Cautions With Other Medicines
Mirabegron may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how mirabegron works.
Tell your pharmacist or doctor if youre taking:
- digoxin, a medicine for heart failure or abnormal heart rhythm
- imipramine or desipramine, medicines for urinary incontinence or nerve pain
- dabigatran, a blood thinner
- ketoconazole or itraconazole, medicines used to treat fungal infections
- ritonavir, a medicine used to treat HIV
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What Is Fluid Management For Oab
It is important not to severely restrict fluids for overactive bladder as this could lead to dehydration. However, most people need roughly 4 to 8 eight ounce glasses of fluid per day more may be required with exercise, hot weather, or excessive perspiration.
Its true that cutting back on fluids may help with leakage and embarrassing moments. However, if you do not drink enough liquids, your urine may become dark and concentrated and dehydration may occur.
One option is to drink small amounts at regular intervals throughout the day, instead of a large glass all at once. If you awaken frequently at night to urinate, avoid fluids right before bed, and cut back on alcohol and caffeine.
If you take a diuretic for high blood pressure, take it in the morning rather than at night, to help prevent nighttime trips to the bathroom.
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To Use The Patches Follow These Steps:
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What If I Am Taking Other Medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any medicines, vitamins or supplements that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and OXYTROL® may interfere with each other.
These include:
- Other anticholinergic drugs
- Bisphosphonates
These medicines may be affected by OXYTROL® or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while being treated with this medicine
Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about what medicines, vitamins or supplements you are taking and if these affect Oxytrol®.
Other Treatments To Try
In rare cases when all OAB treatment fails and overactive bladder is severe, doctors may recommend one of several types of surgery.
A procedure called bladder augmentation uses part of the bowel to increase bladder capacity. Or, urinary diversion, an alternate route for bladder drainage for severe, complicated OAB patients.
Sacral nerve stimulation. Another procedure implants a small device, similar to a pacemaker, under the skin. The device is connected to a wire, which sends small electrical pulses to nerves around the pelvic floor that control the bladder and muscles surrounding it. This helps build bladder control. Itâs often called a bladder pacemaker. The main limitation with this treatment is that it keeps you from having a spinal MRI.
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation. The doctor places a needle on nerves near your ankle that affect bladder control. Youâll have one session a week for 12 weeks and then maintenance treatments as needed. This procedure is done in the office.
An overactive bladder doesnât have to get in the way of your daily life. With a little time, patience, and the right treatment, you can regain control and peace of mind. Whatever treatment for overactive bladder you and your doctor decide upon, its important that you stick with it. If you do, chances are your condition will improve in time.
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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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Fda Oks First Otc Remedy For Overactive Bladder
Jan. 25, 2013 The FDA has approved Oxytrol for Women, the first over-the-counter treatment for overactive bladder in women 18 and older.
The condition affects more than 20 million American women, according to Merck, the drugs manufacturer.
Oxytrol helps relax the overactive bladder muscle that leads to symptoms such as the sudden need to urinate and leaking of urine.
It will still only be available in prescription form for men.
Oxytrol for Women is in the form of a patch, applied to the skin every four days, Merck says.
It is expected to hit store shelves by the fall. No cost estimates are yet available, according to Merck.
Oxytrol in pill form by prescription will still be available. Oxytrol for Women contains oxybutynin, a drug that helps to relax the bladder muscle. It belongs to a class of drug called anticholinergics. It is the first of this class to go over-the-counter for overactive bladder treatment.
Each patch delivers 3.9 milligrams of the drug every day.
The FDA approved the drug after reviewing its safety and effectiveness in nine studies involving more than 5,000 women. According to the FDA, the study participants could understand the label information and use the drug appropriately.
Among side effects reported in the studies were skin irritation at the site of the patch, constipation, and dry mouth. Merck will supply an educational leaflet with the product.
Bladder training and pelvic floor exercises are other common treatment options.
