Urinary Incontinence Drugs May Be More Trouble Than They’re Worth

MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) — For women with urinary
incontinence, the available treatments may cause more problems than they
solve and many stop taking the medications because of side effects that
can include dry mouth and constipation, a new analysis indicates.

Urge incontinence is marked by frequent, sudden urges to urinate that
can result in leakage and accidents. Standard treatment includes lifestyle
changes, pelvic floor exercises, bladder training and/or medication. There
are several types of medications that may be used alone or together for
the condition. Generally, these medications relax bladder contractions and
help improve bladder function.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health
analyzed data from 94 studies to see how well the available drugs worked.
A given medication was deemed effective if women achieved a 50 percent or
more reduction in daily episodes of urge incontinence. Researchers also
compared side effects and discontinuation due to side effects of the
drugs. Overall, drugs were more effective than a placebo in helping women
stay dry, but the improvements were small and treatment discontinuation
due to side effects was frequent, the review showed.

There were few head-to-head comparisons in the literature. One study
showed that Toviaz (festerodine) bested Detrol (tolterodine) in helping
people stay dry. More women stopped taking Ditropan or Urotrol
(oxybutynin) due to side effects than Detrol. The lowest rates of
treatment discontinuation was seen with 5 milligrams of Vesicare
(solifenacin). The review was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality.

“Since all drugs for urgency incontinence have comparable
effectiveness, therapeutic choice should consider the harms profile, and
women should be informed about all possible adverse effects,” the
researchers concluded. Their report appears in the April 10 issue of the
Annals of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler, a urologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York
City, said she always starts with behavioral changes to help women manage
urge incontinence. “Kegel exercises, fluid restriction and staying way
from bladder irritants such as coffee, tea juices and alcohol are the
first-line treatments, and if they don’t improve, we move to
medication.”

“Some women find these drugs work great and don’t have any side
effects,” she added.

Dr. Yvonne K. P. Koch, an assistant professor of urology at the
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said the findings run
counter to what she sees in her practice. “Some women may not be 100
percent dry, but are 50% improved and are pretty happy with that.” She
said she always starts women at the lowest dose of the drug with the
fewest side effects.

“There is a lot of trial-and-error,” she said. “Most people do try two
or three before they find one that works.”

More information

Learn more about the causes and treatments of urge incontinence at U.S. National Institutes of Health.

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