Oxybutynin chloride for daytime wetting and bed-wetting
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Examples
| Brand Name | Chemical Name |
| Oxytrol | oxybutynin chloride |
Oxybutynin comes in pills or syrup. It usually is taken 2 or 3 times a day.
How It Works
Oxybutynin reduces bladder tightening (contractions), decreases the irritability of the bladder muscles, and delays the first urge to urinate.
Why It Is Used
Oxybutynin is used to treat children who have daytime wetting because they have problems controlling the tightening of their bladders. Symptoms of problems controlling bladder tightening include:
- Feeling the need to urinate immediately (urgency).
- Urinating more often than normal (frequency).
- Dribbling urine or having damp underclothes.
- Leakage of urine when feeling the need to urinate (urge incontinence).
- Pain when urinating (dysuria).
Oxybutynin also is used sometimes in children who wet their beds when the health professional thinks that a small bladder capacity might be the cause, especially if the child also has accidental daytime wetting.
How Well It Works
Oxybutynin is helpful in treating daytime wetting caused by problems with controlling bladder tightening (contractions) in children over the age of 6. It also can be helpful in some cases of nighttime wetting (nocturnal enuresis), especially when both nighttime and daytime wetting are present.
Side Effects
Oxybutynin is generally safe. The most common side effects of oxybutynin include:
- Dry mouth.
- Facial flushing.
- Mood changes.
- Blurred vision.
- Constipation.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
Oxybutynin is not recommended for the treatment of most cases of bed-wetting because it has not been found to be helpful. It may be helpful in cases where a small bladder capacity appears to be the cause of the bed-wetting.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF) (What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
Credits
| Author | Amy Fackler, MA |
| Author | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Peter Anderson, MD, FRCS(C) - Pediatric Urology |
| Last Updated | November 14, 2006 |
Print This
| Last updated: | November 14, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Reviewed By: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Peter Anderson, MD, FRCS(C) - Pediatric Urology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman |
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