A question for the ladies

[Guest Belinda]

Does anyone have problems with almost peeing their pants. In the last couple of days my urgency to go is crazy..twice I have been in stores and almost wetted my pants..

Tell me this is something that can happen.

I am so embarrased to ask but geez 28 yrs. old and I didn't think my bladder was that bad.

Yes I have had two kids but wow...how funny it is like being a kid and having to hold it for like hours and then all of a sudden whoosh gotta go.

Thanks guys- I better go buy some undergarments thingy's.

[JenniferInOhio]

Hi Belinda,

Yes, this has happened to me a couple of times. I have 2 kids too, but never have had this problem before. It comes and goes for me. The first time it happened was a couple of months ago. All of a sudden, I HAD to go and I did leak a little. Not enough for me to go out and buy Depends, but it did freak me out a bit. Good thing I was at home.

It is so weird, because I'll just be minding my own business and then out of nowhere I need to get to a bathroom FAST. This doesn't happen everyday, just on occassion. Who knows?

[momofpreciousboy]

That is one symptom I did not mention to anyone. Yes, it happens, especially during attacks. I know it is a prob for moms, but I never had trouble until the blasted POTS stuff. Interesting post. I know part of ANS has some control over this, but not complete. JenniferTX

[Sunfish]

for better or for worse i have the opposite problem. i often cannot urinate no matter how hard i try & thus have to self-catheterize myself several times daily. the reason i still chimed in though is to assert that - yes, the autonomic nervous system can definitely involve bladder function. not that other things can't contribute, but it may be a part of things for some.

i have a type of neurogenic bladder that causes retention & i don't have any incontinance, but some types of neurogenic bladder largely have symptoms of incontinence (several varieties possible), leaking, etc. in contrast to many on the board though 99% of my issues are also various body systems that are too slow or non-functional rather than hyper; HR is the only part of my body that is every too speedy. it's worth mentioning though that leaking can at times be a residual b/c of retention as well which can with time lead to problems with UTIs and even damage to the bladder. this isn't always the case and don't want to be alarmist but also want to put it out there that bladder issues can be or become more than just minor annoyances.

i would definitely recommend talking with your doc and perhaps seeing a urologist. i know it's not fun but may be worth doing for various reasons.

good luck,

melissa

[mom4cem]

After my kids I noticed that problem. Not always bad but sometimes a good sneeze when my bladder has a little in it and there it goes, just a bit. Other times all of a sudden I really have to go. I've tried the kegel exercises but forget to continue them.

[Aprilmarie52]

yes, this has happened to me. Even pre-baby.

[kelgrace]

Yep, that happens to me sometimes and I haven't had any kids yet! Currently my dysautonomia symptoms have flared and I've had a lot of urinary urgency when my bladder is empty. How weird is that!

Have a great holiday season all.

[gwen]

I have had some problems but I belive some of it tis related to medicine side effect. On Strattera I had great urgency and sometimes a surprise with a sneeze. Right now since I'm off I'm not having problem but I'm not sure if its the adenol replacement or just a phase. Wanda Sikes the comedian was on Jay Leno last night and I heard her say she was getting older and laughed at something an pee'd. Said Ashton Kucher was a funny guy but one day he'll tell Demi Moore a joke and she'll laugh, pee on herself, and he'll realize she is an old woman. I also know a friend that had a terrible problem after second child and her Gyno did some kind of inner manipulation and she hasn't had a problem since. don't know any details on that.

[BuddyLeesWife]

My husband has this problem when he experiences a pre-syncope event - his body seems to flush whatever it has (sweat, bladder, bowel). He saw a urologist and was diagnosed with neurogenic bladder and prescribed Detrol LA which has been a wonder drug for him. Hopefully you never get to this point. I do know that leaking with sneezes, exertion, etc is fairly common in women after childbirth.

[d4g7]

I assure you this is not a problem restricted to females. I am a 28 yo male, and have exactly the same problem. I've discussed it with my neurologist, and she says that the autonomic nervous system plays a large part in that 'role' of the body, and it's apparently not uncommon to have this, and also to actually wet yourself, thankfully that hasn't happened to me, and also 'dribbling'.

