Bladder Botox

Overview

Bladder BOTOX^® is a prescription medicine that is injected into the bladder muscle and used to treat Overactive Bladder (OAB) symptoms, including a strong need to urinate with leaking or wetting accidents (urge urinary incontinence), a strong need to urinate right away (urgency), and urinating often (frequency).

Bladder BOTOX^® is appropriate for adults 18 years and older when another type of medicine (anticholinergic) does not work well enough or cannot be taken. It is a different treatment option that takes another approach to targeting the source of your overactive bladder: the bladder muscle itself.

Bladder BOTOX^® works by calming the nerves that trigger the overactive bladder muscle, helping to:

• Reduce daily leakage episodes (accidents)
• Treat the strong need to urinate right away
• Reduce the number of times you need to empty your bladder daily

Before your bladder BOTOX^® treatment

Before your first treatment with Bladder BOTOX^® your urologist will:

• Explain how the Bladder BOTOX^® is done and the results you may expect
• Instruct you to temporarily stop taking antiplatelets (aspirin-like products) at least 3 days before treatment
• Give you antibiotics on to 3 days before your treatment to help prevent urinary tract infection (UTI).

What To Expect

Your first bladder BOTOX^® treatment

On the day of your first appointment your urologist will perform a test to confirm you do not have a urinary tract infection (UTI). Patients have the option for anesthesia — either no anesthesia, local, regional or general.

After using anesthesia to numb your bladder, your urologist will make small injections in the bladder wall, where the bladder muscle is located. Your urologist can do this either in the hospital or in their office. A Bladder BOTOX^® treatment requires 1 hour in the doctor’s office as few as 2 times per year.

Bladder BOTOX^® post-treatment information

After the Bladder BOTOX^® treatment procedure:

• You may resume your usual activity and diet
• Continue taking the antibiotic that was prescribed to you until finished, as recommended by your doctor
• You should not experience significant pain, although it may sting or burn when you urinate the first few times. You may also see some blood in the urine right after treatment. Contact your doctor if either of these symptoms persist

In clinical trials Bladder BOTOX^® began to reduce daily leakage episodes after just 2 weeks. In the clinical trials, at week 12, adults using Bladder BOTOX^® reduced their average number of daily leakage episodes by about half.

One Bladder BOTOX^® treatment can last up to 4 to 6 months before the effects wear off. Work with your doctor to review the results of your first treatment cycle to determine your individual re-treatment schedule.

Important safety information

Bladder BOTOX^® may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection:

• Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months.
• Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice (dysphonia), trouble saying words clearly (dysarthria), loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.