What’s Next When Oral Medications Are No Longer Working For Your Overactive Bladder?

Life does not have to revolve around finding a bathroom due to your overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, nor do you need to give up when meds don’t work. There are options. What’s next when oral medications are no longer working for your overactive bladder?

YOU Can Make Some Changes

Sometimes called lifestyle changes or behavioral therapy, there are behaviors and practices you can stop, alter, or add to your daily life to reduce the symptoms of OAB.

• Identify those drinks and foods that make you urinate more frequently. Then reduce their consumption or avoid them completely in the future. You may notice having coffee in the morning contributes to the number of times you need to urinate.
• Totally empty your bladder each time. You can do this by waiting about 30 seconds after you urinate and then trying again. You may be surprised by how much this will help.
• Maintain a healthy weight which lessens the pressure on your bladder.
• Begin Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles which will help control the urge.
• Practice squeezes to help your muscles contract and relax to prevent not only the urge but leakage.
• Delay going to the bathroom to increase the time between urinating.

Botox Injections

Yes, we said Botox. Just like it can freeze muscles in your face, it can do the same when it is injected into the bladder muscle to reduce contractions. It can last up to a year, but talk to Dr. Siddiq about any issues that may affect you.

Pessary Insertion

A pessary is a small removable medical device for women. It is inserted into the vagina to reduce OAB symptoms caused by bladder prolapse.

Nerve Stimulation (Interstim)

A small electronic device is implanted under the skin which sends electrical impulses to the bladder to change how the bladder nerves work. It targets the sacral nerve at the bottom of the spine which controls and regulates bladder and pelvic muscles.

Surgical Intervention

If everything you try, including medications and the above options, do not sufficiently control your overactive bladder, surgery can be included as a last resort.

The goal of this surgery is two-fold: 1) to reduce pressure on the bladder and 2) to improve its ability to store urine.