Comparing Myrbetriq alternatives: which other medications can I take?

You may be looking for an alternative to Myrbetriq due to adverse effects or maybe it’s not working well enough to treat your symptoms. Symptoms of overactive bladder can negatively affect your life, sometimes for years. It can interrupt your sleep, disrupt your working life, and affect your confidence and wellbeing. The condition can affect men and women of any age. Choosing the right drug treatment for an overactive bladder may make all the difference, so know your treatment options. Let’s take a look at Myrbetriq before we dive into the alternatives.

What is Myrbetriq?

Myrbetriq is an FDA-approved prescription drug manufactured by Astellas Pharma. It is used to treat an overactive bladder (OAB) in adults and neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) in children. OAB is a condition where you feel the need to urinate often and sometimes suddenly. You may feel a combination of:

1. Need for frequent urination (urinary frequency)
2. Suddenly needing to urinate (urge incontinence)
3. Losing control of when you want to urinate (urinary incontinence)

Myrbetriq is available in two extended-release forms and may be prescribed alone or together with the drug solifenacin (Vesicare).

What is an overactive bladder?

An overactive bladder can be triggered by a range of causes. It often involves the muscle tissue in the wall of your bladder. This muscle is relaxed as your bladder fills, then it contracts and squeezes when you urinate. With an overactive bladder, your bladder muscles can contract more often even when your bladder isn’t full. This can cause the OAB symptoms of needing to urinate often, suddenly needing to urinate, not being able to control your urination and leakage. Myrbetriq helps with this as it relaxes your bladder muscles, providing relief from the symptoms of an overactive bladder.

How does Myrbetriq work?

The active ingredient in Myrbetriq is called mirabegron. This drug is classed as a beta-3 adrenergic agonist. Mirabegron relaxes the muscles in the wall of your bladder to reduce the symptoms of an overactive bladder. It does this by attaching itself to areas on the surface of the muscles called receptors (β3-adrenergic receptors). These receptors are stimulated by mirabegron, and they start a process that relaxes the bladder muscles.

Myrbetriq’s common side effects

The most common possible side effects caused by Myrbetriq are:

• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Dry eyes
• Diarrhea
• Urinary tract infections
• Blurred vision

Unfortunately, in some instances, you could experience more severe side effects such as a severe rise in blood pressure. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Myrbetriq warnings & precautions

Don’t take Myrbetriq if you:

• Are allergic to the active ingredient mirabegron
• Are allergic to any of the other ingredients in Myrbetriq
• If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Are under 18 years of age
• Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant

Alternatives to Myrbetriq for treatment of overactive bladder

• Ditropan XL (oxybutynin)
• Vesicare (solifenacin)
• Toviaz (fesoterodine)
• Detrol (tolterodine)
• Sanctura (trospium)
• Enablex (darifenacin)
• Gemtesa (vibregron)
• Botox (botulinum toxin)

The alternatives shown above are all anticholinergic drugs and work differently from Myrbetriq. Anticholinergic drugs work by relaxing smooth muscle tissue in your bladder. When this smooth muscle tissue contracts, it makes you want to urinate. A natural chemical in your body, called acetylcholine, causes your smooth muscle tissue to contract when it attaches to areas on the surface of the tissue called receptors. But anticholinergic drugs attach to these receptors first, blocking acetylcholine. This helps to stop your smooth muscle tissue from contracting, keeping it relaxed for longer so it can hold more urine.

Work with your healthcare provider to find out which medication is best for you. Always inform your doctor of any medical conditions you have, or medication you are taking including over-the-counter meds, to receive the most appropriate medical advice.