Data from 12-week , r and omised , double-blind , placebo-controlled trials of tolterodine extended release ( ER ) , oxybutynin and solifenacin show that combined antimuscarinic+α-blocker treatment is generally more effective than monotherapy or placebo in men with OAB symptoms .
The efficacy and safety  of tolterodine ER+α-blocker treatment was not affected by prostate size or prostate-specific antigen ( PSA ) level .
In men meeting entry criteria for OAB and benign prostatic obstruction trials  , tolterodine ER alone was effective selectively in men with prostate size or PSA level below study medians .
Post hoc analyses from double-blind , placebo-controlled trials and prospect i ve studies of fesoterodine , oxybutynin , propiverine , solifenacin and tolterodine also suggest that antimuscarinics are generally safe and efficacious in men .
A retrospective data base study found that risk of AUR in men was the highest in the first month of treatment and decreased considerably thereafter .
Antimuscarinics , alone or with an α-blocker , appear to be efficacious and safe in many men with predominant OAB symptoms or persistent OAB symptoms despite α-blocker or 5-α-reductase inhibitor treatment .
Despite potential benefits , primary care clinicians may avoid using antimuscarinics in men with overactive bladder ( OAB ) symptoms because of safety concerns .
Tolterodine treatment improves storage symptoms suggestive of overactive bladder in men treated with alpha-blockers.
BACKGROUND Some men receiving alpha-blocker therapy for lower urinary tract symptoms report persistent storage symptoms suggestive of overactive bladder ( OAB ) . OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of tolterodine extended release ( ER ) in men on alpha-blocker therapy . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PARTICIPANTS This double-blind trial included men aged > or = 40 yr with frequency , urgency , and at least moderate problems reported on the Patient Perception of Bladder Condition ( PPBC ) , despite being on a stable dose of alpha-blocker for > or = 1 mo . INTERVENTIONS Subjects were r and omized to tolterodine ER 4 mg per day or placebo for 12 wk while continuing their prescribed alpha-blocker therapy . MEASUREMENTS At baseline and week 12 , subjects completed the PPBC , International Prostate Symptom Score ( IPSS ) , Overactive Bladder Question naire ( OAB-q ) , and 5-d bladder diaries using the five-point Urinary Sensation Scale ( USS ) . Frequency-urgency sum was defined as the sum of USS ratings for all micturitions . RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS PPBC improvement from baseline to week 12 was reported by 63.6 % and 61.6 % of subjects receiving tolterodine ER plus alpha-blocker and placebo plus alpha-blocker , respectively ; this treatment difference , which was the primary end point , was not statistically significant ( p>0.6699 ) . At week 12 , subjects receiving tolterodine ER plus alpha-blocker had significantly greater improvements versus placebo plus alpha-blocker in 24-h micturitions ( -1.8 vs -1.2 ; p=0.0079 ) and daytime micturitions ( -1.3 vs -0.8 ; p=0.0123 ) ; 24-h urgency episodes ( -2.9 vs -1.8 ; p=0.0010 ) , daytime urgency episodes ( -2.2 vs -1.4 ; p=0.0017 ) , and nocturnal urgency episodes ( -0.5 vs -0.3 ; p=0.0378 ) ; frequency-urgency sum ( -7.8 vs -5.1 ; p=0.0065 ) ; IPSS storage subscale ( -2.6 vs -2.1 ; p=0.0370 ) ; and OAB-q symptom bother scale ( -17.9 vs -14.4 ; p=0.0086 ) and coping domain ( 15.4 vs 12.4 ; p=0.0491 ) . Acute urinary retention requiring catheterization occurred in < 1 % of either group . There were no clinical ly meaningful changes in postvoid residual volume or maximum urinary flow rate .  CONCLUSIONS Men with bothersome OAB symptoms despite continued alpha-blocker therapy showed significantly greater improvements in diary variables , IPSS Storage scores , and symptom bother when receiving additional tolterodine ER versus placebo plus alpha-blocker
Data from 12-week , r and omised , double-blind , placebo-controlled trials of tolterodine extended release ( ER ) , oxybutynin and solifenacin show that combined antimuscarinic+α-blocker treatment is generally more effective than monotherapy or placebo in men with OAB symptoms .
The efficacy and safety  of tolterodine ER+α-blocker treatment was not affected by prostate size or prostate-specific antigen ( PSA ) level .
In men meeting entry criteria for OAB and benign prostatic obstruction trials  , tolterodine ER alone was effective selectively in men with prostate size or PSA level below study medians .
Post hoc analyses from double-blind , placebo-controlled trials and prospect i ve studies of fesoterodine , oxybutynin , propiverine , solifenacin and tolterodine also suggest that antimuscarinics are generally safe and efficacious in men .
A retrospective data base study found that risk of AUR in men was the highest in the first month of treatment and decreased considerably thereafter .
Antimuscarinics , alone or with an α-blocker , appear to be efficacious and safe in many men with predominant OAB symptoms or persistent OAB symptoms despite α-blocker or 5-α-reductase inhibitor treatment .
Despite potential benefits , primary care clinicians may avoid using antimuscarinics in men with overactive bladder ( OAB ) symptoms because of safety concerns .