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Urology (Expert Forum)
How can I stop bedwetting?
Answered by
Kevin Pho, MD - Internal Medicine
Kevin Pho, MD
Boston - MA
Questions in the Urology forum are answered by Dr. Stephen Liroff, affiliated with the Henry Ford Hospital. Topics covered include benign prostate disease, penis curvature, cystisis, kidney stones, pediatric urology, prostate, sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections (UTI), and urological cancers.
How can I stop bedwetting?
by greenacre, Aug 19, 2003 12:00AM
I am a 22 yr old female and I have wet the bed all my life. I suppose my parents thought I would outgrow the problem as I became older, but I didn't. At any rate, they never took me to a doctor about the problem. I seem to go through cycles where I will have 2 to 4 weeks dry, and then I start wetting the bed again. When I'm in a wetting cycle, I wet the bed basicly every night for about 7-10 days straight.
I wet the bed during times I'm happy, sad, under stress or pretty carefree. Other times when I feel all these same ways, I have dry nights. I have tried everything I can think of such as limiting my fluids in the evenings, to setting an alarm clock to wake me up. With the alarm, my problem is that I don't always pee at the same time each night, so sometimes when the alarm rings I wake to find I'm already wet. When I set it to wake me earlier in the night, then I pee later on.
The only common ground I seem to have found is that I am more likely to go into a bed wetting cycle when I am overtired. But I also wet when I am not overtired.
I still live with my parents and no one outside my household knows my problem. No one, not even by best friends. I can rarely sleep over someone's home and I am uncomfortabe when I stay in hotels. When I do, I wear products like Depends.
I don't have much money for buying diapers to use daily, so to make it as easy as possible, I am now reduced to sleeping on an Aero bed every night because it is plastic and easy to keep clean.
I go to a general practioner doctor every couple years for a checkup, and everyting comes out fine, but I have never metioned this problem. I guess I'm too ashamed and embarrased. I'ts my little secret, only now I guess the whole world knows.
Aside from this, I am quite healthy, both physically and emotionally. I am an outgoing, friendly person, who has several friends. To my knowledge I do not have a bladder infection, I have no pain or anything unusual when urinating. I am also a virgin.
My grandfather on my mother's side was a bed wetter his whole life. No other relatives that I know of are.
I usually sleep on my side, and I sleep quite well. On good (dry) nights, most of the time I never get up at all to urinate during the night
I hope you can offer me some suggestions as to what to do next. I don't even know if this is something that I shoud be seriously concerned with or not. I have lived like this for 22 years, but I wish I could stop. Now that I'm older, my biggest concern is if I seriously start dating someone, and he wants to marry me, how will I ever tell him that I still wet the bed?!
Thank you for your time and any suggestions you can offer.
I wet the bed during times I'm happy, sad, under stress or pretty carefree. Other times when I feel all these same ways, I have dry nights. I have tried everything I can think of such as limiting my fluids in the evenings, to setting an alarm clock to wake me up. With the alarm, my problem is that I don't always pee at the same time each night, so sometimes when the alarm rings I wake to find I'm already wet. When I set it to wake me earlier in the night, then I pee later on.
The only common ground I seem to have found is that I am more likely to go into a bed wetting cycle when I am overtired. But I also wet when I am not overtired.
I still live with my parents and no one outside my household knows my problem. No one, not even by best friends. I can rarely sleep over someone's home and I am uncomfortabe when I stay in hotels. When I do, I wear products like Depends.
I don't have much money for buying diapers to use daily, so to make it as easy as possible, I am now reduced to sleeping on an Aero bed every night because it is plastic and easy to keep clean.
I go to a general practioner doctor every couple years for a checkup, and everyting comes out fine, but I have never metioned this problem. I guess I'm too ashamed and embarrased. I'ts my little secret, only now I guess the whole world knows.
Aside from this, I am quite healthy, both physically and emotionally. I am an outgoing, friendly person, who has several friends. To my knowledge I do not have a bladder infection, I have no pain or anything unusual when urinating. I am also a virgin.
My grandfather on my mother's side was a bed wetter his whole life. No other relatives that I know of are.
I usually sleep on my side, and I sleep quite well. On good (dry) nights, most of the time I never get up at all to urinate during the night
I hope you can offer me some suggestions as to what to do next. I don't even know if this is something that I shoud be seriously concerned with or not. I have lived like this for 22 years, but I wish I could stop. Now that I'm older, my biggest concern is if I seriously start dating someone, and he wants to marry me, how will I ever tell him that I still wet the bed?!
Thank you for your time and any suggestions you can offer.
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Pho, MD, Aug 20, 2003 12:00AM
, Aug 20, 2003 12:00AM
First of all, this is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. There are several options you may want to consider - but I certainly would have this evaluated by a urologist.
There are a variety of causes for enuresis (i.e. bedwetting). At your age, you may want to inquire about the various causes of incontinence - for instance, neurological disorders, or anatomical abnormalities that may interfere with normal continence.
Tests to consider would include a simple urinalysis, and urodynamic testing, and ultrasound.
Depending on the cause, there are a variety of treatment approaches including bladder training, biofeedback, pelvic floor exercises, medication, functional electrical stimulation or surgery.
In any case, I would strongly suggest a urology referral for further evaluation of this condition.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
There are a variety of causes for enuresis (i.e. bedwetting). At your age, you may want to inquire about the various causes of incontinence - for instance, neurological disorders, or anatomical abnormalities that may interfere with normal continence.
Tests to consider would include a simple urinalysis, and urodynamic testing, and ultrasound.
Depending on the cause, there are a variety of treatment approaches including bladder training, biofeedback, pelvic floor exercises, medication, functional electrical stimulation or surgery.
In any case, I would strongly suggest a urology referral for further evaluation of this condition.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
Member Comments
by greenacre, Aug 22, 2003 12:00AM
To: Incontinence
0
by metalrose, May 18, 2008 07:53AM
A related discussion, i had same problem since i born was started.
