How Botox Can Help an Overactive Bladder
Hors devours, champagne, and lounging around the pool with friends — we’ve all read about celebrities hosting swank Hollywood Botox “parties”’ But Botox isn’t just for reality TV housewives and movie stars.
While injections may be an effective cosmetic procedure, Botox is also widely used by doctors to treat a number of medical conditions, including disorders like overactive bladder (OAB).
While bladder relaxant medications are frequently used as an initial treatment for OAB, patients who are intolerant to those drugs are often treated with Botox.
What Is OAB?
And although this condition can occur in both males and females, studies show that it impacts women disproportionately, affecting as many as 19% of older women in the U.S.
People with this condition often experience the need to urinate throughout the day (as often as eight times or more). Many patients may also wake up more than once during the night to urinate (nocturia).
Is There a Difference Between OAB and Incontinence?
There is a difference between stress incontinence and overactive bladder. Stress incontinence accompanies physical activity like exercise, coughing, or sneezing.
Overactive bladder is characterized by a frequent, sudden urge to urinate that is difficult to control and can lead to leakage. It is sometimes described by patients as their bladder compressing without their intention to do so.
While two different conditions, it is possible for patients to suffer from both.
What Is Botox?
Botox is an FDA-approved toxin produced by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. (Only two serotypes of this neurotoxin are used in clinical preparations.) It can be used to treat spasticity, involuntary muscle contractions, and other conditions.
First discovered by a Belgian scientist named Emile Pierre van Ermengen in 1895, it was approved by the FDA for use in treating urinary disorders in 2011.
How Is Botox Used to Treat OAB?
When a urologist injects Botox into the bladder muscle, a portion of the thick muscle bands (called trabeculation) are temporarily paralyzed, which causes the muscle to relax, allowing a patient more time to get to the bathroom when the urge hits.
It should be noted that, technically, Botox is used to treat the issue of urgency more than the frequency of the need to go.
Research shows Botox is 70-80% effective for people who have overactive bladder.
What Can I Expect?
The Botox treatment itself is usually performed on an out-patient basis and is done under light sedation. A urologist will place a cystoscope into your bladder and will inject the drug into various sites within the bladder using a needle that fits through the device.
Generally, the entire procedure can be done in less than 15 minutes.
Once the procedure has been completed, your doctor will generally ask you to remain in the office for at least 30 minutes and until you’ve urinated. This allows the urologist to assess how well you tolerate the Botox.
When Can I Expect Relief from OAB?
Most patients experience relief from symptoms in as short as a few days.
The treatment is effective for about six to eight months, after which you should consult your doctor to determine whether additional injections are necessary.
While the FDA recommends injections are administered at least 12 weeks apart, there is no limit to how many times you can use Botox to treat OAB.
When to See Your Doctor
If symptoms negatively impact your day-to-day activities, it’s advisable to consult with your physician. Your urologist can provide you with information about Botox and how it works to alleviate symptoms of overactive bladder.
The urologists at Norman Urology are experts in this field and are highly trained to treat disorders of the male and female urinary tract.
If you’re experiencing an overactive bladder, why not schedule an appointment with us today?
