Is injecting Botox into the bladder muscle a safe means of treating patients for whom medications have failed to ease symptoms of overactive bladder? According to a recent British study, the answer is yes.
The study, conducted by researchers at King’s College and published in European Urology in December, 2011, concluded that while long-term studies on the safety of Botox injections for urinary incontinence have yet to be conducted, Botox injections are a safe medium-term means of treatment. The authors of the study have disclosed connections with Allergan, Ltd., makers of Botox.
The study monitored 100 patients receiving Botox treatment for overactive bladder symptoms for a period of six years. The treatment consisted of injection of Botox into the bladder muscle, and all of the patients observed had at least one injection, while most had two or three during the monitoring period.
While a quarter of the monitored patients dropped out of the program after the first injection and a similar dropout rate occurred after the second injection, the researchers observed that the patients who continued the treatment experienced significant improvements in symptoms including reduction of bladder urgency and frequency.
In addition, the study data indicates that while instances of urinary tract infection (UTI) were higher among patients receiving Botox injections than in those taking a placebo, the 15% rate of UTI was favorable compared to the rate observed in other studies, which ranged from 13 to 43 percent.
Botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, was introduced in 2002 as a wrinkle reducer and is widely used for cosmetic purposes as a non-surgical alternative to plastic surgery. The active ingredient in Botox is a neurotoxic protien produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which in large doses causes botulism (a paralytic illness associated with food poisoning).
The protein works to smooth wrinkles, brow furrowing, and facial creases by creating a controlled weakening of the facial muscles. It has also been used to treat a number of medical conditions, ranging from chronic pain to writers cramp and excessive sweating.
In August 2011 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Botox as a treatment for urinary incontinence in patients with certain neurological conditions, including spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis.
The use of Botox for incontinence treatment is being extended to patients who experience overactive bladder or urge incontinence, which involves the sudden and intense urge to urinate. In many cases, urge incontinence can be traced to spasm of the bladder muscles or an uncontrollable tightening of the urinary sphincter. Botox injections can relax the muscles and prevent spasm, increasing the bladder’s capacity to hold urine and reducing the urge to urinate.
While Botox has proven effective for some urinary incontinence patients, questions about the feasibility of long term Botox treatment remain. One of the primary concerns is the fact that the effects of the injections wear off in six to eight months, and the treatment must be repeated at least once a year.