Incontinence

[stillstANNding]

I’m looking for anyone’s input on this.

My mom has a 94 yo bladder and has had three children. She is also on Lasix, a diuretic. She is currently using Always Discreet pads for moderate urinary incontinence. Still, she has to change her underwear or her underwear and her slacks sometimes several times a day. She is exhausted, particularly now.

What do you recommend as a next step? She says that what she is using has something that turns to a gel in it.

Thank you,
ANN

[Lazarus]

All pads or underwear for incontinence turn liquid into gel. A friend showed me that about 20 years ago and I can not believe how that info has helped me.

I had 6 months recently of your mother’s situation. I tried Botox which Catdancer does every 6 months. I was in seventh heaven for 2 months and then it wore off! For me the injections were very painful...extremely painful. I would have tried it with some premedication but I was retaining some fluid and my doc said I had to be able to cath myself. I flunked that class too. Now, your mother would have procedures as a day patient like Cat does.

So, since I was rarely able to leave the house I researched how much oxybutinin I could actually take. That was the drug I have taken for almost 30 years and it gave me 8 hours of freedom. I discovered that I was taking 25% of the daily allowable dose. So my neuro wrote a new scrip so I have enough to take 4 pills each day although I take what I need each day. Your mother would have trouble because all these meds give you severe dry mouth. And a bladder med might interfere with other meds. I think you need to seek out info from a nursing home nurse or a nurse of your mother’s urology doc. Even then, I am not sure there is an answer.
Sorry for your mom’s situation. It is a horrible one.

I forgot to add...the oxybutinin I take is the generic version of detre...pol? Pan? I forget. The point is that the expensive time release version did not work. The cheaper generic one did. There are a lot of new expensive drugs but none of them worked for me.

[agate]

Has she tried the assorted bladder control meds? I've been on Ornade, Detrol, Ditropan, and Vesicare and liked Vesicare better than the others. All caused mouth dryness but with Vesicare it was less bothersome.

What about the undergarments instead of the pads? That would make for less cleanup.

[stillstANNding]

Hi Linda and Agate,

I am not sure about taking a drug like that when you are on a diuretic to make you pee.

ANN

[Virginia]

Ann, I am out of my league here, but I do recall Jeanie getting some kind of pants that she wore instead of the pads. You might research this. As I recall she was quite satisfied with them. That is all I recall her saying.

[Lazarus]

Hi Linda and Agate,

I am not sure about taking a drug like that when you are on a diuretic to make you pee.

ANN

I do. I take a lasix type as a blood pressure control.

[stillstANNding]

Thank you, Linda and Virginia.

[Lazarus]

Hi Ann,
I was just checking out one of the stocks I own, Medtronic plc, and look what I found! ( too new and untested for your mom...or me...and it is not on the market yet...but:

“Recently, the company announced that it has been developing InterStim micro, a 3CC sacral nerve micro stimulator, which should enable bladder control with full-body MRI compatibility.”

[agate]

Hi Linda and Agate,

I am not sure about taking a drug like that when you are on a diuretic to make you pee.

ANN

No problem for me, at least with the diuretic I've been taking, which is one of the older thiazides. I take huge amounts of that diuretic and took Vesicare at the same time. However, the mouth dryness may have been worse on account of taking both drugs. I no longer take Vesicare as I didn't think it was having enough of a benefit but others have been happier with it. Lasix is a different type of diuretic. She'd need to ask the doctor about adding something like Vesicare, and in fact, she probably should hesitate to add any new drug--though Vesicare seems pretty safe.

Finding a better solution for the accidents that happen might be better than introducing a new med to stop the accidents. There are a jillion types of incontinence products (pads, liners, undergarments) out there--something for everyone, just about--and many of the companies will send samples a person can try. She might want to try a variety of options until she finds one that works well for her.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((ANN)))))) ~

I've been ordering from HDIS for 20 years. They have a full line of incontinence supplies and offer a sample pack.

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

Lasix and a bladder control med do seem counterproductive to me. Does your mom have a urologist?

Two of our friends had an Inter-Stim, both much younger than your mom. One has had it successfully for many years, the other had to have it removed after 6 months.

Keeping you, your mom, your siblings, Peter and family in our prayers.

Love & Light,



Rose