[Mrs. Glass]

Yes it happens to me all of the time. Also sometimes I do not know that I have to go until I have already wet my pants. I now wear depends when I go out. And at home I have pads where I sit and lay. It is frustrating. I tried wearing them at night but they caused a rash, so now I am going to buy a rubber sheet just to save my mattress. It is embarrasing. I am only 48 and I never thought this would ever happen to me. Dont get the ones that are plastic lined they are horrible and make you sweat, which is worse than peeing on yourself. Vanessa

Does anyone have problems with almost peeing their pants. In the last couple of days my urgency to go is crazy..twice I have been in stores and almost wetted my pants..

Tell me this is something that can happen.

I am so embarrased to ask but geez 28 yrs. old and I didn't think my bladder was that bad.

Yes I have had two kids but wow...how funny it is like being a kid and having to hold it for like hours and then all of a sudden whoosh gotta go.

Thanks guys- I better go buy some undergarments thingy's.

[shannon]

Everybody is different. This is a more severe symptom for some POTS people than for others. Thankfully, I've never wet myself. But I have experienced days when I feel the need to urinate unusally often, to the point where it is an interferance. Thanks for the topic, Belinda!

[JaneEyre9]

I've had this for several years off and on...actually before i started passing out. I saw a urologist and was brushed off as fine. I have problems with diarrhea because of IBS too. I think everything in my body works a little to fast for my taste Glad to know i'm not alone. It can be a little scary when the urge is so strong and sudden. I used to commute about an hour to school and i remember many panicked trips around the parking garage looking for *any* space so i could run to a building and use the bathroom. The same thing happened like clockwork when i went to rehab this fall. I could count on having to urinate badly about halfway through the trip.

Kristen

[Guest Belinda]

I know tis was an awful bizarre topic but man I just wondered if this is only just a problem I have acquired .

In a weird way i am glad that I am not the only the only one with this issue. I haven't actually peed myself yet but have been very close especially while out of the house in stores.

Thanks guys for your input it is great that we can all share our stories ..Thank Goodness for all of you.

Merry Christmas!!

[lthomas521]

There's more than one component to the urinary incontinence problem.

First of all, people with POTS tend to drink a lot of water, so we produce more urine than most people. Consequently, we're more likely than most people to have a full bladder at any given time. So we're more likely to "spend a penny"--or maybe a whole roll of quarters--when we sneeze. Since we can't really cut down on fluid intake, the only thing you can do about that is to go to the bathroom more often. Helpful hint: if you feel the urge to sneeze, press on your upper lip, just below your nose. This might stifle the urge to sneeze long enough for you to make it to the bathroom for a preemptive pee.

Second, urination is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. So we're more likely than other people to have problems either emptying the bladder, holding our urine. or both. If you are having problems with urine retention, it might be because of dysautonomia, or it could be a side effect of a drug that you are taking, such as an antihistamine or antidepressant. Talk to your pharmacist about this problem, then tell the doctor what the pharmacist said.

If you are having problems with incontinence, the problem could be neurologic or anatomical. Or both. Talk to the doctor about this problem. There are surgical procedures and drugs that can help the problem. Sometimes, the problem is weakness of the muscles of the pelvic floor. In that case, you may get better urinary control (and possibly a more rewarding sex life) by doing Kegel exercises, in which you tense up and then relax the muscles that you use to stop your flow of urine when you urinate.

If you are an older male, the problem could be your prostate. The prostate tends to enlarge with age and cause outflow obstruction. So you can't pee when you want to, and you can't completely empty the bladder when you do pee. If the problem gets bad enough, you might end having major "accidents" when your bladder muscles finally overpower your outflow obstruction. A urologist might be able to fix this problem with a simple surgical procedure.

By far the quickest and simplest solution is to wear those pantyliners.

[Dawg Tired]

Yep, me too! I have to wear the Depends pantyliners when I leave the house. Last week I was having coughing fits and it was quite annoying!

Just another lovely thing we have in common with the old folks...