Urge Incontinence

Thanks Meryl Streep - hadn’t noticed that!

Janety
Have you seen the date of the OP. I doubt if she’s reading this.

Have you tried vagifem? That has helped me to some extent

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Hi Coolgran65, I'm suffering! Started with Vaginal Atrophy 3 years ago. Had bladder pressure and bloating, lots of vaginal and bladder soreness, frequency too. Struggled with that for ages. Used Vagifem and GYNEST but neither helped. Did without for a while then went back on GYNEST. Seemed to help a 2nd time around. However following my 2nd hip replacement a year ago, the frequency disappeared. No idea why. And to cut a long story short, I'm now struggling with urgency. Had a terrifying sudden overwhelming urgency episode in town last summer and never got over it. Now it's on my mind before I go anywhere. Daren't go anywhere where there aren't any obvious toilets or they are "Too far" away.
As luck would have it, I had a bit of improvement earlier this week but today I had another urgency episode in a nearby town. Thankfully only a small town. I knew where the loo was. Although it wasn't a full urgency episode, it wasn't far off and it was too obvious for me to ignore it so I looked down and shot across the town hoping to god I didn't wet myself before I got to the loo. I didn't thank god. The urge in my case is felt as a soreness low down in my urethra. After the hip replacement I noticed that my bladder sensation was virtually gone and it's never returned, unless it is really urgent.

So I fully understand you always wearing Always Discreet or Tena Lady. I'm wearing Tena Lady Discreet.

I know a lot of my problem is an anxiety thing. Part physical and partly I'm anxious about it and that makes it worse. I've seen the Doc, bladder nurse and urologist and they all say everything is fine. But I'm struggling and have avoided so much because of this problem. God knows how I will go on when me and hubby drive from Southport to Porthmadog in N Wales in two weeks! Totally out of my comfort zone! Will be taking my female urinal bottle with me in the car unless anyone had any better ideas.

Think I am going to start back on HRT tonight and see if it helps. Didn't want to because I'm scared of the side effects but carrying on like this is the pits of hell.

Sorry about the long post.
Forgot to say I came off the HRT again after Xmas because a lot of the vaginal atrophy symptoms seemed to go and I've still not got the bladder soreness, bloating and pressure etc. But then I wouldn't if it's virtually numb following the op would I! And why the frequency went I will never know.

But I'm suffering vaginal and urethral soreness low down that seems to trigger urgency so I think it's time for the HRT again!!

"key in the door syndrome" - Nelliemoser. I've had that since I was a little girl, still got it. I think it's something to do with the change of temperature outside and inside.

I get "key in the door syndrome." It might in theory be possible to use mind over matter on that one, but the anxiety about an accident looms too large.

I have been spending a lot of time in the garden lately and I find that all the crouching up and down I do when gardening, really makes me need a pee quite urgently, even if I have not had a lot to drink. It is probably due to changes the pressure around the bladder.
When it is cold out as it has been last week I have had three layers of garden gear on. My walking thermals and gardening trousers and underwear, it can be very difficult to undress quickly enough. It helps we have a downstairs cloakroom.
Getting old is a Buggeration!

I've taken Urestomol. I'm not sure if it works, or if it has a kind of olacebo effect. It's quite expensive to use on a regular basis.

I agree with the anxiety, though. I think the thought of going somewhere without a loo, or being stuck in traffic, or having to explain an embarrassing accident, is worse than the condition itself.

I think I get what you mean by not knowing if your bladder is full or not. I get this. I know my bladder can't be full, but still I feel the urge to go - kind of lower down my bits. It's difficult to explain. Sometimes I can live with the urge for ages, but if I'm out I go "just in case", even though I know I can probably hang on.

Have you considered this to be an infection? I have, but I haven't got round to getting myself tested yet.

Or perhaps your hip operation has caused it somehow?

I've bern like this since my daughter was born.

