Mar 31 2011 12:27 AM
Hello! I've lurked around a bit, but never posted. I want to ask the bedwetters out there a question. But first, let me give you some background.
I'm 38 and until a few years ago I never wet the bed. My condition manifested out of seemingly nowhere, and at this point I wake up wet an average of about 6 nights a month. I started using diapers shortly after the wetting began simply out of frustration with changing bedding in the middle of the night.
Of course I underwent a number of tests but I appear to be healthy otherwise. I am convinced it stems from emotional stress because it seems I wet more frequently when there's something "big" I'm concerned about. I am self-employed so money worries are fairly frequent. I also have a history of strange biological reactions to stress, so this isn't beyond possibility.
Anyway, at this point the doctors are pretty useless. It seems they want you on the operating table or pills - preferrably both. I'm of the opinion that if I can easily manage my condition with diapers, there's no reason to take more invasive measures.
It's worth pointing out that my incontinence is ONLY at night. I've never had any problems whatsoever during the day (at least so far [knock on wood!]).
So now to my question; is there anyone else out there with the same story? In other words (1) mysterious onset of bedwetting (no prior history), (2) infrequent (not every day) wet nights, (3) no impact on daytime continence.
Thanks everybody! It's late, so now it's off to (a dry) bed for me. Cheers!
Men's discussion
 NorthernLights Member since: 3/31/11 |
Hey bedwetters! |
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irish1980 Member since: 9/21/09 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Mar 31 2011 11:55 AM thats is almost exactly the same as me im taking cymbalta. consider talking to a psychiatrist it helped me very much |
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billguy Member since: 7/20/10 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Mar 31 2011 07:37 PM Yep, it's called nocturnal enuresis. I've been poked, prodded, xrayed, tested, etc... I hate it. I can go many weeks without an issue and then a few nights with problems. Tends to happen when I'm more stressed. Even when I don't think I'm stressed, as it must be in the back of my mind. For me, it's caused by a deep sleep. My PCP wants me to do a sleep study. (YUCK). I talked to the sleep clinic and I just have no intrest in having someone watch me sleep. Heck, I know I won't have an issue, cause I won't sleep. And the end result is most likely going to be meds and/or a night time breathing machine. And I won't do either. Next option is to manage it. A healthier diet helps. So does reducing fluid intake a few hours before bed. I also cut out all caffeen and sweets (I don't even drink coffee). I'm a very healty, married, 40 y/o who is very active with my kids sports, our farm, etc... But, the bed wetting is completely random. So, I "manage" my problem. I found the pull-up underwear is the best solution to reduce waking up wet. Sometimes they leak, but more often than not I wake up not in wet sheets. It takes awhile to get use to it, but the underwear feels like normal underwear under boxers. Also a good bed protector works for us. Oh yeah, my wife is a licenced theripist. So I get all the free theropy I want. 
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NorthernLights Member since: 3/31/11 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Mar 31 2011 11:14 PM Thanks for the responses fellas. I've always had a pretty relaxed attitude about things that put other people in a mental tailspin. I truly think things work themselves out better when we don't panic. I also meet with a group of small business owners weekly and that pretty much keeps the stress in check. We vet all of our concerns and get group feedback. It's my "therapy", if you will. But as billguy says, stress does work on you subconsciously I guess. Anyway, I refuse to take medication. For one, I'd have to pay "full price" because I don't have insurance. And to reiterate my original post, if I can manage it with diapers, there's no reason to pop a pill (IMHO). I mentioned that my body has strange ways of "coping" with mental duress. To elaborate, I spent about 5 1/2 of my junior high/high school years (yes, that's pretty much the whole time) dealing with nausea. EVERY. TIME. I. ATE! It didn't matter what I ate; from spicy to mild, meat to Cheerios, small portions or large - from the time I took the first bite until I was nauseated took about 5 to 10 minutes. I would rarely actually throw up, I'd just feel like I was going to. Actually, more often than not, this was accompanied by a strong urge to... well... poop. So I'd spend some time in the bathroom, then I was fine until I ate again. This condition appeared one day, lasted for 5 1/2 years, and then one day it was gone. The same thing happened with a twitch in my right hand that lasted about a year. And about a 3 month bout with hives in 1999 after a promotion at work. In each case, the "anomaly" started one day with no warning, and then one day it stopped for no apparent reason. In each case, the docs were baffled. Anyway, I figure the bedwetting will go away one day as mysteriously as it appeared. It's a bit of a hassle, but oddly interesting at the same time - if that makes any sense? |
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BrianJ Member since: 3/31/09 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Mar 31 2011 11:38 PM I started out wetting at night clear out of the blue never having been a bedwetter. Several months afterwards, daytime problems began and that's when I was diagnosed as having a severly over active bladder. Just changed meds and that has helped a lot. They wanted to do botox and stuff but I won't do anything invasive if I can simply control it with a pill and a diaper. However, not all meds work the same and the last meds were very irratic and caused me to need to wear diapers 24/7 quite often. As an active working guy I found that to be quite a hassle. I am no longer wetting every night but I still wear diapers to bed every night because it is easier not to take the risk of when I might wet and when I won't wet. I also have sleep apnea and anyone who does should be checked. You don't want heart problems. Wearing a diaper makes nighttimes easier when you're hooked up to a cpap machine. On some occassions, wearing a diaper can be a convenience, other times its a necessity. Either way, it works. I'm just ill at ease about dating and wearing diapers and a cpap machine. Not too sexy. That's a big problem for me now and I can't get rid of either. Hoping the new meds will have more of an impact on the night issue over time and I can get out of night diapers one of these days. |
