Botox Treatment For Overactive Bladder
An overactive bladder is one that involuntarily contracts too often or too quickly. It is estimated that about 33 million Americans suffer from this problem. The usual problems that patients with an over active bladder complain about are urinary frequency, urgency and urge urinary continence, which describes a situation where the patient feels a great and sudden urge to pass urine, and is unable to control it, leading to a usual wetting of the pants.
The exact cause of this overactive bladder problem is not known, but it is seen that some medications that block the effect of acetylcholine on the bladder wall muscles, thus reducing the abnormal bladder contractions that characterise an over active bladder. The unfortunate problem is that most of the medications that can work to reduce the overactivity of the bladder also have side effects such as mouth dryness, constipation, blurry vision, urinary retention and heartburn.
The botox procedure is relatively simple. A scope is inserted into the urethra with the patient under sedation so that the inside of the bladder wall can be seen. Small injections of botox are made into the bladder’s muscle wall. Usually a total of 20 to 30 injections are given, with a total dose of about 100 units of botox. The whole procedure takes about 30 minutes to complete.
The beneficial effect comes on about 2 to 7 days after the injections. Most patients notice a more controllable and calmer bladder with obviously less urgency. Effects last anywhere between 6 to 9 months, after which the patient can have repeat injections for his over active bladder.
The above illustrates one of the medical uses of botox injection. For non-medical uses or cosmetic uses of botox injection, please click on the link.
Bladder Cystoscopy
Filed Under medical treatment, medical uses for botox, overactive bladder |
Tagged With over active bladder, overactive bladder
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