Detrol is a prescription product, so you can’t purchase it over the counter. You’ll receive a prescription from your healthcare provider and get the medication from your pharmacy.
What Is Detrol Used For?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Detrolto to treat overactive bladder (OAB). People with OAB may need to urinate more urgently and more often than usual. They may struggle with bedwetting and urine leakage, which can limit daily activities and affect quality of life.
Brand Name(s): Detrol, Detrol LA
Administration Route(s): Oral
Drug Availability: Prescription
Therapeutic Classification: Urinary antispasmodic
Available Generically: Yes
Controlled Substance: N/A
Active Ingredient: Tolterodine
Dosage Form(s): Tablet, extended-release capsule
How to Take Detrol
Detrol comes in two different formulations: immediate release (Detrol), which is a tablet, and extended-release (Detrol LA), which is a capsule. Try to take your medication at the same time each day.
Immediate-Release Tablet
Immediate-release Detrol is taken twice a day because it does not stay in your system as long as the extended-release version. Take it with water and with or without food. If you have trouble swallowing pills, you can crush the tablet using a pill crusher or crush it in a bowl with a spoon and mix it with a small amount of applesauce, juice, or water. Just make sure you finish the food or liquid containing the Detrol to get the full dose.
Take immediate release Detrol twice a day in the morning and evening.
Extended-Release Capsule
The brand name for extended-release tolterodine is Detrol LA. It is a capsule you will only take once daily because it continues to work in your system all day. These capsules must be swallowed whole. Unlike the immediate-release tablet, the capsule should not be opened, crushed, or mixed with food.
Storage
Store Detrol at room temperature (between 59 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit) in the original container with the lid on, out of reach of children and pets. Avoid storing your pill bottle in an area with a lot of heat and moisture, like the bathroom.
Off-Label Uses
In addition to treating OAB, Detrol may be prescribed off-label for symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). When a drug is prescribed for purposes not listed on the product label, it is known as off-label use.
BPH is a common condition in men over 50 and causes bladder symptoms. Urgency, frequency, and nighttime urination are common, as is having a weak urine stream and having to strain to urinate.
Drugs called alpha-blockers are commonly used to treat BPH. Still, some research suggests that using muscarinic receptor antagonists like Detrol in addition to alpha-blockers may improve symptoms more than alpha-blockers alone.
What Are the Side Effects of Detrol?
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. A healthcare provider can advise you on side effects. If you experience other effects, contact your pharmacist or a medical professional. You may report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or 800-FDA-1088.
Common Side Effects
Due to how Detrol works, it can cause some side effects. If you notice any side effects that you think are severe or do not go away, notify your healthcare provider.
Common side effects of Detrol include:
Dry mouth: This is one of the most common side effects of Detrol and occurs because of the muscarinic mechanism of action of the drug. In addition to bladder and urinary functioning, Detrol affects the amount of saliva in your mouth, and less saliva can lead to a dry mouth. Headache: Make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated while on this drug. Mild dryness or dehydration can lead to a headache. Constipation: Detrol is a drug that can dry out different systems in your body. Less water in your digestive tract means less water in your stool, which can cause harder stools and constipation. Xerophthalmia (dry eye): Your vision is another part of your body that can be affected by the drying effects of Detrol. Stomach pain
Severe Side Effects
Call your healthcare provider right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:
Vision changes: While you may have dry or blurry eyes as a common side effect of Detrol, you should not experience changes in your vision. Severe abdominal or back pain: This may be a sign of damage to your kidneys. Trouble urinating: You may need a lower dose of this medication. If the problem continues, something else may be wrong.
Long-Term Side Effects
Detrol is generally safe and effective when taken for long periods to treat OAB. Long-term adverse effects do not seem to carry a higher risk or probability than the short-term effects listed above.
Dosage: How Much Detrol Should I Take?
Modifications
Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking immediate-release Detrol and experiencing dry mouth, dry eye, constipation, or headache. They may switch you to once-daily dosing of Detrol LA, as it is associated with fewer and less severe side effects than the immediate-release formulation.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your provider may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program or by phone (800-332-1088).
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
For bladder problems: For oral dosage form (tablets): Adults—At first, 2 milligrams (mg) two times a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose if needed. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor. For oral dosage form (extended-release capsules): Adults—4 milligrams (mg) once a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose if needed. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
Detrol is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women unless the benefits of use outweigh any potential risk to the baby. Detrol did show up in the milk of mice in clinical trials. You may want to talk with your healthcare provider about different treatment options or lifestyle changes for controlling OAB if you take Detrol and are planning to become pregnant.
