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Urotol
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
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The urological drug Urotol is used as a medication that reduces smooth muscle tone in the urinary tract.
Indications Urotol
The use of Urotol may be relevant in cases of excessive activity of the urinary system, which is characterized by frequent irresistible urges to urinate, or episodes of urinary incontinence.
Release form
Urotol is produced in the form of film-coated tablets. The active ingredient of Urotol is tolterodine (in the form of tolterodine hydrogen tartrate).
- Urotol 1 mg is a yellow film-coated tablet preparation.
- Urotol 2 mg is a tablet preparation in a white film-coated film.
Urotol tablets are packed in blister plates of 14 pieces. A cardboard box contains two or four blister plates.
Pharmacodynamics
Urotol - or more precisely, its active ingredient tolterodine - is a drug that is a competitive antagonist of cholinergic muscarinic receptors, with predominantly selective activity towards urea receptors. Derivatives of the active ingredient are also selectively specific towards muscarinic receptors and do not significantly affect other receptors.
Urotol inhibits active contractions of the detrusor, simultaneously reducing the intensity of salivary fluid secretion. In excessive volumes, Urotol can cause incomplete urine output from the bladder, as well as increase the volume of residual urine fluid.
The visible therapeutic effect of Urotol is detected approximately one month after the start of treatment.
Pharmacokinetics
Urotol in tablets is absorbed in the digestive system relatively quickly: the plasma concentration content of tolterodine reaches its limit after 1.5 hours.
There is evidence of a linear relationship between the maximum plasma concentration and the amount of drug taken.
After oral administration of Urotol, metabolic processes occur in the liver, involving the polymorphic enzyme CYP2D6 and the formation of an active 5-hydroxymethyl product, which is further transformed to 5-carboxylic acid and N-dealkylated 5-carboxylic acid.
The metabolite has the property of potentiating the effect of the drug.
Total plasma clearance is usually approximately 30 liters per hour, and the terminal half-life after taking Urotol can be 2-3 hours.
Complete bioavailability in the vast majority of patients is 17%. Food masses in the stomach do not affect bioavailability indicators, but the concentration content of tolterodine may increase if the medication is taken with food.
The main ingredient and metabolites are bound primarily to orosomucoid. Unbound fractions are defined as 3.7% and 36%. The distribution volume of the active ingredient is equal to 113 L. About 77% of the drug is excreted in urine, and 17% in feces. Up to 1% of the total amount is excreted unchanged, and approximately 4% is the 5-hydroxymethyl metabolite.
Dosing and administration
The standard justified dosage of Urotol for adult patients is 4 mg of the drug daily (2 mg twice a day). The exception to the rule is patients with impaired liver or kidney function: for them, the recommended amount of Urotol is 1 mg twice a day. If undesirable side effects are detected during treatment, the dosage of Urotol should also be minimal - 1 mg twice a day.
The duration of the therapeutic course is usually six months. The advisability of longer therapy is determined by the doctor individually.
When taking drugs that inhibit CYP3A4 simultaneously, the optimal daily dose of Urotol should be 2 mg.
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Use Urotol during pregnancy
There is no evidence that taking Urotol during pregnancy is safe. Animal experiments have shown that Urotol has a toxic effect on the reproductive system, but the drug has not been tested in pregnant women. Given this, pregnant women should not take Urotol.
During breastfeeding, taking Urotol is highly undesirable.
Contraindications
The doctor does not prescribe Urotol in cases of increased likelihood of developing a hypersensitivity reaction in the patient, as well as in other cases, for example:
- in case of delayed urination;
- in persistent form of closed-angle glaucoma;
- in classical autoimmune myasthenia;
- in complicated cases of ulcerative colitis;
- in toxic gigantism of the colon (the so-called megacolon);
- in childhood (up to 18 years).
Side effects Urotol
Taking Urotol can cause mild or moderate specific symptoms, primarily thirst, indigestion and dry mucous membranes.
The most frequently recorded side effects are:
- headaches;
- dry mucous membranes.
Less common symptoms may include:
- dizziness, sleep disturbances, numbness of the extremities;
- bronchitis;
- deterioration of vision associated with dry mucous membranes;
- increased heart rate;
- bloating, vomiting, diarrhea;
- urinary retention;
- feeling of fatigue, chest pain;
- swelling.
Other symptoms have been reported in extremely rare cases:
- allergic reactions;
- disorientation, irritability;
- memory impairment;
- heart rhythm disturbances;
- hallucinations.
Overdose
Possible overdose testing was performed using 12.8 mg of Urotol taken at one time. The most pronounced reactions were:
- accommodation disorders;
- pain when urinating.
First aid when taking a large dose of Urotol consists of gastric lavage and the use of sorbent agents.
Symptomatic therapy is carried out as follows:
- in cases of overexcitement and hallucinations, Physostigmine is prescribed;
- for convulsions, benzodiazepine drugs are prescribed;
- in case of respiratory disorders, artificial ventilation is connected;
- in case of cardiac dysfunction, it is appropriate to prescribe blockers;
- if urine output is delayed, catheterization is performed;
- When pupils dilate, eye drops based on pilocarpine are used (in mild cases, the patient is placed in a darkened room).
Interactions with other drugs
It is recommended to avoid combining Urotol with macrolides, antifungal azole drugs and antiprotease agents, since the listed medications can cause excessive concentrations of Urotol in the blood serum.
The adverse effects of Urotol may be aggravated by medications with anticholinergic activity.
The therapeutic effect of Urotol is reduced under the influence of muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonist drugs.
Urotol may weaken the effect of Metoclopramide and Cisapride.
Urotol does not interact with other medications, including oral contraceptives.
Storage conditions
Shelf life
It is allowed to store Urotol for up to 2 years.
Attention!
To simplify the perception of information, this instruction for use of the drug "Urotol" translated and presented in a special form on the basis of the official instructions for medical use of the drug. Before use read the annotation that came directly to medicines.
Description provided for informational purposes and is not a guide to self-healing. The need for this drug, the purpose of the treatment regimen, methods and dose of the drug is determined solely by the attending physician. Self-medication is dangerous for your health.