If you are a woman and you leak urine then you suffer from women's urinary incontinence. The question is, do you know which kind you have? There are actually three kinds of women's urinary incontinence:

• stress urinary incontinence (SUI)
• urge urinary incontinence (UUI) also called overactive bladder (OAB)
• mixed urinary incontinence (MUI, stress plus urge)

If you leak urine when you sneeze, step off a curb, or pick up a heavy object, then you most likely have SUI. If the sound of running water causes you to leak urine, or you simply leak involuntarily at odd moments, then you probably have UUI. If you have both kinds of symptoms, then you probably suffer from MUI.

The good news for women who leak urine is that there are many treatment options. In this article, we cover the different kinds of medications used to treat overactive bladder, also known as UUI.

Which Type of Medication Should You Take?
Choosing the right medication for your overactive bladder or urge urinary incontinence should be a joint effort between you and your doctor. Not all medications work for all women with UUI, so it may take a little trial and error before you find the right medication for your symptoms.

There are two types of medications that treat OAB or UUI: short-acting and long-acting. If you simply need a little help to get through the Sunday church service without leaking urine, then you may want to take medication that acts in the short term-for 3 to 4 hours. This kind of medicine will work for you if you can manage your urine leakage most of the time, but want to prevent urine leakage during a special event.

On the other hand, if urine leakage is a more chronic problem and you need help all the time, then you need a more long-acting form of medication. You take this type of medicine once or twice a day, and the effect lasts 12 to 24 hours.

Long and Short-Acting Medications for OAB or UUI
Many medications come in both short-acting and long-acting forms. For example, tolterodine, commercially known as Detrol or Detrol LA, comes in both short and long acting forms. The same goes for oxybitynin, which comes in tablet, patch, and gel form.

As you can see, there are many choices of medicine for OAB or UUI. Whether you choose a medicine that has short-acting or long-acting effects is a decision that you should make with your doctor. Other factors to consider include the side effects of each kind of medication. For instance, the class of medication called anticholinergics can cause dry mouth, constipation, drowsiness, or confusion. This type of medication is also contraindicated for people who have glaucoma.

Along with possible side effects, other factors to consider when choosing your medication include price, effectiveness, and length of time before the benefits are realized. Many short-acting medications produce results right away, while long-acting medications can take between five and ten days to show benefit.

The point is that there are many medications available on the market approved by the FDA to treat overactive bladder or urge urinary incontinence. Medication can be a very effective conservative therapy for women's urinary incontinence, and you shouldn't give up hope if the first medication you try does not work for you. Keep consulting with your healthcare provider until you find a treatment that works for your UUI or OAB. Sometimes medication works best when combined with pelvic floor rehabilitation and other conservative therapies.

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/4004791663/