Bladder training versus combination of propiverine with bladder training for female urinary frequency. A prospective, randomized, comparative study.

OBJECTIVE

Among lower urinary tract symptoms, urinary frequency is one of the prevalent symptoms in the female population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of bladder training with or without pharmacotherapy in women with only a frequency symptom.

METHODS

Patients were randomized to either bladder training alone (n = 23) or propiverine combined with bladder training (n = 25). All patients were treated during 3 months.

RESULTS

At baseline, daytime frequency was higher in the combination therapy group than in the bladder training group (p = 0.031). No difference in other characteristics was observed in the two groups. After treatment, there was no significant difference of functional bladder capacity and average voided volume between the two groups but daytime frequency was higher in the combination therapy group than in the bladder training group (p = 0.013). However, the changes of daytime frequency, functional bladder capacity and average voided volume were not significantly different in the groups. Of total patients, 15 (65.2%) in the bladder training group and 21 (84.0%) in the combination therapy group were rated as responders (defined as improved or much improved) (p = 0.133).

CONCLUSIONS

Both bladder training with or without pharmacotherapy may improve the subjective and objective frequency symptom in women with only a frequency symptom. However, we could not find that there was more symptomatic improvement when anticholinergics combined with bladder training were compared with bladder training alone.