HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Orme, S. Articles by Ramsay, I. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Orme, S. Articles by Ramsay, I.

Duloxetine: the long awaited drug treatment for stress urinary incontinence

Barnsley District General Hospital, Pogmoor Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 2EP, UK. email: susie.orme1{at}btopen-world.com (corressponding author)

Ian Ramsay, MRCOG, Consultant Urogynaecologist

Southern General Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK.

Duloxetine is a newly licensed drug treatment for stress urinary incontinence in women. It is a combined noradrenaline and serotonin reuptake inhibitor and its adverse-effect profile can be attributed to its pharmacological action. It has clinically important interactions with other drugs including warfarin and antidepressants. Duloxetine is believed to act by increasing sphincter activity in the storage phase of the micturition cycle. A meta-analysis of phase II and III double-blind placebo controlled trials involving 1913 women (aged 22-83 years) with stress urinary incontinence symptoms demonstrated a highly significant difference in reduction of diary reported incontinence episodes per week, mean increase in time between voids and quality of life. However, we feel that first-line therapy remains physiotherapy. The availability of duloxetine in primary care should not deny referral and assessment for surgery for those women who would benefit.

Keywords Keywords / duloxetine / pharmacology / quality of life / stress urinary incontinence