Overactive bladder affects nearly 33 million individuals in North America. Both men and women are equally affected, but more severe symptoms occur much early in women. Symptoms of overactive bladder include urinary urgency, frequency, and frequent urination at night. These symptoms often lead to a poor quality of life, depression, isolation, and long term disability. There are many treatments for overactive bladder but most pills also have side effects.
Recently, the FDA approved use of Oxybutynin chloride gel (10%) for the treatment of overactive bladder. Oxybutynin (Gelnique) acts like an anti spasmodic agent and offers patients with overactive bladder a better method to control their disorder. By relaxing the bladder muscles, oxybutynin helps diminish the strong urge to urinate all the time.
When Gelnique was evaluated in a recent clinical trial, it was shown to be quite efficacious and had minimal side effects. Applying the drug as paste led to better patient compliance. In a recent 12-weeks double blind trial, the gel was compared to a sugar formula and most patients has decreased incontinence episodes, less urinary frequency and urgency.
Oxybutynin is applied on skin as a gel and thus it bypasses the liver. This leads to much fewer side effects – that are commonly seen when the drug is administered as a pill. Most patients in the trial had significantly fewer episodes of dry mouth and constipation when the topical formula was used.
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