58/F here, had issues with sneezing and coughing since my mid 30s. First and only child born at 40. Been trying to manage the incontinence which was getting worse and beyond sneezing and coughing. The mere mention of peeing, or thought of it, sleeping, and I would make a mess. Drinking wine made it worse.
I was going through so many pads, and I couldn't go without one ever.
I went through a weird medication for it, didn't work. Tried physical therapy, didn't help. Went to a bladder specialist who insisted a full hysterectomy was the only answer. That scared me to death, so I fled from there never to look back.
Fast forward a few years and I started HRT and when I saw that working for various aches and pains, night sweats hot flashes, etc, a visit to Planned Parenthood to take out my final IUD, and she mentioned that even though I take HRT, that I could still do localized estriol.
So, I started a topical estriol cream, which helped some things, but libido and moisture, etc, so I started doing more research on hormonal therapy.
What finally worked is the following regimen:
- Estriol cream, topically to outer genetalia, after every shower
- Estriol tablet insert 2 per week
- RF (Radio frequency) vaginal wand therapy (I use the European Silken brand)
- Ball massage (using a hard ball slightly larger than a tennis ball) sitting on it and rolling around on it on a chair to loosen up the pelvic floor muscles. I use a dog fetching ball, because they are hard and the right size.
- Using kegels to empty bladder each time, only after gravity has done it's thing.
- Never peeing in the shower (or standing up), I heard this advice and stopped doing it. (this trains your bladder to only engage when sitting on the toilet, and not when you are walking, standing, etc).
What didn't work?
- Physical therapy
- The pill for bladder incontinence (non hormonal)
- Kegels as an exercise.
- Medical kegel devices, which I tried two different kinds (a game and one is a TENS machine type, that causes contractions).