Gemtesa dosage, forms, and strengths

Gemtesa is a brand-name prescription drug that relieves overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. Its active ingredient is vibegron, a drug that relaxes the muscle that squeezes urine out of the bladder (called the detrusor muscle). This allows the bladder to fill with more urine before people feel the need to go. Gemtesa tablets are taken once daily.

Gemtesa forms and strengths

Gemtesa comes in only one dosage form and one dosage strength:

• Tablets: 75 mg

Gemtesa dosage for adults

Gemtesa relieves three symptoms of overactive bladder: urinary urgency, frequent urination, and incontinence. 

Gemtesa is a relatively safe drug without serious side effects other than  allergic reactions. Because of the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions, Gemtesa cannot be used in anyone who has had an allergic reaction to vibegron or any of the other ingredients in the tablet.

Check our best Gemtesa prices

Gemtesa dosage for overactive bladder

An overactive bladder causes people to urinate more frequently than normal. In mild cases, it’s a nuisance. In more severe cases, it can significantly lower the quality of life. 

Bladder overactivity manifests in three major ways: frequent urination, urinary urgency, and incontinence. 

Frequent urination occurs when people urinate more often than normal. That’s the usual sign of an overactive bladder. Urinary urgency involves the sudden, intense, and often unexpected need to urinate. Urinary incontinence is any involuntary leakage of urine. It is often associated with urinary urgency. In those cases, it’s called “urge incontinence.”

Another possible symptom of an overactive bladder is nocturia—having to get up frequently during the night to urinate. Gemtesa does not relieve nocturia.

Overactive bladders are caused by the activity of the detrusor muscle, the smooth muscle that contracts and squeezes urine out of the bladder. Doctors sometimes call overactive bladders “detrusor overactivity.” 

About 17% of adults in the U.S. have an overactive bladder, but only a third experience urinary urgency or urge incontinence. The other two-thirds just urinate more than other people. Urinary urgency and incontinence are more serious and intrusive symptoms than frequent peeing. They are the primary reasons people seek medical help for their bladder dysfunction. 

Behavioral, dietary, and other lifestyle changes are the first-line treatments for OAB. Something as simple as quitting caffeine or smoking can make a big difference.

When medications are used, the first-line treatments are anticholinergic (or antimuscarinic) drugs like oxybutynin. These drugs relax all the smooth muscles in the bladder, including the detrusor muscle. This allows the bladder to fill with more urine before the detrusor muscle contracts, allowing the patient to hold their urine more easily. They are very effective but often cause side effects in other parts of the body.

If muscarinic antagonists don’t work or the side effects are intolerable, the second-line choices are beta-3 agonists: Myrbetriq (mirabegron) and Gemtesa (vibegron), which we have been discussing. These drugs specifically relax the detrusor muscle. They also have fewer side effects than the antimuscarinic drugs.

Daily doses of Gemtesa relieve OAB symptoms of urinary frequency, urinary urgency, and incontinence. Gemtesa can be used alone, but men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) must also be on medications for that condition if they take Gemtesa, as Gemtesa may worsen symptoms of BPH.

The starting dosage of Gemtesa is the same as the maintenance dosage of Gemtesa. There is no need for doses to increase at the beginning of therapy. 

• Standard dosage for overactive bladder: 75 mg once daily

Gemtesa dosage for children

Gemtesa is not FDA-approved for use in children.

Gemtesa dosage restrictions

Dosage reductions are not necessary in people with kidney disease or mild to moderate liver impairment. Gemtesa is not recommended for use in people with severe liver problems or cirrhosis.

How to take Gemtesa

Gemtesa tablets are relatively simple to take. Here are a few tips:

• Follow the prescriber’s instructions.

• Please read the Patient Information sheet that comes with the medicine.

• Take only one tablet daily. If you miss a dose, simply take your next scheduled dose at the usual time.

• Doses can be taken with or without food.

• Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water.

