Very infrequent bed wetting—questions

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I just found this site and forum and am grateful for all the posts I’ve read. I am a 70 year old female who has been having infrequent bed wetting issues for 8-10 years. About 3 times a year, I will wake up anytime between 2am and 6am knowing I need to go but unable to hold it at all. It is as if I have no sphincter. I know that when I stand up, urine will pour out of me and I can do nothing about it. Today, this changed. I woke up with a wet bed and never knew I had done it until I woke up. This has never happened in the past. I took half an ambien at 11:30pm but I have been taking ambien 2-3 times/month for 5 years with no side effects. I only take it when I know I’ll have trouble sleeping. I use a CPAP for sleep apnea that was diagnosed 5 years ago. I have no other health issues and only take a statin and eye drops for glaucoma. I am not sure whether or not to see some one about this or just consider it an oddity. If I see a doctor, is a urologist or gynecologist necessary? Anyone else have similar issues to mine? I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for your time!

 

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Hi Weyesone i dont take Ambein but it sounds like it really puts one out HARD.
What i CAN relate to is having the morning sensation that i have no sphincter muscle on my bladder. My general pattern is to pee before bed in a toilet but often feel a series of spasmodic clutch and release of bladder followed by small amount of urination an hour or so later if i am unable to fall asleep quickly. Then i can fall asleep as if that was the sleep trigger. When i wake up though i often feel as though there is a strong steady stream of liquid just pouring out of me and no action of mine stems that. It is if i am emptying an endless supply of liquid with no muscles to cintrol that.
I take NO medications what so ever and have deeo sleep nights and light slight nights and nights i am wide awake much of the night.
My doctor found my bladdet comtrol of no interest or importance said to try the usual meds for incontinence and physical therapy. Non of which worked so now i go to a protected bed with even a spare towel to grab for waking up and absorbing the flow of urine because it is the only way to cope with complete lose of sphincter sensation.

 

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I am so sorry your doctor didn’t find your concerns important enough to follow up. I hear you when you say you keep a towel nearby. Even tho infrequent, I do have a drawer with t-shirts I can reach, if necessary. And it has been necessary. I think I’m going to make an appointment with a urologist and see what happens. Thank you for your kind response.

 

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Certainly hope you get some help . I might be cynical but i believe women after child bearing years are not of high value medically unless we have great insurance to cover a multitude of tests which lead back to the same solutions.
Im personally not one to go for things like botox or surgery (which would be the next tier of insurable activity from a doctor).

 

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I went the bed from time to time and have sleep apnea and insomnia to. I use adult diapers all time because I have urnariy incontince. At night I wake up with a wet diaper or a dry one. My bed isn't wet when I get up, just my diaper is. I know that there is stuff out there to keep your bad dry, maybe you should try pull ups or diapers that might give you a better night sleep. I would talk to your doctor about it too.

 

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I have woken up while in the process of wetting the bed and could not stop. It was like my body was not yet awake, or I was not alert enough to do anything about it. I always figured it was because I can't go from a deep sleep to instantly awake. It takes me 5 seconds, or more, to realize what is going on.

If I was taking a sleeping pill like ambien, I wouldn't be surprised if I had more incidents like that.

 

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It’s nice to know I’m not alone with this issue. It’s so infrequent (maybe 3 times a year) that I don’t see the need for protection. I’m not convinced that ambien is related because the problem started long before I ever started taking ambien (which I also take infrequently and half a dose, 5mg.). It could be related now but something else had to have triggered the problem. I see a urology or gynecology visit in my future. Thank you all!

 

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Hi @Weyesone , I deal with bedwetting too. Not quite as infrequent as yours but just occasionally, once a month or so now it seems. I, like you, do not see the need to wear protection every night since my bedwetting is so random and not a nightly or even weekly thing. We keep a waterproof mattress pad on the bed, a bedwertter's pad under the top sheet on my side of the bed (I'm married), and another bedwetter's pad that I sleep on. When I do wet then we only have to wash the bedwetter pad and the cover sheet and my sleep clothes. Makes it easy since we don't have to stripe the whole bed.

I don't take any medicines but I can see at least a minor connection potentially with the Ambien. I am a deep deep sleeper. Once I am out I am out. I am sure that my deep sleep is connected somehow with my bedwetting. Not sure if it is that my bladder and brain do not communicate when I really need to pee as I sleep to wake me, or if I just loose control like the bladder gets to relaxed and lets go.

Happy to talk anytime if you have questions or just want to vent.

Take care.