Oxybutynin chloride for daytime wetting and bedwetting

Examples

Generic Name	Brand Name
oxybutynin chloride	Ditropan, Oxytrol

Oxybutynin comes in pills or syrup. It usually is taken 2 to 3 times a day.

How It Works

Oxybutynin reduces bladder tightening (contractions), decreases the irritability of the bladder muscles, and delays the first urge to urinate.

Why It Is Used

Oxybutynin is used to treat children who have daytime wetting because they have problems controlling the tightening of their bladders. Symptoms of problems controlling bladder tightening include:

• Feeling the need to urinate immediately (urgency).
• Urinating more often than normal (frequency).
• Dribbling urine or having damp underclothes.
• Leakage of urine when feeling the need to urinate (urge incontinence).
• Pain when urinating (dysuria).

Oxybutynin also is used sometimes in children who wet their beds when the health professional thinks that a small bladder capacity might be the cause, especially if the child also has accidental daytime wetting.

How Well It Works

Oxybutynin is helpful in treating daytime wetting caused by problems with controlling bladder tightening (contractions) in children over the age of 6. It also can be helpful in some cases of nighttime wetting (nocturnal enuresis), especially when both nighttime and daytime wetting are present.

Side Effects

Oxybutynin is generally safe. The most common side effects of oxybutynin include:

• Dry mouth.
• Facial flushing.
• Mood changes.
• Blurred vision.
• Constipation.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

What To Think About

Oxybutynin is not recommended for the treatment of most cases of bedwetting because it has not been found to be helpful. It may be helpful in cases where a small bladder capacity appears to be the cause of the bedwetting.

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Author:	Amy Fackler, MA Debby Golonka, MPH Carrie Henley	Last Updated: January 11, 2007
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Peter Anderson, MD, FRCS(C) - Pediatric Urology
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