Mo’ water mo’ problems.

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I decided to seek help from a naturopath doctor as my psoriasis was out of control with everything dermatology could throw at it. Within 4 days of following her directives i am seeing huge improvements in all aspects of my health other than my bladder.

She asked how much water I was drinking and told me flat out it wasn’t enough. When I told her about my OAB and incontinence concern she mentioned that most oab and incon patents have anxiety and she could sense it in me. She was correct. And her anti anxiety supplements along with the other regimens she gave have helped a lot with my worry...BUT the water increase did in fact bring back the urge incon. This time feels different tho. It feels more permanent, it’s not “getting better” in a day or two, probably because I’m tracking my fluid intake and making sure it’s enough. She said that I should drink the water and manage any symptoms until the next visit.

The regime has helped my skin, reduced general aches and pains and anxiety but it’s made me need diapers. I’ve started wearing at all times and for the first time i am accepting that. I’m good with wearing a diaper and I no longer care if anyone notices.

Bottom line of this I gusss us that diapers are not the worst thing in the world. For me if it comes down to a choice between psoriasis and loss of bladder control I’ll take the bladder loss all day. No second thought. And if you aren’t happy with your doc try something else.

 

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Can I ask what your water intake is for the day?

 

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I was drinking 4 6 to 8 oz glasses a day and maybe one or two sodas. I’m now doing at least 64oz a day with a goal of 1gallon

 

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Awesome. I'm going to try that. I know I don't drink enough fuilds in a days time. I might as well utilize my diapers and give it a try.

 

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64 oz is a standard. The one gallon recommendation as a upper target was specific advice to me based on height weight and other factors but yeah. Definitely shoot for 8x8 or 64 oz a day

 

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Cool. Thank you for the info

 

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My doc told me the "8 glasses a day" thing was developed for Korean war based on the hot summer days at the extreme exercise, then continued for Nam. I still keep up (not that high!) due to one incident of kidney stones.
Sugar can be a trigger for incontinence, for some of us. Ever seen how much sugar is in a soda? My dentist has a bag of regular white sugar. It looks to be in the vicinity of a 1/4 cup. Yikes.
The "side effects"? That's so universal, and such a pain. I had a doc who prescribed one, and got an immediate communication from the my pharmacist, and another doctor, that it was incompatible with one I was already taking. I read the pharmacy write-ups you get with the drug, sometimes go to Drugs.com to look up interactions, but I've yet to see any reference to incontinence affects.

 

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I also have anxiety but drink a lot of water to keep things moving.I also know it effects the incontinence but can't control everything.Good luck.

 

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That's true. I have sleep apnea, general anxiety, and OAB. The good part is that diapers help with all 3 issues I have. I have started trying the fluid intake like you said at 64oz. I'll see how it goes for a month. Hopefully it will get me in a routine to get more fluid intake daily.

 

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I used to drink a minimum of 80 fl. oz. / day and sometimes several liters, depending on how much I exercised that day. Since my snowboarding accident which led to my Neurogenic Bladder, I now drink as little fluid every day as I can get away with, including soup, yogurt, ice cream, etc. Since decreasing my water intake I’ve gained a ton of weight and have experienced a worsening in my mental health. I have to wear diapers at night and still leak even then, but during the day, I can’t stand wearing diapers. I know I’m ruining my entire body by not drinking enough, so I’ve been thinking lately that I really have to commit to resume getting enough water. I hate, hate, hate OAB and incontinence. I don’t say that out loud very often, but it really pisses me off. I had to completely abolish my career because of it and I’ve given up on dating or re-marrying.

 

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Snow:
I doubt any of us like wearing diapers but with the very good (and fairly discreet) incontinence products available today I think that you should give diapers another go, even if it means wearing 24/7. As for giving up on a career and dating I think you are selling yourself short. Diapers are really just "different" underwear and, at least in my case, don't keep me from doing everything I want to do, in fact they allow me to do those things. It is a significant adjustment to begin wearing 24/7 but give it a go and you will find a full "life" coming back to you in short order.

 

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@Padded53 Thank you for your support.

 

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@snow: I like the advice given by @Padded53 (above). I'm now 25 years into managing bladder incon -- so those are my 'credentials'.

Be well.

 

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@PAdded53 definitely knows what he's talking about. I completely echo those thoughts. Snow, you deserve a good career and dating opportunities so please don't overlook that just because of incontinence. By managing incontinence by what you wear don't consider it as disabling but it should be considered as enabling yourself to a full life. I hope that makes sense. Please watch out for yourself and drink enough fluids. And if you need diapers during the day, then so what? You are watching out and taking care of yourself, as we all should. Just remember, YOU are number one! So give it your best shot! You can do it!

 

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Thanks, peeps!

 

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I stay hydrated trying to drink at least 64 oz minimum a day and more when I go mt biking, kayaking or just generally being more active. It is true that I might have to stop and go pee a few extra times during the day but I'd prefer that to feeling dehydrated.

Now of course I am not in the same situation as most here. I do not have a concern over day wetting with an increased water intake. As to my bedwetting I am not sure if drinking extra water is a trigger or not. my chance of wetting the bed after a day of hard outdoor fun does increase and I usually am staying hydrated on those days. But I suspect the extra hydration is a minor contributor to a wet night. I think being over tired and exhausted is more a factor.

JT

 

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I'm not sure how many ounces a day I drink but when I'm thirsty, I go for the water! They say that thirst is the first thing you notice when dehydration begins to set in so a good slug of water (or whatever your preferred refreshment is) will set things right again. I have to admit that thirst is the thing that encourages me to go ahead and have a drink. I don't make it a point to drink so many ounces every hour or so. But especially during the summer I do drink more water but with the right underwear on, as we all know, that is no problem at all!

 

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@snow, don’t give up on dating. It’s embarrassing for sure. I look at it as a good jerk filter. If someone is going to judge that they were never worth your time

 

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@Benfrank Thabk you!!! I agree!

 

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@snow I get your frustration with OAB and incontinence and I feel for you. You gotta take care of your body and make sure it is as health a you can get it.

Don't give up on dating. I like @Benfrank advise, talking about it with someone you really really like can be embarrassing. If they are a jerk about it then look at it as a positive. If they can't deal with someone with incontinence then what else can they not del with.

I was so embarassed when I told my wife about my bedwetting when we were dating but it all worked out great. She was supportive and cool about it. Apparently I was so nervous in telling her and built up that I had something personal to share with her that when I finally said the words, "I still sometimes wet the bed." She was like Oh is that all? She thought I was going to tell her I was dying.

So be strong and when you are down and don't feel strong come here and we will remind you of how strong you are.