Treatment of urinary incontinence with anticholinergics in patients taking cholinesterase inhibitors for dementia.
Clinicians often encounter patients with dementia and urge incontinence who might benefit from both an anticholinergic medication and a cholinesterase inhibitor. At first glance, this combination would seem to violate basic principles of geriatric pharmacology, as the drugs appear to be working at cross-purposes and anticholinergic medications are notorious for worsening cognitive function in susceptible patients. A case is presented and discussed in which this combination was clinically effective and pharmacologically sound.
Siegler
Eugenia L
EL
Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University,New York, NY 10021, USA. els2006@med.cornell.edu
Reidenberg
Marcus
M
D000368:Aged; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003408:Cresols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077265:Donepezil; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000068737:Tolterodine Tartrate; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D003408:Cresols; D007189:Indans; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D010880:Piperidines; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine; D000068737:Tolterodine Tartrate; D000077265:Donepezil