www.incontinentsupport.org

My urologist is suggesting I try Botox injections into the bladder wall to help calm my overactive bladder. I’ve been on the drug mirabregon for a month or so and it has helped - although I’m still having trouble at night. The doc things the Botox might put me over the edge so I don’t have the issues at night anymore.

Does anyone here have experience with that?
Or perhaps those who were cured by it will have self selected out of this forum?

My uro also suggested Botox injections. In the end, I didn’t do it because of the potential risks. The urologist goes into the bladder through cystoscopy and injects the toxin. It essentially paralyzes the bladder. You will probably have to cath yourself for a few weeks after. You may not be able to empty your bladder on your own. You may/will also have to repeat the procedure every 3-4 months. I could not commit to this. I have had to cath before and it was very painful for me. I told the urologist I didn’t think I could do that to myself. So they determined that I wasn’t a good candidate and dropped the subject. My doctors understood my reasoning. Make sure the doctors explain the risks...including after effects!

Back when urological Botox injections were still experimental, I had them on three occasions. Basically, they paralyzed my bladder, but for successively shorter lengths of time, making a sphincterotomy the logical choice. I have read since that there is a long list of known side effects; if I had understood all of them, I would have argued for the sphincterotomy earlier on.

What are some of the known side effects you have become aware of? I’ve read that retention can be an issue for some people after, UTIs which by experience I know are terrible, but it doesn’t sound like there are super long term bad effects. The fact that you just go back to your baseline after a few months leads me to feel less afraid about trying it...

What are the positives of botox injections if they are so short term?

What I understood for the doctor - was to think of it like a much-longer-term, lower maintenance form of medication... You still have to get it redone, but only like once every 5-8mo instead of daily or twice daily like a pill... And perhaps it’s more effective? And perhaps you can do it in combination with medication for better results?

Thinking of it that way makes me wonder how cost effective it might be...

I might inquire more about possible copays, etc.

Because Botox injections for urological issues were experimental when I had them, there was no co-pay. I have since read that Botox (botulinin toxin) can migrate to sites distant from the injection, causing headaches both for the doctors and their patients. Although a sphincterotomy may need to be repeated over time, and it does have its own downsides, for me it was much preferable to Botox.