Conditions
Nocturnal Enuresis
Wetting the bed during childhood is so common that it almost feels like a rite of passage. However, while most of us can leave those damp nighttime disruptions behind in childhood, wetting the bed at night affects about 1 person in 100 throughout adult life. Not only can this problem send your dry cleaning bills through the roof, but it can also limit you in terms of relationships, holidays, business trips, and any activities away from home. Furthermore, even though it’s called “nocturnal enuresis”, it can actually happen at any time you are asleep – for example, if you doze off during a train journey. Waking up in an empty carriage, with a sodden copy of The Times on your lap and a number of hastily vacated seats around you, is a million times more embarrassing than going to see your GP, who will be able to advise you on treatment.
Comments and Questions
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Iam 14 and i have been wetting the bed for all my life. My parents have spent over $10,000 worth of treatment and nothing has changed. i can never sleep over friends houses and and its awkward when they come to mine. i know there are other people like this but all we are asking for is just a simple answer :(
I've been wetting the bed since forever! Everytime I went the doctors I was told I would grow out of it... I'm now 21! I've tried everything, desmopressin tablets for years which help occasionally, but not all the time, and aren't good to take long term! Adult nappies were a waste of time, besides the embarrisement, they didn't hold nothing, the bed would still be soaking! Plastic sheets for the bed, don't they make that loverly crunching sound when ur friends come over and sit on the bed? The smell that u can't get rid of even tho you wash over and over! I've lost all hope, 3-4 days outa the week it's the clean up operation routine, and I've give up with the doctors no one listens. It's so embarrasing I hate it, I can't go anywhere or stay the nite without worrying and then not sleeping at all! Just to let you know ur not alone, and if there's ever a solution to this problem, I'll be sure to pass it on! X
hi i am 15 and i have been wetting the bed my entire life please please help me , i am willing to try anything.....
Hi there, My boyfriend of 8 months wets the bed occasionally. He didn't warn me that this happens in advance and now practically refuses to talk about it. It has happened about four times now - normally after a heavy night of drinking. After the last time we agreed we would cut down on alcohol. However, this has made me anxious every time we go out, I feel like his mother keeping an eye on him and I am constantly worried it will happen again. I have found myself patting the bed around him in the middle of the night as a matter of habit. I understand that he - mostly - can't help this and I love him very much but we're moving in together soon and I'm worried. He has said he won't see anyone about this. He also recently told me about some very troubling incidents in his childhood which make me think these may be linked. What do I do? Do I continue to pressure him to see someone? I'm thinking about buying him a waterproof sleeping bag for after nights out?
Reply to Lucy's post: I guess the key is really for your boyfriend to be able to discuss this with you and for him, as well as you to be able to, and want to seek help. If there are wider issues, they can also be looked at - there is lots of help and support available out there, even if previous treatments have not worked effectively. Remember, the GP has seen it all before and will suggest possible treatments. Once that's in progress, I would say, don't worry unduly about it, and don't let it stop you getting on with your lives and enjoying yourselves - it's really an inconvenience rather than a big deal. I would say it is definitely helpful to reduce alcohol (and caffeine) as those can be triggers of wetting episodes. As for me, I'm in my 40s and yes, I do still have the odd accident now and again, but other than that, I enjoy a perfectly normal and active life.
Hi everything i am hearing is so familliar I wet bed till i was 28 I am now in my 50's so when i did it there was no help at all hardly.and i too would dream of being on the toilet.also i would lay on my stomach and just do it and not on my back but also couldn't hold it when i got up. Now my young niece has had the same problem for 5 years and i feel so sorry for her as i know she can't help it her parents are quite good with her but they don't understand as i do i only wish i could help her but don't know how.i don't wet bed now and i only wish i knew why i stopped so i could pass it on as she means a lot to me and i hate to think of her going through what i went through.
