Bed wetting solutions - desmopressin or alarms?

[Takeadeepbreath]

My 8 yr old DS still wets the bed regularly. Our sympathetic GP recommended trying desmopressin or night time alarm and pad. Just wondered whether anyone had experience of either of these methods and what the view was? Not particularly keen on either but we need to do something as he is clearly unable to get dry by himself at the moment. Thoughts, suggestions etc gratefully received.

My ds had constant problems with bed wetting.
We eventually found a charity based in Bristol called Eric's which was our saviour. They were so helpful and apart from the odd night, once in a blue moon he is now fine. He is now 9. They wil be able to tell you all the science behind it which I now can't remember!

One thing that I think helped was stopping ribena and making sure he had a few drinks before going to school in the mornings, or at breakfast. The reason was to ensure that he had enough to drink between 8am and tea time so that he would wee enough before bed.

Hope that helps and good luck. I was surprised at how common the problem was, just people don't talk about it.

Alarms didn't work with DD2 until she was a teenager but she was dry when taking Desmopressin tablets. However we were told she had to have a break from them every so often. They stopped working if she didn't. She was told by the eniresis clinic to drink at least 7 glasses of fluid a day which helped if she didn't drink enough then she was more likely to wet the bed, She had a bed alarm at just gone 14 ( we had tries one befor e but nho good at all ) and within in 2 weeks she was dry at night, Didn't have any more accidents.

ds2 slept through the alaram. The battery died in the end

Ds1 had desmopressin as he was going on a residential school trip, he was 7 when he took them as we needed to know it would work before the trip itself.

He was on the maximum dose and he was completely dry, meaning he didn't produce the natural hormone vasopressin which desmopressin mimics. He was only on the tablets for the school trips and hotel stays.

He is now 9 and rarely wets the bed, although we do stick with ERIC website guidelines of loads to drink in the day, last drink at dinner time which is 1hr 30 mins before bed.