Introductions - New Members Start Here

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Hi Everyone,
I'm Liz, I am turning 23 soon and wet the bed often and i have done so since i can remember. It is very frustrating and something that i don't speak to often with anyone. I've recently gone to a doctor about this and basically got told i would live with this my whole life! I wanted to cry! I believe i may have overactive bladder as well since i go to the restroom a lot during the day but i don't leak, the main problem is at night. I'm glad to have found this community!

Thank you all,

 

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Hi Liz, nice to meet you, dont worry there are plenty of guys like me who would love to be with you because we are similar, nothing is better than that, A big hug from me to you

 

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Good Day everyone. My name is Frances and I think I have overactive bladder. I did wet the bed as a child, but that stopped by the time I hit my teens. I am 60 years old and in the last few years I have experienced urine leakage on sneezing, coughing or laughing. Nothing strange about that for someone my age, I just used a pad and carried on. More recently, I have been having serious issues with getting to the bathroom on time. Mostly at night, but now during the day too. I have switched to Poise pads and have been using #2 for daytime and #3 for night. In the last few weeks I pulled a tendon in my knee and it is even more difficult to make it to the bathroom on time, day or night.

I am very hesitant to go to my family physician. I know there are things that can be done to lessen the problem, but it is difficult to put voice to my need. I like to have information and ideas of the best options before I speak with him.

I welcome any ideas, ways to talk about the situation with my doctor. My husband is very supportive and is encouraging me to seek treatment. I also have MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatique Syndrome.

Thanking you in advance.

 

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Hi I'am new here developed urgency incontinence and can't always hold it.I use diapers to avoid problems due to being a diabetic and prostate problems.

 

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Hey Sport!
There may be other options than just diapers (often we call those "Briefs" in here) I've been involved in incontinence for a number of years and always make the brief my absolute last option when everything else has failed.
Happy to elaborate if you need any additional info or advice.

 

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Kenedmunds is correct that there are options other than diapers. If you're male, an external catheter and leg bag is an option that many men prefer. On the other hand, I find that wearing a diaper is an easy and reliable solution that enables me to get on with my life without having to worry constantly about where the nearest bathroom is and whether or not I'll be able to make it in time. An external catheter provides the same kind of security, but I find the catheters to be fiddly and harder to manage than diapers. To each his own!

 

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inconninmiss...

Sorry...didn't mean to discourage anyone from briefs (diapers)
I do have a question if you'll indulge me...
If you had the option to either wear a Brief (tabs) or Protective Underwear (elastic)...which would you choose, and why?

 

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I have had bad experiences with external catheters. Several of my most embarrassing accidents have happened when my external catheter came unglued, once after it had been applied by enterostomal therapists. I wear washables and plastic pants when I'm at home, disposables when I travel. Diapers give me freedom to leave my house, as externals do not.

 

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I should have called them briefs.I have not heard too many good stories about catheters.

 

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I think I speak for many if not most of us here when I say that we're ok calling a spade a spade. It's a diaper. Let's put on a diaper and get on with life.

 

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Hi, I'm a 30+ year old male with primary nocturnal enuresis. Being married, as you can likely presume, it has strained our relationship for many years. My wife is amazingly supportive and I am seeking to find more effective methods for managing my periods of nocturnal enuresis. The NAFC mentions condom catheters. Does anyone have experience with them? Do they withstand tossing and turning, or do they dislodge easily? Are they covered by insurance if prescribed? The website notes they are either secured with a strap or carefully fitted. How is the adhesion method determined? My other thought was a penile clamp. Anyone have experience with that? Is there any risk with it? My thought is that I'd awaken from the pressure building in my urethra and go void. If anyone has feedback, I'm all ears. Lastly, does anyone have suggestions for impermeable sheets? I either used plastic ones that tore, fabric/plastic ones that weren't completely impermeable, or ones with a big absorbent centre that worked, but were very heavy once soaked, and took a lot of time in the dryer to dehydrate. Sorry for so many questions. This site seems to be an amazing resource for those of us with these issues. I'm looking forward to hearing back from anyone with information.

 

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RJ2,
My experience with external catheters has been disastrous. Two of my most memorable accidents happened when my catheter came unglued, once when it had been applied by enterostomal therapists, on orders from my urologist that they teach me how to apply it. I have had no experience with clamps. I wear a triple diaper plus a polyurethane pant to bed. Keeping myself clean and free of objectionable odor goes a long way to maintaining marital bliss. Our bed has a waterproof mattress cover from Sears, though I rarely need it because of the over-protection I use.

 

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My experience with external catheters is rather like Patrick's. They are fiddly to work with and prone to catastrophic failures that are much more spectacular than a leaky diaper. I once had a urologist who told me that wearing a diaper is unmanly and that I really should use an external catheter instead. So I tried. However, during a Christmas party at my boss's house, my catheter leg bag broke and dumped a cup or so of urine on my his oriental rug. My boss was a compassionate man and didn't fire me. But I went back to diapers and have been using them ever since.

Nevertheless, some men prefer external catheters. I think that preference depends on hating the idea of wearing a diaper so much that they're willing to do anything else that might work. I recommend working to reduce your aversion to diapers unless the doctors can find a medical solution to your incontinence.

