Bed wetting at nearly 7 - desmopressin not working

[cheerioscheerios]

DS wets the bed every night and is getting really down about it, we have tried everything to get him dry, alarms, hypnotherapy, no drinks in afternoon etc etc and eventually on Friday the doctor prescribed desmopressin of him, really disappointingly this hasn't worked either and he has not taken it for the last four nights and has been wet every night he has been prescribed 120mcg tabs and I think there is one dose thats higher at 240mcg did anyone else fail with the first dose but have success with higher dose, I am so desperate to help him get dry and get his confidence back.

Poor DS. It's commoner than he thinks. A teacher at our DS's school told us statistically there would be 2-3 in each class of 30 kids at that age.

Get him to drink lots of water during the day, as sometimes it's not weakness but an overly strong bladder holding it in all day and only releasing at night when the whole body relaxes. Check he goes to the loo often - before and after school, before bath, before bed etc.

Avoid all red/dark drinks - no blackcurrant, cola, red berry or grape juices as they trigger for some reason.

Always go to loo last thing at night and if he is half awake when you go to bed, let him have a dream-wee where you lead him to bathroom and back to bed without him fully waking up (keep lights off or very low if possible.)

Maybe you've tried all this stuff, but just in case...

BTW, I meant to add, I didn't do any of the things you've mentioned. No alarms, hypno etc. Not sure why - I kept thinking he'd grow out of it soon, but soon ran into years. In the end, they just grow out of it when their bodies are finally physically ready but making an issue of it, and making it a problem that must be cured could be adding to his anxiety.

Not saying you are doing this - maybe it's coming from him. If it is, could you just shrug and say, 'Some people grow out of it later and you are one. It doesn't matter.' And then change the focus to making sure he is comfortable and gets enough sleep etc.

I massively under-reacted when it happened (a lot.) Usually had two sheets on the bed, with mattress protectors between them, and a spare duvet and pillows, and PJs, so if he did wet the bed, a dry, clean bed was ready in 30 seconds. I never said anything more than 'never mind.' It wasn't a subject that became an issue iyswim, though privately DH and I fretted a lot about it with regard to school trips and sleepovers.

threedeer you sound so much like me. Now DD is 6.5 I'm starting to think I might be too relaxed about this ongoing issue. I feel it is to do with her being a very heavy sleeper - I couldn't see alarms being effective with her at all.

She wets 4-5 nights a week. Manages her bed clothes etc just fine - I layer it all up like you do.

I've just emailed the school nurse to make a follow up appointment.

(DD2 was dry at night from age 2 - before she was even potty trained)

Hi - my son is 8 and demo took about a week to start working - and I was gettin him up for a wee when we went to bed. Takes time to build up effectiveness - then he was dry for 2 weeks -first time ever yay - then he started wetting a little bit so I have him 240 and problem solved - fab - then I ran out and we missed a night - disaster - has taken a few nights to start brig dry again
Other son - six and half, started a few days ago and still a little bit wet - but I haven't taken him for a wee in the night (top bunk!!!!)
It is def working for us and it is worth preserver wing, but miss a night and you may have to start over again

I can wait until wee doesn't feature so heavily in my life!!! I've been buying nappies for far too long now!

Desmopressin didn't work for dd either. She was switched to ditropan which actually sort of works. It's not 100% but it's a vast improvement tbh.