do OAB drugs really work?

[Sabrina00]

I have tried several OAB drugs with little to no success (detrol, vesicare, cardura to name a few). So I googled "best overactive bladder medications" and came up with a Consumer Reports overview of the 6 overactive bladder meds that are being marketed today. The thing that I found the most interesting was that it said most overactive bladder meds reduce frequency by on average 2-3 voids a day. When you are voiding 20 times in 24 hours on a GOOD day, reducing the amount of times you void by ONLY 2-3 times really seems insignificant. Plus, I have found a lot of the side effects of these meds to be pretty bothersome.

So my question for people on OAB meds, do these significantly reduce the amount of times you void?

[ICNDonna]

How long did you take them before you felt they weren't helping. Sometimes it can take at least weeks for a medication to become effective.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[Mothergoose]

I have tried most of them.

I think they do work because on me I go from going every 30 mins to none at all.

I have retention problems so this type of meds make them much worse, but my understanding is that it reduces the spasms your bladder has so reduces the urge to go.

I would think other's will jump in here because I am sure many people get better effect than just reducing-3 x's per day.

Also the tests would have been run on people with OAB, not IC, so results my be different and in any case results will very greatly from person to person.

MG

[earthlady]

I didn't notice a significant reduction, but there was an improvement. My frequency issues fluctuated so much to begin with it was hard to tell if the OAB med was doing anything, or I was just going less on my own.

[phoenixgirl]

I think they are probably working for me. Before I was diagnosed, the first uro I went to see just gave me some samples of Sanctura and told me to come back in 6 weeks. It did seem to help but it caused some retention for me and very dry mouth. I went off it when the second uro I saw thought I might have kidney stones and definitely noticed my frequency went back up again. I'm currently on 10mg of VESIcare per day and I know it's working because I ran out of the sample packs I had and was right back at feeling like my bladder was ALWAYS full and running to the bathroom every 20 minutes. Now, the urge is still there but I really feel it's reduced enough that I can wait a hour and a half or so between voids now. Frequency is my main issue though so that extra hour of not feeling like I'm going to pee RIGHT NOW allows me to get out of the house and do some things I couldn't before so that's huge for me.

[nanawaggs]

Hi, Sabrina00 ~

Unfortunately I've tried Vesicare and had horrible retention. I've also tried Urelle with the same results. This was in my early diagnosis and trying anything to help with the pain/frequency/urgency.

Hope you find what works well for you.

[Tuckersmom]

Initially I was prescribed Ditropan XL. This worked well for me for several years. After a bad UTI 5 years ago, my bladder just would not settle back down. My Uro switched me to Enablex, and it works great for me.

When I was first diagnosed, the only scripts I was given were for Ditropan XL and Tofranil (Imipramine). After finding this site, I asked for a prescription for Atarax. Presently I am also having to take Urelle 3 to 4 times per day.

[ginaaa22]

I took OAB meds before I was diagnosed with IC and they did not help. I'm assuming everyone is different so it will be your body personally on how the react. Its worth a try if you haven't done it before.

[polygon]

They definitely helped me a couple years ago, it was the difference between going every 10 minutes to going every 45 minutes.
Now, it doesn't seem to make a significant difference if I'm on them or not, as I still have severe spasms all the time. The thing that does help is knowing you have extra support in that area, and can try to retrain your bladder.
Give the meds at least two months to work, and try to retrain at the same time, it might make a big improvement.

[greeneyes]

I'm on Vesicare and Rapaflo these two meds together have helped me greatly.

[Eline]

I've been on a 3 month Detrol spree in the past. After that, not just the frequency was gone, my flares stopped altogether. Yay!

Unfortunately, they returned after 1.5 years of remission. Detrol doesn't seem to work anymore. Neither do other OAB meds.

[nottoc4]

In the early going Ditropan,Detrol LA and Vesicare did nothing for my OAB and Enablex caused terrible retention for me. I was mis diagnosed with OAB,my disease is IC and OAB meds do not work for me. I have been on Elmiron on and off since June 2008.Frequency was the last symptom to calm down.

[Jereme]

The correct question is, "Do OAB bladdere meds work for me?" Trial and error is the only way to find what works for you. I think they help me. Elmiron does too. Neither works alone, I need both and then do reasonably well.

[soymilk]

I have found that they are helpful in reducing that horrible "twitching" feeling near my urethra that leaves me sitting on the toilet for 5 minutes after I stop peeing. They don't seem to reduce the number of times I go but it is easier when I go, if that makes sense. Then again I have never had severe frequency (about once an hour, which seems like its not bad after reading these forums).