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Are There Natural At
Yes. While taking antibiotics is still considered the gold standard of UTI treatments, there are some things you can do at home that help relieve symptoms, as well. These include:
- Drink plenty of water. Consuming at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily can help flush away UTI-causing bacteria, setting you up for a quicker recovery. Plus, the more you drink, the more youll have to urinate.
- Urinate often. Each time you empty your bladder, youre helping to flush bacteria out of your system.
- Try heat. Applying a heating pad to your pubic area for 15 minutes at a time can help soothe the pressure and pain caused by UTI-related inflammation and irritation.
- Tweak your wardrobe. Wearing loose cotton clothing and underwear can help you recover from a UTI.
- Go fragrance-free. Make sure your personal hygiene products are fragrance-free to sidestep further irritation, notes the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
- Cut out certain irritants. Caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, raw onions, citrus fruits, carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners, and nicotine can further irritate your bladder, making it more difficult for your body to heal, per the Cleveland Clinic.
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Herbal Supplements To Treat Oab
Various herbal supplements, available at many pharmacies or online, may help improve OAB symptoms. Though many have been used for years, there is little research to back the efficacy of these treatments. They include:
- Green tea extract: There are no human studies performed to date to prove green tea extracts work. However, a study on rats indicate that rats treated with green tea catechins had fewer bladder contractions than rats without the treatment when recovering from removal of ovaries as a treatment for bladder damage.
- Gosha-jinki-gan: A combination of 10 Asian herbs is said to reduce urinary frequency. A small study â 44 women in Japan â demonstrated this when taking 7.5 milligrams of this supplement for eight weeks. However, this study has yet to be replicated on a large scale.
- Buchu: A flowering plant that is native to South Africa, buchu supposedly heals a variety of medical conditions. There are no studies that indicate that buchu helps to ease OAB symptoms, but buchu tea is caffeine-free. Perhaps swapping buchu tea for coffee may ease symptoms as caffeine can exacerbate symptoms.
- Hachimi-jio-gan: Similar to gosha-jinki-gan, hachimi-jio-gan is a combination of Asian herbs. HE contains several of the same herbs as gosha-jinki-gan. A small-scale Japanese study performed on rats indicated that this supplement reduced bladder contractions prompted by acetylcholine.
While some of these may be helpful, you might able be wondering what herbs do not work.
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What Is A Urinary Tract Infection
If you have ever experienced the frequent urge to go the bathroom with painful and burning urination, you have probably experienced a urinary tract infection . UTIs are one of the most common types of infections, accounting for over 10 million visits to health care providers each year. Roughly 40% of women experience a UTI at some time, and in women, it is the most common infection. Healthcare costs related to UTIs exceed $1.6 billion per year.
A urinary tract infection can happen anywhere along your urinary tract, which includes the kidneys , the ureters , the bladder , or the urethra . Most UTIs occur in the bladder and urethra. Common symptoms include frequent need to urinate, burning while urinating, and pain in lower abdomen area.
There are different types of UTIs based on where the bacteria goes. A lower urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria gets into the urethra and is deposited up into the bladder this is called cystitis. Infections that get past the bladder and up into the kidneys are called pyelonephritis.
Urinary tract infection symptoms may include:
- Pain or burning upon urination
- A frequent or urgent need to urinate
- Passing small amounts of urine
- Blood in the urine or or pink-stained urine
- Urines that looks cloudy
- Strong-smelling urine
- Pain, cramping in the pelvis or pubic bone area, especially in women
Upper UTIs which include the kidney may also present with symptoms of fever, chills, back or side pain, and nausea or vomiting.
Buchu And Your Bladder
A flowering plant native to the mountainous areas of South Africa, buchu has a long history of traditional use. Legend has it that buchu helps heal everything from fevers to coughs to urinary tract infections.
Buchu tea has no caffeine, so swapping your morning coffee or black tea for buchu will cut your caffeine consumption. That may be helpful in easing OAB symptoms, but dont expect a cure-all. No studies measure buchus effect on OAB.