• People who can’t swallow a tablet can crush the tablet and then mix it with one tablespoon of applesauce. Eat the mixture immediately with a glass of water.

• Store Gemtesa tablets at room temperature.

Gemtesa dosage FAQs

How long does it take Gemtesa to work?

In clinical studies, participants taking Gemtesa experienced symptom improvement almost immediately. Gemtesa showed significant improvements in OAB symptoms in the first two weeks of daily doses. However, it took twelve weeks to reach maximum symptom relief.

How long does Gemtesa stay in your system?

With a half-life of 31 hours, vibegron takes about six days to be completely cleared from the system.

What happens if I miss a dose of Gemtesa?

Don’t double up on doses, simply take your next scheduled dose at the usual time. 

How long can you take Gemtesa?

Gemtesa is a long-term treatment that can be taken for months or years.

How do I stop taking Gemtesa?

Stopping Gemtesa will not cause withdrawal symptoms or other complications. 

If the drug isn’t working or causes troublesome adverse effects, talk to the prescriber. The treatment of overactive bladder can involve other drugs such as anticholinergic drugs, antispasmodic drugs, or antidepressants such as desipramine or imipramine. Certain hormones and even botulinum toxin can be used as options.

What is the maximum dosage for Gemtesa?

The recommended dosage of 75 mg daily should be considered the maximum dosage.

Can you overdose on Gemtesa?

Healthcare professionals haven’t had much experience with Gemtesa overdoses. However, a drug from the same drug class called Myrbetriq (mirabegron) can cause racing heartbeats or palpitations when overdosed. If too much Gemtesa is taken, call a poison helpline or get medical help.

What interacts with Gemtesa?

To avoid potential drug interactions, make sure the prescriber has a complete history of the drugs and supplements you take, including other drugs taken for overactive bladder as well as the heart medication digoxin.

What happens when you mix Gemtesa and alcohol?

Alcohol isn’t known to interact with Gemtesa. However, ask the prescriber if it’s advisable to drink alcohol when being treated for overactive bladder. Alcohol is a diuretic that can worsen the symptoms of OAB. 

Is it safe to take Gemtesa during pregnancy?

Ask the prescriber for medical advice. Healthcare professionals don’t know if it’s safe for pregnant women to take Gemtesa. In animal studies, the drug did not cause birth defects even when given in excessively high doses. 

Is it safe to take Gemtesa while breastfeeding?

Ask the prescriber for medical advice before taking Gemtesa while breastfeeding. Healthcare professionals have not studied Gemtesa in women who are nursing. They don’t know if it’s present in breast milk, affects lactation, or causes side effects in a nursing baby.

What are the side effects of Gemtesa?

The most common side effects of Gemtesa are headache, urinary tract infection, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea, and upper respiratory tract infection. Other possible side effects include dry mouth, urinary retention, and constipation.

What are the serious side effects of Gemtesa?

Gemtesa can rarely cause severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions such as angioedema.

Is high blood pressure a possible side effect?

Unlike other beta-3 adrenergic agonists like Myrbetriq (mirabegron), Gemtesa does not have an FDA-mandated warning about increased blood pressure. In clinical trials, Gemtesa caused elevated blood pressure at the same rate as the placebo.

Who should not take Gemtesa?

Anyone who has had an allergic reaction to Gemtesa cannot safely take the drug.Some medical conditions can be worsened by Gemtesa. The risk of urinary retention is heightened in people with bladder outlet obstruction or problems urinating. For that reason, men with BPH (enlarged prostate) must also take medications for that condition and use caution when taking Gemtesa.  

Sources

• Gemtesa HCP, Sumitomo Pharma America

• Gemtesa vibegron tablet drug information, DailyMed (NIH National Library of Medicine)

• Relationship between alcohol use and overactive bladder disease: a cross-sectional study of the NHANES 2005–2016, Frontiers in Public Health

• The burden of overactive bladder on US public health, Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports

• Urge incontinence, StatPearls