I’m leaking wee

[DustyLee123]

I’m 52 and in peri, and I’m now leaking wee.
Yesterday I’d had a wee, ran down the stairs, and as I walked away I felt a small leak. I had another leak less than 5 minutes after I’d been to the toilet another time.
I’ve had the classic having to cross my legs when I sneeze ever since I had my first child. Did pelvic floors religiously, then went to the women’s physio in lockdown due to things getting worse. She told me that I was doing my pelvic floors at the wrong time, and eventually I stopped all together.
Im wearing a Tena pad day and night, but not doing pelvic floors as TBH it just feels like another chore I’ve got to do.
Is there anything anyone has found to help, other than the squeezy app ?
Im feeling really down about it, and can’t seem to find the motivation and memory to do the pelvic floors.

I squeeze whenever I remember, but it’s not a regular thing. I’m 47 & had a c-section, but my water works are gone haywire. Same as you it started with laugh wee, cough wee, sneeze wee. But now, I can’t hold it in at all. And it’s stated to escape! I also find that I need to go all the time, even when I’ve been. And when I have to go, I have to go! Finding a damp patch if I wait. I usually squeeze more out when going, and I don’t think that’s good for my pelvic floor…

I’m loving the M&S period knickers for this

If you can bear the wait, get a referral to a consultant. It takes time and you get something called urodynamics where they scan your bladder while full and emptying etc. Leave your dignity at the door. There are then options. I had Bulkamid where they inject a kind of hardening gel to close up the neck of your bladder a bit. NB patient here, not medic. It has been transformative and I am back to 100% normal over a year later. It was amazing.

Have you heard of hypopressives? If you go on the Ukhypopressive website they have a good video link by a former pelvic floor physio called, I think, Anna Crowle, which talks about how people with pelvic floor tension may need an alternative approach to pelvic floor exercises. I do hypopressives daily now, and I’ve found them really beneficial. They are breathing exercises that strengthen your diaphragm’s connection with your pelvic organs (they probably explain it better).

Google Elaine Miller aka Gussy Grips.

She's a women's physio (and a comedian) who has some great Youtube videos on this and she is also on Twitter, where she posts reminders almost daily. She's really funny but knows her stuff.

Her latest mission is 10 x 3 sets of squeezes a day and dry by Xmas.

I'd also recommend the website of Michelle Kenway (another women's physio) and her Youtube videos.

Both these physio explain very carefully how to do the exercises correctly, but you do need to do them.

10 long squeezes and 10 'short flicks' (as they call them) 3 times a day.

You could set your alarm for 9am, 12pm and 3pm.

No Dr will consider surgery until you have done these exercises religiously for 6 months.

https://www.gussetgrippers.co.uk/

here we are @DustyLee123

If you aren't already using vaginal estrogen, ask for that because along with your PL exercises, it can help.

I was religiously doing three sets of 10 slow and fast before I went to the women’s physio.

The physio said I shouldn’t be doing them in bed at night, which was my routine, I had to do 10 or 20 stood up

I spent years doing pelvic floor exercises to try and stop this - to no avail. Then I saw a different doctor who said it is caused by lack of oestrogen in vagina and general vulval area and this can upset the waterworks. She prescribed Ovestin which is an oestrogen administered vaginally and within a week it had stopped.

I am 43 and have the same issue. To be fair I do have a lot of other health issues (lupus, complex other stuff etc and went into early menopause aged 37). I don’t find the pelvic floor stuff makes any difference at all. And yep I’ve tried it religiously. I know my post isn’t particularly helpful but just wanted you to know you’re not alone really. In terms of pads etc I find Always discreet the best. The long ones in particular are very comfortable and provide a lot of protection.

(I should add I’ve been on Ovestin and full HRT for years now, no difference at all).

I have the same problem and I am the same age as you. GP examined me and said I had a very slight prolapse. She prescribed the oestrogen pessaries and pelvic floor exercises. The pessaries are definitely making a difference. I always noticed there was a week in my cycle when the leaking was definitely worse. This has got a lot better with the pessaries. I was also referred to the womens physio. Had a telephone conversation about the exercises and I am seeing her in person next month. GP thought I was a good candidate for potential surgery if the above doesn't sort it out. But yes, have to try all avenues first.

Are you on hrt?
I wasn't noticeably leaking but had noticed a slight aroma. Hrt has helped a lot.
I think for many women it's a combination of hormones and physical changes but there's lots that can be done to help.

Yes, but only one pump.

I’d be getting a kegal exerciser.

That’s a really low dose. 2 pumps is the standard dose and many women need up to 4.

@DustyLee123 But didn't she say you weren't doing them correctly?

If the technique isn't right, they won't help.

I've read that some women squeeze but don't lift. Did you explain it carefully- squeeze front and back together, the lift to the count of 3, like a lift going up, hold for 10 seconds then relax slowly to another slow count.
That's one lift.

Doing them in bed or lying down won't do much.

You have to work the muscles against gravity.

This means doing them standing up (or at least sitting on a hard chair) but ideally, standing.

Did you explain it = she

Yes I was doing them right, I just wasn’t doing them in the right place for her.

Yes I was doing them right, I just wasn’t doing them in the right place for her.

Oh I see!
The advice has always been to do them standing up.
Otherwise, you are not working your muscles hard enough.

Hope you see some improvement.

Is it definitely wee? I got leakage of a liquid, did n’t know what it was but apparently it’s a thing in peri. First time it happened I thought I had pissed myself. It’s quite a lot of liquid that comes out.

Is it wee or is it discharge? Does it feel like a wee or do you feel nothing? After several years of trial and error I've worked out sometimes it's wee, sometimes it's discharge... noticeable around period time particularly. Or it might just be that I'm weird. This is always a possibility!

Same was happening to me and even when I turned on kitchen tap would get such an urge and would be half bent over trying to get to the loo that my adult son called me the crab lady... What helped me was taking my utrogesterone vaginally and my hrt in general. But I still wear a thin pad in case of incidents as today did have bit of wee when I jumped up. Did have it also after having my child but was a difficult birth but then it sorted itself. Is horrible but most of the women I know are the same. I just have one coffee now in morning as found coffee made it worse. Please talk to your doctor and see can you get a referral if it is getting worse as not nice to be living with this. Also try the vaginal creams that other people suggested. Good luck and keep squeezing