The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and the tolerability of three classic antimuscarinic drugs used in the treatment of over active bladder syndrome using clinical data and quality of life tests, and to evaluate the parameters affecting the success of these drugs.A total of 90 patients with urge urinary incontinence were randomly allocated into three groups either to receive tolterodine (group A), trospium chloride (group B) or oxybutynin (group C). Urogenital distress inventory short form (UDI-6) and Incontinence impact questionnaire short form (IIQ-7) of the Turkish Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery Association were performed to each patient before and after treatment to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of the antimuscarinic drugs. Adverse events were also recorded during treatment.Improved urodynamic test values were recorded after 6 weeks of treatment in each group. Similarly, statistically significant differences were observed in UDI-6 and IIQ-7 test scores before and after treatment. Complete cure was achieved in 86 % of patients in group A; however, complete cure rates were 67 and 80 % in group B and C, respectively. Although, patients reported comparable tolerability against trospium chloride (77 %) and tolterodine (80 %), only 23 % of patients using oxybutynin considered the drug as tolerable. The most common side effect was dry mouth, followed by insomnia. Both dry mouth and insomnia was highest in group C (50 %). One patient (0.3 %) in group B and two patients (0.7 %) in group C reported that they did not want to continue to use the drug.Antimuscarinic medications are very successful in the treatment of urge urinary incontinence; however, the success of treatment is not only limited to clinical improvement. Patients do not regard a drug as successful unless it is tolerable, easy to adapt to the daily life and improve the quality of life even it has very successful clinical outcomes.
