Estrogens and phenylpropanolamine in combination for stress urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women

Thirty-six postmenopausal women with objectively verified stress incontinence were treated with oral estriol (Triovex, 2 mg x 1) and phenylpropanolamine (Kontexin, 50 mg x 2) alone and in combination. After an initial four-week single-blind period with phenylpropanolamine (PPA), either estriol or estriol and PPA were given randomly in four-week periods, in a crossover design. PPA and estriol in combination as well as PPA alone, raised the intraurethral pressure and significantly reduced the urinary loss by 35 per cent in a standardized physical strain test. In women with an initial low urethral pressure estriol also induced pressure increase. The leakage episodes and the assessed leakage amounts were significantly reduced by both estriol and PPA given separately as single treatment (28%) or when given as combined therapy (40%). Most of the women preferred the combined treatment to either drug alone. Additive but no synergistic effects are indicated.