Keep weeing when I cough

[Tiredofbeingcold]

I’ve had a really bad, strong cough for what seems like forever now. Every time I cough badly, I wee 😬a lot, I’ve soaked my jeans twice now and have to wear sanitary towels at the moment, just daily.
It is a really awful cough, but I’ve never had this before, does it sound normal, I’m 45

Tena pads are better for urine than S~T’s.
Afe you doing pelvic floors ?

Very typical, almost normal "clinically", but far from ideal and easily treated...

You may need to start localised hormone treatment, I was the same as you, dreaded coughing or sneezing but using vagifem solved it, its pretty normal to be in peri menopause at your age so I'd recommend do some reading and you might find you have more symptoms too, I was shocked at how many things are linked to it, I'm older now and on full HRT and I love it.

Maybe some physio might help? After a horrific cough I was experiencing the same and am working on my pelvic floor.

also found reducing caffeine has helped the issue.

I know that I've got a chest infection and need an antibiotic when I went myself because of coughing. That's if you think that it's the cough and not bladder weakness.

hi OP
sorry to hear you’re having problems! I’m a pelvic health physio and sounds like you are having some stress incontinence (this basically means you are getting an increase of intra-abdominal pressure with the coughing and pelvic floor isn’t strong enough to support)
would highly recommend you to start pelvic floor exercises both fast squeezes and long holds- squeezy app is great. And also try some core and back exercises e.g. bridging / superman’s.
I would also recommend getting to the bottom of your cough and seeing GP if it is ongoing for a while, we see quite a lot of referrals for people with this type of problem along side of a cough and it can definitely be improved as long as you work at it,

hope that helps :)

There was a thread a few weeks ago with loads of us all with this same weird symptom from what seemed to be the same virus judging by the other symptoms. I'm 48 and had never had anything other than a very occasional tiny 'accident' if I sneezed particularly hard but that virus rendered me almost entirely incontinent! I'm pleased to report the cough has now all but gone and things have returned to completely normal in the wee department, even when I do occasionally cough now.

Obviously it may not be the same virus causing your cough (my cough wasn't even that bad, certainly not bad enough that you'd expect incontinence!) but thought it was worth mentioning. I can't remember what the thread was called and think it's dropped off my 'threads I'm on' but will see if I can find it.

I've found the thread I mentioned but still can't post links after the MN 'upgrade' so will post the exact thread title if you want to search it. It's in Chat and titled 'Got a cough. The most awful symptom thpugh is the bladder issues.' In the later pages especially there's loads of posters with the same virus/wee issue.

Vagifem is brilliant for this

Also second the caffeine - I'm fine until I have caffeine. Devils work!!!

@Emma543 I hope you don't mind me asking and also op I hope you don't mind me piggybacking on this post but any advice for things I can do to improve diastasis recti my gap is upper and lower tummy muscles and I had a 10 finger gap when my son was born. My son is 4 years old now and the gap is still around 4 fingers. I don't know if this something you are knowledgeable about but worth an ask, Thanks

Hi OP, exactly the same age with the same cough and exactly the same symptoms! I could have wrote this post!
Its awful! Never had it like this before!

@LittleStar22 God, it’s horrendous, never had anything like this before, I’m soaking through to my jeans most days, horrible 😔

@KateBalesCardi Thank you 🙏I will check it out, never had it before really, it’s just as you say!

If I’m being sick, I uncontrollably wet myself which just adds to the distress.

@Emma543 Thank you so much 🙏Do you think it’s just the cough doing this? I feel like there’s no control at all when I have the coughing fits, it’s awful

@Ponoka7 I’ve not been to the Dr as I was hoping it was just a cough and would go away, seems like it’s taking ages to budge though

@thehistorymum Has your cough gone, did you return to normal afterwards? I’m worried it’s doing some damage or something

@Doggydarling I’m not sure if it’s down to Peri or the cough 🤷🏻‍♀️Possibly a combination of the two

@KangarooKenny I didn’t think I’d be buying tena pads at this age 😫

@EasilyDistractable Good to know it’s normal, feel like I’m falling apart recently 🙈

My coughs pretty much gone and I am pretty much back to normal (though I do wear a small Tena every day - just as an insurance thing really). I do worry about getting back into that stage if I get another cough so trying to make sure that doesn’t happen.

I get this a lot especially when exercising. No advice on a cure but I’ve bought 5/6 pairs of the special pants by Loveluna and Modibodi. They’re really good and save alot of embarrassment and changes of clothing!

I have a pelvic floor of steel (always do exercises and 30 years of horse riding!) and wet myself with covid so I don't think it's that unusual
It's never ever happened to me before and I'm 38

Welcome to ... middle age.

Since about mid thirties, any time I get a cold/cough/etc... the slightest strain of a cough or laugh will have me pissing my pants.

When I am well, absolutely fine, cough, laugh, whatever, but the second I am fighting any sort of lurgy it is as if my body says 'bladder, what bladder, fuck that, im just dealing with this bug now...'

No, it’s not the cough, it’s that your pelvic floor isn’t strong enough to hold the urine in when subjected to the extra pressure of the cough. Worth doing pelvic floor exercises. If not for now, think of your future self.