Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the unintentional leakage of urine. It is a common problem that can affect anyone, though certain factors such as age and childbirth increase the likelihood.
Key points
- There are several types of urinary incontinence: stress (leaking under pressure, such as during coughing or laughing), urge (leaking with a sudden intense need to urinate), overflow (inability to fully empty the bladder), and total (the bladder cannot store urine at all).
- A person can also have a mixture of stress and urge incontinence at the same time.
- Initial management often involves lifestyle changes, pelvic floor exercises, and bladder training; medicine may be recommended if symptoms persist, and surgery may also be considered depending on the type.
Medicines listed for Urinary Incontinence
The listed products contain Oxybutynin (Ditropan) and Tolterodine (Detrol), both in tablet form. These belong to a class of medicines called antimuscarinics, which work by relaxing the detrusor muscles of the bladder. This can reduce the sudden, intense urges to urinate that characterise urge incontinence. Treatment depends on the type of urinary incontinence a person has.

