The bladder is the pouch where urine is kept before it exits the body. Urine is kept from draining out of the bladder by the urethral sphincter, which tightens or releases. Normally, you can consciously control the sphincter and, hence, the timing of when you urinate. But a variety of bladder conditions may cause loss of such control.
Also called painful bladder syndrome, interstitial cystitis causes symptoms ranging from mild discomfort and tenderness to intense pain in the bladder and surrounding pelvic area. In addition, you may experience changes in the degree of urgency and frequency of urination. Physicians believe that this condition is caused by the release of histamine from mast cells within the body. Mast cells are attached to the body's tissues and organs and are responsible for controlling many of the body's allergic reactions. When your body comes into contact with an allergen, your mast cells release histamine-containing granules, ultimately causing swelling. Symptoms vary over time. Because of the diversity of symptoms from one person to the next, physicians suspect that this is not one disease but rather several diseases that have yet to be sorted out.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Pentosan polysulfate sodium
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Amitriptyline, Carisoprodol, Cimetidine
People with mixed incontinence have symptoms of both urge incontinence (an overactive bladder) and stress incontinence (inability to control urination). In such situations, it can be difficult to distinguish exactly what is occurring, but in fact the two conditions are actually found together. Physicians maintain that the best treatment is to combine the treatments used for both disorders.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: None
Off-Label Prescription Drug Breakthrough Option: Imipramine
Nocturia refers to being awakened at night by the need to pass urine. While this is uncommon under the age of 60, it becomes more usual and frequent with aging due to reduced bladder capacity and function and, in men, prostate problems. It can occur in otherwise healthy elderly men and women or may be the first symptom of a variety of medical problems, such as diabetes or kidney disease. If no underlying disease is found and a reduction in fluid intake fails to solve the problem, you may need drug treatment to help.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Desmopressin
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Bumetanide and Furosemide, Imipramine
Enuresis means bed-wetting during sleep, and nocturnal enuresis refers to an inability to control the flow of urine at night. Since it is common for toddlers to wet the bed because they have not yet learned to control the flow of urine effectively, the usual definition of nocturnal enuresis is bed-wetting over the age of five years. The condition is also called urinary incontinence.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Belladonna, Scopolamine
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Atomoxetine, Fluoxetine and Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine and Sertraline
Drinking lots of water is usually healthy, and doctors generally advise drinking eight glasses a day. However, if you have the urge to drink excessively it may reflect an underlying physical or emotional illness. Excessive thirst may be a symptom of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and can be an important clue in detecting diabetes.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: None
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Clonidine and Enalapril, Clozapine
Stress incontinence is a sudden involuntary loss of urine that occurs during physical activity, such as exercise, or simply due to coughing, sneezing, or laughing. It is the most common type of urinary incontinence in women. Stress incontinence occurs when the urethral sphincter is weakened and unable to prevent urine flow when pressure from the abdomen increases.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: None
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Desipramine, Imipramine
Urge incontinence starts with a sudden strong need to urinate immediately followed by a bladder contraction, resulting in an involuntary loss of urine. It is also known as overactive bladder, irritable bladder, unstable bladder, or Detrusor instability. The Detrusor is the external longitudinal layer of muscle coating the bladder.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Estrogens, Tolterodine
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Desipramine, Imipramine, Nortriptyline
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