Oxybutynin and Dry Eyes: What Users Say

• Bw4...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2019

For Urinary Frequency "I've been on the oxybutynin for 6 days now for an overactive bladder. A year and a half ago (11/17), I broke my pelvis in 2 places and my sacrum. In the beginning, I was unable to void on my own, and they prescribed me Flomax, which helped, but it made me so dizzy I stopped taking it. Fast forward to 2019, and my bladder spasms and urgency were increasing and making it really uncomfortable. So, after a UDS, my doctor decided to try me on oxybutynin. While it seems to help the spasms, it seems to make it harder to be able to start voiding. Like it relaxes it almost too much, when I try harder to void, it just leads to a spasm. That and the dry mouth, dry throat, dry eyes, and sinuses are really uncomfortable. Feeling like I need to constantly clear my throat is for the birds. I'm certainly going to take myself off of it. These side effects just aren't worth it."

• Bet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2018

For Hyperhidrosis "I have Sjögren's syndrome for almost 7 years, and the sweating comes along with that. All the symptoms are there: dry mouth, eyes, the sweating started in the last 2 years as soon as the humidity and heat start up until the start of late fall. It has gotten worse where I can't stand around the stove to cook. Don't eat too much hot food in those months. I've learned so much on the computer, and I found 1 medication that helps pretty much. It is a towelette that you dab on your body, it's called SweatBlock, and it's pretty good. Also, my rheumatologist put me on oxybutynin. So far, so good. Don't sweat at night, and thankful for that. Good luck to all, can't wait for winter here in N.C."

• Rai...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 9, 2021

For Urinary Frequency "The side effects are horrible! For me, it causes really bad dizziness and blurred vision, and my eyes don't focus like they should. It also causes me to feel spaced out, and it affects my cognitive function. I've had really bad short-term memory with this drug, and the dry eyes and dry mouth are horrible. It has mostly helped with my overactive bladder, but I don't think it's worth the side effects."

• Mon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 19, 2019

For Urinary Frequency "I have been taking 5 mg oxybutynin twice a day for about a month now for my overactive bladder. I’m 55. I have sporadic stomach pain, bloating, dry mouth, dry eyes. I’m concerned about the stomach pain and wonder if I should stop taking the medicine. It has helped me, going from 6 trips to the bathroom to about 3. Any feedback about my stomach pain is appreciated."

• Jul...
• January 10, 2021

For Urinary Frequency "I am 61 years old, and I started taking 5 mg Oxybutynin ER about two months ago. I made the decision yesterday to stop taking it. I seem to have more urgency to go now than I did before, and I have severe, I mean severe, dry mouth and dry eyes. It’s not worth it to me to suffer with that! I was told all of those symptoms would go away. It has made my life miserable, so I stopped taking it yesterday."

• NO...
• February 10, 2009

For Urinary Frequency "I've tried the others that dry your eyes and mouth, blur your vision, and even paralyze your muscles so that you can't urinate without concentrating on it. This one is the winner. It cuts incontinence and overactive bladder with no side effects. I love it."

• JEN...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 25, 2022

For Urinary Incontinence "I have now been on this for several years. It wasn't quite the cure I had hoped for but did improve things for me and make life more bearable. I didn't get any strong side effects. I do have dry eyes, dry skin, dry nose, and throat. However, this is something I have never blamed the oxybutynin for, as it started long ago, and I just use commercial remedies like dry eye drops when it becomes annoying. I do now have palpitations (being investigated), but this is only a recent thing, so I haven't thought it has anything to do with this medication. On the whole, I think I am better taking this than not."

• Les...
• December 24, 2009

For Urinary Incontinence "I have been taking oxybutynin for approximately two months now due to urinary incontinence and bladder pain. It does help somewhat for the bladder spasms, but not all of the time. I have also noticed that the skin on my face and mouth is extremely dry. The last and worst side effect that I just noticed a couple of days ago is dry eyes and blurred vision."

• taM...
• September 12, 2017

For Urinary Frequency "I did have dry eyes for a couple of days, but using the eye drops, because I have always had dry eyes, helps a lot. I am so happy to not be running to the bathroom every ten minutes, it is a blessing. Some days I was not able to make it home, always had to stop. So it works for me. We must realize that each of us will not experience the same thing. What affects one person may not affect the other."

• SMS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2018

For Urinary Frequency "This is only my third day on oxybutynin, and I’m ready to stop taking it. Day 1, I felt loopy and could not concentrate, with dry mouth and eyes. Day 2 and 3 have me feeling (in addition to day 1 symptoms) very anxious and short of breath, and it seems to be making my hair/scalp greasy! The anxiety and the way it makes my hair feel after just three days might be worse than going to the bathroom every 30-45 mins. So torn because it does seem to have alleviated some of the urges to go to the bathroom after just 3 days. 18-19 were my average daily, and today was only 10-12!"

• Hol...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 27, 2018

For Urinary Frequency "I've been taking it for over 6 months. I started with 5 mg 2x a day, but didn't help a lot. The only difference I noticed was that I didn't get up as many times during the night. My doctor upped me to 10 mg a day, but I have a lot of what I call bladder pressure, which actually hurts. It felt like I had a bad UTI (but didn't). I'm getting a new RX for 15 mg extended release, which I think will work, since I've tried taking a 10 mg in the morning and 5 mg at night, which worked great! The side effects of dry mouth and dry eyes are tolerable to me, ditto the cough, because I have congestive heart failure, and heart meds give me the same side effects, so I'm used to it. I still have to wear a pad, but went from heavy overnight Poise pads to moderate leakage pads."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2018

For Urinary Frequency "I've been taking 5 mg Oxybutynin for about two months. The dry eyes, mouth, and lack of sweating were tolerable after the first couple of weeks. I do notice that I don't go to the restroom as much (from around 25-26 times a day to 10-12). I've also had diarrhea since I've begun taking it. I'm wondering if anyone else has the same issue?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2016

For Hyperhidrosis "I really wanted this to work for my hyperhidrosis; however, I only took 2.5 mg last night before bed, and today I have found the side effects intolerable: dry eyes, headache, drowsiness, lethargy, dry nose. So, unfortunately, I can't continue on and see if it's effective in reducing my sweating."