Irritable bladder.

[oxgirl]

Just wondering if anyone elses children have this problem with their bladder. Jay goes to the loo and then five mins later feels like he wants to go again and so runs back in again and sits there squeezing out drops for ten mins, then he comes out and, less than half an hour later, he needs to go back and wee again. It's getting to be a real problem. We can't take him out anywhere without him needing (or thinking he needs) the loo every twenty mins or so and at school it's a problem as they sometimes won't let him leave lessons and he gets very distressed and feels that he is desperate to go. Today has been particularly bad, he says he's felt he needed the loo all day, running back and forth and only a little bit coming out each time. We've been to the GP in the past and had various tests and they've found nothing and just say it is an anxiety problem and sent us away. I seem to remember reading that some juices irritate the bladder, anyone got any advice or tips on what we can do??! I've been encouraging him to try and wait and go in half an hour, which he sometimes can do, but he gets very distressed and anxious and it's overtaking our lives.

 

~ Mel ~

[bid]

Anything with caffeine in can be an irritant, also too much acidic fruit juices. Cranberry juice on the other hand is very helpful for urine/bladder problems.

 

I think the solution is re-training his bladder, if anything like an infection, etc, has been ruled out.

 

You could ask your GP about your local Continence Nurse, as they should be able to help with this.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Bid

[harmony]

Just wondering if anyone elses children have this problem with their bladder. Jay goes to the loo and then five mins later feels like he wants to go again and so runs back in again and sits there squeezing out drops for ten mins, then he comes out and, less than half an hour later, he needs to go back and wee again. It's getting to be a real problem. We can't take him out anywhere without him needing (or thinking he needs) the loo every twenty mins or so and at school it's a problem as they sometimes won't let him leave lessons and he gets very distressed and feels that he is desperate to go. Today has been particularly bad, he says he's felt he needed the loo all day, running back and forth and only a little bit coming out each time. We've been to the GP in the past and had various tests and they've found nothing and just say it is an anxiety problem and sent us away. I seem to remember reading that some juices irritate the bladder, anyone got any advice or tips on what we can do??! I've been encouraging him to try and wait and go in half an hour, which he sometimes can do, but he gets very distressed and anxious and it's overtaking our lives.

 

~ Mel ~

 

HIYA

I think what you are going through is quite normal.You have a real positive though. He tells you he needs to go, which is brill. There is a connection with dyspraxia and bladder control (don't know if your son has that) my daughter has AS dyspraxia (motor control issues) and ADHD.

She is 12, we saw consultant re bladder who gave us a series of excercises to try, where you hold on for ten mins longer, then get a reward then another ten etc etc. Best tried on a day when you are not too busy. It worked for a bit with DD, but now she is 12 she won't do it. DD always is wet, she wets her knickers a bit two or three times a day. Night time she is sodden, and will not wear pull ups. (real nightmare for all of us, today i got rid of matress number 5 or is it 6)

The connection with dyspraxia and wetting goes alongside joint laxity. The nerves from brain to bladder are not supported correctly by the muscula/skeletal system, hence the message of needing to wee, is not great, the urge is sudden and can take the child by surprise. also the message the bladder gives to the brain that it is full is distorted, eventually the brain begins to think that the bladder is full even if there is only a little bit of wee in it. (not sure if I am explaining my self very well)

There are a couple of solutions, bladder training as above, medication to stop the need to go so oftern (very useful on days out and at school) eventually when the child is bigger the muscles become stronger, and the nerve pathways will be better supported helping brain to bladder messages be more effective.

It is a stressfull situation for all, but go back to your GP and try and get some support.

 

wish you well with this one.

 

Harmony x

[oxgirl]

Thanks Bid, I've put him onto Cranberry juice to see if that helps.

 

Harmony, your post was very interesting, thanks a lot for that. Yes, he is dyspraxic as well, so I'm sure it's a sensory issue as his hunger/thirst/smell signals have always been a little off as well. Think I'll go and hassle the GP again with it, 'cos it's getting to be a big problem now. Sorry to hear your DD is experiencing similar.

 

~ Mel ~

[Clare63]

Just wondering if anyone elses children have this problem with their bladder. Jay goes to the loo and then five mins later feels like he wants to go again and so runs back in again and sits there squeezing out drops for ten mins, then he comes out and, less than half an hour later, he needs to go back and wee again. It's getting to be a real problem. We can't take him out anywhere without him needing (or thinking he needs) the loo every twenty mins or so and at school it's a problem as they sometimes won't let him leave lessons and he gets very distressed and feels that he is desperate to go. Today has been particularly bad, he says he's felt he needed the loo all day, running back and forth and only a little bit coming out each time. We've been to the GP in the past and had various tests and they've found nothing and just say it is an anxiety problem and sent us away. I seem to remember reading that some juices irritate the bladder, anyone got any advice or tips on what we can do??! I've been encouraging him to try and wait and go in half an hour, which he sometimes can do, but he gets very distressed and anxious and it's overtaking our lives.

 

~ Mel ~

 

Connor is exactly the same, thanks for starting this thread as it might help us too.

 

Clare x x x

[Kazzen161]

Try to avoid sweetened cranberry juice, as it can make infections worse.

 

You can get cranberry capsules, that are supposed to help avoid bladder infections.

 

Also, make sure he is drinking plenty of water. He may be avoiding drinking as he thinks it will make him go more, but the more dilute the urine is, the less it will irritate and the less he will feel the need to go.

 

You can get pH papers from the pharmacist, to check how acidic his wee is.

[oxgirl]

Try to avoid sweetened cranberry juice, as it can make infections worse.

 

You can get cranberry capsules, that are supposed to help avoid bladder infections.

 

Also, make sure he is drinking plenty of water. He may be avoiding drinking as he thinks it will make him go more, but the more dilute the urine is, the less it will irritate and the less he will feel the need to go.

 

You can get pH papers from the pharmacist, to check how acidic his wee is.

 

Thanks Kazzen,

He hasn't got an infection, though. He won't drink just water, if I gave him water he'd take a minute sip just to wet his mouth but not enough to hydrate him. I never know which is best to get, juices with sugar or without, the aspartame in sweeteners is supposed to not be good and yet the sugar isn't good for the teeth so you can't win. All juices seem to have some sort of sugar or artificial sweetners in them so I'm really stuck on what to do.

 

~ Mel ~

[Kazzen161]

It doesn't have to be just water - squash, tea, etc all help. Juices sometimes make it worse because they tend to be acidic.

 

Has he got a sports type bottle of water/squash that he can sip from throughout the day? (I have one at work, one in the car and one by my bed).

 

I have to be very careful to drink enough. What you describe is how I feel, and I know it is a warning to drink more water.

[oxgirl]

It doesn't have to be just water - squash, tea, etc all help. Juices sometimes make it worse because they tend to be acidic.

 

Has he got a sports type bottle of water/squash that he can sip from throughout the day? (I have one at work, one in the car and one by my bed).

 

I have to be very careful to drink enough. What you describe is how I feel, and I know it is a warning to drink more water.

 

That's the trouble, really, he'll only drink squash but that could be making the problem worse. He tends to be very rigid with his intake, he eats and drinks at certain times of the day and not otherwise really, pretty sure he's drinking enough though.

 

~ Mel ~