Bedwetting - Nashville, TN

I work with a chiropractor and we have seen a few kids who still wet the bed. Chiropractic does help. So I recommend seeing one. Just as a possibility. It's worth a shot.

G.

I had a niece with this problem and they found out it was allergies. When they started treating her for the allergies, she stopped bedwetting.

I also agree with the food coloring suggestion.

Hi L.. Mine still did at 10 yrs. too. I think its just a medical problem that takes them longer to learn. My son's doc put him on a prescription for this. It's a nasal spray. (I know wierd) But it worked! I don't know if you've heard of this or anything, just thought I'd let you know. Good luck with it!

From what I understand in time they do grow out of it-I know it is a huge worry and concern. There are many people that I know now who are very successful who were also bedwetters, no longer now:) There are some various techniques that can be used, you may want to check with a urologist to see if there are any other tools out there. Best wishes. J.

Hi L.

I can respond with many, many suggestions all of which did not work for our 8 year old son. So after struggling with limiting water, sleep apnea issues, pills etc we tried a different approach.

What did work for our family was an alarm. It is small like a pager and velcros into the underwear ( which has sensors in them). The second part was the actual alarm which plugged into an outlet and looks like a nightlight. We also brought extra underwear and a small bed sheet for backup.

Within a week he ceased wetting the bed and has had no accidents since. He is now nine years old.

The alarm, extra underwear and bed sheet cost around $130 I think and that was a year ago.

The real cost is measured in self confidence and not having to sneak on pullups at Scout sleepovers or friends houses.

The alarm is rather loud and may wake the whole house, however on the fourth night he stayed dry and within a month did not even need to get up during the night. It is very sensitive and shreaks when only a tiny amount of urnine is absorbed.

In January we tried the whole procedure on our stubborn four year old who amazingly stayed dry at friend's houses or granny's house but not in her own bed.

Another success story and this time the alarm only sounded for two nights, she too has been dry for six months.

The alarm and underwear is now packed away awaiting the next child that need help. The best product we have brought except for our bike/running stroller. One that can be used many times and then retired to a gallon bag.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE

A.

I am in the same boat as you, except mine is a six year old. My brother wet the bed until he was about 12. He had an IVP at 10 which showed that he had the bladder of a 6 month old. He was put on medication to mature his bladder (not the kind that decreases urine production at night). With my son we have been looking into an enuresis alarm. There are several different kinds depending on your son's needs. You can find them on line at the bed wetting store. Also there are new studies out linking bed wetting and snoring. If your son snores he may need to see a pulmonologist or an ENT to determine if the bed wetting is due to exhaustion related to sleep apnea. We have an appointment next month. If your son is like mine, waking him up several times a night doesn't work because most of the time the wetting occurs almost immediately after he falls asleep and continues throughout the night. Also it is almost impossible to wake him enough to use the restroom. Good Luck.

My youngest daughter was a bedwetter. We always said you could have a party in her room and she wouldn't wake up. at age 6 we bought a bedwetting alarm. It worked in two nights. the alarm went off and woke up everyone in the house except her, but it did make her stop. After that our oldest daughter ( age 9) used it to make a burglar alarm for her bedroom. L.

My son had the same problem when he was 6 and his younger brother was staying dry all night, we got a buzzer that you put in their underwear that is very sensitive to moisture. It has a beeper that go on their shirt and wake them up. It was dry after two weeks, no problems since

L. - I have no advice but can maybe make you feel a bit better, my nephew (he's 7 1/2) still wets the bed. His doctor told my SIL, that he is just such a sound sleeper that he doesn't wake himself in order to go to the bathroom. He wears pull-ups at night and is a bit embarassed by it. It's normal and both boys will work themselves out of pullups. Good luck to you and your son and let him know he's not alone.

Hi L., I had the same problem with my son. He didn't just wet the bed, he flooded it every night. I as you, reduced his fluids, got him up to go before I went to bed and every other thing I thought might help. Pediatrican had no help. Said there was no infection, not to worry. Finally took him to urologist who check him out throughly and said that the part of the brain that wakes you up is the last part to fully devolope in boys and since he sleeps so soundly as you say your son does, that that is the only problem he can find and that he will grow out of it. He did, but he was ready to start high school!!!Just hang in there, this too shall pass. At least you have pull-ups etc you can use. My son is now 34 and all I could do was put a rubber sheet under the bed sheet.

