Some medications can produce bladder problems, such as incontinence. But there are also many that can help treat them.

Lower urinary tract infections, for example, will respond well to a regime of antibiotics. Cipro and amoxicillin are commonly used to treat cystitis, one form of bladder inflammation that results from excess bacterial growth in or near the organ.

In some cases a UTI can produce incontinence, but it may also result from an inflamed prostate gland (a condition called prostatitis). There are several antibiotics that help treat this, such as Levaquin.

There are several drugs that help control or eliminate incontinence in particular.

One common medical problem is so-called overactive bladder. This condition results in a type of incontinence called urge incontinence. In this type, the felt need to 'go' ramps up too fast, too high before we can reach the toilet.

Antispasmodic drugs can be helpful for controlling involuntary muscle spasms that result in bladder problems. These fall in a category called anticholinergic drugs. They are helpful in calming an overactive bladder and are also used to combat urge incontinence.

To reduce the felt need to urinate, a physician may prescribe Detrol or Ditropan (a type of oxybutynin), or Vesicare (solifenacin). They do have side effects, though, such as excess dryness of the mouth. That in turn will encourage drinking more water, which can worsen the problem the drug is intended to treat. One workaround is to chew gum instead, which stimulates the production of saliva.

An antidepressant called Imipramine (Tofranil) is sometimes used to treat incontinence. It affects the muscles involved in urination. The bladder itself is composed of a type of muscle tissue, but the more important factor is a set of ring-like sphincter muscles that constrict the bladder neck. Imipramine helps contract those sphincter muscles, resulting in improved ability to hold back urination.

Some adrenalin-related drugs are prescribed for bladder problems. Those that help reduce stress incontinence can include such common items as cough medicines and antihistamines or even appetite suppressants. More powerful alpha-adrenergic agonists, as they are called, include ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

In rare cases, physicians may look to a drug called Urecholine (bethanechol). It is used to help strengthen a wean bladder muscle. It is part of a class of medications that influence blood pressure, though, and the side effects can be serious.

Be sure to discuss all possible side effects and pros and cons with your doctor before settling on a specific treatment. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease and non-drug treatments, such as bladder re-training may offer an alternative.