| Pioneering medical research is going on | | | | muscle so it cannot squeeze so hard, and |
| at the University of Leicester into the | | | | so reduces the need to pass water |
| use of Botulinum toxin - commonly | | | | frequently or suddenly. It may also |
| thought of as a beauty treatment – for | | | | reduce the sensation of having a full |
| bladder problems. | | | | bladder. Dr Douglas Tincello commented: |
| Dr Douglas Tincello, Senior Lecturer at | | | | "Overactive bladder is very difficult to |
| the University's Department of Cancer | | | | treat well. Lots of our patients try |
| Studies and Molecular Medicine and | | | | different tablets and pelvic floor |
| Consultant Gynaecologist at the | | | | exercises but at least a third of them |
| Leicester General Hospital, is carrying | | | | will not be better. At the moment the |
| out a randomised trial involving | | | | only alternatives are to put up with it, |
| injecting botulinum toxin into the | | | | or consider a very big operation which |
| bladders of women who have overactive | | | | often means the patient ends up with a |
| bladder disease. | | | | stoma bag. |
| The trial, which has received a grant of | | | | "Many patients just suffer in silence, |
| L158,000 from the Moulton Charitable | | | | but the quality of life when you live |
| Trust, involves women whose conditions | | | | with overactive bladder is similar to |
| have not improved after tablet | | | | that of a patient on kidney dialysis. |
| treatment. | | | | "Botulinum toxin has been tested already |
| Overactive bladder is a condition in | | | | in spinal cord injury patients.This |
| which the bladder tries to empty itself, | | | | study is important to ascertain if it is |
| rather than the patient retaining | | | | safe and effective in patients with |
| control. Symptoms include having to pass | | | | overactive bladder. Botulinum toxin is a |
| water very often day and night, not | | | | very exciting development and in the |
| being able to put off the need to do so, | | | | future may provide a simple and |
| sudden urgency to pass water and | | | | effective way to improve the quality of |
| sometimes incontinence. | | | | life in our patients." |
| The botulinum toxin relaxes the bladder | | | | |