Tips for when small leaks turn into full bladder leaks?

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HI @Koigal, Now I understand that you are waiting for part of an insurance packet and who knows how long that takes? It may be a good idea to scout out a walk-in urgent care clinic especially if the spasms are persistent and it makes you especially uncomfortable. If you really luck out they may recommend a urologist (or other appropriate specialist) who can see you without you having to wait for weeks. And you definitely want to avoid UTIs so at the first sign of that a walk-in clinic will be able to diagnose and prescribe just as well as any urologist. I've had UTIs before but the main thing that motivates me to see a doctor is to stop the UTI from going to the kidneys. Your kidneys are really precious to you and you want to keep them as safe as possible!!!
But we do know the steps to take when dealing with OAB and the most prudent thing to do is to do the best we can and "go" when we have the opportunity!
If I'm at the doctor's or at some other appointment and I suddenly feel the need to go I just say, "Can I go wash up for a minute?" No need to explain further. That way you're buying more time for whatever protection you're wearing.

 

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@justej I guess that since I pee my pull-ups at night, I really have no idea if they’re a bunch of small leaks, or total voids. I’ve had both and feel like I can tell the difference by the weight when I remove the pull-up, and of course when it leaks (like last night), I figure there were multiple voids, whether leaks or full voids.

 

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It seems consistently the idea is to go if any leakage happens and hopefully that will cut down on leaks until I get answers. Despite what my urologist in the other state said I think this is a good chance to start over.

I like the ideas contributed here and I think each one will be helpful.I need to be realistic too about 2 full bladder leaks is probably the max I should chance anymore. I'm going to go from now on if a small leak happens, and I may begin to wear overnight just incase from now on.

Also from what I just researched, bladders can fill quicker when people are younger due to diminished capacity. My old urologist had mentioned my bladder fills more quickly than normal, so from that logic, every hour or hour and a half should be a good bathroom schedule until I get more info. I am thinking about it like a younger girls bladder and see if that mental change helps.

 

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Well @Koigal we all help each other out and starting over can be good and if you have any questions about it, you know where to find us!!! And we'll give you the straight answers!!

 

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Thank you both, your messages have been really helpful today. I know in time I will get answers but I have been focused more on just accepting and coping right now. If that means taking a bathroom break hourly, seeing if that prevents issues, why not? I do realize I need to take better care of myself.

 

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I have used the Baby Wipes at Walmart. They are larger than the "flushable" wipes. And they can be thrown into the trash can.

This conversation has been great. I like that we take turns responding. Too often when I get in a group of people everybody talks at once and nobody knows what anybody else is saying! With my hearing loss I have been avoiding those face-to-face groups. It's too frustrating. This forum is wonderful.

 

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I have used the Baby Wipes at Walmart. They are larger than the "flushable" wipes. And they can be thrown into the trash can.

This conversation has been great. I like that we take turns responding. Too often when I get in a group of people everybody talks at once and nobody knows what anybody else is saying! With my hearing loss I have been avoiding those face-to-face groups. It's too frustrating. This forum is wonderful.

It is really nice here when its message or text based rather than talking too, for that reason alone (people talking over each other). I have a neurological condition which can cause pain when talking so whenever I can type things out I prefer it. The intonation is hard to grasp online, but this community has been wonderful today!

 

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In the nearly a year I've been participating in this forum it has been a lot of quality time that's been well spent with people who really have something to say!! Here it's set up in such a way so we can all take turns and we can all appreciate what every one else has to say. NAFC came up with a real winner with this forum!!

 

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Koigal: What about adding a booster (Northshore) or plastic-backed pad (Poise?) to your pull-up or a diaper? It sounds like with the kind of leaks (mostly small?) you are having the pad would absorb most of the wetness and then you could just change out the pad on a as-needed basis. BTW...It's easy to carry a few extra pads with you and is super quick and easy to remove and replace them (with very little noise no less) even in a "public" bathroom. If you have a large void the pad will absorb a good part of it and the outer diaper will take the rest. Of course at that point you will have to change out the pad asap.
I'm a male but I have very small 250mL voids (well at least I did before my recent Prostatectomy) and this idea has worked very well for me in years past and hopefully in the future.

 

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Koigal: What about adding a booster (Northshore) or plastic-backed pad (Poise?) to your pull-up or a diaper? It sounds like with the kind of leaks (mostly small?) you are having the pad would absorb most of the wetness and then you could just change out the pad on a as-needed basis. BTW...It's easy to carry a few extra pads with you and is super quick and easy to remove and replace them (with very little noise no less) even in a "public" bathroom. If you have a large void the pad will absorb a good part of it and the outer diaper will take the rest. Of course at that point you will have to change out the pad asap.
I'm a male but I have very small 250mL voids (well at least I did before my recent Prostatectomy) and this idea has worked very well for me in years past and hopefully in the future.

