discussion title:
Alternative Meds for Incontinence?
Question: Is there alternative medicine, which has no side effects, which can solve incontinence? It seems the drugs on the market cause constipation.
It is true that many of the medications used for the treatment of overactive bladder do cause constipation and dry mouth, which are unpleasant side effects. I am not aware of any alternative medications that have proven efficacy in treatment of urinary incontinence in women. Since many of these kinds of medications have not been studied extensively, it is difficult to say what potential side effects would be of the treatments.
On the other hand, there are plenty of alternative therapies which have proven efficacy in the treatment of urinary incontinence, depending on which kind of incontinence you have. For example, acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment of overactive bladder in one study. Behavioral therapy is more effective than medications also for treating overactive bladder. Hypnotherapy may be effective in the treatment of overactive bladder. Behavioral treatment is effective in the treatment of stress incontinence as is physical therapy. The majority of these interventions have few, if any, side effects.
Rebecca Rogers, MD
Urogynecology
