Running with OAB Wet(suggestions welcome)

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So, I am trying to get healthy and I enjoy running long distance on my treadmill, usually one hour with small sips from my water bottle every five minutes. Normally I would go to the bathroom before the run and I would be ok take the hour on the treadmill without incident. I don’t usually wear protection on my runs to cut costs.

But within the last two weeks I have had multiple spasms while running, forcing me to stop, run to the restroom and then get back on the treadmill. My issue is this, the sharp pause in the run and then attempting to resume the run afterwards is really hard as it feels like my stamina is shot. It could be because my treadmill is outside and it’s cold in the garage and the change of temp shocks the body. I don’t know. Point is, these bathroom trips are ruining my rhythm and stamina. I am going to have to wear protection going forward.

My questions is for any runners out there who have similar issues. What product do you use? My urges are usually large voids so pads won’t cut it. I don’t want to waste a high capacity diaper on my runs, but I also don’t want to have urine all over my thighs... I would appreciate any advice. Thank you

 

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Hi. The one possibility would be too try abena flex-fit special even though they are not exactly less expensive and if already spending that might as well use like an abena m4 full brief (proper diaper) granted I wouldn’t say abena’s are a max capacity diaper but I think would fit for the use you are describing. Just my thoughts. Lol . Hope it’s somewhat helpful..

 

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I wonder if things would improve if you tried moving the treadmilll inside your house.

 

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You are correct that moving in and out of the cold weather will exhaust your body and create mild hypothermia. Doing so alters your your heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure. It’s too much of a roller coaster. This is why serious skiers never take breaks inside warm lodges: because it’s exhausting to go back out in the cold. We eat our lunch on the chairlift and stay outside.

 

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Hi @Tarlton, You could move it inside, that is assuming you have a place to keep it there. I know those things are heavy and are a real bear to move! That would be my first consideration. But barring that possibility, do wear protection for sure! That in itself will help you keep up the rhythm and stamina so you won't have to stop and constantly go inside and then back outside again when nature calls. When I go for a walk I am never without protection as finding a bathroom is not at all practical or workable!
Since everyone is built differently and we all have our different needs and preferences,it is hard to recommend a specific brand or one style over another.
I myself prefer pull-ups which is my usual protection of choice anyway. If I were you I would consider those with maximum absorbency, that is depending on your output, which you know best. If you have a favorite online vendor see if you can get samples and try them out. Or find other vendors who may also have samples (and good pricing) as well.
But you may prefer the tape-on diaper type of protection. That way you can have it as tight (or as loose, not really recommended) as you want so it doesn't ride down over your hips and thighs when you really hit your stride on that ol' treadmill.
And also cold weather (a lot of it around this time of year!) does affect spasms (at least for me), so your comfort comes first. I hope you find something that's workable for you

 

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If you have privacy in your garage where you have the treadmill, you could keep a pee bottle or bucket out there. If you get a spasm, you just have to stop, use the bottle/bucket, and go back to running without having to run inside and change temperatures. It doesn't solve the start/stop problems, but it would help with the temperature changes.

If you're not in a sufficiently private area, of course, then it's not an option.

I started running a couple of years ago, and I had trouble with any diaper I wore chafing my thighs. Since I was running outside, and the weather was warm then, I just skipped wearing anything. I figured if I had an accident, it wouldn't show on my running clothes, and I'd just head home (I was running in the park a half block from my house). Unfortunately, I injured my knee doing something else, and had to quit running for a while. That was two years ago, and I haven't started again yet...maybe this spring!

 

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I have to walk alot at work and a comfortable diaper I have used before was the abena m4, they are thin but protect more than a pullup and are not expensive at all. The only thing is you have to wear a snug undergarment over them so they wont sag.

 

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Thank you everyone for the advice! I really appreciate it. While I cannot bring my treadmill inside,I see now that it is imperative not to come inside until after the workout is complete. And now I know why, which is great!

I will continue my search for a cheaper work around. My go to diapers are megamax small or betterdry medium, but at almost $2 a diaper, I would hate to use them for only an hour. I was hoping to find something under a dollar...

 

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Hi @Tarlton, I read you loud and clear on trying to find something cheaper. If you have a good variety of thrift stores in your area that would be a very good option for finding diapers at a cheap price. They may not be the brand or exactly the style you have in mind but if you can make them work then that is a very good alternative. And of course when going the thrift store route the main consideration is the size!!! If it's in your size and you think it's workable then go for it!

 

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A couple of suggestions: 1. Try using a space heater in your garage so you would not have the shock of the cold temperature when you work out. I have a detached 2 car garage and use a space heater in the winter months. You can get one for under $100 bucks.
2. Try buying tranquility ATN briefs. They are thin and most importantly vey cheap by the case. Vitality sells a case (96 count) for under $80.00 with free shipping. That would cover you for 3 months of working out. I typically wear these when going for walks since they are thin and prevent the chafing that you get with a more padded diaper. The site has an option to sample the product as well. Glad to see you have not migrated to the couch as many of us do in the winter.

 

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Awesome that you are exercising.

