Introductions - New Members Start Here

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I think your changing it from the big secret to being more public is great. Most of fear is the unknown. Now you know, they know and its cool. Very Cool!

 

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karenmac,
Good luck with your son. Have you sought counseling for him? Perhaps the services of a continence advisor might be useful. Does he have any mental or physical difficulties that would hinder his ability to take care of himself? Keep us informed.

 

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I am a 42 year old female and started noticing I leaked a little last September. Then one day I was on the bus and couldn't hold it. It just leaked out a little at a time. I also noticed that I had to go more and more frequently until every 15 minutes I was going and leaking in between. I finally reached a point where I had to do something so Dr gave me oxybutunin. It made the problem worse at first, bigger leaks but got a little better as my capacity increased. But the side effects-it literally dried me out, made me fuzzyheaded, and extra drowsy. My whole body was dry including my eyes.
I stopped taking it and have been lifestyle changes.
I joined because I need to communicate with similar people. No one around me thinks it is a big deal but it is taking over my life. Every day I struggle with embarrassment because of the smell when I leak to the point that it is affecting my ability work and dating someone who I liked. I told them about it and they were under standing but because of leakage issues and what this has done to my self esteem I lost out. It is greatly affecting my quality of life. This problem is more acceptble for older people but since I am younger they just shake their heads at me.

 

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I can totally relate to being young with incontinence. Sometimes it makes me sad or anxious but then I'm just grateful that it's a very managable symptom. Yes I have to make sure I have a diaper on all the time, which is inconvient and bad for skin but with a good hygiene program the skin breakdown can be managed as for wearing protection. I am just grateful that it's there because without it then incontinence would be a BIG problem. I'm happy you here, we're all here to help anyway we can

 

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@Vestalm

HI...just saw your 'story'. I'm also retired, flyboy, and after retirement, a lower spine injury caused my incontinence.

Lots to say on the matter and I've talked to many, in person and on-line.

Will get back to you later and we can share support. Appoints this PM preclude a more proper intro.

Be well,

Andy.

 

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I'm 48 and have worn diapers since I was 18. I was a bedwetter since age 4 and my Mom never forced me to wear protection besides a plastic sheet on my mattress.
So when I moved out, I purchased some Attends and they worked fairly well unless you're a side-sleeper like me.
Either way I was just grateful adult-size disposable diapers were available back then!
So some years ago, I told my doctor about it and she prescribed me diapers. Eventually, I became incontinent. So I wear 24/7 and I can deal with it.
My Mom still doesn't know...

 

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Hey my wife who is 47 has been wearing pads 24-7 for the past few years. Last year she had went into Walmart to get something and I stayed in the car, she called my phone and told me to come inside the store to where she was at, so I did and when I got to her she told me that if she moved she was gonna wet her pants I told her well what are you gonna do because you can't stand here she said that a lil bit had done came out but she was standing there with her legs crossed and finally she decided to try to make it to the bathroom which was at the other end of the store, after she came out it was obvious that she had wet her blue jeans but she had on a long cut blouse so it wasn't noticeable. But in December we went to a Christmas party and she was drinking and fell over and when she did she wet herself. But recently she has came close to wetting the bed in her sleep, but woke up in time only to wet her panties going to the bathroom. I've told her she might ought to start wearing some type of absorbent pad or diaper to prevent this, but she denies that she has a bladder control problem

 

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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?

 

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I think it's ok for everyone to call them whatever they are comfortable with. That being said, it was my understanding that the standard accepted terminology was briefs (diapers), protective underwear (pull-ups) and pads (pads). Is that not true? And are washables still called briefs, or simply washables, or something else?

Lots of terms...though I think the 'stadard accepted terminology' is mainly a product of the industry, marketing outlets and product advertising. When ordering, I'll use the catalog or listed terms for clarity.

But, among those of us who actually experience the issues, well -- it's quite often just diapers, pads, waterproof pants, etc. Maybe it's just our candor or a little wry humor at times - I dunno. Either way, I'm not bothered and I'll yield to the terms the other is most comfortable using when communicating. Just as long as the meaning is clear, that is.

I do differentiate between reusables and disposables if needed. As a generic reference, I'll just use the term 'protection' in the right context. That can cover a wide range of products worn. I can be brand-specific, too, if that matters.

 

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@gettingbacktolife

set up another appointment with your doctor or urologist ASAP.

meanwhile, there are pads and other products you can use to prevent wetting your clothing.

most absorbent products contain odor neutralizers so if changed frequently, odor should not be detected by anyone.

I wish you well.

 

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I think she would rather risk wetting herself than to have to wear diapers for protection

 

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I am new to the forum but I have been getting the newsletters for some time.
My story is that I have suffered from overactive bladder for over 20 years. I started out with a Urologist who would tell me to "just relax" and went on and on about how difficult it is to be a woman with worry. He retired and a went to another one that pretty much said the same thing. Both of the started to dilate me, which was very painful and really did not solve anything. Eventually I moved on to biofeedback, a nutritionist to tell me that I needed a low oxylate diet and numerous drugs for OA, none that worked.
I primarily have urge and overflow, although the overflow is recent. For a time I suffered greatly with getting up at night. I finally went to an acupuncturist for a back problem, but he treated me for this as well about 6 years ago. Bliss! about 5 treatments in the night time stopped totally and then I got better.
The issue is that it is not covered under insurance and he told me then I had to come in to maintain. Well of course since I felt better I would only go when I had a flare up. I eventually went back to a new Urologist (the other one retired thank god) and explained the acupuncture, which she said was just like tibial nerve stimulation. I started that treatment,and it was pretty similar to what the acupuncturist did..the needle attached to a electrode. It was, however, very expensive. $85 to 125 for each treatment and they wanted me to commit to a 12 month plan. It was cheaper to continue with acupuncturist since he treats other things. I am here to see if anyone else has had success with Tibial Nerve and to let others know that it does work.

