physical activities.

Best Over The Counter Uti Medicines 2020

Phenazopyridine for urinary pain relief | AZO | Pyridium

If youre experiencing difficult, frequent, and painful urination, it may have a UTI. Urinary tract infections are more common among women and develop as a cause of certain bacteria infecting the urethra. The most common ways that bacteria spread to these sensitive regions is either through sexual intercourse and poor hygiene practices.

UTI can be very troubling because of the pain and frequent, strong urges to urinate that it causes. Luckily, there are lots of UTI medications available on the market today. These often come in many forms however, so it can be hard to choose the best over the counter UTI medicine for your needs and your body. If you still cant make a decision and need some help to take your pick, you can take cues from this comprehensive buying guide.

Recommended Reading: New Treatments For Neurogenic Bladder

How Do I Choose The Best Over

If you have a bladder infection, there are a few different options for over-the-counter bladder infection treatment. In general, only antibiotics can get rid of bladder infections, but drug stores usually carry medicines to help with the symptoms. The best over-the-counter bladder infection treatment for your symptoms is most likely any type of medicine containing phenazopyridine, which helps to decrease the pain and urgency associated with urination during a bladder infection. If one of your bladder infection symptoms is lower back pain, which is fairly common, you might also benefit from taking over-the-counter pain relievers containing either acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help deal with the pain.

There are some things you can use at home in addition to over-the-counter bladder infection treatment to help ease your symptoms. Water is very beneficial for all types of infections, including bladder infections. By drinking lots of water, you are helping to flush the bacteria out of your system. Most doctors also advise patients to drink lots of cranberry juice if they are experiencing bladder infection symptoms. Cranberry juice can prevent the bacteria in the urinary tract from binding to the bladder, which should decrease the severity of symptoms.

Basic Considerations When Buying Medicine For Uti

With so many different types of UTI medicine, it can be easy to make the wrong purchase. To save yourself from a bad buy and a potentially harmful product, make sure you consider these factors to help you land the best over the counter UTI medicine.

  • Effects. It pays to keep in mind that a urinary tract infection is a bacteria-caused infection, and that means the best medicine for UTI should be an antibiotic however, because antibiotics for UTI cant be purchased over the counter, its the second best choice to buy a product that promotes urinary tract health to fight off the infection.

Most of the products you will find are much less geared towards healing the infection itself, and are formulated to provide health effects that improve the wellness of the overall system. In doing this, these medicines are able to encourage the body to fight off the infection, thus causing the infection to weaken over time.

  • Homeopathic. Because over the counter UTI remedies are more focused on improving health than fighting off the infection directly, many of them come as homeopathic remedies. These options are made from all natural ingredients, and do not cause any toxicity associated with long term use.

For some, however, these products may not provide results at all. This always depends on how the body reacts to the formulation. Because homeopathic remedies do not contain any synthetic, clinically designed ingredients, they may or may not work on some people.

Also Check: What Does Overactive Bladder Feel Like

Complementary And Alternative Medicine

There are many complementary and alternative therapies used to treat OAB. These include mind-body therapies that help minimize urinary urgency and symptoms of stress incontinence .

Naturopathic doctors and others also use herbal remedies to treat OAB, but few of these are strongly supported by research. Among those that have some evidence of a positive effect are:

  • Gosha-jinki-gan : This traditional Chinese medicine remedy is composed of 10 herbs. Animal studies suggest GJC can mute bladder sensations that contribute to urinary urgency. Small studies in women and men have shown positive results, albeit with side effects in 1 in 10 users .
  • Saw palmetto: Saw palmetto is a popular herbal remedy said to increase testosterone levels and alleviate prostate enlargement that can contribute to OAB symptoms in men. A 12-week study involving 44 men with OAB reported improved bladder control and decreased prostate size compared to men who didnt take it.

Always speak with your healthcare provider before using a herbal remedy to treat OAB. The overuse of herbal remedies, especially imported ones, can expose you to substances that may be toxic to your liver and kidneys or interact with drugs you are taking.

Azo Urinary Pain Relief Maximum Strength Tablets

Azo Urinary Pain Relief

Phenazopyridine hydrochloride is the active ingredient of this OTC medication for urinary pain, a chemical which, when excreted into the urine, has a local analgesic effect.

AZO Urinary Pain Relief® Maximum Strength Tablets, unfortunately, does nothing to fight the infection, but only masks the symptoms. Do not take it for longer than three days and dont take it if you have liver problems. If you cover up your symptoms, you might not notice that your UTI is getting worse.

