Question re oxybutinin

[Teddy]

Hello all, I've been put onto oxybutinin for bladder problems.

My doctor has me starting out slow and will increase the dose as necessary. Just wondering, at what dosage have you found this works for you?

Thanks!

[MS Bites]

Did not work for me. Nothing has worked for me...I've tried ditropan, detrol, flomax and oxytrol. Oxybutinin is generic for either detrol or ditropan. All of these made me have no urge to urinate, when my bladder was maxed out, it emptied. I am seeing a neuro-urologist later this month.


Good luck!

[Teddy]

Thanks MS Bites - sorry nothing's worked for you. I hope the neuro-urologist can help you.

[Kittianne54]

I originally used the regular oxybutynin (ditropan) 3x per day, but it didn't seem like it was helping. My neuro sent me to a urologist because of frequent UTIs. The urologist switched me to oxybutynin ER (extended release, same as Ditropan XL) which you only take once a day - what a difference. This helped, especially when she increased the strength. I also have to self cath about 3x a day.

[Teddy]

Thanks Kittianne - if I don't have success with the oxybutynin (I am on Ditropan) I'll talk to my doc about the extended release one.

Just bumping this up to see if there are any others who've found success with oxybutynin, and at what dose.

Thanks!

[KLD]

Oxybutinin is generic for either detrol or ditropan.

That is not correct. Oxybutinin is generic for Ditropan, but not Detrol. Detrol is tolterodine tartrate. Both come in extended release versions as well. For some, the extended release works better, for others the regular works better.

There are also other anticholenergic drugs which have the same action, including Vesicare, Sanctura, Levsin, and Enablex. None is better than the other, and you may have to try several to find the one that works for you.

In addition, sometimes tricyclic antidepressants (which have a strong anticholenergic side effect) in low doses can help. We use imipramine often for this. It can be tried alone or in combination with any of the drugs above.

You also need to know what result your urologist is looking for. Is it reducing urgency? Keep you from leaking between intermittent catheterizations? Reducing dangerously high bladder pressures?

[Teddy]

Thanks for your response KLD. My problems are urgency,frequency and urge incontinence (complicated by mobility issues). I also have some problems with hesitancy (dyssnergia) if my bladder gets too full (ie if the urgency has been suppressed by sitting down), but that's not a real biggie (at this point anyway).

I am on nortytryptiline (sp?) for pain and to help with the bladder as well. The two medications were prescribed by two different doctors. One or both is helping with the urgency and leakage, but I'm now finding that it's taking me much longer and it's more difficult to go. The flow stops - I have to move around significantly to enable me to fully empty.