Understanding How Botox Injections Can Assist Your Overactive Bladder Problem

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If you have an overactive bladder and feel as though you need to urinate every 30 to 60 minutes or more, then you may be frustrated and embarrassed by the condition. This condition is also seen if you need to urinate quickly or urgently. While some people may experience relief with behavior modification, weight loss tactics, and exercise, others experience worsening symptoms over the course of years or months. If you are someone who experiences a worsening overactive bladder condition, then more advanced treatments may be needed to control it. Keep reading to learn about injections and how they may assist you. 

How Botox Injections Can Help

Most people have heard of botox, especially when it comes to cosmetic treatments and the removal of facial wrinkles. However, botox is used for many other purposes, including therapeutic ones. In your case, the medication can be injected to help calm your overactive bladder condition. 

OnabotulinumtoxinA or botox is a protein taken from the bacteria that cause botulism infections. While many people believe that they are injected directly with the disease causing bacteria themselves, this is not the case. The injection contains the toxin produced by the bacteria. This means that the injection serum itself cannot cause an infection. 

The toxin does paralyze once injected though and this can keep the bladder muscles frozen so they do not contract and create urgent urination sensations. This is optimal if you have an overactive bladder with extreme urge incontinence. In other words, if you feel like you have to go to the bathroom constantly, then the injections can minimize the sensations.

To treat the overactive bladder, botox must be injected directly into the bladder. Only a small amount will be used, but the actual treatment can be a bit uncomfortable. If this is a concern of yours, make sure to speak with your urologist about a lidocaine injection to numb the treatment area before the medicine is injected. 

Drawbacks To The Procedure

You should understand that botox injections are not a foolproof treatment measure to reduce your overactive bladder problem. In some cases, the treatment may not be effective. If it is not, then you may need to investigate surgical options or nerve stimulation procedures. However, since these procedures are far more invasive, it is wise to opt for the injections before you try any other procedures.

If the procedure does work for you, then you will need injections on a somewhat regular basis. Specifically, you will need botox injections about two times a year. As time passes, you also may feel the botox wearing off and your urge incontinence or overactive bladder condition returning. This may mean the medication must be paired with your injections to treat the issue. 

You should know that there also may be an issue with urine retention once the injections are provided. This means that the bladder is unable to void all of the urine when you go to the bathroom. When this happens, the bladder retains a small amount of waste at all times. To combat this issue, your physician may show you how to use a catheter. The catheter will drain the excess urine from the bladder. If you do not do this, then an infection can develop. If you are uncomfortable with using a catheter, then you may want to look for other overactive bladder options.

If you want to know more about overactive bladder and how the issue can be treated and resolved, speak with a urologist or an overactive bladder service. A varied approach may be needed to combat the problem, and you can try different approaches depending on the severity of your problem. 


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