Highlights for trospium

  1. Trospium oral tablet is only available as a generic drug. It doesn’t have a brand-name version.
  2. Trospium comes in two forms: an oral immediate-release tablet and an oral extended-release capsule.
  3. Trospium oral tablet is used to treat overactive bladder (OAB).

  • Swelling (edema) warning: In rare cases, trospium may cause swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. If swelling occurs and makes it hard for you to breathe, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away.
  • Heat exhaustion warning: Trospium may cause you to sweat less, which can make your body less able to cool itself. Heat exhaustion can occur when trospium is used in a hot environment. Symptoms can include:
    • cool, moist skin with goose bumps when you’re hot
    • feeling faint
    • dizziness
    • tiredness
    • a weak but fast heart rate
    • orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure that causes lightheadedness when you stand up after sitting or lying down)
    • muscle cramps
    • nausea
    • headache

Trospium is a prescription drug. It comes in two forms: an oral immediate-release tablet and an oral extended-release capsule.

Trospium oral tablet is only available as a generic drug. Generic drugs usually cost less than brand-name drugs.

Why it’s used

Trospium oral tablet is used to treat overactive bladder (OAB), which causes the following symptoms:

  • Urinary urge incontinence. This is a strong need to urinate right away, with leaking or wetting accidents.
  • Urgency. This is a strong need to urinate right away.
  • Frequency. This means you urinate more often than usual.

How it works

Trospium belongs to a class of medications called antimuscarinics. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.

Overactive bladder is a condition where your bladder muscles contract involuntarily even when your bladder isn’t full. When they contract, you’ll feel the need to urinate right away.

Trospium helps decrease and prevent these involuntary bladder contractions or spasms. This decreases your sudden need to urinate, having to urinate often, and leaking in between bathroom visits.

Trospium oral tablet can cause dizziness and drowsiness. You shouldn’t drive, use machinery, or do other activities that require alertness until you know how trospium affects you.

This drug can also cause other side effects.

More common side effects

The more common side effects that can occur with trospium include:

  • dry mouth
  • constipation
  • headache
  • stomach pain
  • blurred vision

If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:

  • Allergic reactions. Symptoms can include:
    • hives
    • trouble breathing
    • swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat that may make it harder to breathe (angioedema)
    • Psychiatric issues. Symptoms can include:
      • hallucinations
      • delirium (confused thinking and not being as aware of your surroundings)
    • Heat exhaustion. Symptoms can include:
      • cool, moist skin with goose bumps when you’re hot
      • feeling faint
      • dizziness
      • tiredness
      • a weak but fast heart rate
      • orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure that causes lightheadedness when you stand up after sitting or lying down)
      • muscle cramps
      • nausea
      • headache

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history.

Trospium oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.

To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs you’re taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else you’re taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with trospium are listed below.

Irregular heart rate medication

Taking procainamide with trospium can increase the level of procainamide in your body. This puts you at a greater risk of side effects.

Anesthesia medication

Taking pancuronium with trospium can increase the level of pancuronium in your body. This puts you at a greater risk of side effects.

Pain medications

Taking trospium with certain pain drugs can increase your risk of side effects such as urinary retention, constipation, and drowsiness. Examples of these drugs include:

  • morphine
  • codeine
  • fentanyl
  • hydrocodone

Antibiotic

Taking vancomycin with trospium can increase the level of vancomycin in your body. This puts you at a greater risk of side effects.

Antiviral medication

Taking tenofovir with trospium can increase the level of tenofovir in your body. This puts you at a greater risk of side effects.

Diabetes medication

Taking metformin with trospium can decrease level of trospium in your body. This means it may not work as well.

Allergy medications

These drugs work in similar ways as trospium and can have similar side effects. Taking any of these drugs with trospium may increase the frequency and severity of side effects from trospium. These include dry mouth, constipation, trouble emptying your bladder, blurred vision, and drowsiness.

Examples of these drugs include:

  • diphenhydramine
  • hydroxyzine

Depression medications

Tricyclic antidepressants work in similar ways as trospium and can have similar side effects. Taking these drugs with trospium may increase the frequency and severity of side effects from trospium. These include dry mouth, constipation, trouble emptying your bladder, blurred vision, and drowsiness.

Examples of these drugs include:

  • amitriptyline
  • desipramine
  • imipramine
  • nortriptyline

Overactive bladder drugs

Other drugs that treat OAB work in similar ways as trospium and can have similar side effects. Taking any of these drugs with trospium may increase the frequency and severity of side effects caused by trospium. These include dry mouth, constipation, trouble emptying your bladder, blurred vision, and drowsiness.

Examples of these drugs include:

  • solifenacin
  • darifenacin
  • tolterodine

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you’re taking.

This drug comes with several warnings.

Allergy warning

Trospium may cause a serious allergic reaction. Symptoms can include:

  • swelling of your face, lips, throat, mouth, or tongue
  • trouble breathing

If you develop these symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Don’t take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death).

Alcohol interaction warning

Trospium can make you dizzy or drowsy. Drinking alcohol while taking trospium may make dizziness or drowsiness worse. In general, you should limit how much alcohol you drink while taking this medication.

Food interaction warning

Trospium should be taken at least one hour before meals or on an empty stomach. Taking it with food decreases the amount of the drug that gets absorbed by your body.

