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Pharmacological Treatment of Bed-Wetting

  • Section 1: Desmopressin in Disorders of Diuresis
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Summary

In the pharmacological treatment of bed-wetting, only 2 groups of substances are useful: desmopressin, the antidiuretic hormone analogue and, to some extent, tricyclic antidepressants. Desmopressin appears to decrease nightly urine volumes to levels below bladder capacity and is effective in reducing the severity of enuresis in most patients; however, the long term cure rate is relatively low after withdrawal of the drug. The same is true for the tricyclic antidepressants, but because of their side effects and the potential risk of serious intoxication when overdosing occurs, these drugs are no longer the first choice in the pharmacological treatment of enuresis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Östra Sjukhuset, S-416 85, Göteborg, Sweden

    K. Hjälmås &  U. Sillén

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  1. K. Hjälmås
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  2. U. Sillén
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Hjälmås, K., Sillén, U. Pharmacological Treatment of Bed-Wetting. Drug Invest 2 (Suppl 5), 17–21 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03258237

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