Hi all, I am a woman of almost 60 years old now and have been suffering with urgency episodes since last summer when I had the most sudden, painful, overwhelming urge to wee. I was in a crowded town center at the time and came so near to having an accident. It was a 3 minutes walk to the ladies but it felt more like 300 miles that day. I was absent terrified. How I got to the loo in time I will never know. I was badly shaken up by the experience and think it impacted on me Psychologically as ever since then I have only been places where I know there is a ladies near by. So that's stopped me going on coach trips and all sorts. Even avoided a funeral recently because of it. Been to Docs, Bladder Nurse, Urologist about it. Had bladder and kidneys scanned. Also had volume/flow tests. All fine, or so I am told. However not only am I having trouble with urgency (Mostly an anxiety thing I now believe) but since my hip replacement a year ago, I find that unless it's urgent, my bladder is virtually numb and any urge to wee is felt in my urethra, or at least that's where I think the feeling is coming from. So I can't feel if my bladder is full or not. With that in mind I monitor how much I drink and the time. I drink about 1500ml a day. That's 2 drinks morning, afternoon and evening. Daren't drink any more. And if I am going to an appointment or anywhere I think I may run into problems, I drink less and wear my Tena Pants. Wondered about taking Urestemol, and if it may work on a psychological basis. Or has anyone else got any other ideas. Yesterday I went to the loo before going to Asda at 2pm then looking round Asda at 2.30pm I was feeling the urethral urges again. So scared of them turning into an urgency episode that I went straight to the ladies, even though I had only been 30 minutes earlier. I'm just so psyched up with all this. Sorry for the long post.

That's Key in the Door Syndrome, and it's a recognised condition.

I know how your mum felt! I have the same problem - I can have no desire to go, but as soon as I get within striking distance of the loo, my bladder gets the Go Now message with a vengeance!

My mother suffered from urge incontinence which I think can be a baffling condition.

Her bladder/pelvic floor muscles must have been in fairly good nick - even in her eighties because if we were out and about she could go for ages without needing the loo. As soon as we were back within sight of her front door, however, she would be in a desperate rush to get inside. Her key was in her hand before getting out of the car and she would often have an accident just outside the bathroom door.

It was as though her brain was sending the wrong message to her bladder. Not 'hang on, you're nearly there,' but 'OK, you can go now.'

If we were shopping I would ask her if she needed the loo and she always shook her head. I realise now that she felt safer not going near a loo in case there was a queue. Much easier to hang on until getting home.

The urologist and incontinence nurse just gave her pelvic floor exercises to do - and being my mother, they went in the bin!

If it's genetic I suppose I can add UI to my list of things to look forward to, including cataracts, MD and dementia.

No wonder they say old age is not for wimps.

Does exercising the pelvic floor help at all?
I only ask as I've had some horrid mobility issues recently and my pelvic floor appears to have collapsed - it was so painful to open my bowels and also to ensure I'd finished weeing. However I've now got temporary back strengthening in place and I can feel my pelvic floor again and have been given instructions on how to build it up. So far so good; it's beginning to make a difference.

** than my first appointment did....

Luckygirl I am due my second appointment with the incontience nurse next week. It will be interesting to hear if your appointment provides anything more positive than mine did.

GP has referred me to the incontinence nurse.

About 14 years ago I had the TVT operation for stress incontinence. It worked but I then had urge incontinence. I took to wearing pads and just
got on with it until a close friend said she was taking tablets for her urge incontinence. I spoke with my doctor who was willing to prescribe them. They worked for a while but then became ineffective. I was referred to a private hospital (I live abroad) who had a gynaecologist who specialises in incontinence problems. Over the past year I have tried different tablets until we found the best one for me. Now I find that certain drinks seem to irritate my bladder. I cannot drink something like Fanta as that makes it worse and having had a problem the last few days it would seem that ice tea has the same effect. So something else to avoid. The first medication was around €50 a month but the one which is working well is only €3.50 for a months supply. Obviously being a pensioner they would be free in the UK

I didn't see the programme but I was discussing this with a gynaecologist I went to see in January and he said he absolutely never used mesh in repairs. Nice don't recommend them either because they cause so many problems.

There is medication possible but it causes constipation, which can make the problem worse. With a dodgy bladder/pelvic floor, constipation is definitely not what you want or need.

Did anyone see the Victoria Derby programme this morning? The subject was, Vaginal mesh implants. I cried at what I was hearing from the women who's lives have been ruined by this procedure. It's horrendoes

HRT - given the latest research debunks some of the earlier anxieties, I suspect it would help with all these horrible problems.

Coolgran65 That is miserable Commiserations.

I read somewhere that wearing a super sized tampon can help ease the urgency somewhat. Don't know how efficient that would be. Perhaps on a specific occasion. I'm dry enough, feel I'd need a good supply of KY jelly to use a tampon.

I do use Vagasil and Replens for comfort because of dryness. At one time I was prescribed an oestrogen cream but GP then stopped it. Can't recall why. Examination has ruled out a prolapse.

I have a mix of stress and urge incontinence, both mild. I've had hysterectomy and prolapse repair. The consultant prescribed Oestrogen cream which is for vaginal atrophy. I take it two or three times weekly and my symptoms are much worse if I don't. This may help you. I thought I had cystitis before I had the prolapse and your cystitis symptoms could be partly atrophy as mine were.