r/Incontinence

So I know that 12 hours is just what they rate it as, but for those that wet heavily and often, how long do they last you till you end up changing them?

Hi all, hav this ? Keeps appearing in my brain..

How do u let go on your protection in public like shopping mall if you hav overactive bladder and u need to let go like every 30-40mins?

Standup and act like nothing happen? My concern is if let go while seated. Won't it increase the chance of leakage?

Thanks

It makes me no mood to go out on top of my anxiety

Update: thank you all for your input. I shall test it out n make trust with diapers

How many of you have different diapers for different seasons. I like the plastic shell ones but they are a bit warm....

There’s a misconception that using protection means you’ve ‘given up,’ but in reality it can reduce anxiety, improve confidence, and help people stay active socially while they work on recovery.

For some people, leakage improves significantly with pelvic floor rehab. For others, protection remains part of the long term management plan, and that’s okay too. The goal is improving quality of life, reducing shame, and helping people regain control and confidence.

A few things I commonly discuss with patients:

• Finding protection that is comfortable and discreet

• Skin care and irritation prevention

• Bladder habits and fluid timing

• Pelvic floor coordination instead of just endless Kegels

• Nervous system tension, urgency, and fear around leakage

• Exercise and movement modifications

People are definitely not alone in this, and many benefit from combining pelvic floor therapy with appropriate protection rather than viewing them as opposites.”

What do you guys wear at the gym that is discreet?

Almost 32, mom of 4, have had 3 different meds, 2 different surgery’s and PT for pelvic floor therapy. Finally saw a urogynecologist instead of just a urologist, and she was amazing. I’m starting a new PT, she said I have a 1 score of Oxford chart or whatever that’s called. My urologist is doing a urodynamic test next if meds don’t work which they aren’t. It’s not even OAB honestly. I’m standing up walking/working and my urine just comes out. Want me to retrain my bladder but how? Urine just comes out and I can’t even stop the flow of urine. Botox, interstim, and PTNS is my next step if nothing else works. I just want to chase after my kids. 😭😭😭

I'm 18(FTM) and I've dealt with urinary stress incontience since I was 10 shortly after I was Sexually assaulted. My issues aren't bad enough that I wear 24/7 (can't afford that any way) I pretty much only wear pull ups if I'm going out to an event of some kind or occasionally at night because I can't sleep through the night without waking up for the bathroom

But aside from my physical issues, I've always found diapers weirdly comforting? I'm autistic and have an anxiety + cPTSD. For me, diapers have always kinda made me feel very safe. They ease my general anxiety better than anything else. They always have, even before I started having to actually need to wear protection during events

Ive always had a lot of guilt over pretty much all my health issues. But I guess it's just a really weird combination, liking diapers because they just make me feel safe and ease my anxiety. But also dealing with stress incon and genuinely needing them sometimes. I guess I just feel like somehow that shouldn't be allowed. Logically I know it is. But it feels like it isn't. Like it isn't okay to like wearing diapers for comfort. As well as to just make my life easier when it comes to my incon

Does anyone else feel like this? How do I deal with it?

Tldr: I like diapers because they ease my anxiety and bring me comfort. But I'm also stress incontienent. Is it even okay to like them for comfort and because they genuinely help my incon issues? Is it okay to wear protection for comfort and for their intended purpose? Is both okay?

Hi,
I'm going to a convention in a few weeks with a friend who doesn't know about my incontinence, and we decided to share a hotel room to save money. However, they don't know about my incontinence, and I don't know how to make it an entire weekend (Friday night, Saturday, Sunday morning/afternoon) without them finding out.

Should I just try to make pullups work since they're more discreet, or what? I don't want them to find out I have these issues and/or have to wear protection to deal with them.

F - 26- UK How do people go about affording supplies whilst waiting for community nursing/local council to help with supplying pads etc.? It's really getting quite difficult and creating hygiene/health issues.

