www.incontinentsupport.org

I have had incontinence problems for a while. I have gone the whole route;diapers,self cath, medicines. All no good. Then I found a state of the art external catheter system. It is from Bio Derm and it's called the Liberty 3.0 male catheter. It fits over the head of the male organ. There is no leaking from it and it will not slip off. I can go anywhere and not worry about leaking or finding a bathroom and hoping I get there in time! Another thing, with a diaper unless your bowel incontinent, you have to pull your diaper down to go. With the liberty catheter you can wear your regular underwear!
This product has changed my life!

Hi Dan and others, in my own search/quest for a solution, I tried the Liberty system, and had difficulty getting a seal, unlike the full sheath external cath in silicone, you almost need to pry off after 24 hours (I use a skin prep that really gives a solid seal). I also tried one call Alpha-Dry, and is big and bulky and is basically a roll on with no glues, and has a moderate size expandable balloon type resorvoir on the end with a drain valve, but when fill is like having a cantelope in the front of your pants! OK, you get the picture! Just not a pretty site, and the seal was a cloth velcro strap that went around the outside mid shaft so to speak. A good idea, but the leg bag is SO much better.

I have not yet tried meds, and am thinking of attempting Detrol to rule it out as being a help, I hate the list of side effects already. My doctor said that we could attempt that route after we know what is causing all this, which is not set in stone as of now, and I am specialist-ed out, and not willing to undergo testing again... been there, not a good time! I feel like I have to at least try it for a month or so, and can tell him ok, done with it... Not seen many success stories from it, just side effect issues enough to turn me off it as a long term help, I don't need that on top of everything else. If there is anyone that has tried it or the others, I would like to read some more info, good or bad results, knowledge is power in this situation. Thanks, Puff

Hi Puffy

I've tried the meds and found the side effects unbearable but you might keep in mind that the people that find the meds work for them may never go looking for other solutions or not stick around this sight to post. You probably need to give the meds a try, a month would seem to be reasonable.

Hi dangoch, that is the direction I am heading once the current anti-biotics are done. Did not want to take them at the same time, and be unsure what is helping if there is improvement, so the New Yr looks like the time this will happen. Did you take Detrol, or one of the others. I am not sure just how many there even are, all I hear is YUK! stories or how bad they were, I just have to find out for myself. If I don't attempt, then the doc will think I have totally given in to this, which I basically have in my eyes. After 15+ years, it's time to just do what you need to do and get on with life. Thanks, Puff

I'm with you on most points, but I want to add a bit of nuance here.
I understand that it certainly looks like you describe and I think that part of it is because it's hyped. But only part of it: I do not agree with that it did not exist 25 years ago.
That is simply not true. You should not confuse the label with the thing that it's being applied to. 25 years ago, ADHD (or ADD) was one of the conditions that were lumped together under the catch-all MBD (minimal brain dysfunction). I was one of those kids: extremely inattentive, forgetful and prone to excessive daydreaming, trouble falling asleep, extremely shy - and bedwetting after 5 yrs old.
The label "MBD" did not lead to any action being taken, because it meant nothing apart from "something seems to be slightly wrong, we don't know how it came to be or what to do about it".
I could cope well enough at primary school: the higher one's IQ is, the longer you can go by that alone. But sooner or later, you'll be tripped up by the ADHD. No-one, least of all me, understood why my marks started dropping in high school. I tried university but it just did not work. Now I know why: I cannot readily absorb verbal or written information. But I didn't know back then, so I dropped out and had a couple of miserable years thinking I was stupid. Lucky for me, I eventually was hinted to apply for a practical course in computer programming. There was an IQ test as prerequisite to enroll. I was amazed how high my score was, and they readily accepted me. Since then I have never been unemployed again, because I turned out to be quite a good programmer.

Some three years ago I read an article about the inattentive variety of ADHD. I was completely confounded because - well, it described *me*. I went to a psychiatrist who tested me, and I was indeed diagnosed with severe ADHD-i (inattentive ADHD, without hyperactivity). Since then, I feel that my life has started for real. Medication has made a great deal of difference: I can finally finish things that I start. It's not a miracle cure: I am still very chaotic and an organisational disaster.
I don't regret anything, ever. It makes no sense. But if there is one thing that I could change in retrospect, I wish that my ADD had been recognised and treated. Of course you never know what would have happened, but it would in any case have saved me those years of self-doubt, and it would probably have given me the focus to study at the university.

Therefore, I think it is a good thing that this condition is recognised in children today. But what you talk about it unfortunately also true: money and "hyping" takes its toll. But those excesses are caused by how society deals with it, not because the conditions shouldn't be real.

Sorry for the offtopic comment .. but this is really something that touches me personally, so I had to explain this.

I'm with you Maria. I understand exactly what your saying. I have type 1 Bipolar Disorder. I am a medically retired Marine Sergeant. My bipolar cost me my job. I am now a college student. My medications are straight and I am stable. But it took 2 long years of medication trials to bring me to where I am now. It is because of my meds that I leak. The medications that make me well actually make me sick. How ironic? I still have breakthrough symptoms despite my medicines. I have issues with concentration and memory. I have a hard time studying and I often forget to complete tasks. But I'm managing. I started this term with 4 classes, I'm down to two because I had to drop two. I'm taking Business Law and Calculus. And I'm doing well despite my disorder.

One of the things I like about this forum is the diversity of all the people that make posts regarding their incon. I maybe wrong, but I think most people became incon from some type of injury. However, there are many here that are inco for other medical reasons and I have learned a lot about the many causes of incontinence and how it effects other in their daily lives. For those of us that are incon due to injury(Medically, I am known as an incomplete paraplegia), there is not much hope of being continent again. I know for me, I can either continue to wear diapers, or have a permanent catheter and bag. If I was bed ridden and not mobile, I might have to consider that option, but since I'm mobile and get around ok, I don't see any reason why I should opt for permanent catheteraztion. I able to change myself without much of a problem, so I just don't see the need. Diaper changes are more difficult for anyone in a wheelchair. I was in a chair following my accident so I know moving in and out of a chair for diaper changes is not easy. I'm not 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure most people that are not able to walk and use a wheelchair all the time us a cath. Anyone that is in a chair has it much harder than me. However, most people that I've seen in a chair due to a spinal cord injury use a cath. I consider myself to be lucky that I am only a incomplete paraplegic. Any time you think you have it bad, there is always someone that is worse off so don't complain and make the best of your situation. From what I've understand, I don't think I would want Bipolar disorder for a day. I have days with severe pain, but still......there are other that have worse health issues than me.