For those with OAB [me included], running can be irritating with small amounts of urine in the bladder. Certainly, I am using the bathroom 2-3 times in a 45 min treadmill run. I just get use to it and factor it into the exercise routine. When you have to run to the bathroom, try starting up the treadmill with a gradual increase in speed/angle to let you get back into it.

Also, I would recommend a pull-on style [I use] as friction around the legs is lessened.

Surprisingly, what I've read is a small amount of urine can help runners with irritation.

 

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I need to start working out more but just day to day, I’m in a somewhat similar boat where I move a lot but can have large voids and accidents thanks to my OAB. I would recommend if your going to change immediately after working out anyways to try some cheaper brands like Tranquility to try to find a product that fits you well when running. Likely no one product will be one size fit all

 

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What have you found to be the best absorbent products to use while walking/running, which don't cause chaffing/skin breakdown?

I tend to have a more constant drip/dribble while standing/walking, rather than surges.

I am trying to exercise more regularly. I have had a problem with chaffing/skin breakdown in my groan area, due to the absorbent products I've worn rubbing that area. I normally wear Depend for Men Fit-Flex Underwear during the day, when I am not exercising. When I started walking regularly wearing them, I had skin breakdown in the crease or my groan. I tried wearing Depend for Men Maximum Guards in my briefs, and had the same problem. They both seemed to especially make contact in the groan area. I have more recently tried Depend for Men Light Shields in my briefs. They do not cause the irritation, but start to leak onto the underwear after about half an hour. I would like to exercise/walk longer, including mowing the lawn with a self-propelled push mower, which takes about two hours to complete.

Has anyone found a reusable/washable brief (boxer brief is fine), disposable pull-up brief/underwear, or medium to high capacity shield/guard, that has been worked well to avoid chaffing/skin breakdown while exercising?

Thank you to anyone who has suggestions.

 

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bashful14:
For a super quick fix try putting tape on your skin in the affected area, but make sure you shave or trim the hair very short before applying the tape.
Also try typing this "what do runners do to eliminate chaffing" into Google and you will see a huge number of products made for this problem, "Body Glide" is one of the best known.

 

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Yeah, I remember finding that out the hard way that the plastic can chafe badly. I have used body glide or petroleum jelly on my thighs and groin to eliminate that friction when wearing protection on a run or similar activity.

Incidentally, as my topic got brought back up, the pee bottle method worked best in the winter. I tried the store brand diapers and they both leaked and chafed.

 

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I have pretty severe OAB with urge incontinence and recently have started more towards using heavy protection almost all the time just to limit worries about potential leaks. It hasn't really effected me too much when working out, I do agree with the suggestion to eliminate friction if using plastic backed briefs. The other option would be getting high quality pull on brief. Northshores is pretty good although if anybody has any better suggestions I'd love to hear it. I've had some issues with leaks even with them because my bladder sometimes just decides it wants to be empty and with large voids sometimes it isn't able to absorb quickly enough. But those leaks are usually the worst case scenario which is a very large void at one time.

 

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@bashful14 I have found wearing a size smaller underwear (brief or boxer brief) to hold the pad to the skin reduces chaffing. I too have the problem of the constant dribble - a drop every 2 to 10 seconds. With the tighter underwear, the drops get absorbed without puddling.

 

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Thank you to all for the suggestions. I just wanted to clarify something, and see if the suggestions would still be the same.

My problem is mostly right in the crease of the groin, where the leak barrier/guard elastic contacts that area. It seams to cut into the skin there, from the continuous rubbing. The area the elastic contacts the thigh doesn't seem to be an issue. I do use Monistat Care Chafing Powder Gel Relief. Which lubricates and protects some.

I've found the Depends shields don't irritate that problem area, because they don't have the elastic/make contact there. But they don't absorb enough fluid to last more than a half hour for me.

So, wondering if the tape, body glide or petroleum jelly, high quality (Northshore) pull on brief, or smaller underwear, would be a help in my case.

I'm thinking if I could find a pad designed for moderate leakage, without leak guards, that might work. Or something with leak guards that don't contact that problem area so much.

Also, wondering what people have found to be the best overall products for comfort and functionality, disposable, or reusable/washable?

I also apologize for my misspellings of groin and chafing in my original post.

 

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Have you tried Male Guards? They hold a lot more than the shields and will fit in regular tightly whitey briefs.

 

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Thank you for your response @Padded53. Yes, I've tried the Depends Male Guards. They have leak barriers/guards (circled in image attached). This is pretty much the same as any incontinence brief/underwear has. It ends up riding up into the crease of my groin and irritating it. From what I can see from looking for other products, all incontinent underwear, briefs and "guards" have these, to try to seal in urine to prevent leaks. "Shields" don't. But, they seem to just be small, and just made for light incontinence. Wondering if anyone knows of any products that this feature may have more padding/somehow be more comfortable. Or other products. I ordered some Washable Reusable Incontinence Boxer Briefs to see if they might be more comfortable, and work well. Also order a package of MDP4men from Amazon, to see how well they work. And also various other brands of disposable incontinent underwear, guards, and shields, to see if I could find something more comfortable than Depends products.

This issue is really irritating to me. I need to find a way I can walk/get some exercise more comfortably.

I've open to learning about products others have found to work well.

Thanks to all.