From the Guidelines
Phenazopyridine is not recommended for irritative bladder symptoms in Overactive Bladder (OAB).
Rationale
- The American Urological Association (AUA) and Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine & Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) guidelines recommend antimuscarinic medications or beta-3 agonists as the primary treatment for OAB symptoms, including urinary urgency, frequency, and urgency urinary incontinence 1.
- These guidelines do not mention phenazopyridine as a recommended treatment for OAB symptoms, instead focusing on antimuscarinic medications and beta-3 agonists as effective treatments 1.
- Antimuscarinic medications and beta-3 agonists have been shown to improve OAB symptoms, including urgency urinary episodes, voiding episodes, and urgency urinary incontinence, in multiple studies 1.
- While phenazopyridine may be used to treat other urinary symptoms, such as dysuria or hematuria, it is not recommended for the treatment of OAB symptoms.
Treatment Options
- Antimuscarinic medications, such as oxybutynin or tolterodine, are effective in treating OAB symptoms and may be used as monotherapy or in combination with other medications 1.
- Beta-3 agonists, such as mirabegron, are also effective in treating OAB symptoms and may be used as monotherapy or in combination with other medications 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
Phenazopyridine HCl is indicated for the symptomatic relief of pain, burning, urgency, frequency, and other discomforts arising from irritation of the lower urinary tract mucosa caused by infection, trauma, surgery, endoscopic procedures, or the passage of sounds or catheters Phenazopyridine HCl is excreted in the urine where it exerts a topical analgesic effect on the mucosa of the urinary tract. This action helps to relieve pain, burning, urgency and frequency.
Phenazopyridine may be helpful for irritative bladder symptoms such as pain, burning, urgency, and frequency. However, the FDA drug label does not specifically mention Overactive Bladder (OAB) as an indication for phenazopyridine.
- The label indicates that phenazopyridine provides symptomatic relief for irritative bladder symptoms caused by various conditions, but it does not explicitly state its effectiveness for OAB.
- Key benefits of phenazopyridine include symptomatic relief and topical analgesic effect on the urinary tract mucosa 2 2.
From the Research
Phenazopyridine for Irritative Bladder Symptoms in Overactive Bladder (OAB)
- Phenazopyridine is a urinary tract analgesic drug that provides symptomatic relief of bladder pain in conditions such as cystitis or bladder pain syndrome (BPS) 3.
- The analgesic effect of phenazopyridine has been attributed to a local effect on the mucosa of the lower urinary tract (LUT), and it has been found to inhibit the TRPM8 channel, which is expressed in bladder afferent neurons and upregulated in patients with painful bladder disorders 3.
- While there is evidence that phenazopyridine can provide relief for bladder pain, there is limited research on its specific use for irritative bladder symptoms in Overactive Bladder (OAB) 4, 5, 6, 7.
- Studies on the treatment of OAB have focused on antimuscarinic drugs and β-adrenoceptor agonists, which have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of OAB, but may have side effects such as gastrointestinal problems 4, 5, 6, 7.
- Phenazopyridine may be a useful adjunctive treatment for irritative bladder symptoms in OAB, particularly for patients who experience bladder pain or discomfort, but further research is needed to fully understand its efficacy and safety in this context 3.