Botox May Ease Urge Incontinence

Botox injections may help more than just wrinkles. Researchers recently reported that Botox may reduce muscle contractions that cause urge incontinence. The study included 26 patients whose average age was 66. All of the participants had urge incontinence that was resistant to treatment medications. The patients were also required to keep a diary and record how frequently they urinated and quality-of-life factors. During the study, the patients were given Botox injections in a bladder muscle and were tracked for 4, 12, and 36 weeks after treatment.

The results of the study found that Botox treatment caused a significant increase in the amount of urine the bladder could hold, which resulted in an ability to postpone going to the bathroom when the first need to void was felt. Afternoon trips to the bathroom also decreased from an average of 12 to 4. For patients who reported at the beginning of the study that their symptoms were moderately or severely troublesome, 4 weeks after the treatment the participants described their symptoms as "no bother at all"or "a little bother."