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Pharmacological treatment of pure stress urinary incontinence: a narrative review

  • Review Article
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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

Treatment escalation from conservative directly to surgical in the management of pure stress urinary incontinence (SUI) reveals a gap for effective pharmacological treatments. The introduction of a drug therapy would fill this gap and widen the treatment options. Nevertheless, various pharmaceutical agents have been used off-label and are being investigated and becoming more widely available. In this review, we examined the latest published data regarding pharmacotherapy used in the treatment of SUI.

Methods

We performed a literature review to evaluate the relevant studies pertaining to any pharmacotherapy used in the management of SUI, examining the English language literature.

Results

Currently, no drug exists that is approved by the food and drug administration for the management of SUI. A few oral pharmacological agents are occasionally used off-label. Lack of proven efficacy and high incidence of bothersome side effects of these agents limit their use. Duloxetine, a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, represents a major therapeutic advance for the treatment of SUI based on findings from a number of controlled clinical trials.

Conclusions

Several pharmacological agents have been used off-label and investigated for safety and efficacy, but none has demonstrated sufficient effectiveness to receive widespread verification for its use in the treatment of SUI.

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Abbreviations

EMG:

Electromyographic

ERT:

Estrogen replacement therapy

FDA:

Food and Drug Administration

IEF:

Incontinence episode frequency

I-QOL:

Incontinence-specific Quality of Life questionnaire score

MPA:

Medroxyprogesterone acetate

NA:

Noradrenalin

PGI-I:

Patient Global Impression of Improvement

PMFT:

Pelvic floor muscle training

PPA:

Phenylpropanolamine

QOL:

Quality of life

RCT:

Randomized controlled trial

SNRI:

Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors

SUI:

Stress urinary Incontinence

TCA:

Tricyclic antidepressants

UUI:

Urgency urinary incontinence

WHO/ICI:

World Health Organization/International Consultation on Incontinence

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Al-Adan Hospital, Kuwait, Kuwait

    Mariam A. Malallah

  2. Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, Kuwait

    Tariq F. Al-Shaiji

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  1. Mariam A. Malallah
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  2. Tariq F. Al-Shaiji
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Correspondence to Mariam A. Malallah.

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Malallah, M.A., Al-Shaiji, T.F. Pharmacological treatment of pure stress urinary incontinence: a narrative review. Int Urogynecol J 26, 477–485 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-014-2512-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-014-2512-9

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