Urinary retention triggered by dimenhydrinate: A case report.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Urology

Background:

• Antihistamines are commonly used for various conditions.
• Acute urinary retention (AUR) is a rare but serious adverse effect.
• The potential for dimenhydrinate to cause AUR, especially in patients on other medications, is not well-documented.

Observation:

• A case of a 35-year-old female patient with depression on long-term sertraline treatment is presented.
• The patient developed severe acute urinary retention after intravenous administration of dimenhydrinate for vertigo.
• Significant volumes of urine (1.6 L and 1.2 L) were drained via catheterization.

Findings:

• This case is the first to report dimenhydrinate as a trigger for acute urinary retention.
• The co-administration of sertraline may predispose patients to this adverse reaction.
• Urinary retention resolved spontaneously within 48 hours after catheter removal.

Implications:

• Intravenous dimenhydrinate should be administered with caution in patients concurrently treated with sertraline.
• Clinicians should be aware of this potential drug interaction and monitor patients accordingly.
• Further research may be warranted to elucidate the mechanism of this interaction and identify at-risk populations.