Video
Dr Pixie V/O:
48 Year old Pamela has a condition that millions of women will sympothize with.
Pamela V/O:
I feel as if I smell all the time. I tend to wear dark jeans, ‘cause the dark trousers and that, it don’t show and I don’t feel it’s ever gonna get any better, it can only get worse.
Dr Pixie:
It’s embbarrassing, but she’s summoned the courage to break her silence.
Pamela:
I’ve problems with me waterworks, should we say, and sometimes there’s just a dribble, but sometimes it’s a proper full-blown wee. [nervous laugh]
Dr Christian:
Talk me through what you feel; if you get pains, if you get-
Pamela:
No, I don’t get any pain, I just don’t get any warning. Well I would just be sitting, talking to you like this, and all of a sudden I would be like [gestures]
Dr Christian:
So you don’t even feel like you need to go to the loo?
Pamela:
No
Dr Christian:
There isn’t that little bit of pressure in your bladder?
Pamela:
No
Dr Christian:
How often do you wet yourself?
Pamela:
Probably every day. I would say every day.
Dr Christian:
Gosh, so this really affects your life.
Pamela:
Yes, yeah.
Dr Pixie V/O:
Pamela’s problems makes the things the rest of us take for granted impossible.
Pamela V/O:
I tend to stay local if I’m going for a drink. When I was out, er, for a night out, the queue was too long for the toilet and I waited and waited and I was soaked by the time I got there. I feel a bit ashamed, I think, when I have an accident. I’m only in me fourties and I didn’t expect this would happen already, you know. I just want to cry.
Dr Pixie V/O:
Too embarrassed to talk, Pamela just learned to live with it.
Dr Christian:
How long have you left it for?
Pamela:
Oh, well, me oldest daughter’s 26, so… [nervous laugh]
Dr Christian:
Why has it been going on for so long?
Pamela:
I don’t know. It’s because you don’t talk about it, I guess. It is very embarrassing.
Dr Christain:
What you’re describing is, er, actually a very common condition and it’s probably really undiagnosed because women don’t come forward to the doctor’s ‘cause they’re embarrassed.
Pamela:
Right.
Dr Christian:
There’s two main types of incontinence: one is when you pee yourself when you don’t want to-
Pamela:
Right, yeah
Dr Christian:
stress incontinence. What you’re describing is something called urge incontinence, which is when you feel that urge, you absolutely have to go and you can’t really do anything about it. But, the good news is, we can do something about it and it’s definately
Pamela:
Good
Dr Christian:
I think we should think about a treatment using botox for you. You know botox?
Pamela:
You get it in your forehead, yeah.
Dr Christian:
You get it in your forehead. How does that sound?
Pamela:
Strange
Dr Christian:
Does it?
Pamela:
Scary
Dr Christian:
Scary? Not a bad thing if it’s sorting this out, is it? Alright. Does that sound reasonable?
Pamela:
Great, thank you very much.
Dr Pixie V/O
Before Pamela can be treated, a surgeon needs to run some tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Surgeon:
If you’re ready we’ll, we’ll start there. Can you just do a small cough for me please. Well I can see very clearly that there’s a big pressurize in the bladder and that’s all, er, because your bladder is contracting. I think we’ve got our diagnosis.
These are really very high bladder pressures, which are literally off the graph here. You’re probably in the worst 10 percent or so of patients that I’ve seen with this disorder. So, on that basis, I think you’ll do very well with botox.
Pamela:
Good
Dr Pixie V/O:
Botox might be better known for smoothing wrinkles but it’s also used to relax muscles in conditions like cerebral palsy, stroke, and, as in Pamela’s case, overactive bladders.
Surgeon:
We’ll just check that the bladder’s alright, it looks fine on that side, fine on that side. So lets put the sheath down the scope and into the bladder so we’ll see it coming out of the tithe scope any second now.
OK, needle out please, Jane. Thank you. Little air bubble. Lets make sure we avoid the, er, crucial areas and, er, particularly blood vessels. OK. Could you inject the first 1 mil please?
Dr Pixie V/O:
The idea is is that injecting botox staright into the muscle will relax the bladder’s constant urge to wee.
Surgeon:
And again, please. Good. Well done. 200 units of botox in there nicely, er, spread around the contractile parts of the bladder, so yeah, very pleased.
Dr Pixie V/O:
Four weeks after her surgery, Pamela’s bursting to give Dr Jessen the news.
Dr Christian:
Pamela, hi, how are you?
Dr Pixie V/O:
So, did the botox smooth things over?
Dr Christian:
The big million dollar question is: has it worked?
Pamela:
It’s worked wonderfully.
Dr Christian:
Really?
Pamela:
Oh, I can have three cups of tea now and I don’t wanna go to the toilet. It’s great.
Dr Christian:
And you haven’t had one accident then since?
Pamela:
No, not one.
Dr christian:
Gosh, that’s fantastic. Are you happy?
Pamela:
I’m great, yes, it’s wonderful, yes.
Dr Christian:
Has it changed your life?
