Posted by medlib on March 2, 2003, at 4:25:58
In reply to Not being able to completely empty bladder, posted by Rainee on February 28, 2003, at 10:20:51
Hi Rainee--
According to drug lit, both Xanax and SSRIs can cause urinary retention, though Xanax does so in far fewer pts. I suspect that what you are experiencing may be the additive result of meds producing the same side effect. SSRIs have differing half lives, and Xanax has a fairly short half life. It may help some to take these 2 meds at different times of day, if you're not doing so already.
The problem with drug remedies for side effects caused by other drugs is, of course, that the remedy itself has side effects. Another problem is that the drugs we have available so far are not specific enough--they affect *all* serotonin receptors, not just the helpful ones. There are more serotonin receptors than all other receptor types combined, and there are far more serotonin receptors in the gut and related organs than in the brain.
Well, enough of that blather. One of the worst results of urinary retention is the occasional overflow incontinence. I find that good, old-fashioned Kegel exercises that strengthen the pelvic muscles help most with that embarrassing annoyance. It takes consistent repetition to maintain the improvement, however--not too different from other fitness exercises, I guess.
Sometimes, it seems to me that you just can't win for losing. Hope that you find a combination that helps more than it harms. Good luck!---medlib
poster:medlib
thread:204632
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030301/msgs/205228.html