Treatment options for incontinence depend on the type of incontinence and the reason for urine leakage. Incontinence treatments may include medication, behavioral modification, surgery or a combination of these. Some incontinence medications are indicated for both men and women, and some medications are gender oriented. There are female surgical procedures for incontinence, and male surgeries for incontinence. Your urologist will put together a treatment plan after evaluating the underlying causes of your urinary incontinence.

Medications for Incontinence

Some medications are available for both men and women to alleviate symptoms of incontinence. Trospium (Sancture), darifenacin (Enablex) and oxybutynin (Oxytrol Ditproan) alleviate incontinence symptoms by relaxing the bladder muscles. Botulinum Toxin (Botox) is another medication relaxes bladder muscles which cause the urge to urinate. Botox is available for both men and women and is injected directly into the bladder during an outpatient procedure.

Some menopausal women experience incontinence as a result of decreased estrogen levels. Although Estrogen replacement therapy has not been helpful for alleviating urinary incontinence, topical estrogens such as Ogen, Premarin, Estrace, and Estrig, help to strengthen the vaginal wall and reduce leakage associated with stress incontinence. These medications are administered topically, but they are counter-indicated in patients who are at high risk for breast and uterine cancer, gall bladder disease, or high blood pressure

Behavioral Modification

Behavioral modification is usually prescribed in conjunction with medication. Your doctor may recommend dietary modification such as eliminating excess water or irritating foods. Bladder retraining helps you identify when incontinence occurs, and may help you increase the time between bathroom breaks. Your doctor may recommend daily Kegel exercises to strengthen the sphincter muscle which controls the bladder. Both men and women can benefit from these types of behavioral modification.

Surgery & Slings

Your doctor may recommend surgery if medication and behavioral modification prove ineffective on their own. Different procedures are available for men and women.

A urologist can reposition a woman’s bladder using a number of different procedures such as retropubic suspension, pubovaginal fascial sling, suburethral sling, and tension-free vagina tape (TVT). Some women experience a weakening of their pelvic tissue as a result of childbirth, menopause, natural aging, obesity, or other lifestyle issues. As a result of weakened pelvic tissue, they might suffer from involuntary leakage when they laugh cough or sneeze. This is known as stress incontinence, which can alleviated by a type of retropubic suspension called the Burch colposuspension.

Male sling surgery is a procedure which repositions the bladder in men. Bulking injections into the penis may help restrict urine flow, and an artificial sphincter may help men who suffer nerve damage as a result of prostate surgery.

Talk to your doctor about the right treatment plan for your urinary incontinence.