 

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Hi! I'm 25 and I've wet the bed my entire life. It's been a, dare I say, traumatic experience. I spent most of my life either getting spankings or grounded for something I couldn't control. My mom would take me to doctor after doctor for them to mark it off as a child's issue or say I was just lazy. I've been through numerous tests, most repeated, with no results. They always test me when I'm awake when my problem is only when I'm asleep. With adulthood came acceptance and I just stopped looking for help. Now my partner and our son live together and he's understanding, but not at all supportive. It's the worst secret to have to live with, but it is what it is. I came to this site looking for answers and maybe some clue that I'm not the only adult bedwetter in the world, then I'd seen there's a forum. Even though I wouldn't wish the shame of adult bedwetting on anyone, I can't help but hope there's at least one other person out there who can sympathize with me. That would be everything.

 

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Hopefully, parents now are more understanding of their children's bedwetting, what with numerous brands of protection staring at them from the shelves of supermarkets and big box stores. Maintaining marital bliss, for me, means keeping myself clean and free of objectionable odor, and wearing protection (diapers and plastic pants) heavy enough to guarantee a dry bed in the morning.

 

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Hello. New member here. Connor, 22. I've been a bedwetter since a kid. It's has been rough on my self esteem, but I've powered through. Dealing with that and Aspergers caused for a very mixed childhood in terms of enjoyment. But I'm ok now. I'm dealing with it though diapers - European brand. I tried medication, didn't really work. Surgery at young age didn't work. I'm joining here to get immersed in the community. I know there are those out there that probably are in the same boat.

 

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Connor, welcome. I hope your will find your time here useful and rewarding.

 

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Hi. New member here, with questions about bladders damaged by pelvic radiation.

I’m female, 62, living with cervical cancer. For some years I’ve had a ureteral stent, running from kidney to bladder. The stent aids the flow of urine in an area where a tumor, pressing against the ureter, causes some obstruction. Once a year, the stent is replaced.

Six weeks ago I started experiencing incontinence. For 2-3 days it amounted to a dribble when I coughed or stood up quickly from a seated position. It soon escalated to nighttime incontinence: I’d wake up, need to go, get out of bed and instantly lose urine – not a dribble but a small stream. This would happen 2-6 times a night.

It so happened that the incontinence started just before time for my annual stent exchange, so I mentioned it to my urologist in our pre-procedure meeting. She said she didn’t think the it was related to the stent but that she’d look around in the bladder when she did the exchange.

I had the stent swap (my fifth, by the way) and much to my surprise, afterward, in recovery, I couldn’t urinate at all! Bladder measurement indicated the bladder was quite full, yet I couldn’t void. So I went from peeing all the time to not being able to pee at all. The doc put a catheter in and said I should meet with her colleague who specializes in neurogenic bladders.

So I did. We did a urodynamics study and a cystoscopy. She thinks the bladder is suffering late effects of the pelvic radiation I had as a cancer treatment in 2011. She says the bladder has shrunk and is not squeezing properly. So it appears I’ll be wearing a catheter permanently.

She told me about drugs that could “stretch” the bladder and about surgically implanted catheters. She also said I could try self-cathing but because of a vaginal tumor I have, it might be painful. So for the moment I’m sticking with a catheter that I cap (as opposed to a leg bag). Unfortunately, if I can’t self-cath, and continue to wear a catheter, then I can’t benefit from physical therapy or timed exercises either.

My questions: Any theories on why I went from incontinent to totally unable to void after the stent surgery? Does anyone know if/how the function of a radiation-damaged bladder can be improved? Does anyone know if acupuncture might help?

Sorry for the long post – thanks for reading!

 

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Good luck. I'm sure your situation has your doctors scratching their heads. If you still have a benign pelvic tumor, could that be the source of your difficulty?

 

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44 y/o female with new onset urge incontinence, nocturia and nocturnal enuresis. No idea what is causing it or why this is happening. Totally type A personality so not having control of such a thing is really taking a toll on me. That being said, I'm now retired and honestly the least stressed I've ever been in my life (aside from this issue). Plus I'm still single (was married to the USAF for 24 years) and now worried that I may be that way forever with this problem at hand. Totally freaking out about it all and trying to cope emotionally and physically. Have to wear heavy briefs/diapers 24/7 due to massive flooding several times a day and most nights. I have tried self-help for several months with very little improvement. Diet and lifestyle modifications including: restricted intake (30-40 oz per day, small amounts spread throughout day), stopped drinking about 2 hours before bed, kegals, timed voiding, bladder retraining, decreased sugary foods and stopped caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, chocolate, acidic stuff, and citrus. Working (always) on losing weight which is definitely needed but has been stable for years. Yes, I have initiated the discussion with my neurologist and am now working with my PCM and womens health clinic for ongoing investigation, support and care. Thus far UA was negative and PVR was essentially normal (empty). Awaiting urology consult now (@ VA) but nervous about the potential testing and results. No idea what to expect (despite my extensive research) but trying to remain hopeful. My parents are both deceased so I can't ask them any questions. I did not have any wetting issues as a child that I'm aware of and none until now. I have talked to my sister and my aunt (who is a retired nurse and also my medical power of attorney) but haven't told anyone else and super paranoid that someone/anyone else will find out. Such an embarrassing and frustrating problem!
Could incontinence be caused by Ropinerole? Or Tizanidine? I have insomnia but stopped my Ambien when this problem started because I was afraid the night time accidents were due to over sedation and missing the signals. But that hasn't made a lick of difference in incidents thus far. Could pulling G's for 20 years have anything to do with this? I also have a long history of chronic constipation and straining, does that mean I may be stuck with this?