Medical treatments

There are certain medical conditions for which you should not be on any of these medications (such as narrow angle glaucoma). You should to talk to your doctor or medical provider if you are interested in taking medications for overactive bladder. 

Anti-muscarinic medications
There are a variety of drugs available for the treatment of overactive bladder. The most common type are called "anti-muscarinic" or "anti-cholinergic" medications. They block the chemical signals to your bladder that make it feel like it's full. In the US, the name of these drugs include:

• Tolterodine (Brand name Detrol)
• Oxybutynin (Brand names Ditropan and Oxytrol)
• Trospium (Brand name Sanctura)
• Solifenacin (Brand name Vesicare)
• Fesoterodine
• Darifenacin

The most common side effects including dry mouth, constipation, dry eyes, and blurry vision. Rare but serious side effects include urinary retention, cognitive impairment and cardiac arrhythmia. Most of these medications now have extended-release formulations, which cause less side effects. 

In 2013 the FDA approved the first over-the-counter medication for overactive bladder, Oxytrol (oxybutynin). This medication is delivered via a patch, which needs to be switched every 4 days. Because of its slow release, people tend to have less side effects. 

Non anti-muscarinic medications:
There are a few other types of medications that work for OAB.

• Mirabegron (brand name Myrbetriq) is one of the newest FDA approved medications. It works by activating the signals to your bladder that tell it to relax. People tend to experience less dry mouth with this medication.  
• Imipramine and Amitriptyline are tricyclic antidepressant medications. They are less commonly used for OAB but have been shown to work in some people. Imipramine facilitates urine storage by decreasing bladder contractility. Amitriptyline may be effective in decreasing symptoms of urinary frequency in women with pelvic floor disorders or chronic pelvic pain.