So, I have a strange mix of situations going on, I was originally diagnosed with OAB in 2019, but since then have developed symptoms of stress incon (leakage when sneezing or coughing) and functional incontinence, due to mobility issues (Left knee with patellar tendonitis, and a right leg with permanent nerve damage from the knee down, due to a raging septic staph infection with Cellulitis back in 2020, Blackberry bushes suck)

I used to donate plasma every week to help afford my incontinence supplies since my doctor refuses to even aknowledge the medical need for them and refused to write me a LMN (Letter of Medical Necessity) And, I'm disabled, so affording good quality diapers is a struggle. But, since she started me on a new Rheumatoid arthritis medication (Arava) It immediately disqualified me from donating plasma for a MINIMUM of two years after I stop taking the medication.

So, due to that lack of weekly income from plasma donation, I've been stuck with cheap, Fitright briefs that my local thrift store seems to always have in stock in XL, that consistently leak 3-4 times a day, and can't make it through the night without needing to wake up at least once to change.

Does anyone have any recommendations about anything I can do to be able to afford better quality diapers, for quality of life purposes? $40 a pack of 10 for good ones on a fixed income just isn't feasable, and I have been finding it even harder to leave the house than usual due to embarrassment and fear of leaks.

So I've been using Tena pull ups and been very happy, however I been considering to upgrade to Slips or Flex due to leakage issues and need for faster changes. I been trying Tena slips 2 times, issue have been that they very lose in around the, Idk if it's cuz I'm putting them on wrong, they stay good on but it feels a bit like have underwear or pants with a bad "stretch line"

I was curious if there are many older bedwetters here around my age. I’m 64m, single, and have dealt with it my whole life. Sometimes it seems like most discussions online are from younger people, so I’d be interested in hearing from others who’ve lived with this long term.

Even though I've accepted this is just part of who I am, dating with this at my age can feel a little isolating at times, so I’ve also wondered how others have handled relationships and being open about it with partners.

How old were you when you realized it probably wasn’t something you were going to outgrow? And have you become more accepting of it over the years?

Im a female in HS and ever since this school year has started I've been having digestive and stomach issues I'd never have before. I have IBS and gastritis, so now I'm almost always constipated, strain, have diarrhea, incomplete bowel movements (like there is always residue), cannot hold my farts ever, and I have ALOT of gas. I have had a colonoscopy and it came out with no intolerances.

Here is what happens every school day:

I feel anxious bc ik people will smell me (prob making it worse), go to class, my stomach feels pressure when I sit, don't rlly feel anything going out like a fart but feel warmth, SOMETIMES- but for the most part cant- smell something like a fart, have to sit there for an hour with people cover their noses, fidget with their nose to be subtle, heavy breathing, and the worst- fart noises and comments bc apparently its very very often. And even when i can actually feel a fart forming, i cant hold it in and it seeps out and i still cant smell it and this is very often so imagine the ones i cant feel.

It is extremely weird bc ill js be standing or sitting and smell it at school and be like was that me bc i couldnt feel it but ik i give off the smell of farts. I am now extremely self conscious and sad.

I've started to skip some of my classes where im sitting so close to guys or people ik that will make it obvious that it smells just bc it is so unbearable and hard to focus. Im not even like mad at them for it bc its understandable i would react the same too if i were them but i js wish they knew i cant control it. This issue has also made me distance myself from my friends in class and makes me even more depressed bc i want to talk to them but i dont want to make them suffer by sitting next to me. Its so awful bc its not like ppl are js "bullying" or making fun of me bc im ugly or "weird" which doesnt rlly effects the person, the bully is js doing it to be mean, its something that effects them too (probably making harder for them to focus too) and they prob js think im disgusting and so weird for not hold it in like a normal person. BTW this is def not a certain ppl tryna bully me thing bc it will be random students and i can see in their face they're trying to keep composure and be nice but cant stand the smell.

The thing is I am always dismissed by the doctors like oh thats not possible and my not even my parents believe me bc they've never experienced it. Ive searched up online and it said that incomplete bowels could make a person smell like poop or farts so prob that too.

This is an extremely distressing and distracting thing to live with because I dont feel happy at school or at home bc my parents are very strict and dont let me out that much but it doesnt even matter if they would bc ive been losing my friends and I dont want to hang out where we're mostly sitting down eating or smth. It also sucks bc now that im eating less to hopefully help my stomach not be so gassy my mom thinks i have an ED or smth and forces me to eat even if ik its going to make my stomach have bubble guts or be super gassy. Its extremely hard to do schoolwork in class so im falling behind. I dont even like looking up to look at the screen in fear of seeing ppl to the side of me covering their nose and spraying perfume. I also never talk to people next to me bc ik that they know im "farting" every other minute so its js so awkward and humiliating. Idk if anyone can relate but im js putting this out there.

