Medications are often necessary to assist with bladder or sphincter relaxation and to treat urinary tract infections.
Q: Why would I take bladder relaxing medications?
A: Most physicians familiar with spinal cord injury recommend that persons with reflexic bladders take a bladder relaxing medication.
The thinking behind this is that if the bladder doesn�t work so hard in between emptying, there is less chance of hydronephrosis and bladder diverticula, and less autonomic dysreflexia.
Q: What are the most commonly used medicines doctors prescribe for bladder relaxing?
A: Probably the most commonly used medicine is oxbutynin (Ditropan).
The side effects from this medicine that are common are dry mouth and occasionally constipation.
If you have glaucoma medication you should not take this medication.
Other medications that have similar effects are propantheline (Probanthine), and imipramine (Tofranil) and tolterodime (Detrol).
Q: Why would I take a sphincter relaxing medication?
A: Sometimes these medications are used to try and improve the emptying of the bladder.
If the bladder empties better it seems that infections are less common.
These same medication sometimes are used to lessen the chance of having autonomic dysreflexia.
Q: What are the some of the sphincter relaxing medications?
A: The medications used for this purpose include terazosin (Hytrin), doxazosin (Cardura), tamsulosin (Flomax), and prazosin (Minipress).
All of these medications may lower blood pressure and cause dizziness or fainting.
Q: If I develop autonomic dysreflexia, what medications will my doctor prescribe?
A: :If you are prone to develop AD you will probably be taught how to use some type of medicine when AD symptoms develop.
The most common medication used is nitroglycerin paste applied to the skin.
Its advantage over other medications is after the AD is controlled the medication can be wiped off and any side effects stop.
The most common side effect from nitroglycerin is a headache.
Q: Are there other medications that might be prescribed for AD?
A: :Sometimes people have AD so frequently that a regular medicine is prescribed.
Terazosin and prazosin may be used as well as clonidine (Catapres). Clonidine comes as a pill or a patch that is changed once a week.
All of these medications may cause lowering of the blood pressure and associated dizziness or fainting.
Q: Are there any issues with the use of antibiotics I should know about?
A: :Most people with spinal cord injuries become familiar with the use of antibiotics.
The most important issue with these infection fighting medications is that they should be used sparingly.
If they are used too much the bacteria they are designed to kill become resistant to them.
Eventually the only antibiotics that will work are those that have to be given as a shot either into you muscle or veins.
This often means you will need to be in the hospital even with a simple infection.
It is best to work closely with your physician or other health professional in deciding when it is important to use antibiotics.
Starting antibiotics on your own without consulting your doctor can lead to problems later in figuring out how to treat the infection if the drug you started doesn�t work.
