Botox treatment may help with incontinence

Thousands living with urinary incontinence related to spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis (MS) may be helped by the most unlikely of treatments: Botox* injections.

In the first North American study with one-year follow up with patients for Botulinum Toxin A (BoNT-A) or Botox* for neurogenic detrusor, or bladder muscle, overactivity, Sunnybrook researchers found daily urinary incontinence episodes decreased by up to 57 per cent with clinical benefit improvements lasting up to 9 months. Patients also reported improved quality of life (QOL) on the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire and the Urinary Incontinence QOL scale.

Neurogenic detrusor overactivity is loss of control of the detrusor or bladder muscle to fully control urine as a result of neurologic conditions such as spinal cord injury, or multiple sclerosis that affect the central nervous system. It frequently causes urinary incontinence.

"Many Canadians are living with incontinence, which is debilitating both physically and emotionally. Current standard treatments like surgery or drug therapy are invasive or have significant side effects," says Dr. Sender Herschorn, lead investigator of the study published in The Journal of Urology. "Treatment with Botulinum Toxin A is non-invasive and this one year data shows strong potential for effectiveness and tolerance in patients."

Within the BoNT-A treatment group, findings indicated significant and sustained improvements in QOL scores, and decreased daily urinary incontinence episodes from baseline at a decrease of 57.1 per cent at week 6, 47.5 per cent at week 24, and 25 per cent at week 36. The study involved 57 patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity ages 18 to 75 who were followed for 60 weeks.

*Botox is a registered trademark