Phenazopyridine is also responsible for the bright orange color of your urine, that indicates the medicine has reached your bladder.

Make sure to not wear white underwear or contact lenses , since this active ingredient can permanently discolor them.

Keep in mind that some animal studies demonstrate a possible link between phenazopyridine and cancer in female rats. Phenazopyridine hydrochloride is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals according to National Toxicologyprogram report.

AZO Urinary Pain Relief® Maximum Strength Tablets contains 97.5 mg of Phenazopyridine per dose.

Recommended Reading: Treatment Of Overactive Bladder In Males

A New Nonprescription Product

Women may try the behavioral changes mentioned above, aswell as one of several prescription medications that relax the muscles of the bladder to preventcontractions. Physicians may also attempt such therapies as applicationof electrical impulses or Botox.

A new nonprescription product may be helpful for overactive bladder. It is known as Oxytrol For Women, which is available as a patch that is worn continuously on the skin for 4 days and contains the medication oxybutynin.

This product may be appropriate for you if you have hadtwo or more of the following symptoms for at least 3months: 1) urinary frequency, more than 8 times in 24 hours 2) urinaryurgency and 3) urge incontinence. However, urinary frequency can alsobe caused by urinary tract infections, diabetes, pregnancy , and other more serious conditions. If you think you have anyof these, you should see a physician instead.

The products label will have many additional useprecautions, warnings, and instructions. You should read and heed eachof these. Further, it is wise to Consult Your Pharmacist for additional assistance regarding use of this innovative new approach to overactive bladder.

Remember, if you have questions, Consult Your Pharmacist.

Treatment Options For Overactive Bladder

There are many treatment options available for people with OAB. As OAB is a group of symptoms rather than a disease, it is up to the individual to determine the level of treatment that they wish to have.

It is important to realise that although OAB is very common, people do not have to suffer in silence and live with symptoms that they find intolerable and which impact negatively on their quality of life.

The treatment options for OAB can be regarded as having different levels with a person progressing through the levels depending on the severity of their symptoms, their response to treatment and whether they have achieved what they regard as good control of their urinary symptoms.

Dr McKertich offers a range of treatment options for the treatment of overactive bladder and urge urinary incontinence. Treatment is modified to suit the individuals problems after a full assessment of symptoms, physical examination and further testing and most importantly, the individuals preferences for treatment.

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Best Treatment For Bladder Leaks

Recent research strengthens the link between incontinence drugs and dementia risk. Here’s how to find relief.

Drugs for an overactive bladder are promised to curb frequent bathroom breaks and bladder leaks.

But is taking medicationsmost of them members of a class of drugs called anticholingericsreally the best solution for regaining control of your bladder?

Anticholinergics commonly cause mental confusion, especially in older adults, and have, in the past, been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

Now, a large analysis from the U.K., published last week in the journal BMJ, has found that anticholinergic drugs, especially those used for bladder problems, Parkinsons disease, and depression, are associated with a higher likelihood of dementia in older adults even 20 years after use.

While this class of medications has long been known to be linked to memory troubles, it was not known whether the effects were permanent, says Michael Hochman, M.D., an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. But this study suggests that the effects may not entirely reverse after stopping the medication.

The research doesnt prove that the drugs cause dementiaonly that there is an association between the two. However, this study does raise concerns, and anticholinergic medications for incontinence have several other well-established side effects, Hochman says.

Other Over The Counter Products For Uti Prevention

Overactive Bladder

Some OTC products do not directly affect the progress of an acute infection, but could help to prevent UTIs in the future:

However, it is crucial to address the reason you had a UTI happened in the first place.

There are multiple factors that can make you more prone to UTIs, such as certain contraceptive methods , diseases that affect vaginal health etc.

Therefore, a holistic approach to UTI prevention is more effective than just treating an acute infection.

Whats your favorite OTC UTI remedy that worked for you?

Written by Anastasia Visotsky, medically reviewed by Dr. Ogunyemi

Anastasia Visotsky

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How Can Diet Affect Overactive Bladder

Some foods and drinks irritate the bladder, possiblycontributing to the problem. You should strive to eliminate caffeinefrom your diet by halting use of coffee, tea, and all caffeinated softdrinks. Alcohol should be eliminated entirely, as it is another bladderirritant. Spices such as pepper add flavor to foods, but they also cancause severe irritation to the bowels and bladder. It may be helpful tokeep a diary of your intake of these foods and drinks to see if theyactually do produce a worsening of symptoms.

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