Help with 6 year old incontinence.

[sophdon]

Hi I'm new on here. My son who is nearly 7 has incontinence issues. He constantly leaks urine. He never 'wets himself' but over the day his pants become very wet. We have got him some absorbent pants but he still leaks through that too. He has extremely large stools but doesn't seem constipated. He has recently been having soiling accidents as well. He has been diagnosed with dyspraxia and joint and muscle hypotonia. He has a watch which reminds him to go to the toilet every two hours and we use a tens machine on his lower back for an hour a night. As well as sitting on the toilet each evening to encourage regular bowel movements. We've done this now for three weeks and no improvement as yet. Does anyone else have experience of this and anything that helps? He has also become really skinny recently. I just find myself constantly anxious about him.

[Georgina1475]

You're doing all the right things by setting the routine but it will take time. Do you think theses large poos could be impacting on his bladder? Has he ever taken poo softener that may help pass smaller easy to move poos? I wonder about the leaking, before my son was circumcised (medical reasons only) he dripped a lot because he wasn't emptying fully if that makes sense.

Get that you feel anxious about this, I do too all the time. But you're doing all the right things and it will get better.

[sophdon]

The consultant we saw thinks the large stools could be irritating his bladder. We have used moveicol in the past but it caused him to have poo accidence, so was advised to stop it. I think the regular toilet trips and TENs are meant to help his bowel nerves and muscles to strengthen, hopefully making his stools smaller. Hurt really hoping we see some results. Xx

[BumblesMum]

A nurse from Evelina Children's Hospital told me that of those that use a tens machine, 1/3 are cured, 1/3 see an improvement and 1/3 see no change at all. Unfortunately my daughter likely falls into the no change group and I recently stopped using it. We 'completed' 9 out of the recommended 12 weeks use. Not sure if that helps at all?!

[sophdon in reply to BumblesMum]

Sorry I have only just seen your reply. I'm feeling that my son will be the same. We've used the TENs for 5 weeks now and no improvement at all.

What is your next treatment option? I'm interested to know what we do if we see no improvement. Xx

[BumblesMum in reply to sophdon]

I'll have to let you know on that one! I have the same question(s) floating round my head each day! We do have our follow up appt booked for 15th August!!

[AliStan in reply to BumblesMum]

Good luck with the next appointment and let us know any news. We're still persevering with the TENS, 3 weeks left to complete of the 3 months. I keep trying to convince myself (but know it could just as likely be wishful thinking) that even though we're still having daily accidents it feels like she's going longer in between visits and not in quite such a panic, so am hoping that the tests will show her bladder has relaxed a bit and can hold more which would at least be progress. We were told it would likely get worse in terms of accidents before it got better but until we redo all the tests guess we won't know for sure what's going on in there!

Don't think it's helping that she's now getting very bored with the TENS, the initial excitement of diagnosis has worn off and she's definitely feeling the tiredness of end of term, so feels like we're back in a rut. Am hoping next appointment will come through soon so we can see what happens next. Based on fact we were about a month behind you, am guessing it will be mid September......

[Pogogogo]

I have just come across this - not sure if I'm too late to comments. I have an 8 year old son who is Dyspraxic and also incontinent just as you describe. he was just sent home from school today for soiling accidents. Its very depressing. I saw your post because of the link to dyspraxia, I was wondering if they may be associated? He is on cosmocol and a dulcolax laxative every night! Also doing all the routine things, have your years now and not really cracking it. Haven't heard of the Tens things though? I've always been wondering if the dyspraxia is linked. I don't feel like we ever get anywhere with it!

[MrsBadger]

Hi Pogogogo

Our son is also 8 and has dyspraxia. We have had day/night wee incontinence since he came out of nappies at 2.5 years. OT said it could be linked as dyspraxia is all about messages getting lost betwixt muscle and brain. We are seeing a urologist next month so I will be asking about TENS and other possibilities. Pelvic floor exercise, double void and yoga seem to be non drugs possibilities.

[MrsBadger]

There are some great groups for dyspraxia on Facebook, I have learned a lot there as well as here at ERIC.

[MrsSquirrel]

Anyone got any updates? We have a TENS machine lined up (hopefully) once consultant talks to hospital.