Tolterodine

Tolterodine, sold under the brand names Detrol among others, is medication used to treat frequent urination, urinary incontinence, or urinary urgency. Effects are seen within an hour. It is taken by mouth. Tolterodine, sold under the brand names Detrol among others, is medication used to treat frequent urination, urinary incontinence, or urinary urgency. Effects are seen within an hour. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects include headache, dry mouth, constipation, and dizziness. Serious side effects may include angioedema, urinary retention, and QT prolongation. Use in pregnancy and breastfeeding are of unclear safety. It works by blocking muscarinic receptors in the bladder thus decreasing bladder contractions. Tolterodine was approved for medical use in 1998. It is available as a generic medication. A month supply costs the NHS about 2.09 £ per month as of 2019. In the United States the wholesale cost of this amount is about US$37.16. In 2016 it was the 300th most prescribed medication in the United States with more than a million prescriptions. Detrusor overactivity (DO, contraction of the muscular bladder wall) is the most common form of urinary incontinence (UI) in older adults. It is characterized by uninhibited bladder contractions causing an uncontrollable urge to void. Urinary frequency, urge incontinence and nocturnal incontinence occur. Abnormal bladder contractions that coincide with the urge to void can be measured by urodynamic studies. Treatment is bladder retraining, pelvic floor therapy or with drugs that inhibit bladder contractions such as oxybutynin and tolterodine.