You've had the household incontinence blacklist, now we're giving you the medication blacklist!

Obviously, if you have a severe heart condition, we're not recommending that you suddenly stop taking your medication; we just want our Kegel8 followers to be informed and aware.
Here are five commonly prescribed medications to those of incontinence-affected age:

1. Alpha-adrenergic blockers - commonly used to treat hypertension aka high blood pressure. However, they relax the bladder and urethra which can cause and worsen stress incontinence in some women.
2. Cholinesterase inhibitors - goes under trade names like Aricept and Exelon, they are used to manage symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia. However, they can increase the frequency of bladder contractions and worsen urge incontinence.
3. Anticholinergic effect-drugs - these drugs are used to block neurotransmitters in the brain and are used widely to treat a number of things from depression to Parkinson’s disease. They can worsen incontinence as they interfere with bladder contraction.
4. Opioids - treatment for serious pain relief such morphine and codeine. However, these drugs interfere with the bladder and can cause overflow incontinence.
5. Hormone therapy (HRT): The oestrogen-progestin combination in HRT can cause or worsen the incontinence in some women. Yet another addition to our ever growing list of HRT: shall I, shan't I take it?

If you are on any of these medications and feel that they are indeed worsening your condition, why not have a chat with your GP to discuss other possible options that may not interfere with your incontinence? Until then, happy Kegelling!