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Published on: May 19, 2022
Postprostatectomy established stress urinary incontinence treated with duloxetine
Argimiro Collado Serra1, Jose Rubio-Briones, Miguel Puyol Payás
1Urology Service, Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Valencia, Spain. argimirocollado@usa.net
Urology
|May 24, 2011
Summary
Duloxetine offers a potential treatment for post-prostatectomy stress urinary incontinence, showing mild improvements in pad use and quality of life. However, side effects limited treatment for some patients.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common complication following radical prostatectomy.
- Established treatments include conservative measures and surgery, but drug therapy is being explored as an intermediate option.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of duloxetine in treating established stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.
Main Methods:
- A study included 68 patients with established SUI more than one year post-radical prostatectomy.
- Patients received duloxetine, starting at 30 mg/day and increasing to 60 mg/day, for a median of 5.56 months.
- Continence was assessed using pad usage and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-short form (ICIQ-UI).
Main Results:
- A statistically significant reduction in ICIQ-UI scores and daily pad usage was observed by the 3-month visit.
- At follow-up, 74% had improved ICIQ-UI scores and 57% reduced pad usage.
- Adverse effects led to treatment discontinuation in 25% of patients.
Conclusions:
- Duloxetine may serve as an alternative treatment for post-prostatectomy SUI, offering mild improvements.
- Treatment efficacy is influenced by side effect frequency, with 47% experiencing adverse events.
- Duloxetine can be considered for selected patients, especially if benefits are noted early and surgery is not precluded.
