WebMD: Better Information. Better Health.
  • Bookmark This Page
  • Site Map
  • Sign up for WebMD Newsletters
Pfizer

Treating Overactive Bladder

The following is a Sponsored Resource. The sponsor of this content has sole editorial control.

Do You Have Overactive Bladder (OAB)?

Many people think that as you age it's normal to get a bladder control problem. But there's a good chance your bladder control problem may be a treatable medical condition called overactive bladder (OAB).

Symptoms of OAB can occur day and night. They include:

  • Frequent, sudden urge to urinate
  • Going too often, perhaps more than 8 times in 24 hours, which may include getting up at night
  • Wetting or leaking accidents (for some people)

OAB Symptom Quiz

This quiz can help you find out what your symptoms may mean. However, it cannot give you a diagnosis. Be sure to bring your quiz results to your doctor to help with your diagnosis.

How to Take the Quiz
Print out the quiz below and write in a number from 0-5 using the scale below to best describe how bothered you are by each symptom. When you are done, add up your points to get your total and share the results with your doctor.

0 – Not at all
1 – A little bit
2 – Somewhat
3 – Quite a bit
4 – A great deal
5 – A very
      great deal
Your Score
How bothered have you been by...
  • 1.Frequent urination during the daytime?
  • 2.An uncomfortable urge to urinate?
  • 3.A sudden urge to urinate with little or no warning?
  • 4.Accidental loss of small amounts of urine?
  • 5.Nighttime urination?
  • 6.Waking up at night because you had to urinate?
  • 7.An uncontrollable urge to urinate?
  • 8.Urine loss associated with a strong desire to urinate?
  • If you are MALE add 2 points here
  • Total

If your score is 8 or greater, you may have overactive bladder. However, this is not a diagnostic tool. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms.

To help give your doctor a clear picture of your symptoms, take this page with you to your visit.

To the Doctor:
Pfizer has developed the OAB-validated 8-question awareness tool (OAB-V8) to help you determine if your patient has OAB through assessment of symptom bother. To be qualified as validated, this awareness tool was tested in a representative patient population to ensure accuracy.

The OAB-V8 was validated by testing it with 1280 patients. Patients answered these questions during their regularly scheduled appointments. Twelve percent of the patients evaluated had overactive bladder symptoms. Patient scoring an 8 or greater* on the OAB-V8 were 95 times more likely than those patients scoring less than 8 to have OAB.

Reference:
Coyne KS, Zyczynski T, Margolis MK, Elinoff V, Roberts RG. Validation of an overactive bladder awareness tool for use in primary care settings. Adv Ther. 2005;22(4):381-394.

*A retrospective analysis determined that men had a lower threshold for bother. OAB symptoms were considered bothersome for men at a score of 6, while bothersome for women was a score of 8. To simplify, we automatically added 2 points to men's scores so that a score of greater than 8 is considered positive for both men and women.

Next Article:

Safety Information

DETROL® LA (tolterodine tartrate extended release capsules) is indicated to treat the symptoms of Overactive Bladder.

You should not take DETROL LA if you have certain types of stomach problems, glaucoma, or if you have trouble passing urine. DETROL LA is generally well tolerated. The most common side effect is dry mouth. Other side effects may include headache, constipation and abdominal pain.

DETROL LA, like all medicines, has both benefits and risks. There may be other options. Ask your doctor if DETROL LA is right for you.

To learn more about DETROL LA.

Copyright © 2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved. DDU00205

WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.