Toviaz ER (Fesoterodine fumarate 8mg) Tablets

Toviaz general information

What is Toviaz used for?

Toviaz tablets 8mg are used to treat overactive bladder to relieve symptoms that include urgency to urinate which cannot be wait or be controlled as you would normally be able to with a full bladder.  You will feel an increased need urinate and may be woken regularly in the night by the urgent need to urinate.  This condition is also called urge incontinence and is not the same condition as other forms of incontinence, such as stress incontinence, when action like a sneeze, cough or heavy lifting causes urine leaks, or overflow incontinence, when you are unable to fully empty your bladder or don’t feel the urge even when your bladder is full.  These types of incontinence have different causes and result in uncontrolled urine leaks even if you have recently emptied your bladder.  Urge incontinence means you get strong and sudden urges to pass urine even when your bladder isn’t full and can lead to leaks if you don’t manage to get to the bathroom in time.

The muscle of the bladder wall is called the detrusor muscle and it is made up of fibers of smooth muscle that stretch as the bladder fills with urine.  When stretched to capacity, the nerve fibers within the detrusor muscle are triggered to send a nerve signal that makes the detrusor muscle contract which empties the bladder contents.  Anything that interferes with or damages normal transmission of the nerve signal to the detrusor muscle can send the bladder into spasm, which is when the muscle contacts uncontrollably.  This causes the bladder to become overactive, disrupting normal bladder function resulting in the urge for you to pass urine frequently and can lead to urinary incontinence.  

There are several possible causes for urge incontinence, such as a neurological disorder like Parkinson’s or a neurodegenerative disease like Multiple Sclerosis, damage to the brain or spinal cord after an injury, destruction of the nerves due to diabetes (diabetic neuropathy), and it can also develop following a urinary infection. 

Toviaz tablets 8mg reduce involuntary and uncontrollable bladder spasm by relaxing the detrusor muscle in the bladder wall which causes the bladder to become overactive resulting in your urge to pass urine frequently.  By reducing bladder spasm, you will be able to hold more urine, have more control over the need to pass urine and will no longer be plagued by the worry of needing to be near a bathroom due to incontinence. 

How does Toviaz work?

Toviaz tablets 8mg contain fesoterodine, a muscarinic antagonist that is used to treat overactive bladder to relieve symptoms of urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence and works by reducing bladder spasm, which restores bladder control and takes away the urgency to urinate frequently. 

Fesoterodine in Toviaz tablets 8mg acts directly on muscarinic receptors which are found on the surface of muscle cells including the bladder detrusor muscle.  These receptors bind to a chemical called acetylcholine which causes the detrusor muscle to contract and this in turn causes the bladder to empty.  Blocking the binding of acetylcholine to its muscarinic receptors (anticholinergic action) prevents acetylcholine from causing spasmodic muscular contraction of the bladder wall, which squeezes urine out of the bladder without your control. 

Toviaz Toviaz tablets 8mg are formulated for extended release, which means that the active ingredient is released slowly from the tablet and therefore, lasts longer, so that you only need to take your tablets once daily.

What does Toviaz contain?

Toviaz tablets 8mg contain the active ingredient Fesoterodine fumarate, a muscarinic receptor antagonist that is used to treat overactive bladder.  

They also contain the inactive ingredients (excipients) glyceryl behenate, hypromellose, indigo carmine aluminum lake, lactose monohydrate, soya lecithin, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, talc, titanium dioxide, and xylitol.

What are the side effects of Toviaz?

The most commonly reported side effects when taking Toviaz tablets 8mg include dry mouth, dry eyes, headache, dizziness, trouble sleeping, gastrointestinal upset (abdominal discomfort or pain, constipation, nausea, diarrhoea, heartburn), discomfort when urinating (dysuria).

When should Toviaz not be used?

These are some of the contraindications for using this medication.  You should not use Toviaz tablets 8mg if you:

• are allergic to fesoterodine or any ingredients in Toviaz
• are pregnant or are breastfeeding
• have kidney or liver disease
• suffer from slow emptying of your stomach (gastric retention) or constipation
• have trouble emptying your bladder (urinary retention)
• suffer from Myasthenia gravis, a chronic neurodegenerative disease
• have the eye condition narrow angle glaucoma
• are taking medicines that interact with Toviaz including other medications with anticholinergic properties like amantadine for Parkinson's, tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, some antipsychotics, metoclopramide for gastric motility

What medications interact with Toviaz?

Several medications interact with Toviaz tablets 8mg and should either not be taken while you are taking Toviaz or only after discussion and instruction from your doctor:

• Drugs that increase side effects with Toviaz: other medications with anticholinergic properties like amantadine for Parkinson's, tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, some antipsychotics
• Drugs that are affected by Toviaz: metoclopramide for gastric motility

How should Toviaz be taken and for how long?

You should take your Toviaz tablets 8mg swallowed whole with a glass of water, once daily with or without food.  The dose you take should be as recommended by your doctor and may be increased depending on how well you respond and any side effects you may experience.

You should continue to take you Toviaz tablets 8mg for as long as recommended by your doctor, which is usually for up to 8 weeks.

Missed dose of Toviaz

If you miss a dose of Toviaz tablets 8mg take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take the next dose, then skip the missed dose.  Do not take a double dose.

How should Toviaz be stored?

You should store your Toviaz tablets 8mg below 25°C in a cool dry place.