In 2017, more than 7 million people had Botox injected into their faces to smooth their skin and help prevent wrinkles. By now, Botox is essentially a household term tossed around in conversations about aging and standards of beauty. But in addition to providing a seeming fountain of youth, the neurotoxin has a surprising number of other uses, from mitigating migraines, helping with uncontrollable blinking, and yes, even aiding in bladder control.
Botox is an increasingly popular solution for overactive bladder—a condition in which you have strong, often uncontrollable urges to pee throughout the day, pee more than eight times a day, and often wake up during the night to go to the bathroom. In short, overactive bladder means the bladder contracts too often, causing those urges or leaks. And several studies have found that Botox helps decrease overactive bladder symptoms just as well or better than anticholinergic drugs, which block signals from the brain for the bladder to contract.
How does Botox work for an overactive bladder?
Botox is a brand name for a poison released by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a severe type of food poisoning that can cause paralysis. But scientists were able to take this seemingly destructive bacterium and isolate its neurotoxin in small doses to realize that its paralyzing factors can also be used for good. Essentially, when applied in small, diluted doses by a licensed professional, Botox blocks nerve receptors receiving signals from the brain. So, for example, when the brain sends a signal to a muscle to contract, if the receptor’s blocked by Botox, the muscle doesn’t move. That’s how wrinkles are smoothed in the face, and that’s how Botox works for overactive bladder.
Botox is a brand name for a poison released by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a severe type of food poisoning that can cause paralysis. But scientists were able to take this seemingly destructive bacterium and isolate its neurotoxin in small doses to realize that its paralyzing factors can also be used for good. Essentially, when applied in small, diluted doses by a licensed professional, Botox blocks nerve receptors receiving signals from the brain. So, for example, when the brain sends a signal to a muscle to contract, if the receptor’s blocked by Botox, the muscle doesn’t move. That’s how wrinkles are smoothed in the face, and that’s how Botox works for overactive bladder.
Botox is a brand name for a poison released by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a severe type of food poisoning that can cause paralysis. But scientists were able to take this seemingly destructive bacterium and isolate its neurotoxin in small doses to realize that its paralyzing factors can also be used for good. Essentially, when applied in small, diluted doses by a licensed professional, Botox blocks nerve receptors receiving signals from the brain. So, for example, when the brain sends a signal to a muscle to contract, if the receptor’s blocked by Botox, the muscle doesn’t move. That’s how wrinkles are smoothed in the face, and that’s how Botox works for overactive bladder.
Botox is a brand name for a poison released by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a severe type of food poisoning that can cause paralysis. But scientists were able to take this seemingly destructive bacterium and isolate its neurotoxin in small doses to realize that its paralyzing factors can also be used for good. Essentially, when applied in small, diluted doses by a licensed professional, Botox blocks nerve receptors receiving signals from the brain. So, for example, when the brain sends a signal to a muscle to contract, if the receptor’s blocked by Botox, the muscle doesn’t move. That’s how wrinkles are smoothed in the face, and that’s how Botox works for overactive bladder.
Botox is a brand name for a poison released by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a severe type of food poisoning that can cause paralysis. But scientists were able to take this seemingly destructive bacterium and isolate its neurotoxin in small doses to realize that its paralyzing factors can also be used for good. Essentially, when applied in small, diluted doses by a licensed professional, Botox blocks nerve receptors receiving signals from the brain. So, for example, when the brain sends a signal to a muscle to contract, if the receptor’s blocked by Botox, the muscle doesn’t move. That’s how wrinkles are smoothed in the face, and that’s how Botox works for overactive bladder.
Botox is a brand name for a poison released by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a severe type of food poisoning that can cause paralysis. But scientists were able to take this seemingly destructive bacterium and isolate its neurotoxin in small doses to realize that its paralyzing factors can also be used for good. Essentially, when applied in small, diluted doses by a licensed professional, Botox blocks nerve receptors receiving signals from the brain. So, for example, when the brain sends a signal to a muscle to contract, if the receptor’s blocked by Botox, the muscle doesn’t move. That’s how wrinkles are smoothed in the face, and that’s how Botox works for overactive bladder.
Botox interacts with the overactive bladder by blocking the brain’s signals for the bladder to contract. This leads to fewer urges, fewer leaks, and fewer trips to the bathroom at night. While Botox might not cure overactive bladder completely, it can certainly help lessen the symptoms.
How is Botox administered for an overactive bladder?
The Botox procedure is quick and relatively simple when you’re being treated for an overactive bladder. You’re given an antibiotic to help prevent a UTI resulting from the procedure, and you’re given a numbing agent for the bladder. Then, a cystoscope is inserted through the urethra into the bladder, and Botox is injected in several places inside the bladder. The injection process only takes about 10 minutes. Then, the doctor will ask you to wait in the office for about half an hour, to ensure that you can pee normally after the procedure. Most patients can.
Though you may have some burning the first few times you go to the bathroom, there’s no recovery downtime.
Does Botox really help an overactive bladder?
One study found that 9 in 10 patients saw their leaky episodes cut down by more than half, and around 50 percent of patients saw their UI completely end. Another study found a consistent drop in UI episodes, and bladder stability for more than a year for more than a third of patients. Quality of life also improved, as patients had more control over their lives, weren’t planning their days around bathroom breaks, and had higher self-esteem. Women see results as soon as two weeks after the injections.
Botox isn’t permanent—which can be a good thing (if it doesn’t work for you) or a not-so-great thing (because if it does work, you have to have continuous treatments). One course of Botox injections for overactive bladder lasts about six months, at which point the procedure must be repeated.
What are the side effects of Botox for overactive bladder?
Though most women don’t see any side effects after getting bladder Botox, some do. The most common side effect of Botox for overactive bladder is a UTI, which, according to Botox’s materials, about 18 percent of patients experience. Painful or difficult urination is also possible, as is an inability to fully empty the bladder—which can occur from the bladder now not being able to contract enough and is resolved by using a disposable catheter. But less than 10 percent of patients experience these side effects. Another study found that UTIs are three times higher in women who receive Botox for overactive bladder than those who received placebos, and the need for a catheter was four times higher.
One woman who received Botox injections for overactive bladder had difficulty urinating afterwards and had to carry small catheters around with her to use the restroom. But even with this inconvenience, she considered Botox a game-changer, , because it let her feel dry and confident when she went out—a far cry from strict control over what she ate, where she went, and what she wore before she got the Botox.
“It was a huge relief. Now I can’t go to the toilet if I tried. I must still use a catheter of course, but at last I feel clean and relaxed when we go out. What a life changer Botox has turned out to be for me,” she said.
Who can get Botox to treat an overactive bladder?
Botox is only recommended to help your overactive bladder if neither self-management (such as pads, bladder training, or lifestyle changes) nor oral medications work for you.
In addition, Botox only helps with urge incontinence—it won’t do much for stress incontinence, which occurs when weakened pelvic floor muscles don’t clamp down around the urethra, causing unexpected leakage. So make sure you know the difference between the two, and as always, talk to a doctor about your UI and possible treatment options. Botox also isn’t recommended if you have a UTI.