I feel i should share that when i was younger my urologist tole me to avoid: *hot drinks (tea, coffee, hot choc, warm milk) *fizzy drinks *anything with orange or blackcurrant in - so if you drink copious amounts of orange juice or ribena this could be a large part of the problem. Following this didnt stop my enuresis as i had other underlying problems with my bladder but it did work for my brother. I think its also important to note that if you have not seen a doctor and had all the various tests (MCUG, ultrasound, urodynamics, cystoscopy etc...) you cannot rule out physical problems such as obstruction or reflux which can contribute to nocturnal enuresis. If you havent seen a urologist and ruled out all other possibilities then going to see an enuresis nurse is NOT enough!!
I agree entirely with Verity and Emma that you should always consult your doctor first. In my first post I explained that my son had seen a consultant every 6 months for 3 years following a referral from our doctor. Following several examinations over the years our consultant ruled out physical problems. AS I mentiomed in my posts before my son was referred to the consultant he had seen our health visitor and our doctor for over 5 years which meant he had seen other health professionals for 8 years before he was referred to the enuresis nurse. It is extremely important that physical problems are checked out. In our case physical problems were ruled out. It was at that point after 8 years we found ourselves in a situation where we could not find a way forward. Luckily for us we were then referred to our local enuresis nurse who helped us enormously. I cannot stress enough how important it is to see your doctor to check if any physical problems exist, it was our first point of call. In my previous post I encouraged people to get in touch with an enuresis nurse through their doctor as in our area it is not possible to see an enuresis nurse first, you can only be referred to an enuresis nurse through your doctor/consultant. It may be different in other parts of the UK, I don't know. I would urge anyone living with this condition to make sure that they see their doctor first. If, like us, you make no progres after 8 years it might just be worth asking for a referral to an enuresis nurse. I just wish I had known about the enuresis nurse earlier. Good luck to everyone. This is a real condition just like any other illness, its not caused by something you are doing deliberately. If like us you have already taken the first steps with no success try to find the courage to keep pushing your doctor/consultant for an answer. I feel like a bit of a fraud saying this because I didn't do it myself over the 8 years because I honestly didn't know there were any other options. I wish you all well and thanks again for all your kind words to my son. Look after yourself.
i am nearly 18 and pregnant...i have bed wet all my life, i got it under control when i was about 14-15 years old, and i could sleep at any-ones without worrying what so ever. now it is worse than ever is this because of my pregnancy or is it more than that? i find it hard to stay at my partners as he doesn't know. i try every thing and nothing is working what so ever. i need a cure!
Hi I recently posted my son's experience teling you how we got to see an enuresis (bed wetting) nurse who finally found out the reason he was wetting the bed every single night for 7 years. She knew more than any doctors cos she was an expert on the problem. She worked out quite quickly what was going on with my son's bladder which caused him to wet the bed every single night because she knew what she was talking about. I have read your posts and would like to reassure you that you are not alone and bedwetting is NOT YOUR FAULT! Bedwetting is an extremely common problem its just that no-one ever talks about it. There are over 3/4 million children and young adults with this condition in the UK and even more adults with the problem who have never got any help. Sadly its one of the only illnesses that everyone keeps a secret because you are terrified of someone finding out so you can't even get any sympathy. Unless you have this condition no one knows how much it messes up your life. Its really stressful cos it affects your confidence so badly. Its really distressing to wake up in a wet bed for lots of reasons. My son used padded pants called Dry Nights which absorb the urine while you are asleep, so at least you wake up in a dry bed. You can buy these in supermarkets and chemists. If you or your parents are unemployed or on a low wage you can ask your doctor for a form to fill out for help with the cost. If there was one simple cure for everyone with enuresis that would be great but there are lots of different reasons for bedwetting. Its just about finding the reason that it happens to you. It could be that you don't actually drink enough water during the day and don't go to the toilet enough or maybe the way your bladder doesn't work properly means you actually need to take medication (tablets)to cure the problem. There is a brilliant guide (small book only 23 pages with lots of pictures) about bedwetting which is REALLY HELPFUL. Its called 'Cracking the Puzzle