(27F) I’d like some advice on pads or diapers to wear that can take a lot of urine. My bladder essentially completely voids anytime I stand up, I’ve been wearing poise pads super absorbency but they don’t always stop a large amount.
Backstory, my OB left the Foley catheter in too long during delivery and it was pulled out with the balloon fully intact. I had another foley placed for about a week to help my bladder relax, ended up with a UTI, and now it’s out and just want to stop peeing on the floor and all over myself :/

What's You Go To Diaper?

What is you go to diaper? Do you have different styles for different situations?

Personally, when I'm going to be out a long time and absolutely have to ensure protection I use a NorthShore MegaMax. The original Chinese version.

For slightly shorter duration I will use a Foresite mid range product like the MaryJane or a NorthShore Airlock.

And for times when I'll only need a few hours I use the Foresite Stripes.

The Forsite products are undergoing a product change at the moment. Several stores don't have them as they are getting rid of the stock of the current models.

It's my understanding that they will be adjusting both the Stars and Stripes versions to be the same as higher capacity of the Mary Jane and Under the Sea models. I look forward to trying those, but I'm asking the upgrade in capacity so also come with a higher price.

I find the Forsite products fit me very well. Almost as good as the MegaMax but at a lower price point.

All of these can be enhanced by a good booster. My preference there is the NorthShore EternaDry.

I also don't mind mixing up colors as well to break the monotony.

TLDR: would you know for sure if you leak urine? Or could it happen without you knowing?

Context: I had a baby 2+ years ago and ruined my pelvic floor. I saw a pelvic therapist for about 1.5 years and it did help, but ever since I had my baby my underwear gets wet so quickly during the day. It’s been 2+ years of me trying to figure out if it’s just a lot of discharge, sweating, or incontinence and I’m not feeling it. I’ve started wearing poise light pads every day and those are always wet and my underwear up the front is wet most of the time too.

I’m trying to figure out what route to go and want to know if with all the versions of incontinence you feel it? I had pretty bad incontinence before/during seeing the physical therapist so I know what urge incontinence feels like and the pressure of coughing and having some come out. I just don’t know if I’m sweating a lot down there to lead me to changing underwear 2-3 times a day or if it is urine…

Thanks in advance!!

I spent the last few weeks researching the medical technology space for bladder and incontinence treatment for a piece I was writing. I wanted to share a summary here because honestly the gap between what exists and what patients actually hear about from their doctors is significant.

Beyond medication and surgery, as you likely know there are wearable devices, ankle devices you use at home once a week, and minimally invasive implants that require no general anaesthetic. Some are FDA cleared and Medicare covered already. Some are in trials now.

Im not a doctor so this is not medical advice, im a recruiter that has a neurotech newsletter. But if you have been told your only options are drugs, pelvic floor exercises, or surgery, it might be worth asking your urologist about some of these. Full article in comments.

You've probably noticed the series of informal polls being posed in this and related subs.

These are to get a snapshot of the community's current thoughts and approaches to a number of challenges we face as well as to stimulate conversations that might otherwise be awkward to broach amongst friends, peers and strangers.

We have at least another ten poll topics lined up for the coming weeks but you're very welcome to suggest more topics that you'd like the collective wisdom of a relatively large audience applied to.

Once a few more have been run we'll be writing some analyses and presenting the results to health authorities, manufacturers and so on, so please vote and/or comment - every data point helps!

Hi everyone,

I’m thinking about trying condom catheters and I’d like to get some advice on proper application.

I currently use intermittent catheterization (IC), but I don’t always have easy access to a bathroom when I’m out and about. On busy days, I think a condom catheter might be a good backup option.

I’m circumcised, but I still have a bit of skin that can roll forward over the circumcision scar when my penis is flaccid and somewhat retracted. When I’m more relaxed, everything evens out.

My question is about application: should the catheter go over that skin when it’s rolled forward, or should I retract/straighten everything first before applying it?

Any tips or personal experience would be appreciated. Thanks!