Overactive bladder is a chronic (ongoing) medical condition with symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, and accidental loss of urine. It affects an estimated 1 in 11 American adults and is associated with significant social, psychological, occupational, domestic, physical, and sexual problems. In the past, many people silently endured the physical and emotional effects of overactive bladder. Now, effective treatment is available. More and more people are breaking the silence every day and welcoming the chance to experience a more normal life. Although there is often no cure, overactive bladder is treatable.
The therapy of choice for overactive bladder is usually a combination of bladder training and/or medication. In bladder training, a doctor offers strategies to help the patient gradually increase the time between visits to the bathroom. When bladder training and medication are used together, the optimal results are achieved.
The drugs that are most commonly used to treat this condition belong to a class known as anti-muscarinic agents. They work by reducing the frequency and intensity of bladder muscle contractions. (These abnormal, frequent muscular contractions or “spasms” are the cause of overactive bladder.) The most commonly prescribed agent for this condition – tolterodine tartrate tablets (DETROL*) – has been shown to reduce the number of times patients go to the bathroom, day and night. It has been used by more than 1.5 million overactive bladder patients in the United States.
For more information on overactive bladder, visit:
American Foundation for Urologic Disease
http://www.afud.org/oab/
American Medical Women’s Association – Overactive Bladder Initiative
http://www.amwa-doc.org/Education/overactive_bladder.htm
National Association for Continence
http://www.nafc.org
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/urolog
Pharmacia & Upjohn – Overactivebladder.com
http://www.overactivebladder.com
The Simon Foundation for Continence
http://www.simonfoundation.org/html/index.html
WellnessWeb – Access to Continence Care and Treatment
http://www.wellweb.com/INCONT/urinacct.htm
Eric S. Rovner M.D.