Hi! I have a daughter who wet the bed until she was 12-years-old. I know what you are going through. We took her to her pediatrician. H e could not physically find anything wrong with her. He did say that sometimes their bladder can take a little longer than normal to fully develop - so when they are sound asleep they can't tell when they have to go. There are actually more children that wet the bed in later years than you think. You are doing the right thing by limiting his fluid intake. There really isn't alot you can do. You might could back up the fluid regulation to 6:00. Make sure he tries to use the bathroom every night before he goes to bed. My daughter did eventually stop. She stopped when she was 12. My brother wet the bed until he was 12 also, so I thought maybe it was a genetic thing. I never really found out if it was or not. I do recall that children who have ADHD sometimes wet the bed. My daughter had ADHD, but she outgrew that as well. Maybe you could set your clock every night to get him up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. You could wake him up every night at the same time. Maybe it would develop a pattern to help him start getting up eventually by himself. Anything is worth a try. We just had to grin and bear it until she grew out of it. He will grow out of it.

Hi L.,

My daughter wet the bed from birth to five years old. I took her to a urologist and she had a bad bladder infection that was backing up to her kidneys. He gave her medicine and she got well, but still wet the bed. Then he gave her the magic medicine. DDAVP Nose Spray!!!! Look it up on the internet. It is a synthetic hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland. It tells your kidneys not to produce urine because you are asleep.

We sprayed her nose at bedtime, once on each side, and no wet bed. Wow, that had to be a fluke, but we tried it again and no wet bed again. She used the spray until she was 11, when she started going through puberty. Once puberty hits, the putuitary gland matures and it started working with the kidneys and she gave up the spray. I'm so thankful for the six years that we used the spray.

Remember, look up DDAVP Nose Spray, and talk to his doctor.

K. A.

L.,
I don't really have any suggestions for you. My now 21 year old son wet the bed for what seemed like forever! He literally did not quit until he reached puberty. We limited liquids, eliminated caffeine, etc. I took him to a urologist, gastrologist, chiropractor..... there is a nasal spray that they can prescribe for bed-wetters. I have a friend that used it for her son and had success. I researched it some & decided against it. I am a medical skeptic so we don't take many prescrition drugs but wanted you to know that something was available. There might be more things now since this was some time ago. I was loving, understanding, annoyed, upset, frustrated... the range of emotions as time went on and I had to wash underclothes, bed linens, and pjs at least 5 times a week! My son begin to wake up after he wet, change his sheets, and take the wet laundry to the basket. I think that was his "way" of helping. I did use the overnight pants (can't remember what those are called) when he spent the night away or had someone over. They do have an extra large size that worked. Those things were thin so he didn't feel anyone noticed and just changed right before he would go to bed. At least he didn't have to be embarrassed by waking up wet in front of others! Nothing was ever diagnosed as being wrong with him. He eventually just stopped doing it! We even set our clock and got him up and took him to the bathroom which he would go but if we didn't get him up, he went also. The "experts" vary on what is the best things to do! Some recommended getting him up, others said we were just training him to wet during the night and since he didn't wake up... wet bed. Who knows! He does sleep heavy and I think that does play a role in it. His bladder apparently matured at some point and he can hold it. He still doesn't get up and go to the bathroom in the night except in drastic situations. He can just hold it until he gets up in the a.m. now. So..... I guess I will just encourage you no matter what you do or do not try - it will more than likely end... one day! Try not to get upset with him. I did get upset a few times and felt so bad afterwards. I know he did not want to do this but I was so tired of doing the laundry!

Blessings,
Carol

My mother thought for years that my brother would go to college wetting the bed. They tried everything and nothing worked. He eventually grew out of it. He is now a surgeon. You have done all the tests and nothing is wrong. Give it time. He will outgrow it.

Hey L.! you mention your son has seen someone at Vanderbilt but, has he seen other doctors? Has he seen a Urologist? Has he seen a Pyscologist? If he's not taking in any liquids after 7:00 are you having him empty his bladder right before he goes to bed? I like the responses you got about waking him up after a few hours and having him go then. Don't stop with one or two or even three doctors. Keep looking until you find the right doctor who can gave help to you and your son. Has anything tragic happened in your life or your sons? Has this problem been going on for 10 years or just started happening? There are alot of issues to consider before just saying he will grow out of it. He just might but,..there could be underlying issues here too. Good luck! and you apparently are not alone is this issue.

My daughter wet the bed until 6 years old. We bought a "Potty Alarm." Within 5 weeks of following the directions she no longer wet the bed. It's the size of a pager w/a wire that attachs to their underwear. An alarm sounds when the sensor gets wet. I gave mine to a friend who had great results and I recommended it to a friend at church who has been using it for 6 days and has already noticed significant improvement.
Here is the wed site and good luck!
http://bedwettingstore.com/Bedwetting_Alarms/malem_ultima...

There is a medication that can help him. Although it may not be a big deal at home, it can affect his self esteem, plus be embarassing if he wants to sleep over. Desmapressin Acetate is one that comes in nasal spray and Imipramine is the other I think. I would ask your Dr.about these. The nasal spray helps reduce the amount of urine because it is a synthetic ADH (anti diarhetic hormone). Just a thought.Hope this helps.