Warnings for people with certain health conditions

For people with urine flow problems: You shouldn’t take trospium if you have urinary retention. It should be used with caution if you have bladder obstruction. Trospium may decrease your urine flow and make these conditions worse.

For people with stomach problems: You shouldn’t use this drug if you have gastric retention. You should use this drug with caution if you have slowed or delayed emptying of your stomach (stomach or bowel blockage) or no movement in your intestines (gastric atony). Trospium can slow the movement of your stomach or intestines further and make these conditions worse.

For people with uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma: You shouldn’t take trospium if you have uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma (increased eye pressure). This drug can make your condition worse.

For people with kidney disease: Trospium is removed from your body by your kidneys. If your kidneys aren’t working well, more of the drug can stay in your body longer and put you at risk for increased side effects. If you have severe kidney disease, your doctor may decrease your dosage of trospium oral tablet.

For people with liver disease: Trospium is processed in your body by your liver. If your liver isn’t working well, more of the drug can stay in your body longer and put you at risk of increased side effects.

Warnings for other groups

For pregnant women: Trospium is a category C pregnancy drug. That means two things:

  1. Research in animals has shown adverse effects to the fetus when the mother takes the drug.
  2. There haven’t been enough studies done in humans to be certain how the drug might affect the fetus.

Tell your doctor if you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Trospium should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk.

If you become pregnant while taking this drug, call your doctor right away.

For women who are breastfeeding: It isn’t known if trospium passes into breast milk. If it does, it may cause serious effects in a child who is breastfed. You and your doctor may need to decide if you’ll take trospium or breastfeed.

For seniors: Seniors may be more likely to have the following side effects when taking this drug:

  • dry mouth
  • constipation
  • indigestion or stomach pain
  • urinary tract infection
  • urinary retention

If you have chronic constipation, your doctor may want you to avoid trospium because of the increased risk of constipation.

For children: This drug hasn’t been studied in children. It shouldn’t be used in children younger than 18 years.

This dosage information is for trospium oral tablet. All possible dosages and forms may not be included here. Your dosage, drug form, and how often you take the drug will depend on:

  • your age
  • the condition being treated
  • the severity of your condition
  • other medical conditions you have
  • how you react to the first dose

Dosage for overactive bladder (OAB)

Generic: Trospium

  • Form: oral tablet
  • Strengths: 20 mg

Adult dosage (ages 18–74 years)

Typical dosage: 20 mg taken two times per day (for a total of 40 mg per day). Take it with water on an empty stomach, at least one hour before eating a meal.

Child dosage (ages 0–17 years)

This drug hasn’t been studied in children. It shouldn’t be used in children younger than 18 years.

Senior dosage (ages 75 years and older)

To reduce your risk of side effects, your doctor may give you a lower dosage. Your dosage will likely be 20 mg taken once per day. Take it with water on an empty stomach, at least one hour before a meal.

Special dosage considerations

For people with kidney disease: Trospium is mostly removed from the body by your kidneys. If your kidneys aren’t working well, more of the drug can stay in your body longer and put you at increased risk of side effects. For those with severe kidney disease, your doctor will likely prescribe 20 mg once per day at bedtime.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you.

Trospium oral tablet is used for long-term treatment. It comes with serious risks if you don’t take it as prescribed by your doctor.

If you stop taking the drug or don’t take it at all: Your symptoms of OAB will likely stay the same or get worse.

If you miss doses or don’t take the drug on schedule: Your medication may not work as well or may stop working completely. For this drug to work well, a certain amount needs to be in your body at all times. If you take too much: You could have dangerous levels of the drug in your body. Symptoms of an overdose of this drug can include:

  • dangerously fast heart rate
  • inability to urinate
  • extreme sleepiness
  • severe confusion
  • hallucinations

If you think you’ve taken too much of this drug, call your doctor or seek guidance from the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 1-800-222-1222 or through their online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

What to do if you miss a dose: If you forget to take your dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s just a few hours until the time of your next dose, then wait and only take one dose at that time.

Never try to catch up by taking two doses at once. This could cause dangerous side effects.

How to tell if the drug is working: Your symptoms of overactive bladder should improve. You may no longer have a strong need to urinate or a need to urinate often.

Keep these considerations in mind if your doctor prescribes trospium for you.

General

  • Take trospium with water on an empty stomach, at least one hour before a meal.
  • You may crush or cut the tablet.

Storage

  • Store trospium at room temperature between 68°F (20°C) and 77°F (25°C).
  • Keep this drug away from light.
  • Do not freeze trospium.
  • Don’t store this medication in moist or damp areas, such as bathrooms.

Refills

A prescription for this medication is refillable. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.

Travel

When traveling with your medication:

  • Always carry your medication with you. When flying, never put it into a checked bag. Keep it in your carry-on bag.
  • Don’t worry about airport X-ray machines. They can’t harm your medication.
  • You may need to show airport staff the pharmacy label for your medication. Always carry the original prescription-labeled container with you.
  • Don’t put this medication in your car’s glove compartment or leave it in the car. Be sure to avoid doing this when the weather is very hot or very cold.

Clinical monitoring

Before starting trospium, your doctor will do blood tests to check your kidney function. These tests will help your doctor decide if trospium is safe for you to take, and if you need a lower dosage.

Prior authorization

Many insurance companies require a prior authorization for this drug. This means your doctor will need to get approval from your insurance company before your insurance company will pay for the prescription.

There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Some may be better suited for you than others. Talk to your doctor about other drug options that may work for you.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.