Drug therapy for urinary incontinence

Abstract

Drugs used for treatment of urinary incontinence may act on the central nervous system (CNS) or peripherally. Few drugs with a defined CNS site of action are available for treatment of urine storage disorders; most of those currently used have a peripheral site of action. To treat bladder overactivity associated with urgency and urge incontinence, antimuscarinic drugs, alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, beta-adrenoceptor agonists, prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, and several other agents most often developed for non-urological indications, are employed. Current treatment is based on the use of antimuscarinic drugs, and oxybutynin is, despite a high incidence of side-effects, the gold standard. Pharmacological treatment of stress incontinence has had limited success, and only alpha-adrenoceptor agonists, with and without combination with oestrogens have had a documented effect. New drugs, specifically directed at treatment of urine storage disorders, are desirable.