If your kidneys or liver don’t work normally, you will start Detrol at a lower dose. Impaired kidney or liver function can lead to less tolterodine being removed from your system. You don’t need as much in the first place to get the same effect as someone whose kidneys or liver might work more efficiently.
No differences in safety were observed between people older than age 64 and younger people.
Missed Dose
If you forget to take a dose of Detrol, you can take it as soon as you remember. If you are closer to your next dose than the dose you missed, go ahead and skip the missed dose and wait for your next scheduled one. For example, if you normally take Detrol at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and you remember at 5 p.m. that you forgot your morning dose, wait and take your next dose that night at 8 p.m. Do not double up doses to make up for missed ones.
If you take Detrol LA and realize you forgot a dose the same day, you can go ahead and take it. Do not double up doses or take two doses of Detrol LA on the same day.
Overdose: What Happens If I Take Too Much Detrol?
If you take Detrol as directed, you shouldn’t be too concerned about overdosing. If you accidentally double up doses, be aware that you may experience dry eyes, dry mouth, and, potentially, constipation. But overdosing from taking too many pills at one time is possible and dangerous.
Symptoms of overdose may include:
Dry mouthConfusionAgitation or hallucinationsIrregular heartbeat
Precautions
What Are Reasons I Shouldn’t Take Detrol?
You shouldn’t take Detrol if you have:
If someone collapses or isn’t breathing after taking Detrol, call 911 immediately.
Tolterodine may cause serious types of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis and angioedema. Anaphylaxis and angioedema can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Stop using this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have a rash; itching; hoarseness; lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting; trouble breathing; trouble swallowing; or any swelling of your hands, face, mouth, or throat after using this medicine.
This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, or have blurred vision. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy, not alert, or not able to see well.
This medicine may cause dryness in the mouth, nose, and throat. For temporary relief of mouth dryness, use sugarless candy or gum, melt bits of ice in your mouth, or use a saliva substitute. However, if your mouth continues to feel dry for more than 2 weeks, check with your medical doctor or dentist. Continuing dryness of the mouth may increase the chance of dental disease, including tooth decay, gum disease, and fungus infections.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
Urinary retention (trouble emptying all of the urine from your bladder) Gastric retention (when your stomach takes too long to empty) Uncontrolled narrow angle glaucoma (a sudden buildup of fluid and pressure in your eye) A known allergy to Detrol
What Other Medications Interact With Detrol?
Some drugs may cause a buildup of Detrol in your system. These medications don’t necessarily need to be avoided, but your dose of Detrol may need to be decreased while you are taking them.
Don’t start the following medications without letting your healthcare provider know that you are also taking Detrol:
Biaxin (clarithromycin)Nizoral (ketoconazole)Norvir (ritonavir)Sporanox (itraconazole)
Be aware that other anticholinergic drugs, such as Lomotil (diphenoyxlate and atropine), Cogentin (benzatropine), Bentyl (dicyclomine), and Pyrolate (glycopyrrolate), may cause increased side effects similar to those caused by Detrol, such as dry mouth, dry eyes, and constipation.
What Medications Are Similar to Detrol?
Other medications that are also muscarinic receptor antagonists, similar to Detrol, include:
Atrovent (ipratropium) Bentyl (dicyclomine) Cogentin (benztropine) Ditropan (oxybutynin) Enablex (darifenacin) Lomotil (contains atropine, and other atropine products) Cuvposa, Robinul (glycopyrrolate) Sanctura (trospium) Spiriva (tiotropium) Symax (hyoscyamine) Toviaz (fesoterodine) Transderm Scop (scopolamine) VESIcare (solifenacin)
This is not a list of drugs recommended to take with Detrol. In fact, you should not take these drugs together. Ask your pharmacist or a healthcare practitioner if you have questions.
How Can I Stay Healthy While Taking Detrol?
Dealing with symptoms of OAB can be incredibly frustrating, especially when those symptoms interrupt your daily activities like work, exercise, outings with friends, and vacations. OAB can really affect the quality of life. Know that you’re not alone and medications like Detrol can significantly improve symptoms.
While you may be hesitant to drink too much water due to your OAB symptoms, staying hydrated while taking Detrol is important to prevent problems like dry mouth, constipation, and headache. Other lifestyle interventions have been proven to be helpful in improving OAB symptoms, such as bladder training and pelvic floor exercises. These interventions combined with prescription medication can greatly improve the symptoms you may be experiencing as part of OAB.
