Rx Relieves That Got-to-Go-Now Feeling

Is there anything worse than having to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom? If you have overactive bladder (OAB), you know the issue can sometimes result in more than a sense of urgency.

Recent research has confirmed that Toviaz (fesoterodine) is better than a placebo in offering overactive bladder patients relief from nocturnal (nighttime) urgency and micturitions (bed-wetting). 

Ask your urologist about medications available to relieve your OAB symptoms.

Investigators presented the findings from a recent prospective, double-blind study at the American Urological Association 2012 annual meeting, 

The study, led by Jeffrey Weiss, MD, of the State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn involved 937 patients who reported they had OAB, including at least three months of nocturnal urgency.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either fesoterodine or a placebo.

Researchers discovered:

• Individuals receiving Toviaz had fewer episodes of nighttime urgency and accidental urination than those who got the placebo. Over 24 hours, the number of episodes in fesoterodine group declined by 1.29 and 1.06 from baseline in the placebo group.
• Nocturnal urination and urgency episodes decreased from baseline by 1.02 and 3.05 among those who received fesoterodine and 0.84 and 2.72 respectively in the placebo group.  

In the treated group, the most common adverse effect was dry mouth. 

No funding or financial disclosures were provided.

All research is considered preliminary before it's published in a peer-reviewed journal.