Hyaluronic acid for skin: Benefits, how to use it, and side effects
Weight cycling linked to increased muscle loss
Self-directed cognitive behavioral therapy may help alleviate chronic pain
What men should know about proposed changes for testosterone therapy
Ashwagandha: Benefits, side effects, and safety concerns
Hearing aids: Types, costs, over-the-counter options, and AirPods
Meditation techniques: How to meditate for stress, sleep, and focus
Anti-inflammatory diet: Foods that help reduce chronic inflammation
Legumes: Are they good for your heart?
Treating peripheral artery disease: When might you need a procedure?
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
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Hyaluronic acid for skin: Benefits, how to use it, and side effects
Weight cycling linked to increased muscle loss
Self-directed cognitive behavioral therapy may help alleviate chronic pain
What men should know about proposed changes for testosterone therapy
Ashwagandha: Benefits, side effects, and safety concerns
Hearing aids: Types, costs, over-the-counter options, and AirPods
Meditation techniques: How to meditate for stress, sleep, and focus
Anti-inflammatory diet: Foods that help reduce chronic inflammation
Legumes: Are they good for your heart?
Treating peripheral artery disease: When might you need a procedure?
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!
Sign Up
