Occasional Dry Periods?

[Don]

I have bladder and bowel incontinence. My question is in regards to my bedwetting. On occasion, I can go like a week to a week and a half without having any enuresis. Its weird. Then I will wet like the next 5-6 nights in a row. I don't know why this is. But I would like to know. Anybody got any ideas? Does this happen to anyone else?

[dangoch]

Don, I have had wet and dry cycles for years and it makes no sense to me or the Drs. The urologist and neurologist both believe there is a neurological source to the problem, but they have no clue why. I've tried to find triggers that bring on a wet cycle, but found none. In the past, I have gone as long as 6 months without a night or day event, and I've had dry cycles that last only a few days. Lately, I tend to go a week or two dry and then I'll go 5 days straight with no control, 1 dry night and then another week with no control. I have no clue when it will start, but ending a wet cycle is a little unnerving because I only sense a need to go occasionally under the best of circumstances. During a wet cycle, none of my sphincters tend to work well, so I get bowel incon as well as bladder incon. Sometimes using regular bladder/bowel timing works, but I've had many cases where I get surprised in embarrassing ways. So I always have a change of clothes and a few diapers in the car and an absorbent pad on the bed and recliner just in case. I've thought about just giving up and wearing diapers 24/7/365, but I really want to keep all the continence time I can. I feel that wearing a diaper all the time is giving up, which may be where I'm heading, but as long as I can have some period of continence time, I think the risk of having an accident is worth it. Most wet cycles seem to start at night, so I rarely wet my pants and even more rarely wet my pants in public. It is worth that small risk to me to stay dry. I'm not encouraged with the direction of the wet cycle length. The dry cycles seem to be getting shorter and the wet cycles longer. I recently went to urologist for a new battery of tests. He found several issues that are symptomatic of incontinence, but nothing to actually fix it. I have diabetes and most Drs. ass.u.me. it is causing my incon issues. I have little feeling in my lower region to warn me of the need to go. Bowel is at times 30 seconds warning, and bladder is indeterminate. At the best, I get a little tingle of pressure that my bladder is about to let go, at the worst, I feel the "nice warm feeling" as the urine is spreading around either in my diaper or as it runs down my leg. And the weirdest thing is I sometimes will be walking along and I feel pee running down my leg but I'm completely dry. So Don, that is probably more than you wanted to know, but I know others have dry periods too, so you are not alone.

Dan

[Puffy Pants]

Hey Don, I also have times when it is like nothing is abnormal with my system, but I am always on schedule to get to the bathroom and never let myself get really full or I will have a problem. Time of day, activity, fluid intake, and stress all likely have a role in my incontinence, along with a messed up back. I tend to drink much more at home, and if I have not been home until late, and never drank much, when I get home I will, and can pretty well gaurentee a wet episode sometime during the night, if not more then one. It is nice to wake up dry, don't get me wrong, but at least at home and at night, I can manage it better when it happens, so I don't hold back fluids and dress for it at bedtime, problem solved. With nerve damage, along with prostate issues, and the other variables, it can be very tough to find a particular pattern as to what sets it off, and what makes it better. I don't really try to figure it out anymore, not enough time in the day to analyze it all! It happens, I just deal with it best I know how, and carry on, no muss, no fuss... but yes, it would be nice to have longer times of dryness and some normalcy in day to day dealings without it always in the back of your mind... Puffy

[wheels5894]

Well, after many, many years of wet nights I still sometimes get a dry one but I doubt I could sleep if did not have some protection in place. At the moment I am using sheaths (external catheters) and a 2 litre bag and that covers most possibly drainage. I can enjoy a large coffee in the evening as well as, at the weekends a beer or two, without bothering.

Presently I can manage during the day without protection, especially while I am at home and can use the loo frequently. Mind I get caught out a couple times a week when it just leaks, regardless of how full the bladder is. I don't mind this at home but it doesn't work so well out so I use a nappy or sheath when going out for any period.

[Wink]

I to have times I am OK then like the last few days there is nothing I can do but wear a diaper and shower a few times a day.I am retired so no big thing but glad this did not start while I still worked.I have all ways or for years had damp under wear but not any thing that would show if wearing heavy underwear.I would wear a pad in my under wear when wearing pants that would show bad.But most of the time I would just wear black.But that will not hide a bowel movement or pee running down my legs so diapers it is a lot of the time.The bowels leaking seems to come and go more than the urine.As I have a little leak all the time but just a pad takes care of that.

[fred1959]

Does this happen to anyone else?

I have cycles as well, and no idea in the world why I can often go a month with just a little dampness and suddenly wake up one morning soaking wet with my diaper hanging down to my knees as I waddle into the bathroom to change. Sometimes I'll wet heavily two or three nights and then go another month or six weeks with just a little dampness. I'm never, ever completely dry in the morning, but it usually isn't too bad. Being wet woke me up in the beginning but I sleep right through it now.

I have to go every 60 to 90 minutes during the day and if I don't I have trouble holding it. It's funny; I never feel like I have to go so bad I can't hold it. I never reach that point. All I need is a fairly strong urge when I realize it's coming out. I can usually stop the flow once I realize it, but sometimes it starts again in a few seconds and I end up soaked. Then I'll go weeks with no problems and no accidents, just the dripping, which never really stops.

I have no idea what causes these cycles.