Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology
Published on: August 18, 2014
Antimuscarinics for treatment of overactive bladder
1Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. Karl-Erik.Andersson@klinfarm.lu.se
Abstract:
For many years, antimuscarinic drugs have been the first-line pharmacological treatment for urgency, frequency, and urge incontinence, all symptoms of the disorder termed overactive bladder. Antimuscarinic treatment is not always effective and is associated with side-effects that limit its clinical use. The clinical significance of the effects of antimuscarinic drugs has been questioned lately. In this review, the rationale for the use of these drugs in the management of overactive bladder is re-examined and the results of treatment are discussed. I conclude that these drugs are the only treatment with undisputed effectiveness in the treatment of overactive bladder. They may not be the perfect treatment for all patients with this disorder, but their value for individual patients should not be underestimated. Further clinical trials with improvement in quality of life as the primary endpoint are needed and may give a fair reflection of the clinical value of antimuscarinic drugs.
Related Concept Videos
Cholinergic Antagonists: Therapeutic Uses
Respiratory Tract: Ipratropium, aclidinium, and tiotropium treat asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They protect against bronchoconstriction caused by irritants like cigarette smoke, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. They also help reduce nasopharyngeal secretions in common...
Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions
Gastrointestinal Effects: Antimuscarinics reduce gut contractions, increase gastric emptying, and slow intestinal transit. They partly inhibit gastric acid secretion...
Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacokinetics
Antiasthma Drugs: Muscarinic Receptor Antagonists
Antimuscarinic agents compete with ACh for the same binding site on the muscarinic receptors. By binding to these receptors, they inhibit the downstream effects of ACh and block the parasympathetic...
Cholinergic Antagonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions
