Existing first-line treatments for overactive bladder are limited by requirements for chronic dosing and associated systemic side effects. Small case series suggest that bladder instillation of lidocaine may be effective in downregulating the afferent neuronal activity of a sensitized bladder, leading to elevation of the urge sensory threshold and decreasing detrusor activity. However, neither the effectiveness over placebo nor the durability of the response has been previously investigated.~Comparison(s): We propose a randomized, prospective double-blinded controlled trial to determine if a three-week trial of intravesical alkalized lidocaine instillation decreases symptoms of overactive bladder more than instillation of normal saline using a validated outcome instrument, the OAB-q.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether alkalized lidocaine instilled into the bladder is effective in the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB).