Urinary incontinence is alleviated in a mammal by administering to the mammal a urinary incontinence alleviating amount of dextromethorphan, dextrorphan, their mixtures and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, alone or in combination with a pharmacologically active agent such as an anticholinergic, sympathomimetic, tricyclic antidepressant, antispasmodic, direct-acting smooth muscle relaxant, estrogen, compound having estrogen-like activity, or any combination of the foregoing.