Experiences with
MirabegronMirabegron is a medicine that eases the symptoms of an overactive bladder. It does not treat your condition.
It helps with symptoms such as:
- a sudden and urgent need to pee (urinary urgency)
- needing to pee more often than usual (urinary frequency)
- wetting yourself if you cannot make it to the toilet in time (urinary incontinence)
Mirabegron works by relaxing the muscles around your bladder. This means your bladder can hold more liquid and you will not need to pee as often or as urgently.
This medicine is only available on prescription.
It comes as slow-release tablets (sometimes called modified release or prolonged release). This means the tablets release mirabegron slowly and evenly throughout the day.
Who can take mirabegron
Most adults aged 18 years old and over can take mirabegron.
Who may not be able to take mirabegron
Mirabegron is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take it if you:
- have ever had an allergic reaction to mirabegron or any other medicine
- have liver or kidney problems
- have high blood pressure
- are not able to pee or empty your bladder completely (urinary retention)
- have a blockage in your bladder
- have a heart problem called long QT syndrome
- are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding
Dosage and strength
Mirabegron comes as 25mg and 50mg slow-release tablets.
The usual dose is 50mg, taken once a day.
If you have kidney or liver problems, your doctor may recommend a lower dose of 25mg taken once a day.
How to take it
You can take mirabegron at any time, but take it at the same time each day.
Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not chew or crush them.
You can take mirabegron with or without food.
How long to take it for
Usually, treatment with mirabegron is long term.
Do not stop taking it without talking to your doctor first. Your symptoms may come back or get worse.
However, if you no longer have bladder problems, your doctor will advise you to stop taking it.
If you forget to take it
If you forget to take a dose of mirabegron, take it as soon as you remember unless your next dose is due in less than 6 hours. In this case skip the missed dose and take your next one at the usual time.
Do not take 2 doses to make up for a missed dose.
If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.
If you take too much
If you take more than your prescribed dose of mirabegron, it's unlikely to harm you.
If you take an extra dose you might get some of the common side effects, such as increased heart rate, or headache and dizziness.
you've taken more than your prescribed dose of mirabegron and:
- you're having side effects
- you're worried
Go to 111 online or call 111
If you need to go to A&E, do not drive yourself. Get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance.
Take the mirabegron packet, or the leaflet inside it, plus any remaining medicine with you.
Common side effects
These common side effects of mirabegron are usually mild and do not last long. There are things you can do to help cope with them:
Try taking mirabegron with food. It may also help if you stick to simple meals and avoid rich or spicy food.
Get more fibre into your diet such as fresh fruit, vegetables and cereals, and drink plenty of water. Try to exercise more regularly, for example, by going for a daily walk or run. If this does not help, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Drink lots of fluids, such as water or squash, to avoid dehydration. Signs of dehydration include peeing less than usual or having dark, strong-smelling pee.
Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor.
If you take contraceptive pills and you have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraception may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet for advice.
Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask a pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Talk to your doctor if the headaches continue or are getting worse.
Stop what you're doing and sit or lie down until you feel better. Do not drive, ride a bike or operate machinery until it passes. If the dizzy spells continue, speak to your doctor.
Mirabegron can cause a fast heart rate where you can feel your heart beating faster than usual for no obvious reason (like vigorous exercise).
Lie down and try to relax. This is usually nothing to worry about and will pass. Call 111 if your heartbeat does not slow down after resting.
Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in 1,000 people.
Call a doctor or call 111 for advice now if:
- you have problems emptying your bladder completely, or problems starting to pee
- you have pain or a burning sensation when you pee, or smelly or cloudy pee – these could be signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI)
- you have irritated eyes and red or swollen eyelids
- you get small spots on your skin that are purple but not itchy
- you get a fast heartbeat that does not slow down after resting
- you have chest pain
- you have a very severe headache
- you have difficulty breathing
In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to mirabegron.
Meds New IA (H4) - serious allergic reactionThese are not all the side effects of mirabegron. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.
Mirabegron and pregnancy
Mirabegron is not usually recommended in pregnancy. There's not enough information available to say whether it's safe or not to take this medicine during pregnancy.
If having an overactive bladder greatly affects your day to day life, talk to your doctor. They may suggest alternative treatments.
Mirabegron and breastfeeding
If your doctor or health visitor says your baby is healthy, you can take mirabegron while breastfeeding, although other medicines that we know more about might be better.
It's not known how much mirabegron gets into breast milk, although it's likely to be a small amount.
Talk to your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist or call 111 as soon as possible if you have any concerns, including if your baby:
- is being sick or has diarrhoea
- has constipation
- has signs of a urinary tract infection, such as being irritable, a high temperature and pee that smells different from usual
Mirabegron and fertility
There's no evidence to suggest that taking mirabegron will reduce fertility in either men or women.
However, tell your doctor if you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant. This medicine is not usually recommended in pregnancy.
Meds New IA (H2) - Pregnancy non-urgent care cardCautions with other medicines
Mirabegron may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how mirabegron works.
Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you're taking:
- digoxin, a medicine for heart failure or abnormal heart rhythm
- imipramine, a medicine for depression
- dabigatran, a medicine to help prevent blood clots (anticoagulant)
- clarithromycin, an antibiotic
- ketoconazole or itraconazole, medicines used to treat fungal infections
- medicines used to treat HIV, such as ritonavir
Taking mirabegron with painkillers
It's safe to take mirabegron with everyday painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Taking mirabegron with herbal remedies and supplements
There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines, herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with mirabegron. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.
Meds New IA (H2) - Cautions with other medicines alertRelated links
![Content supplied by the NHS website](https://digital.nhs.uk/binaries/content/gallery/website/developer/api-catalogue/nhs-website-content/nhs-attribution.png)
HealthUnlocked contains information from NHS Digital, licensed under the current version of the Open Government Licence