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Loving life Member since: 7/23/10 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Apr 01 2011 12:43 PM I am a primary enuretic and by definition it means I've never been reliably dry my entire life (I'm 54). I would think that starting to bedwet at 37 should not happen without a clear diagnosis. Something has triggered it and, personally, I would search hard to find the cause and not just accept the need to wear a diaper as a management tool. Good luck! |
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feralfreak Member since: 5/27/09 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Apr 02 2011 12:48 AM it could just be stress, when i was fighting a scam company, it caused me to have a slightly more frequent round of accidents. i would suggest looking into a relaxing hobby(woodwork or woodturning for example) or tai chi, i studied that and it helped to calm down my episodes of tourettes(throat noises and head jerks) or using video games that have a lot of shooting(imagine the characters you shoot as the stressors in your life) has your sleep been thrown off lately? i mean just before you started having accidents? some of my accidents are when im dead dog tired from lack of sleep, maybe you are having the same issue. |
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NorthernLights Member since: 3/31/11 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Apr 02 2011 12:57 PM To BrianJ: I feel for you, buddy. Seems like your doctors have it mostly figured out, though. I know that with OAB medications can make a really big difference. It sounds like you no longer have to wear diapers during the day, so that’s a big win. Of course I agree with you about wearing at night – it’s just easier not to take the risk. I don’t blame you regarding Botox, either. I’ve heard that results are pretty spotty with that treatment, at least for now. I’ve been tested for sleep apnea and the results were negative. But I know a lot of people that do have it though, and they say CPAP made a huge difference in their quality of sleep. As for the dating part, I’m pretty much a “lone wolf”, so finding a mate isn’t a big issue for me. However, if I did start looking, I feel confident that I could find someone mature enough to cope with my condition. It might not happen immediately, but if a person truly cares for their mate, things like enuresis and apnea shouldn’t be a deal breaker. They’re not “sexy”, but I think men think that women are much more sensitive to such things than they really are. Unless they’re pretty shallow, they understand that people have medical conditions. Or, you could think of it this way. If you were perfectly healthy and you found a beautiful, intelligent woman that you loved to spend time with, would you break off the relationship simply because you found out she was dealing with enuresis and sleep apnea? |
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NorthernLights Member since: 3/31/11 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Apr 02 2011 12:57 PM To Loving life: Thanks for your post! Unfortunately, I’ve read estimates that claim as many as 25% of “Adult Onset Enuresis” cases are left undiagnosed – no “cause” is ever found. That leads me to wonder what “diagnosed” means. Does it mean “we ‘fixed’ it, and the patient no longer wet the bed”, or does it mean “we know what caused it, but the patient still wets the bed”??? Considering the number of people on this forum that know the cause of their incontinence, yet still remain incontinent at some level, I would probably lean toward the latter. My doctors have essentially thrown their hands in the air and said “we don’t know what’s causing it”. They’ve also said “we could try medication”. TRY!?!? I’m glad my auto mechanic doesn’t have the same philosophy; “Well, I don’t know why your car won’t start, but I’m going to keep trying stuff and maybe something will get it to run. Just make sure your checks don’t bounce.” Since the doctors have ruled out the usual suspects (cancer, diabetes, prostate issues, OAB, apnea, spinal damage, etc.) and I am successfully managing it with diapers, why should I keep insisting on tests? Any single tests costs more than a year’s supply of diapers. And with no insurance, that’s substantial. |
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NorthernLights Member since: 3/31/11 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Apr 02 2011 12:58 PM To feralfreak: Thanks, man! I find that physical activity is the greatest stress reliever for me. Similar to what you were mentioning about “shooting the stress away”, I like high-energy or intense activities that force you to concentrate. I snow ski. The faster the better! I whitewater kayak. You’re mind can’t drift when you’re in the river. I kickbox for obvious reasons. But I also like tennis. It requires precision and patience, but you also get to wail the bejeezus out of a little yellow ball! Ha! |
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feralfreak Member since: 5/27/09 |
RE: Hey bedwetters!
Apr 03 2011 04:37 AM i did martial arts for 7 years, mostly american karate which has some kickboxing mixed in(got a black belt in american shotokan), have you tried doing any woodwork? you cant let your mind drift when you do that either, or woodturning, and using a lathe can be fun |
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