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Potential Advantages And Disadvantages
Oxytrol for Women, being the only drug OTC for treating overactive bladder, increases convenience for patients who may not have medical access. However, there are multiple causes or contributing factors to overactive bladder therefore not all patients are suitable candidate for self-care. The regimen is also advantageous, dosed as 1 patch every 4 consecutive days, as opposed to taken orally daily like many other agents within the class. Practice guidelines from the American Urological Association state that there is no compelling evidence to select one antimuscarinic agent over another based on efficacy.6 However, they caution that oxybutynin is likely to have greater incidence of dry mouth and/or constipation compared to tolteridone based on pooled data. Using a longer-acting preparation such as Oxytrol patch is likely to reduce the chance of adverse events compared to the immediate release formulation.
Dosage And Strength Of Liquid
Oxybutynin is available as a liquid for children and people who find it difficult to swallow tablets. It comes in 2 strengths:
- 2.5mg of oxybutynin in a 5ml spoonful
- 5mg in oxybutynin in a 5ml spoonful
The usual starting dose for an adult is 5mg, taken twice a day , or 5mg, taken 3 times a day.
The dose will usually be lower for adults over 65 and children.
If you take 3 doses a day, space each dose evenly throughout the day. You could take it first thing in the morning, in the middle of the afternoon and at bedtime.
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How To Use Oxytrol Patch Transdermal Semiweekly
If you are taking the over-the-counter product to self treat, read all directions on the product package before taking this medication. If your doctor has prescribed this medication, read the Patient Information Leaflet if available from your pharmacist before you start using oxybutynin and each time you get a refill. If your doctor has prescribed this medication, take it as directed. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Apply one patch to your skin as directed by your doctor, usually every 3 to 4 days. If you are self-treating, apply one patch to your skin every 4 days. Follow the dosing schedule carefully.
Remember to remove the old patch before applying a new patch.
Apply the new patch to a different area of skin to prevent skin irritation. Do not apply a patch to the same area within 7 days.
Before applying the patch, wash the area you will be using for the patch gently and thoroughly with soap and water. Rinse and dry with a clean dry towel.
Contact with water will not change the way the patch works. Avoid rubbing the patch area during these activities.
If the area around the patch becomes red, itchy, or irritated, try a new site. If irritation continues or becomes worse, tell your doctor promptly.
If the patch falls off, reapply it or apply a new patch to a new area and continue on your same schedule.
The length of treatment is determined by your doctor, who may have you stop using the medication sometimes to see if you still need to use it.
What You Need To Know About The Overactive Bladder Patch
What is the overactive bladder patch?
If you have an overactive bladder, your doctor might recommend using the overactive bladder patch. This treatment option can help relax your bladder muscles and relieve your symptoms. It contains the active ingredient oxybutynin, a medication that can reduce urinary urgency and frequency.
The patch is a discreet and easy treatment option for overactive bladder. Learn more about the benefits and risks.
Overactive bladder is most common among older women, but men and women of all ages can develop it. You might have an overactive bladder if you regularly:
- experience strong urges to urinate
- urinate more than eight times in 24 hours
- wake up multiple times in the middle of the night to urinate
- experience incontinence or urine leakage
If you have any of these symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor. They can help diagnose the cause of your symptoms and recommend a treatment plan. If you have an overactive bladder, they may recommend the overactive bladder patch.
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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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What Causes Interstitial Cystitis
The exact cause of interstitial cystitis is not clear. Unlike other types of cystitis, theres no obvious infection in the bladder and antibiotics do not help.
In some people with the condition, the bladder is inflamed, ulcerated, scarred or stiff.
There are several theories about the possible cause of the condition.
These include:
- damage to the bladder lining, which may mean pee can irritate the bladder and surrounding muscles and nerves
- a problem with the pelvic floor muscles used to control peeing
- your immune system mistakenly attacking your bladder
- an allergic reaction
Its also been suggested that interstitial cystitis may be a symptom of a more widespread problem, as its been associated with conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome , irritable bowel syndrome and lupus.
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