I never thought about doing that since these are pullups but that is a good idea. I am going to give that a shot perhaps even today since its a truck day. Thank you for the suggestion, I am going to try it! I about had a leak last night and this morning so I will probably be wearing all day and night from now on.

 

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I am a newbie to this group but noticed the reference to expense. I am fortunate enough to be able to get away with the largest/heavy duty pads that are sold at the Dollar Store 16 for $1. They certainly are a money saver. And you might use them as a "liner" to a diaper and then change them with every leak. They are certainly cheap enough to do so and save your expensive diaper for a major leak/dischare.

 

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@Faithab Welcome to this group. I hope you get some good answers and meet some new people. I will be sure to give that a try today, it will probably help me save money in the long run because I have a drawer of overnight pads I don't use. They seem to flood quickly with bigger leaks, but with a pullup they may not.

I am going to give it a try today, can't hurt anything. Will post results later, but if this saves money I may continue doing it!


@snow These are the wipes I had mentioned earlier. I am sure the Walmart brand is cheaper but these work really well for me. They cost around 4 or 5 here but are probably double the size of regular wipes.

 

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HI @Faithab, Welcome to our forum and I hope you'll like it and find it rewarding and get and give some good ideas. I'm not familiar with the dollar store pads you mentioned but it sounds like 16 pads for just $1 is a might good deal! And thank you for sharing that! Do they have a plastic backing or are they "flow-through?"
It doesn't take very long to be a user of incontinence products to realize there is expense involved and one of the many useful things discussed here is the cost of wearing protection.
I always like to advocate going to thrift stores to buy packs of pull ups or tab diapers at a fraction of the cost that the big box and/or supermarkets charge. But please be aware thrift stores may not have the size or style you want at any given time but that is just another place where you might find something you can use.
I hope you enjoy the journey here with us!!

 

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the pads are plastic on out outside, the portion that sticks to your underwear. They come in various sizes. Just squeeze the package to find the thickest. Heck, at that price, buy one of each and see which works best for you. the ones with "wings" are a pain.

 

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If you’re looking to add absorbency to a pull up regular bladder pads are not a good idea. It’s best to use an actual booster pad. The plastic on a bladder pad does not allow for flow through like a booster pad and will leak.

 

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Koigal: What about adding a booster (Northshore) or plastic-backed pad (Poise?) to your pull-up or a diaper? It sounds like with the kind of leaks (mostly small?) you are having the pad would absorb most of the wetness and then you could just change out the pad on a as-needed basis. BTW...It's easy to carry a few extra pads with you and is super quick and easy to remove and replace them (with very little noise no less) even in a "public" bathroom. If you have a large void the pad will absorb a good part of it and the outer diaper will take the rest. Of course at that point you will have to change out the pad asap.
I'm a male but I have very small 250mL voids (well at least I did before my recent Prostatectomy) and this idea has worked very well for me in years past and hopefully in the future.

@Padded53 & @Faithab Thank you for the tips! It did help due to my smaller bladder leaks, and gave me probably an extra 2-3 hours of not being wet today which was nice. I don't think it'll work for everyone but if you have smaller capacity there is less risk. Interestingly caffeine didn't do as much as I thought it would with frequency either. My full bladder leaks typically don't fill a pullup, but that can be less predictable too. Thank you both for the tips

 

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@Koigal - glad it worked well for you. Just be careful with those larger floods. Once the pad is at its capacity the urine will have no place to go due to the plastic and will likely leak out the sides.

 

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@justej I totally agree, today worked good because I disposed of the pad before it flooded, but I will be extremely careful not to risk it. I have had side leaks and they are AWFUL on pullups, so imagining that happening twice in a day doesn't sound pleasant. Thank you for the tip. At this juncture I am just going to accept I have a smaller bladder. Going hourly doesn't really solve it due to how quickly things fill up, so its a guessing game. Some days will be less bad than others but in a way, I am lucky my bladder isn't very big.

 

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@Koigal yea I wish I had a small bladder but only because it would mean I could wear less protection. My accident was 6 years ago and finally I have a diaper that doesn’t leak as often. And I have to go with the big guns. I’ve tried every premium diaper and because my bladder fills up and releases without sensation I’ve had leaks with everything. It’s frustrating. Now that the MegaMax is out it does pretty well not leaking. I can usually have 2 voids then it’s time to change. I also don’t like being wet so I don’t push it beyond 2.

 

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@justej I can imagine how frustrating that must be because I know the MegaMaxs are not as cheap as store bought pullups and cost-wise its crazy, especially in the current economy sadly. I am with you because I hate being wet, and while having a smaller bladder has some downsides, it also has its upsides. Do you mind if I ask what happened when you mention accident? My issues stemmed from bladder surgery, they removed part of the bladder neck and shortened my urethra from what they told me.