L.,
I have not read any of the other responses but here are my thougths. Potty training is hard anyway. My 6 year old still wears a pull up at night only. And will continue to as long as I feel it is neccessary. He also sleeps soundly, litteraly can sleep thru about 4 alarm clocks going off, he gets that from my husband. He also takes medicine to calm him down where he can sleep, or he will stay up for three days straight believe me we have been up with him for those days and finally took him to the doctor. Also, my mother gets up about 20 times a night (no kidding) and I get up about 12-15 times a night, but we can wake ourselves up. If you think it is a medical problem have the peds doc check him out. If there is no problem, then let him wear a nightime diaper. Hellp there are adults who have to wear them. Do not ever let anyone make you feel bad for doing what you think is right for you child. I am a Child Protective Service Worker and have two lovely children. He is fine. If he wants to spend the night off, tell him to always go to the bathroom to change his clothes so his friends do not see the diaper, also buy him a few bigger underware type shorts to go over the diaper so no one can tell at the sleep over, and then let him wear baggy PJs. Send him with a plastic bag, and let him put it in that in the morning and let him put it in his over night stuff so he can throw it away at home and not feel embarrassed. This is just my opinion. Hope it helps and makes you feel at ease.
A.

there is a medicine called DDAVP that may help. It is a nasal spray. You may talk to your pediatrician about that.

.

I would go with a bedwetting alarm first to try to get him up-- however, you have to get up too in the beginning and really dedicate a few weeks of yourself to helping him. If you don't do it every time, it won't work. There are also organizations that can help you as well-- someone had recommended Pacific to me, but my son was only 4, so I bought and read all about night training and bed alarms. However, bed alarms are for children who are at least 6, so I had to send the alarm back but I kept the book because it was very helpful. My son is a sound sleeper as well so I plan to buy the bed alarm next spring, just before he turns 6, and try it myself.

M.

Dear L.,
I would try after 6:00 PM. No fluids. Do it slowly. Watch what fluids he is drinking. Tea,juices with Vitamin C. Try just a couple of sips of water. If he needs to drink after 6 try watching how much he is taking and cut back a little till he is adjusted and no longer has his accident. And every time he make that his goal. Say you are so glad to see him getting better. AND HOLD HIM WITH ALL THE LOVE YOU CAN! And sat you are there always for him. And you are so proud of him getting better. These beautiful children love to be praise.
You sound like a wonderful hard working Mom.
These are just some ideas.

You have a good day Today
Vicki W.

Had a bed wetter until he was 12. We did chiropractic treatment and it worked wonders. Dont go to a chiropractor that has you in and out in 15 minutes. A session should take 45 minutes and they should do musle therapy besides back alinement.

Dear L.,

Your son's problem could be caused by food dyes in his diet. Check out www.feingold.org. Feingold is a 30yr old non-profit organization whose purpose is to inform the public about petroleum-based artificial ingredients in our foods. These additives can cause many side effects including ADD, ADHD, OCD, and Enueresis (bedwetting). Good Luck.

L. B.

My sister in law deals with this on an even more severe level. Her daughter cannot even hold it during the day and has several accidents if she is not told to go to the bathroom. Even my sister in law herself, who is in ther 30's still wets the bed fairly frequently I am told. Her pediatrician told her that there is medicine for it. I know there is because another friend of mind in Florida used it for her son who was still wetting the bed every night at age 10. The medicine is hit or miss in regard to who it helps. It helped my friend's son for some time then it stopped. Can't hurt to ask about it.

Try to get him out of bed to go to bathroom befoe you go to bed at night. YEARS ago when I used to babysit, I use to have to get the boy out of bed to go to the bathroom. This kid was pretty big and I used to have to guide him to the bathroom, and sometimes hold him up. He was sucha heavy sleeper. But, I would try that to see if he just needs to empty his blatter one last time. I'm sure it won't be easy. I remember what I dealt with years ago. Good Luck.

This is what I did and it worked like a charm...

I just forgot about doing the reduce fluid intake (if there is thirst one should drink). My son would go to bed about 9pm then around 11pm I would get him up and bring him into the bathroom to pee. I did that every night for 3 nights and he has never wet the bed since. I would say to not let him sleep for more than two hours before bringing him to the bathroom. Doing this allows them to know what "dry" feels like - it's taking care of things 'before' something happens.

I would avoid meds whenever possible as they always create new problems, quite often worse than the initial problem itself.

Hope this helps.

