Urge suppression and modified fluid consumption in the management of female overactive bladder symptoms

BACKGROUND: At the initial management of overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome urge suppression technique along with other behavioural modification could be a good option. METHODS: Prospective experimental study conducted between 2015 and 2019. Women complaining of OAB were enrolled. Three-day bladder diary and patient global impression of severity (PGI-S) scale were evaluated at baseline. Then, the women were asked to perform the urge suppression technique whenever urgency occurred. She stopped moving, sat down and started squeezing the pelvic floor muscle quickly and tightly about ten times without full relaxation in between squeezes. After that, she did something to distract her mind. Once urgency disappeared, she proceeded to the toilet. If urgency reappeared, she stopped moving and repeated the same thing. Only on relax mood she entered toilet. Modified fluid consumption was - total daily requirement divided into three parts and two-third of that was taken from morning to lunch. The remaining one-third was divided again in three parts and two-third of that was taken before evening. Rest few amount was taken from the evening till waking up the next morning. After 3 months, 3-day bladder diary and patient global impression of improvement (PGI-I) scale assessed the improvement. RESULTS: Ninety-one women ultimately completed the study. Frequency and nocturia were reduced. Seventy-six women had improvement of their urgency sensation (P < 0.001), whereas urgency urinary incontinence reduction was statistically not significant (P > 0.05). PGI-I scale showed that 51.6% felt that either they were very much better or much better. CONCLUSION: Urge suppression and modified fluid consumption is good adjunct in female OAB management.