Oxybutynin

What is Oxybutynin?

Oxybutynin is a treatment that helps you manage and control your bladder to prevent leakage. It has antispasmodic and anticholinergic properties which help treat urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine. It can affect anyone at any age but it’s most common in elderly people. This is because as you age, you become more prone to diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, which can all affect your bladder.^[1] There are many types of urinary incontinence, including:^[2]

• Stress urinary incontinence – Caused by increased pressure to your bladder resulting in leakage. It’s common in pregnant women and women active in sports.
• Urge urinary incontinence – Involuntary contraction of your muscles causing you to leak urine.
• Mixed urinary incontinence – A combination of both stress and urge urinary incontinence.
• Overflow urinary incontinence – Caused by impaired muscle activity (specifically the detrusor muscle). This could be because of a medical condition, like a spinal cord injury, or enlarged prostate.
• Functional urinary incontinence – When you find it hard to get to a bathroom in time.

How does Oxybutynin work?

Oxybutynin has two properties that help it treat urinary incontinence: it’s anticholinergic and antispasmodic. Anticholinergic means it works by inhibiting the muscle receptors in your bladder to stop it from contracting. This relaxes your bladder (antispasmodic), which prevents leakage and helps increase bladder capacity.^[3]

What doses of Oxybutynin are there?

There are three doses of Oxybutynin: 2.5mg, 3mg and 5mg. The dosage for adults is 5mg taken 2-4 times a day. For the elderly or children, the starting dose is 2.5mg. If you find it hard to take tablets, there’s also a liquid version available in two doses: 2.5mg/5ml and 5mg/5ml.

How to take Oxybutynin

Take one tablet with water up to four times a day. Your clinician will tell you what dose you’ll get and how often you’ll need to take it, but the typical dose is:

For adults:

• The usual dose is 5mg taken two or three times a day. This can be increased to a maximum of four times a day.

For the elderly:

• The usual dose is 2.5mg twice a day. Your clinician might increase it to 5mg twice a day.

How long does Oxybutynin take to work?

You should start to see some improvements in your symptoms within a week or two. However it can take up to four weeks to show its full effects. After four weeks, your clinician will check whether you need to carry on with your treatment or if you need to stop or try another medicine. It’s also important you don’t stop taking Oxybutynin unless your clinician has advised you to.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Oxybutynin?

If you accidentally take more than the recommended amount, contact your doctor or nearest A&E department for medical advice. You might get symptoms of overdose like behaviour changes and flushing. For more information, check the patient information leaflet.

If you forget to take a dose of Oxybutynin, take it as soon as you remember, unless it’s near the time of your next dose. In that case, skip it. Don’t take a double dose to make up for a missed one.