of Bedwetting' and is available online at: http://www.urinecontrol.co.uk/Library/cracking%20the%20puzzle.pdf If you can't find it with this link just go to google and search for Cracking the Puzzle of Bedwetting. It is written by Richard Butler and is really good. It gives great hints on how to cope with bedwetting and encourages you to try to get help. Have a read through it and try to talk to your parents/carer (even if you think they haven't listened before). Try to explain that it is a real condition called enuresis and tell them you really need help to get this illness sorted. Ask them to go to your doctor and get an appointment to see the bedwetting nurse in your area. The reason these nurses exist is cos there are so many people with this problem - IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. Some parents can think that somehow you are causing the problem but that is only because they have never heard of the problem and think you aren't trying enough. The reason they don't know anything about enuresis is cos no-one talks about it. If parents/carers got good advice they would know it is a very common problem. Sometimes the appointments with the enuresis (bedwetting) nurse can take a while and sometimes the request for the appointments get lost. So if you have waited ages for an appointment please ask your parents/carer to chase it up. I notice that some posts are from people over 16. If you don't have any support just you go to your doctor yourself and ask for an appointment to see the enuresis (bedwetting nurse) in your area. Keep pushing week after week if you don't get an appointment. The nurses know more about this problem than doctors. Some of you have replied to my first posting and I was delighted to hear from you and thank you for your kind wishes to my son. I cannot reply directly to you but hope that my son's experience helps you. I know exactly what you are going through because I saw my son go through it. Its an awful thing to go through and I wish you all well from the bottom of my heart. Good luck, let me know how to get on. Take care and best wishes.
I am 16 and i wet the bed and have done ever since i was about 6. Its really annoying as the doctors have given me the 'maze' alarm and it just isnt helping at all. During the night i dont know that i wake up and un plug my alarm and i still wet the bed, my mother thinks i do it delibratly. Its really upsetting and i just want to stop. I have tried everything, such as drinking more during the day and less during the evenings, but it just isnt helping. What can i do? Thanks.
Charlotte I am very sorry that you have to deal with this condition, its really upsetting. You could maybe try talking to your mum and explain that this really is a problem you need to sort out. You will have to go back to your doctor and explain that the alarm didn't work. There are lots of reasons why people can't stay dry during the night and its just about trying to find the right answer for you. Discuss it with your doctor and ask for a referral to a consultant at your local hospital. The consultant will check you out to make sure you are in good health and that there are no obvious reasons why this happens to you. In our case we went to the doctor who referred my son to a consultant. The consultant gave my son a medical check and ruled out a physical problem. After a few years of seeing the doctor every 6 months with no success we were referred to our local enuresis (bedwetting) nurse. She was extremely helpful and understood everything about the problem. After seeing her for 6 months my son's problem was solved after 7 years of no success. Ask your doctor how you would get to see a consultant and an enuresis nurse. In our experience my son didn't grow out of it and it didn't just go away by itself. It was when we met the enuresis nurse that things really improved. Sometimes it isn't just about the amount you drink or the time of the day you drink. Doctors and other experts can help you try other things like tablets. Do go back to the doctor and try your best to tell them how upset you are about this and how you want to try everything to solve the problem. I wish you the best of luck.
Hi there,you are not alone.I wet the bed most nights and i am 13.I got refferd to the main hospital by my GP and i saw a doctor.They tried everything,even the alarm.Then they prescribed me some desmopressin which i have been taking since i was 7.This worked for a bit however they new something wasnt right.They sent me to sheffeield to see a specialist.They then discovered i had an irattable bladder and that it was half the size.I am now going to have a bladder transplant in september.
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hi im 15 and i have been wetting the bed all my life. no one really understands and ive tried everything buzzers and everything but i havent tried the tablets. i want my mum to get them but im scared incase she wont and i really want the condition to go away so i can go to a sleepover
i recently lost a love one and now i started to wet myself (just a little its not lots)throught the night is there a actually term 4 whats wrong. thank you.
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