Can Botox Help Treat an Overactive Bladder?

Adults can experience urinary incontinence when they suffer from an overactive bladder or over activity of the detrusor muscle, which is typically linked to a neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or a spinal cord injury.

Botox helps relieve the symptoms of bladder problems by promoting bladder control. The detrusor muscle that lines the bladder plays an important role in bladder control. When the muscle relaxes, the bladder can fill with urine. When you’re urinating, the muscle contracts to release urine. If you have overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms or detrusor overactivity, your bladder muscles spasm involuntarily. Botox is injected into the detrusor muscle (your main bladder muscle) to block the nerve signals to the muscle. This helps control the muscle’s contractions. 

For this treatment, Botox is injected directly into the bladder muscle. The Botox is injected via a thin tube called a cystoscope, which is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder. Using the cystoscope, your doctor will be able to visualize your bladder and administer the Botox injections.  You should begin to notice a reduction in urine leakage within two weeks of receiving your Botox injections, however, it will take around 12 weeks for the Botox to take full effect. 

Dr. Hakimian and the friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to discuss Botox and any of our other procedures with you. Please call us at 1-888-LASER-15 (1-888-527-3715) to schedule an appointment at any of our five Laser Touch Medical Clinics or schedule an appointment online.