Archive for the ‘Bedwetting alarms’ Category

Adult Bed Wetting

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

RS writes. I’m a young adult and have never grown out of bed wetting. I’ve been checked out by several doctors who cannot find anything wrong with me. I’ve tried two medicines but it didn’t make any difference in my bedwetting. I just don’t know when I’m wetting. I try to wake up in time but usually find that I’ve already wet. Do you have anything that might help me?

RS, you didn’t mention if you had ever tried a bedwetting alarm. Alarm technology has improved dramatically over the years so there may be products available now that your parents weren’t aware of when you were younger. A good choice for you might be the Rodger Wireless alarm. The specialized underwear sense moisture and alert you by sounding a loud alarm when they begin to get wet. The underwear are available in sizes up to Adult XL. (Does the fact that this size is available let you know that other adults use this product?) When you begin using an alarm, it will enable you to know when the wetting is occurring. As your brain and bladder begin to work together, your body will begin to anticipate what a full bladder feels like and what should be done next. Overcoming bedwetting is a process and it will take time and persistence. However, what do you have to lose?

I frequently get questions from adults who are experiencing nighttime wetting. These people fall into several groups: those who have never achieved nighttime dryness (like RS above), those who have begun wetting as a result of a medical condition or surgery and those who have gradually started wetting as they get older. We have products that can help persons in each of these groups.

Some adults just want to be alerted when wetting is occurring. They want to prevent skin breakdown, being uncomfortable and associated odor. Bedwetting alarms are all moisture sensing devices and can be used for just that purpose. A Malem wireless alarm can be used with your own underwear and the volume control on the receiver allows the tone to be lowered if bothering another household member is a consideration. The first drops of moisture would be detected so a caregiver or the affected person would be alerted. Pad type alarms could also be used but only if the user preferred thin or no underwear in the nighttime.

Waterproof overlay pads, breathable waterproof mattress covers, absorbent waterproof mattress pads, urine stain removers and disposable and washable underwear are all products that can make your life easier. If wetting is an ongoing problem, investing in a few convenient items like these can make the difference between copious amounts of laundry and ruined mattresses and a clean, fresh-smelling room. I also want to recommend www.NationalIncontinence.com for a full line of adult incontinence products.

Bed Wetting Problem

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

RA writes, I hope you can help with my son’s bedwetting problem. My almost 10 year old boy is a major bedwetter and I mean he wets 3-4 times per night. He has been seeing a urologist and the biofeedback determines he is not an efficient voider during the day- he does not empty his bladder completely. So all this urine builds up all day long and he wets at night. He is supposed to be doing kegel type exercises. We have tried the alarm for six months and it does not help. He was on medication for nighttime but it made no difference. He is a heavy sleeper and we end up getting up. He double voids before bed and we limit liquids. What else can we do? I am at my wits end! I feel he will be 16 before this ends!

Bedwetting can be so frustrating at times. It sounds like you have explored many avenues to get your son to dryness. Since it sounds like his daytime voiding is inefficient, working on that a little more may help. Did the urologist recommend a timed voiding program in the daytime? The kids wear a vibratory wristwatch that discreetly reminds them to go to the bathroom about every 2 hours, even if they don’t feel like it. If he hasn’t tried this yet, it may help to empty his bladder more efficiently during the day. I use the Vibrowatch for my patients because it can be set to precise times. I like to set times that do not require the kids to leave the middle of class, and allow them to start the bus ride home at the end of the day with an empty bladder. Taking a water bottle to school helps to assure that they are adequately hydrated during the day and not thirsty late in the day. Once he’s done this for a few months, he could restart the alarm at night.

Teen Bedwetting

Monday, February 8th, 2010

I continue to get many questions from parents whose sons and daughters are now teens and still have bedwetting. Many families are worried that their child did not stop wetting when they went through puberty and now they are destined to wet forever.

It’s a myth that puberty cures bedwetting and that if you wait until your child is a teen, bedwetting will go away. It is true that each year, 15% of children with bedwetting will spontaneously become dry. While bedwetting affects up to 12% of 6 year olds, it becomes less common as kids get older (2% of 14 year olds, 1% of 16 year olds). If your child is the 1 or 2 out of 100 that continues to wet, you can begin to feel very alone and hopeless.

The good news is that bedwetting alarms work as effectively in teens as they do in younger children. It usually takes teens a little longer to get to complete dryness, but a few extra weeks to change a behavior that has been going on for years is quite tolerable. I’ve found that the key to success for teens and older children is to use an alarm that is easy to use and acceptable to them.

The wireless alarms (such as the Rodger and Malem Wireless) are my recommendations for teens for a couple of reasons. One, wearable alarms require that the user wear a shirt so that the alarm unit can be attached. Many teen boys sleep without a shirt so that could be a roadblock to consistent use. Two, many tech savvy teens quickly disconnect the sensor from the wearable alarm unit and roll over and go back to sleep. They rarely remember this is the morning and wonder why their alarm is disconnected but their bed is wet and they don’t remember getting up. A positive feature about the wireless alarms is that the teen must get out of bed to turn off the alarm. Since the receiver is located in an outlet or on a dresser, it will continue to sound from that location until it is turned off.

A third reason why wireless alarms are recommended is that there are few steps to attach them. The Rodger alarm comes with two pair of specialized briefs. (More can be purchased). The teen simply puts these on when getting in bed. The transmitter stays plugged in the wall or on the nightstand. The Malem wireless alarm fastens to underwear he or she already owns (close fitting, not boxers) and can be an advantage if your family doesn’t do laundry very often. If there is no wetting, the underwear go back in the drawer. If wetting occurred, the underwear is laundered with the sheets. I have all my patients sleep on a waterproof, absorbent overlay on top of their sheet. When the alarm sounds, it’s easy to remove the wet overlay and go back to a dry bed.

Even with teens, the parent’s role is important initially. Listen for the alarm and make sure that your son or daughter is getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom as the correct response. The quicker they learn how to respond to the bedwetting alarm, the more quickly they will be on the road to dryness.

One last point is to make sure the alarm is worn long enough. Having 14 consecutive nights of dryness is important before beginning to use the alarm every other night for 14 nights. Often, my teen patients are so excited to have 4 or 5 dry nights in a row that they stop their alarm use prematurely. Wet nights begin occurring sporadically and further progress is delayed.

Wireless bedwetting alarms can be used for any age child but they are particularly well-suited for teens. Persistence and patience will help insure success.

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