BOTOX® OAB Procedure Expectations
What to Expect From BOTOX® Treatment
What happens before, during, and after your treatment appointment
Wherever you are in your overactive bladder (OAB) treatment journey, understanding what comes next can help you better prepare for the next steps.
You and your doctor may have already decided to move forward with BOTOX® treatment for your OAB, or maybe you would just like to gather more information about the treatment and procedure before making a decision. Either way, here’s what you can expect.
What to Expect
Before Your Appointment
When you and your doctor have decided that BOTOX® is right for you
Your doctor’s office will be preparing for your upcoming treatment appointment by:
- Completing the necessary paperwork and contacting your insurance for pre-authorization
- Receiving and storing your BOTOX® medication
- Ensuring all the details are handled for a seamless treatment experience
You can prepare for your appointment by:
- Signing up to receive treatment reminders, special savings, and the latest about BOTOX® and OAB
- Watching an actual patient talk about their procedure Watch Video
- Scrolling down for more details about what to expect the day of your treatment
If you are still looking for more information about BOTOX®, you can learn more by:
- Watching real patient testimonials of how, together with their doctors, they chose BOTOX® treatment
- Using these helpful conversation starters to talk with your doctor
- Searching Frequently Asked Questions for the topics that most interest you
- Watching this video about how BOTOX® works
- Exploring details about lowering out-of-pocket treatment costs using the BOTOX® Savings Program
- Continuing to scroll down for more specific details
For a more comfortable treatment experience, your doctor will numb your bladder with a local anesthetic before administering BOTOX®
Your doctor will prescribe you antibiotics to help prevent a urinary tract infection.
You will be instructed to take them before, on, and after the day of treatment.
Still have questions about the procedure?
Proactive Retreatment Scheduling
What to Expect
After Your Appointment
Ongoing Retreatment
Twice yearly BOTOX® treatment* frees you from daily overactive bladder (OAB) pills† when they aren't working well enough or can't be tolerated
So you can tell your doctor, “See you in 6 months”
Although OAB is a chronic condition that requires ongoing care, just 1 BOTOX® treatment can last up to 6 months*
Learn more about a BOTOX® treatment schedule.
First Treatment
Stay on schedule by making your next retreatment appointment before you leave the office.
At Home
You may start to notice
results as early as 2 weeks
after treatment.‡
Retreatment every 6 months*
For consistent management, talk to your doctor about setting up a regular BOTOX® retreatment schedule—customized and flexible for your busy lifestyle.
*If OAB symptoms return before 6 months, talk to your doctor. A minimum of 12 weeks is needed between treatments.
†Anticholinergic.
‡In clinical trials, 3 months after treatment, people treated with BOTOX® had an average of ≈3 fewer leakage episodes per day compared to 1 fewer leakage episode per day with placebo. In clinical studies, results were measured at 2, 6, and 12 weeks, with 12 weeks being the primary time point.
Get started on your OAB treatment journey.
Schedule your next BOTOX® treatment before you leave your doctor’s office
Setting a follow-up BOTOX® treatment is simple. Retreatment is about every 6 months,* and appointments can be flexible around your schedule.
*If OAB symptoms return before 6 months, talk to your doctor. A minimum of 12 weeks is needed between treatments.
It’s easy! You can receive your treatment reminder via text.
Understanding Potential Side Effects
BOTOX® Safety and Side Effects
Understand the risks as well as benefits
It's always important to consider the potential side effects of any medication and equally weigh the benefits and risks with your doctor before making a decision.
The most common side effects (≥ 5% and > placebo) in clinical trials for OAB were:
- urinary tract infection
- painful or difficult urination
- temporary inability to fully empty your bladder
Nearly all patients could still urinate when they needed to after BOTOX® treatment; however, there have been instances where some people temporarily could not fully empty their bladder on their own. If you have difficulty fully emptying your bladder after receiving BOTOX®, you may need to use disposable self-catheters. A self-catheter is not like the kind you see in a hospital. It is much smaller (fits in your purse or pocket), easy to use, and you use it by yourself.
You should not receive BOTOX® if you currently have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or are not willing (or able) to use a disposable self-catheter if necessary.
This list is not a complete list of possible serious side effects. Please see Important Safety Information Including Boxed Warning. Talk to an OAB Specialist familiar with BOTOX® if you have any concerns.
1 in 100 people who started BOTOX®, treatment stopped due to side effects in clinical trials.*
*Discontinuation rate in BOTOX® pivotal trials due to adverse events: 1.4% for BOTOX® (n = 552) vs 1.7% for placebo (n = 542).
