solifenacin
Brand names: Vesicare
Solifenacin (Vesicare) is a medicine that helps control an overactive bladder. It reduces the feeling of needing to go to the bathroom so often.
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$12.31/unit
Generic Price
$0.16/unit
Generic Savings
99%
Generic Available
Yes (13 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats overactive bladder in adults.
Common side effects
Dry mouth, Constipation, Urinary tract infection
Key warnings
This medicine may cause swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
How It Works
Solifenacin blocks certain receptors in the bladder called muscarinic receptors. By blocking these receptors, the bladder muscle relaxes. This helps to reduce the urge to urinate frequently and reduces leakage.
How to Take It
Take one 5 mg tablet by mouth once a day with water. You can take it with or without food. If the 5 mg dose works well, your doctor may increase it to 10 mg once a day. Do not crush or chew the tablet; swallow it whole.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if solifenacin can harm your unborn baby. It is also not known if solifenacin passes into breast milk.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time.
Storage
Store solifenacin tablets at room temperature, between 68°F and 77°F.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 14,141 FDA adverse event reports.
Serious Warnings
This medicine may cause swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat. If this happens, stop taking solifenacin and get medical help right away. This medicine is not recommended if you have a bladder problem that makes it hard to empty your bladder. It is also not recommended if you have slow movement in your stomach or intestines. This medicine may cause sleepiness, so be careful driving or operating heavy machinery until you know how it affects you.
Known Drug Interactions
solifenacin ↑ solifenacin When solifenacin is co-administered with darunavir/ritonavir, do not exceed a solifenacin dose of 5 mg once daily.
Mechanism: Darunavir slows down how quickly your body processes solifenacin, which increases the amount of the drug in your system.
What to do: If you take these drugs together, your doctor should limit your solifenacin dose to 5 mg once daily.
Solifenacin Patients with severe renal or moderate to severe hepatic impairment : Contraindicated during and 2 weeks after itraconazole treatment.
Mechanism: Itraconazole stops the body from breaking down solifenacin, which can cause the drug to build up to unsafe levels.
What to do: Do not take these medicines together if you have kidney or liver problems.
Concomitant use of ketoconazole, a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, significantly increased the exposure of solifenacin [ see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ) ].
Mechanism: Ketoconazole stops the body from breaking down solifenacin, which leads to higher levels of the drug in your system.
What to do: Your doctor may need to adjust your solifenacin dose to prevent side effects.
Drug interaction studies were conducted in adult patients to investigate the effect of coadministered drugs on the pharmacokinetics of mirabegron and the effect of mirabegron on the pharmacokinetics of coadministered drugs (e.g., ketoconazole, rifampin, solifenacin succinate, tamsulosin, and oral contraceptives) [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] .
Mechanism: Taking these two bladder medicines together can slightly change how your body absorbs or handles each drug.
What to do: These medicines can be used together, but you should let your healthcare provider know if you experience any new symptoms.
Common Questions
Can I take this medicine if I have glaucoma?
What should I do if I have a severe allergic reaction?
Can I drive while taking this medicine?
What if I have kidney problems?
What if I have liver problems?
Can I take this with other medications?
What are the most common side effects?
Can this medicine cause urinary retention?
How long does it take for this medicine to work?
What do the tablets look like?
What are the common side effects of solifenacin?
Does solifenacin interact with other medications?
What drug class is solifenacin?
Is there a generic version of solifenacin?
Is solifenacin safe during pregnancy?
Has solifenacin been recalled?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
Related Medications in Anticholinergic (Overactive Bladder)
Other drugs grouped near solifenacin — same-class peers and common alternatives.
alfuzosin
Uroxatral
Alfuzosin is a medicine that helps men with enlarged prostate glands.
Compare with solifenacin →
bethanechol
Urecholine
Bethanechol helps you to urinate if you have trouble emptying your bladder.
Compare with solifenacin →
darifenacin
Enablex
Darifenacin (Enablex) is a medicine that helps control an overactive bladder.
Compare with solifenacin →
dutasteride
Avodart
Dutasteride and tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules contain two medicines to treat enlarged prostate in men.
Compare with solifenacin →
dutasteride/tamsulosin
Jalyn
This medicine combines two drugs to treat enlarged prostate in men.
Compare with solifenacin →
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
Why some drugs demand precise dosing and monitoring
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Related Health & Safety Data
🩺 Find a Doctor
Search prescribers for Anticholinergic (Overactive Bladder)
🏨 Hospital Quality
CMS hospital ratings, safety scores & patient outcomes
💊 Supplement Data
NIH DSLD — check supplement ingredients & label claims
🍽️ Food Safety Alerts
FDA recalls, inspections & outbreak investigations
⚠️ Product Recalls
FDA, CPSC & NHTSA recall search
💉 Procedure Costs
Medicare procedure pricing for 9,297 procedures
Save on solifenacin
Compare prices and find discounts at pharmacies near you. Free coupons can save up to 80% on prescriptions.
Disclosure: This link may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. See our terms.
What the FDA Data Shows for solifenacin
The FDA label for solifenacin (sold under brand names such as Vesicare) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Anticholinergic (Overactive Bladder) class. This medicine treats overactive bladder in adults. Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Dry mouth, Constipation, Urinary tract infection.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 14,141 voluntary reports. The database also lists 4 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.16 versus $12.31 for the brand — a 99% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: January 28, 2026
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages