adolescent incontinence

[Elasticwoman]

My dd doesn't wet the bed any more - she did for years - but she's not entirely continent during the day. She doesn't have "accidents" but comes home damp because she, well, leaks without realising it.

Has any one else had a dd with this; is it worth taking her to the gp? GPs - do you welcome patients taking up your time with this sort of thing or is it likely to go away on its own in time? Dd is 13.

yes, I would definitely take her to the GP.
is it only weeing she has probs with? some food allergies can cause continence problems, so might be worth getting that checked out,
or she may have an ongoing UTI or something.
either way, it isn't very nice for her and she definitely ought to see someone about it

Thanks FW. It is only weeing. Re allergies: when under the enuresis clinic (for the bedwetting) she was advised to avoid drinks other than milk or water for 4 hours or so before bedtime, as tea, fizzy drinks etc can irritate the bladder. She does drink tea now, and occasionally fizzy drinks. She had her kidneys checked a few years ago and no infection was found.

Is she very busy at school? Sometimes even older kids don't have time to either use the toilet often or perhaps use it in a hurry and not fully empty her bladder. I had a similar problem throughout my childhood. Also I had a bit of stress incontinence where laughing would sometimes cause a leak. I feel really bad for your girl as I know it's excrutiatingly embarrassing and you feel like the only one.
Pelvic floor exercises helped alot (kegel, ect). It's good that sh can tell you about it. Maybe show her the clenching and relaxing exercises you would do in pregnancy ect to strengthen that area, as some people are just prone to a bit of weakness.
Kegels will help her feel the difference between fully clenched and fully relaxed so deffo worth a try, although results aren't immediate they will make a difference.

Good luck x

I'd go to the gp, and maybe also get some panty liners, or would this embarrass her?

Definately go to GP but also start on the pelvic floor exercises.

The panty liners are a good idea too. I had a similar problem and had issues with bedwetting for years. It is very embarrassing and I was always worried about being any distance from the toilet.

Exercises, a good routine of not drinking for the sake of it and going to the loo often also helped. I grew out of it but then you get PG.......

Thanks every one; have booked gp appt and recommended panty liners to her (she already had some for light days of periods). She did not talk to me about it, I just noticed she required a clean pair of trousers every day and also distinct aroma de bag lady at the end of the school day. Her school is v big, with short breaks and little time to get from one lesson to another. I have started to teach her pelvic floor exercises.

The doctor told us to..

Make sure you wee every 3 hours, even if you don't feel the need. Get her to set an alarm on her phone to remind her. Build up to 4 hours ater a week or so and then she should be on course again.

The bladder is giving signals out but if they are being ignored, the bladder overflows and leakage occurs.

Don't drink any squash, most juices fizzy drinks etc - they are all irritants.

This is our experience..not sre if it wil be of any use

Thanks Beetroot. She doesn't have a phone and if she did, would not be allowed to have it on in school. But i think you may well have got to the heart of her problem. Still worth getting the gp to check for an infection though I think.

set some times with her then.

Dd3 (aged 8) has problems with dripping after having a wee, it continues for about 10 - 15 minutes and I bought her pantie liners (called drippy pads now in our house)to contain it. Tbh your dd's problem sounds worse in that you notice an aroma and her clothes are damp; with my dd it was mainly clutching herself after the loo.

I took dd to the GP after a few weeks, and after testing for infections etc (all negative) she was referred to the hospital. There she had a very detailed examination as they said it could be a sign of neurological problems/kidneys etc - all things that I hadn't ever thought of, and she also had to have an ultra-sound scan. It appears there is nothing obvious wrong and we're still awaiting another appointment.

I would have thought that at 13 (dd1 is 14 so I'm reasonably clued up on adolescent angst) your daughter will be excruciatingly aware that she has a problem, and has probably already tried going more regularly etc. I got the impression from the hospital that pelvic floor issues etc are not common in children, so suggest you ask your GP for a referral ASAP. I was surprised at how seriously dd3's problem was taken.

Thanks Molecule, you have anticipated the turn of events. Went to GP this morning and dd1 has been referred to a paediatrician in just a week's time. I thought that was very quick! Dr also advocated that I ask school for a "toilet pass" so she can nip out to the loo in class time without drawing attention to herself. I think her main prob is that she ignores, or doesn't feel the urge till it's a bit too urgent. A bit like me sleeping through early labour for dd2 and then waking up to ... ouch!