Selecting Medications for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

In response to the growing population of older patients with incontinence, pharmaceutical companies are developing new drugs to treat the condition. Before prescribing medications for incontinence, however, physicians should determine the nature and cause of the patient’s incontinence. The evaluation should rule out reversible conditions, conditions requiring special evaluation, and overflow bladder. The best treatment for urge incontinence is behaviour therapy in the form of pelvic floor muscle exercises. Medications, used as an adjunct to behaviour therapy, can provide additional benefit. Many therapies are available for patients with stress incontinence, including pelvic floor muscle exercise, surgery, intravaginal support devices, pessaries, peri-urethral injections, magnetic chairs, and intra-urethral inserts. No medication has been approved for the treatment of stress incontinence, although medications are under development. Copyright © 2005 by the American Academy of Family Physicians. SA Fam Pract 2006;48(5): 58-64) Permission from the AAFP was granted to publish this article in the hardcopy only. Kindly refer to www.aafp.org or subscribe to the hardcopy of South African Family Practice.