Hey there L., I am sorry to hear that. I have a 4 year old and he still wears a pullup at night, I get frustrated with that I couldn't imagine your issue. I am a Peds nurse and they have a devise they he can wear at night that will wake him up when he needs to go. Go to google and look up Bedwetting Alarms, there are all kinds of different ones. Good Luck. Jennifer

My child also wet the bed and I used a bedwetting alarm for him. It is a tiny clip that he wore on his underwear and when he started to wet, it would alarm (buzz). It took him a while, maybe a couple of weeks, but he learned to get up and go to the bathroom after that. I wish you luck with it.

theres used to be a nose spray that helped with this (odd i know) but my friend used it and it worked. talk to your reg ped otherwise put a pull up on him i also had a cousin who wet the bed until he was 16

L.,

My daughter, 10, is in the same (damp) boat. (She goes in streaks, sometimes a month dry and then sometimes weeks wet, or just sproradic...) We have asked our dr (who, by the way ALSO has a 10-yr old bedwetter) and he said although not in the "normal" category, 10 yrs is still not unusual. He offered an Rx, but said it had some side effects (I don't remember them specifically, but enough at the time to say, "No thank you." ) We, and he, have decided that changing the bed and wearing pullups when sleeping elsewhere is the preferred route.

We have coached out daughter all along that this is just fine, not her fault, and we take it all in stride. Consequently she does, too. She even wears a pullup at friends' houses and when friends spend the night here and so far she has had no negative experiences (We help her choose concealing pj's, brief the friend's mother to either talk to her girl before or be ready to support our daughter, and we let our daughter decide how to approach her friends here--usually she tells them, or they find out and her/our manner about it guides the friends' reactions.

I just don't know what we will do when/if she gets fed up with it before it goes away. The Rx is still out there, if we are moved to use it....I am certain this is not a behavioral issue, but a biological one.

I'll be interested in others' input, too.

H.

You need to go to a child clinical psychologist for treatment for enuresis (bedwetting). Millions of kids do this, and there are well-researched treatments. Rather than take medicines to decrease the amount of urine he produces, or wear pull-ups forever, do what's called the "bell and pad" treatment. He'll wear a sensor on his underpants that will wake you all up when he wets. Then he gets up, finishes urinating in the toilet, and changes the wet bed himself. It's aggravating, and none of you will like it. But statistics say it will work the best. I am a psychologist, and this is what you need to do to really beat this. At 10 years old, it's too late to hope he'll outgrow it, and time to act decisively.

A couple of comments on other responses: the "nasal spray" is called desmopressin, or DDAVP. It will work while he takes it, but is he going to do that forever. It won't fix the problem, only postpone dealing with it. Also, it isn't "behavioral" or strictly biological. It's bio-behavioral, and so you need to train the body to recognize the sensation of fullness (this is why the bedwetting alarms work).

For your son's sake, go get him professional help. There is no reason to keep putting up with this. Think about his self esteem.

L.,
Don't get too distressed over this. It is not at all uncommon and, despite what many people believe, is not a behavioral problem.

A few things it might help to know...
Often bedwetting is a "inherited" condition - if Mom, Dad, or (infrequently) a grandparent had a problem with adolescent bedwetting, chances are at least one child will experience it as well. The cause of this condition, just as you pointed out, is believed most often to be deep sleep whereby the child simply cannot wake. This is considered to be a sleep disorder and a psychologist may be able to help with that factor. Another aspect about about which you may want to talk to your doctor, normally during sleep, the brain centers that cause the need to urinate also go to sleep at night. The triggers are not active and, therefore, a person does not need to get up and go to the bathroom at night. Sometimes, however, during light phases of sleep, if we have had too much to drink or drank something too close to bedtime, our body will signal during that light phase the need to urinate and we (usually) will wake enough to go to the bathroom and then fall back into bed asleep almost before our head hits the pillow. Learning to respond to these signals sometimes takes time. There are many products on the market, from an alarm system for the bed that goes off at the slightest bit of moistness. To prescription medications that can help to relax the bladder muscles at night. (I, personally, would use that as a very last resort as I dislike giving any kind of chemical intervention to young children unless there is no other recourse.)

In the meantime, although it will be rough on you and your hubby for a while, consider getting a digital alarm clock that allows you to set the snooze alarm for up to 2 hours or more. Get your son up every couple of hours and take him to the bathroom, whether he feels he needs to or not. This will help condition his brain to wake up and, in the future, when he is in a light sleep phase, his brain will recognize it and wake him up to go to the bathroom on his own.

Lastly, be sure to let him know it is not his fault and he is not doing anything wrong. Don't let this become a stigma for him or let him be shamed by it. Let him know it is beyond his control and you don't blame him for it or think any less of him for it.

What does his doctor say to do?? Is he on any medications?? Has he always had this problem, or did it start up recently?
It's not all that unusual, but certainly need medical attention to cancel out any urinary problems, etc.
If there has been any big changes in his life within the last couple years, it could also be an emotional thing.
There is help out there, and your son shouldn't be overly traumatized by his problem of bedwetting.
Some respond by having to help clean up their own mess. Not by themselves, but with assistance and being shown how to best do it.
Best to you and your son, but please if you haven't already, get him to a doctor asap.