What do you mean you can Botox my bladder?

When overactive bladder symptoms don’t respond to medication.

Both men and women can suffer from a condition known as overactive bladder. This usually involves frequent voids, more than 6 times a day, often associated with urgency and at times a feeling like if you don’t void you may wet yourself. Some patients report leaking urine if they don’t make it to the toilet on time.

When conservative treatment such as intensive physiotherapy to learn bladder deferral techniques do not work, the next step is medication in the form of tablets or patches. In some patients symptoms are not relieved even after trying several different options or even taking two different tablets together. After further investigations, you may be a candidate for botox treatment in the bladder.

Botox is injected into the wall of the bladder in very small amounts. This is usually performed under general anaesthetic, depending on the surgeon’s preference. Put simply, just like botox relaxes wrinkles on the face, the botox relaxes the bladder, relieving the sensation of needing to void so often. On a cellular level, it blocks a chemical that is the messenger telling your brain that you need to go to the toilet. This treatment can last 9-12 months and has a high success rate. Your urologist will discuss with you possible side effects and whether this treatment is an option for you.