Medications and Continence (for Medical Professionals)
|
Class Name |
Examples (Generic names) |
|
Alpha Blocking agents |
Terazosin, doxazosin,
tamulosin |
|
Alpha Stimulating agents |
Ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine – used in some cold remedies |
|
Beta agonists |
Salbutamol, terbutaline |
|
Calcium Channel Blockers |
Nifedipine, felodipine,
amlodipine, diltiazem, verapamil |
|
Diuretics |
Furosemide, bumetanide,
bendrofluazide, |
|
Drugs with anticholinergic
effects. Many different groups of medicines have this effect. This includes
antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiparkinson’s disease agents,
antihistamines, antispasmodics, and inhaled medications |
Oxybutynin, solifenacin,
tolterodine, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, doxepin, imipramine, orphenadrine,
benztropine, promethazine, hyoscine, risperidone, clozapine, olanzepine,
quetiapine, ipratropium, tiotropium |
|
Sedative agents including
benzodiazepines and other sleeping pills |
Temazepam, diazepam,
lorazepam, clonazepam, zopiclone |
|
Strong analgesics
(painkillers) |
Tramadol, morphine, oxycodone, codeine, nefopam |
Medications can be very helpful in treating bladder control problems. However, in some people medications can affect bladder control and the ability to get to and use the toilet. This is more likely in older people who may be on several different types of medication. Usually for people with bladder control problems, medications are only part of a bigger picture. Sorting out a continence problem may well involve a lot more than just adjusting medications.
Medication may be very important for other aspects of a
person's health. The decision to alter medication by stopping or adjusting the
number and type of drugs should be done after careful thought and discussion
with who ever prescribed the medication, usually a doctor.
Medications are known by a number of different names. Firstly they may be known by the ‘class’ effect. For example antibiotics are medications which act against bacteria which cause infections. Secondly they may be known by their specific ‘generic’ name, for example a particular antibiotic used for urinary tract infections is Trimethoprim. Finally the drug may have a trade name, which is the particular brand a drug company manufactures, for example a particular brand of Trimethoprim is TMP, made by the drug making company, Pacific.
DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS?
Other titles
available include:
§ Good Bladder Habits for everyone
§ Bladder Control Problems in Women
§ Urinary Symptoms in Men
§ Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Women
§ Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Men
§ Bladder Retraining
§ Healthy Bowel - Bowel Control Problems
§ Dementia & Urinary Incontinence
§ Older People & Continence Problems
§ 1 in 3 Women Who Have Ever had a Baby Wet
Themselves
§ Bladder Retraining
§ Adults and Bedwetting
§ Information for Teachers – Children who wet and
soil themselves
§ Faecal Incontinence (soiling)
§ Bedwetting in Children ( Nocturnal Enuresis)
§ Toilet Training for children with
Autism,Spectrum Disorders and Learning Disabilities
§ Enuresis – Daytime Wetting
§ Toilet Training
§ Caring For Someone With Incontinence
§ Continence and the Prostate – Prostate Surgery
For information pamphlets on bladder and bowel control
problems - contact the
New Zealand
Continence Association – 0800 650 659
