Botox injections used to help bladder complaint

BOTOX injections are usually associated with cosmetic procedures but in Newcastle they are being used to help manage the debilitating symptoms of an overactive bladder.

- SAM VOLPE

This comes as a successful clinical trial led in the city has found an alternative to giving people with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) antibiotics.

Gateshead grandmother Gillian Alderson, 71, has been one of 240 patients on trial called ALTAR which has seen some including her given a sterilising drug called methenamine hippurate rather than antibiotics to treat their recurrent infections.

The trial has been led by Prof Chris Harding who is a urological consultant surgeon in the city.

The trial has found that there is “no difference in most outcomes” for patients, and this could be especially important given the wider need to reduce antibiotics and tackle growing resistance to them. As a result, the effectiveness of the new drug has now been referenced in new NHS guidelines for how patients should be treated.