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Medications that can cause urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence, or the loss of bladder control, can be caused by various health conditions and physical changes, such as childbirth, changes in diet, infection, prostate issues, menopause, and neurological disorders. But there are also a number of medications can cause urinary incontinence in both men and women in a variety of different ways.
|
Medication |
Effect |
Symptoms |
|
Diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, Hydrodiuril, Oretic), furosemide (Lasix), bumetanide (Bumex), triamterene with hydrochlorothiazide (Maxzide) |
Increase urine production by the kidney |
Frequent urination, overactive bladder, stress incontinence |
|
Muscle relaxants and sedatives such as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), lorazepam (Ativan) |
Cause sedation or drowsiness; relax the urethra |
Frequent urination, stress incontinence, lack of concern or desire to use the toilet |
|
Narcotics such as oxycodone (Percocet), meperidine (Demerol), morphine |
Cause sedation or drowsiness; relax the bladder, causing it to retain urine |
Lack of concern or desire to use the toilet, difficulty in starting urinary stream, straining to void, voiding with a weak stream, leaking between urinations, frequency incontinence |
|
Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) |
Relax the bladder, causing it to retain urine |
Overflow incontinence |
|
Alpha-adrenergic antagonists such as terazosin (Hytrin), doxazosin (Cardura) |
Relax the muscle at the outlet of the bladder |
Leaking when coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, etc. |
From Better Bladder and Bowel Control, Harvard Health Publishing
Image: Thinkstock
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High-dose flu shot may lower risk of Alzheimer's
Do gallstones always need treatment?
Healthier plant-based diet tied to lower risk of dementia
Is MRI contrast dye safe?
Are those body aches a sign of gallstones?
Staying active throughout middle age may lower women's risk of dying early
Hantavirus explained: What to know after the cruise ship outbreak
Stay strong at any age with 4 basic exercises
Don't count on daily aspirin to prevent colon cancer
After ablation, exercise may lower atrial fibrillation recurrence
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