Question

I am a 38-year-old woman, and was a bed-wetter until I was 13. Since I had a child 18 years ago, when I drink alcohol I lose control of my bladder - both awake and when sleeping. Naturally this is a difficult thing to deal with in a relationship. Do you have any guidance?

Answer

We appreciate your embarrassment, but perhaps you need to talk to someone personally, as it is not possible to make a full assessment of your problem through this channel. We note you've had this problem since childbirth.

1) The pelvic muscles can sag after giving birth and it sometimes requires effort with weight loss and pelvic muscle exercises (Kegel), to tighten the muscles up again. The pelvic floor is a large sling (or hammock) of muscles stretching from side to side across the floor of the pelvis. It is attached to your pubic bone in front, and to the coccyx (the tail end of the spine) behind. It forms your "undercarriage". The openings from your bladder (urethra), your bowels (rectum) and your womb (vagina) all pass through your pelvic floor. The pelvic floor supports your pelvic organs and abdominal contents, especially when you are standing or exerting yourself. This may possibly have sometime to do with your intermittent incontinence.

2) .Drinking alcohol can dull the nerves in the bladder and keep them from signaling the brain when the bladder is full. Without this message the bladder overflows. Alcohol (beer, wine, etc.) sometimes can cause the bladder to become too active. This is called "urge incontinence".

The first thing we would advise would be to stop drinking alcohol and assess then how frequently the incontinence occurs. Start doing Kegel exercises, and if you are overweight, lose weight with the correct diet and regular exercise, and then maintain normal weight. A professional counselor might also help, as, since you were a child bed-wetter due to emotional problems in situations beyond your control, there may be other emotional issues you wish to talk about.

If none of these three suggestions are successful, we advise you consult your doctor for full investigation.

Links

• Pelvic Floor Exercises