Oxybutynin. How long does it take to work?!

[Poppymum]

Hi,

I haven’t posted for ages but to update, my daughter ( 5 years, 6 months old) finally has Oxybutynin. She’s been on 5mg a day for the last two weeks with one sachet of movicol per day to stop constipation.

The only change we have seen is bigger accidents! Where her accidents were small patches, they’re now much bigger so I guess it’s increased her bladder capacity. Today though she’s still wet five times and now the accidents are bigger she is getting more upset.

She hates wetting herself. She hates people knowing. She hates that her little sister ( about to turn three) is dry.

When she needs a wee she has to stick her bum out and try to walk like that to the toilet to prevent it coming out.

How long does this medication take to work and should she be on 10mg or 15mg? The continence nurse did say she can up it. We can’t see her again for six more months though!!! We have a phone call booked in a few weeks.

Anyone with experience of oxybutynin with advice?

[claire5]

Hi my eldest son who is 8, was put on this at age 6 and half as well as taking Desmomelt. ( highest dose) they said his body produced to much urine & his bladder wasn’t big enough. We didn’t start the Oxybutine until a year later when the desmomelt weren’t really working. To be honest it was great for the first 6 months once his body was used to it but then accidents started again! It got to about 8 months being on it and we forgot a couple of nights to give it him, but he had no accidents but then when we put him back on it the accidents started again. We ended up last September stopping giving it him and although he has the odd accident which is normal ( it’s doesnt smell, no large patches and he is waking when it happens). I would maybe stick with it for another week & get it up before then if you just feel it’s not working at all and maybe ask them or take off it. I hope this helps. Keep us posted xxx

[Helen36]

Hiya - we went on it last July and I would say it took a good 6 weeks to notice a clear improvement. Even then we weren’t completely dry so we were then upped to 5mg a day (we started on 2.5) and that’s when we started to have some amazing dry spells. We tend to find we’ll have a good run of 4-6 weeks of near dryness and then everything unravels again, but following an appointment with a consultant it sounds like this is because her bowel is enlarged from previous constipation and pressing on her bladder.

Overall we’ve definitely had an improvement on the oxybutynin but it’s not been a total miracle worker. It’s targeted at relaxing certain muscles in the bladder so this could be the reason for the change in accidents you are seeing. I’d say hang on in there and give it time for both the drugs to take effect and for your daughter to get used to it. We increased the dose again at Christmas time and the side effects were too bad so reduced it down, it just wasn’t worth it for the dryness. I have read that it’s best to increase the dose gently to avoid side effects so I think just give it time. Keep a really close note of when the accidents are happening and anything else. I’ve noticed a link to accidents and if my daughter needs a poo or hasn’t had enough to drink or if she has had squash to drink.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you are getting on x