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I am new to this forum. Compared to others my problems seem minor. I suffer general urinary urgency that comes suddenly that results in me wetting my underwear. At this point I can manage it provided I can get to a toilet quickly. Looking for any suggestions from others. I am concerned that this will get worse as I age.

Hello Julia and welcome. By admitting there is a problem you have already taken the first step on the road to managing your particular condition. You've come to a good place for help. Admittedly your issue seems somewhat minor compared to some other folks here... but that does not make it any less important.

My first suggestion to you is to get to your family doctor and get checked out. The earlier any problem is diagnosed the easier treatment becomes. I'll be honest with you... there is a whole battery of tests for incontinence, and most of them aren't very plesant. But at this point it is a necessary evil.

Second I would go out and get some "protection" that is suitable for your particular issue. There are a wide variety of protective garments available on the market today... you should be able to find something suitable for light to moderate incontinence at most any pharmacy. The important factors in determining the level of protection required are the frequency of your leakages and the amount that you leak every time. Addressing this particular part of the issue probably won't be very plesant initially... but rest assured that an ounce of prevention can save you from a ton of embarassment. If you are still unsure about it please share some more information about your problem with us and I'm sure someone here will be glad to point you in the right direction.

Third... there are some other things that you can do right now in your daily life to help yourself. Look up "Kegel Exercises" and start doing them, they will help to strengthen your bladder muscles. Also you might want to consider examining your diet and avoiding eating/drinking things that are bladder irritants... caffeine is #1 on this list. If you are a big coffee or soda drinker cutting caffeine out of your diet may be difficult... but even a small reduction helps.

Good luck!

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~~PuddleGuy

Thank you for your response. I will take think about you suggestions. I am not sure that I want to start wearing protective products as I am concerned that I will become over dependent on them.

From my experiences you only really have to worry about dependancy with full-on diapers. Everything else on the market can be pulled down just like normal underwear. For light to moderate incontinence episodes you can get away with simply wearing a bladder-control pad in your underwear... or wearing a pullup-style garment at most. You don't have to like it and you definately don't have to accept it as a permanent solution. But believe me when I say it's better to have something there incase the worst should happen... especially while you work with your doctor to properly diagnose and treat the underlying cause of your incontinence. Every one of us here have at least one horror story of a public accident... most of us have more stories than we care to admit... and all of us wish they had never happened.

Remember... incontinence isn't the problem... it is merely a symptom of an underlying cause.

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~~PuddleGuy

Full briefs need not neccesarily lead to dependence... i use briefs and im still able to make it to the bathroom sometimes.. I suppose i could use something other than a brief, but i find them more comfortable than pullups.. but you are right in that a breif that is hard to get on and off does foster dependence...one way around that is using a brief that has a waisband thats easy to pull up and down, or use one with a cloth back cover and refastenble tapes, the hook and loop kind. This way, you get max protection when you need it, and can still use the toilet when able. But, you should use the amount of protection you feel you need without overdoing it.
You may be able to get away with pullups.. give it a try, keep your options open.

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

If you want to avoid dependence I would avoid the pullups and briefs. As a woman you have to option of pads. I doubt those would foster dependence since you can't expect a pad to handle a huge loss of urine so you will still need to rush to the bathroom. Your brain won't give up trying to hold it in even though the urge feeling is painful. You will still have the occasional wet pants with pads but it will be easier to cleanup and the wet spots won't be in the middle of the crotch area so drying will be quicker and you can make up some excuse about spilling a drink on yourself in public settings. It's hard to make that excuse when the leakage is clearly in the crotch area.
Definitely get it checked out by a urologist. I don't know if you have been through the tests. It sounds like urge incontinence, so Detrol is usually the first step. It tends to work well, but for some the side effects are more annoying than wearing protection.

Hi Julia
Welcome to the board. My name is Sandy I'm one of the few women on this board. I've been where you are. The one thing I would stress is don't go under protected! I've had many embarrassing moments because of under protection.

From the sounds of it you are having a little more then just a leak. Pads are good for leaks but if your having more of a squirt or a short stream pads often times won't handle that. Note if your going to use pads be sure to use the ones designed for incontinence. NOT YOUR PERIOD! If you are having more of a squirt or stream coming out. I';d recommend Shields with the adhesive backing that you can stick in your panties. Or what I used when I was a young adult was the belted undergarments.

My advice would be stay away from the disposable underwear their a pain to change unless you like taking your pants off every time you need to change Also as far as the dependence thing in my opinion that is way over done! I really think that if you become dependent it's more of a conscious choice. rather then a sub conscious thing.

If you would like to talk private with me feel free to send me a private message or"pm" Just click on my name it will take you to my profile
.................Sandy

Julia,
Welcome to the forum and thank you for joining. Looks like you've already received a lot of suggestions from other members. I see Sandy introduced herself to you. She is one our very few female members who posts regularly. Sandy can give you valuable information since she knows your needs better than us "Men". I wish we had more women who would post.
Anyways, like what's already been said, See your doctor, and watch our forum for help. We've got a bunch of regulars now. Sandy, welcome back and don't stay away so long next time! ...........Paul Martin