continence meds

Everyday living
1

can anyone recommend any of the meds available for an overactive bladder?

i have an appointment at the bowel and bladder clinic in a couple of weeks and i’m hoping they will be able to offer me something. if i have a choice of meds it would be useful to hear other people’s opinions.

meanwhile i just have to pee in a jug and measure it! oh what fun

carole x

2

Hello Carole,

I have an over-active bladder, and for this I am prescribed Lyrinel (Oxybutynin) tablets. I have three of these a day, so that’s 15MG. I find these tabs very useful and the only side effect I have noticed is that they give me dry eyes, but this is not a huge problem.

Good luck,

Moira

3

Hi Carole, I take solifenacin (vesicare) for an overactive bladder. Dry eyes and dry mouth are the side effects and also some urine retention which can be a problem bit I don’t find too bad. Hth, Teresa xx

4

I was prescribed Regurin, not sure if its called something else too? With me it stopped me continually going to the loo.

There will be newer meds now, that was some 10 years ago. Ive since found out my bladder hasnt been emptying properly so I now rock and sit for longer, making sure I try squeeze out as much as possible. I know residue can cause infection.

Do let us know what your continence nurse prescribes/recommends.

Take care,

bren

xxxxx

5

Hi, I take 20mg oxybutynin a day. They cause me a dry mouth, as well as the amitriptyline, so I always have a bottle of water with me.

The tabs give me around 90% reliability.

Moira, my continence nurse told me 20mg is the max. Hmm?

luv Pollx

6

Hi Carole

I use Kentera patches for my over active bladder. They are Oxybutinin in a trans dermal patch which I change twice a week. You stick them on your hips or buttocks.

I got them from the nurse at my Continence clinic. She said as i took a lot of tablets this would be one less to take. I’ve been using them for nearly 5 years and i’ve had no problems with them. Good luck.

Lynne xx

7

Don’t forget pelvic exercises. I had completly forgotten them and how they strengthen my bladder muscles. If you haven’t been shown them ask for a referral to a Neurological physio. Personally having constant problems with my bladder and have started wearing a continence pad but am avoiding drugs as I already take drugs that dry out my system and want to try and protect the kidneys. I was thinking about Botox injections; just been reading Janis Winehouse’s article in the MS Matters magazine and noticed that she has Botox injections. Am thinking of asking my continence nurse about this when I see her soon.

Wendy

x

8

hi carole

i got vesicare i find very good not perfect but big difference

steve

9

thanks everybody for your replies.

wendy - i always did pelvic floor exercises since having my first pregnancy late in life - midwife called me elderly primigravida - huh i was only 30! trouble is i can’t feel what i’m doing and just have to guess these days.

also i read that article too and might ask about botox.

lynne - do the patches cause dry mouth? my mouth is always dry - yuck!

i went to a talk at ms life and the lady was saying that the drug most popular with nhs (cost?) was so bad she wouldnt give it to her cat! i can’t remember what it was called.

thanks again

carole x

10

oxybutinin, trospium chloride and detrusitol - solfenacin caused a very nasty adverse reaction in me.

I now get Botox injections directly into the bladder and they are wonderful.

Liz

11

i have main problems at nite,woulde oxybutin a good option for me,I tried them years ago but didnt think they ddid much,maybe they will be better ffor me now

12

Hi Carole The patches do dry your mouth a little at first but it seems to stop after a while. The only problem with Botulinum injections into the bladder is that you need to empty your bladder fully with an intermittent catheter. If you don’t do this you can get retention of urine which is very uncomfortable and can cause infections. Lynne xx

13

I use tolteridine. Intermittent self catheterisation - initially very scary - but now I couldn’t do without it. Also my magic bladder tablet desmopressin which stops me getti g up at night. Good luck Hugs Min xx

14

Toltoteridine and intermittent self catherisation - I used to take oxybutinen but it caused a dry cough - ISC because In have a fairly large retention problem (usually) which did cause constant bladder infections - I also have to use incontinence pads because I suffer from bladder spasms despite the drugs which cause spontaneous emptying! Joys of MS.

15

You might well be tried on a number of them (not at the same time) if one fails to do the job at the max dose or loses effectiveness over time. If medication does not bring it sufficiently under control and you consider botox, it might be important to consider how prone you are to UTIs as some people on here have felt that having to ISC has increased the risk significantly. If left struggling with pads and the problem is bad, you might be able to get them free (bit of a postcode lottery on where you live), may need GP referral to Continence service to be assessed for these.

16

Carole,

All the above meds do have side-effects - dry mouth etc - l can remember telling the Urologist - that he should try Oxybutinin himself before prescribing it to another patient.

LDN works very well for giving you back control of your bladder. Just contact www.ldnresearchtrust.org for more unbiased information. lt is run by volunteers - well it has to be because ldn is so cheap to buy.

lts well worth trying - lts helped me enormously - less fatigue - brighter mood - and l have not progressed in the 3yrs l have been taking it. Do look into it.

F.