Pamela:
Yes. It’s not on me mind all the time about if I go shopping how, how far before the next toilet and things like that, so-
Dr Christian:
You look a different lady. You look very happy. You’re not sitting there worrying about when you’re gonna have to rush off to the loo! You’re still in dark trousers-
Pamela:
Well, yes, it’s the winter. I’ll get white ones for the summer.
Dr Christian:
Oh, you will wear white ones, will you? Gosh, that’s a huge difference then, isn’t it?
Pamela:
Yes, yes, it’s wonderful.
Dr Christian:
So are you happy?
Pamela:
I’m over the moon, yes.
Dr Christian:
Enjoy your summer now. Wear your white trousers and don’t worry about where the loos are, go shopping for hours and hours and drink gallons of tea! It’s good for you.
Pamela:
Yeah.
Dr Christian:
Thank you very much for coming out to see me. I really appreciate it. Nice to see you.
Pamela:
Thanks very much.
Dr christian:
Bye-bye, bye.
I would say to the millions of women that will be out there with the same problem don’t hide away about it, don’t be embarrassed ‘cause there are things we can do, even if it’s not the same treatment as Pamela had, there are plenty of other options that you can try. You won’t know if they work unless you try them.
Consultation: Urinary Incontinence
Dr Jessen meets a woman whose problem bladder is ruling her life, but luckily there’s a solution, though not for the faint hearted.
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im 45 and had a hysterectomy at 38 there was a lot of issues after the operation, i was in hospital for 12 weeks, 5 of them in intensive care due to my left overy being cut during the operation and not noticed, my 3rd operation was to remove the overy, my biggest problem is that i wet myself everyday and my stomach looks as if im pregnant, please help
Hi how is it that i can urinate more than i drink.. i could have one cup of water or tea and then have to go a few times afterwards. I am on vesicare tablets but they only seem to work for the first few months and then stop working so well. Please can you advise me on this.
hi ive had two children both 9lb babies given birth both naturally for 13 years now ive suffered with wetting incontinence my underwere always wet have to change few times a day too had really embarrasing times not being able to control myself it just comes when laughing and seeps constantly ive got a bladder scan next week at the urology department even have to drink a large amount to have the scan worries me that ill wet myself during the procedure as cant hold it in just nothing there tried no end of times to do pelvic floor and have such a weak grip its getting me down scared to walk a distance in case get caught short also the thought of getting back out to work worries me too can anyone please settle my mind
Im 30 and had 2 kids. I have noticed the past month I have spotting in my knickers that smells of wee. It is not a lot and my discharge doesnt smell and looks normal. I dont notice urine leakage but do have a small sensation of what seems like small fluid movement with no urge to wee. When I do go to the toilet normally I still feel need to wee even after I have
hi im 18 years old and i have to catherize myself four times a day because i cannot pass urine by myself this has been happening for the past year. The urologist said I have a neuropathic bladder but ive lately been given a stimulator for my bladder and now im dripping all the time is this good or bad does anyone know if the the stimulator is suppose to do this
I'm 13 and I had a urine infection this week yesterday I was at my friends and I felt a sudden urge to go to the toilet and then I wet myself it was very embarrassing, then last night I wet the bed, its causing me a lot of stress as I'm scared it will happen when I'm at school and I don't know what to do.
HI IM 24 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE 2 CHILDREN.MY BABY WAS BORN 7 MONTHS AGO,AND I HAD THIRD DEGREE TEARS.I WAS OCIOUSLY STITCHED AND I HEALED OK.BUT LATELY IVE NOTICED THAT WHEN I GO FOR A WEE,IT SEEMS LIKE ITS NOT COMING FROM MY URETHRA,IT LOOKS LIKE ITS COMING FROM MY VAGINA OPENING,AND IM A LITTLE WORRIED BECAUSE AFTER THE BIRTH OF MY SON.I WAS STITCHED FROM MY VAGINA OPENING UPTO MY URETHRA.SO I HAD A CATHETA ON FOR 24 HRS,THEN IT WAS REMOVED AND I WAS SENT HOME.IM REALLY WORRIED.CAN U HELP? XX
hi im wheelchair bound with a range of health issues from ms,angina 3x cvs but my latest issue is a burning feeling in my right leg and its like all my leg is being sucked out with a vacume pipe ive noticed a loss in the size of my leg mussel but the pain is exscusiating im on fentinal patches,codien,pregabalin,tablets for my pain but this new thing is another worrie or it due to me not being mobile for so long
hi im wheelchair bound with a range of health issues from ms,angina 3x cvs but my latest issue is a burning feeling in my right leg and its like all my leg is being sucked out with a vacume pipe ive noticed a loss in the size of my leg mussel but the pain is exscusiating im on fentinal patches,codien,pregabalin,tablets for my pain but this new thing is another worrie or it due to me not being mobile for so long
i need to go to wee a lot if i have a cup of tea i will go about four times sometime i do not have time to go to the loo and i start to wee myself ,i have been to the doctor who put me on a pill for over active bladder but has not worked
