Examples
|
|
Ditropan,
Oxytrol,
| oxybutynin chloride |
Oxybutynin comes in pills or syrup. It usually is taken 2
or 3 times a day.
How It Works
Oxybutynin reduces bladder tightening
(contractions), decreases the irritability of the bladder muscles, and delays
the first urge to urinate.
Why It Is Used
Oxybutynin is used to treat children
who have daytime wetting because they have problems controlling the tightening
of their bladders. Symptoms of problems controlling bladder tightening
include:
- Feeling the need to urinate immediately
(urgency).
- Urinating more often than normal
(frequency).
- Dribbling urine or having damp
underclothes.
- Leaking urine when feeling the need to urinate (urge
incontinence).
- Pain when urinating (dysuria).
Oxybutynin also is used sometimes in children who wet their
beds when the health professional thinks that a small bladder capacity might be
the cause, especially if the child also has accidental daytime wetting.
How Well It Works
Oxybutynin is helpful in treating
daytime wetting caused by problems with controlling bladder tightening
(contractions) in children age 6 and older. It also can be helpful in some
cases of nighttime wetting (nocturnal enuresis), especially when both nighttime
and daytime wetting are present.
Side Effects
Oxybutynin is generally safe. The most
common side effects of oxybutynin include:
- Dry mouth.
- Facial
flushing.
- Mood changes.
- Blurred
vision.
- Constipation.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug
Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
Oxybutynin is not recommended for
the treatment of most cases of
because it has not been found to be
helpful. It may be helpful in cases where a small bladder capacity appears to
be the cause of the bed-wetting.
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