There are now two new treatment options for women who suffer from overactive bladder, a syndrome that includes urinary urgency, frequency and, sometimes, incontinence.
GELAn antispasmodic drug is often prescribed to OAB sufferers when strategies like as limiting caffeine intake don’t work. But in pill form, the medication can cause unpleasant side effects, such as constipation. Now the drug is available as a gel (Gelnique) that’s rubbed into the skin and is less likely to cause problems. In a recent study of women with OAB, most users reported a reduction in episodes of incontinence and frequency after 12 weeks, and 27 percent experienced complete relief from their symptoms.
INJECTIONS
Botox may be the last resort for some OAB patients. In a study from Guy’s Hospital and King’s College London, 16 patients who received injections of the drug in their bladders via catheters showed improvement, while placebo recipients did not. The experimental treatment may work by preventing a neurotransmitter release that contracts the bladder muscle.
Read more about urinary incontinence here.
