Please help, My Sister is 46 and cannot control her bladder very well, she will often wet herself when excited

Question

Please help, My Sister is 46 and cannot control her bladder very well, she will often wet herself when excited OR when running outside with her dog. BESIDES Depends, is there any medication or exercises she can do? Physically she is not out of shape. She is 5'7" and weighs about 135 lbs.

Answer 1

Bladder surgery or medication. The name of the medication is Novo-Oxbutynin 5 mg. but it tends to dry the mouth as well. This type medication can also come in a patch. With the patch you do not get the side effects. Incontinence can be from numerous things but the usual is the results from having children or during and after menopause the uterus shrinks and the bladder drops. They have tests for this that determines what the exact problem is. The exercise mentioned is kegal exercise and if you go to http://www.ask.com you can find out how to do them.If she wants more information about kegal exercise, surgery or medication contact me directly through Q & A e-mail as this is a rather sensitive subject being discused on a public forum. Hope that helps a little.

Answer 2

Kegel exercises where you start to unrinate and then stop right as your going. You can do this exercise any place and it helps strengthen the muscles. Medication will not help as she does not have an overactive bladder she has what is called weak pelvic floor muscles. She needs to strengthen those muscles with kegel exercises and SEE a doctor. The can either try a pessary which is a device that holds up your pelvic organs to give them more support or you they may consider surgery to do what is called a bladder tack up where they tack up your bladder muscles. A pessary by the way is a small device that the doc will show her how to insert and remove for cleaning etc if that would be what the doc wants to try first. Have her see the doc and get this looked at.

Answer 3

I had the same problem years ago. What she has is a dropped bladder. This can be easily taken care of with surgery. All they do is tie your bladder back up, with little or no down time. It can also be done as an out patient. check with her local doctor and they can set up a test to see if this is the problem. Most likely it is; because the exact same thing happened to me when I was only in my thirties. Ever since the simple surgery; I have had no problems and that has been at least 10 yrs ago.

Answer 4

She should go to the doctor because there is medication for that. I think doing Kegals might help a little bit too. Thats when you clench the muscles down there (like you're trying to hold it in when you need to go to the bathroom) and hold for about 5-10 seconds then release. Just do a few times a day.

Answer 5

Sorry about the length of this answer but here is a way that may help your sister:

"What are Kegels?
Kegels are exercises you can do to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles — that is, the muscles that support your urethra, bladder, uterus, and rectum. The exercises are named after Arnold Kegel, a gynecologist who recommended them back in the 1940s to help women with urinary incontinence, or diminished bladder control, which can happen after childbirth.

If you're not already doing Kegel exercises, start them now and make them a lifelong habit. Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles helps prevent urinary stress incontinence, a problem that affects up to 70 percent of women at some point during or after pregnancy. There's even some evidence suggesting that strong pelvic floor muscles may help shorten the pushing stage of labor.

Kegels also improve circulation to your rectal and vaginal area, helping to keep hemorrhoids at bay and speeding healing after an episiotomy or tear during childbirth. Finally, continuing to do Kegel exercises regularly after giving birth not only helps you maintain bladder control, but also improves muscle tone in your vagina, making postpartum sex more enjoyable.

How do I do them?
Imagine that you're trying to stop yourself from passing gas and trying to stop the flow of urine midstream at the same time. The feeling is one of "squeeze and lift" — a closing and drawing up of the front and back passages. (Hint: Insert a clean finger into your vagina before doing a Kegel. If you feel pressure around your finger, you're on the right track. Or try a Kegel during lovemaking and ask your partner if he can feel it. If you're doing it correctly, he'll be able to feel you "hug" his penis.)

Make sure that you're squeezing and lifting without pulling in your tummy, squeezing your legs together, tightening your buttocks, or holding your breath. In other words, only your pelvic floor muscles should be working. Though you may have trouble using these muscles in isolation at first, it gets easier with practice. It might help to place a hand on your belly while you're doing your Kegels to make sure that it stays relaxed.

Hold each Kegel for eight to ten seconds before releasing, and relax for a few seconds after each one. If you're suffering from urinary incontinence, try to hold a Kegel while you sneeze or cough. You may find that it helps keep you from leaking

How often should I do them?
Start doing Kegels a few at a time throughout the day. As your muscles start to feel stronger, gradually increase both the number of Kegels you do each day and the length of time you hold each contraction. Do them in sets of ten and try to work up to three or four sets about three times a day.

Make Kegels part of your daily routine: For example, you could do a series when you wake up in the morning, while you're watching TV, or before you go to bed. But it really doesn't matter when or where you do them — as long as you do them regularly. "

Answer 6

There are meds out there that can help with this. See your Family Doctor! Good luck!

Answer 7

go to the doctor because there is a type of perscription out there for it.

Answer 8

have her see a urologist.