 

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Beatrice1. Your post inspired me to reply. For me the thought of consuming some meds (chemicals) for the rest of my life to mask urge was not a path I wanted to take. So the acupuncture approach, while probably needing repeat visits sounds a bit better. The Tibial Nerve treatment is likely beyond my budget especially if it is not covered by health insurance. I as well would be interested in what others have to say about it. So getting back to my point, I have been pragmatic about beating the symptoms, without meds, you know, mind over matter. My plan currently is to retrain my bladder to hold on, incrementally over time. And to pay attention to situations so as to not get caught up in some activity that will lead to a problem. Fun? No. Is it working? A big yes, this summer has so far been relatively free from incontinence during the day. Okay there were 2 fails which were my own fault when I didn't follow my own rules. The last time my bed was wet was in April.

 

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Sorry for the typos in the original post. Please investigate PTNS (tibial nerve stimulation) with your own insurance providers. The situation that I described was my own insurance, and it was actually covered, but I had not met my high deductible and that was the cost of the individual visits without having met my deductible. Had I met my deductible it would have been 20% of the cost.

I am certain that others have better plans and I would hate for anyone to dismiss it because they think it is not cost effective for them.

I would add that my acupuncturist told me that if you have back problems they may cause bladder problems, especially if it involves L5 and L3. I don't know if this is true, but I did not start having problems until I was involved in a minor train wreck and a rear end in a vehicle within a year or so of each other. Both incidents resulted in issues to my L3 and L5, which is when the urinary problems started.

I can't guarantee it will work for everyone but it is worth a try. When I go to the acupuncturist, he is needling the same area that they did with the tibial treatment and using a stim. It seems to me western medicine got the idea from them!

 

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Am ninety yrs. old fairly active, interested in hearing from Cunningham Clamp users. My oncologist decided my leakage was enough to warrant giving me a clamp approx. six weeks ago. No instructions but to wear it. I am curious to hear from successful users, especially the uncircumsised. How often does one urinate,any skin problems, do they use a pad with it. I do not sleep with it.

 

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Am ninety yrs. old fairly active, interested in hearing from Cunningham Clamp users. My oncologist decided my leakage was enough to warrant giving me a clamp approx. six weeks ago. No instructions but to wear it. I am curious to hear from successful users, especially the uncircumsised. How often does one urinate,any skin problems, do they use a pad with it. I do not sleep with it.

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I tried -- then strongly got advised NOT to wear it. It was horribly uncomfortable the short time I tried it and it's hardly a delicate or petite device, either. Looks like some kind of torture instrument. I actually wonder if any urologists or medical professionals in this era still direct or recommend the use of the CC ? Some years back I was able to by it in a State where an RX was not required.

 

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Hi,

I am not struggling with incontinence at this time.

However, I am a counselor who practices hypnosis. A colleague referred a middle-aged adult client to me who does struggle with incontinence at night, and has for a few years.

I am here to see what others who have this issue have done or tried in order to help themselves. I am glad to do hypnosis if that might help, but I will need more information from this person before I want to practice any therapeutic interventions. Reading your posts is helping me to know better what questions to ask of this person.

I don't have any questions to ask here at this point, but if I do, I am hopeful that someone can help point me in a good direction for seeing what might be most helpful for the person referred to me.

Thanks!

 

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Hi Jam,
For me personally, I have MS so it will most likely always be an issue without significant medical procedures. So I've just been working on acceptance and confidence

 

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I've been dealing with bladder-control issues that arose as the result of an unexpected side effect of surgery when I was 14 years old. I'm 74 now. So it's been 60 years.

Over the years, I've tried many treatments, including hypnosis twice, once when I was in university and and again about 30 years ago. In neither case did the hypnosis produce any beneficial effect. I've also been treated by an osteopath, a couple of different chiropractors, and a massage therapist. The chiropractors helped to relieve episodic back pain, but the treatments had no effect on my incontinence.

Finally, I've seen a series of urologists over the years and have tried just about every drug that is ever prescribed to relieve urge incontinence. All to no effect.

What has worked best for me is acceptance of my condition and wearing diapers to keep my pants dry on the outside. With the help of the diapers, I've been able to lead a reasonably normal personal and professional life.

 

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Thank you, Benfrank and inconninmiss!

You are giving me good food for thought. It may be that this person will likewise learning to accept their condition and learn to live well with the situation.

I will check to see what might be the underlying issues regarding this person's incontinence.

I work mostly with people who have trauma issues, and I have read that sometimes people with PTSD do have incontinence. If we can address any trauma issues, that might help.

I might send them here, too, for help. We'll see.