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Duloxetine

In Stress Urinary Incontinence

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Abstract

  • ▲ Duloxetine is an orally administered, balanced, dual serotonin and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) reup-take inhibitor that increases neural input to the urethral sphincter, thereby relieving the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

  • ▲ Duloxetine 40mg twice daily for 12 weeks reduced the median incontinence episode frequency (IEF) to a significantly greater extent than placebo in women with predominant symptoms of SUI. In most studies, Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL) questionnaire total scores were significantly improved compared with placebo.

  • ▲ In a dose-escalation study in women with severe SUI scheduled for continence surgery, duloxetine 80–120 mg/day for 8 weeks significantly reduced IEF and increased I-QOL total scores compared with placebo, and caused 20% of recipients to reconsider their willingness to undergo surgery.

  • ▲ Duloxetine or duloxetine plus pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) were more effective in reducing the median IEF than PFMT alone or no treatment in women with SUI. Mean I-QOL total scores suggested that combination therapy was more effective than either therapy alone.

  • ▲ Nausea was the most frequent adverse event and was the main cause for discontinuing duloxetine therapy.li]

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Notes

  1. The use of trade names is for product identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.

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  1. Adis International Limited, 41 Centorian Drive, Private Bag 65901, Mairangi Bay, Auckland, 1311, New Zealand

    Paul L. McCormack & Gillian M. Keating

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  1. Paul L. McCormack
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  2. Gillian M. Keating
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Correspondence to Paul L. McCormack.

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McCormack, P.L., Keating, G.M. Duloxetine. Drugs 64, 2567–2573 (2004). https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-200464220-00005

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