Hi, there is medication you can take that might help go see your GP before your holiday am sure he can recommend something, you don't have to suffer I myself had prolapse repair and my bladder clasped, it helps if you do pelvic floor exercises for 5 minutes three times a day, incontinence team have knickers that helped me return to work not having to wear pads has been good send. Good luck have great holiday.
Sorry Rebecca, I have just seen your reply to the other lady. I personally would go back to the Doctors and tell him how it is affecting your life. You have a right to treatment. I know there is a treatment for overactive bladder with Botox. Mention this to your doctor or if you can afford it, find a private clinic that does this procedure. It is suppose to be very successful, and it relaxes the bladder stopping this happening. Im not sure how long the treatment lasts or how frequent you need to have it done. Hope that helps
Bless you , just set off early and stop off at services and wear a pad incase. In the meantime, do pelvic floor exercises everyday before hols to help hopefully. 😄
Hi Rebecca I can completely understand how you feel about having to wear pads, I felt the same way, I wasn't confident that they wouldn't leak so felt stressed and they were not that comfy. I now use always discrete pull-ups, they are very comfy not bulky and you can just wear briefs over the top. They are very absorbent as I have tried that out, more for trying to reduce anxiety of them leaking. I know they are not a long term answer for you, however why not try some just for the car ride. For a quick short term answer they may just help. Know one will know you are wearing them and your journey will feel less stressful. Definitely go back to gp and tell them how this problem is affecting your life.
I have oab and it is horrid, nothing worked so I realised I had to try hundreds of products to find something that was comfy and absorbent as I was scared of leakage. Good luck with whatever you decide I do hope you find something that helps.
Just an after thought, if you haven't been tested for urinary tract infection get a sample checked, if you have had a test and it's negative, you could try cystitis sachets , sometimes they help relieve that constant feeling I have used them when I travel and sometimes they do help me even though I have oab. I also take loperamide and that helps calm my bladder a little, it's for diarrhoea but it calms sphincter muscle.
Obviously don't drink coffee, coke due to caffeine, also don't eat tomatoes or spicy food as that can irritate bladders.
Rebecca, I had a pelvic floor repair done about 15yrs ago, they suspend your bladder in a mesh and it is held in place connected to the spine (So I'm told!). It is still in place but I have MORNING incontenence only and I've done a lot of research on this topic and came up with Acupuncture in the back of the foot, this was poo hooed by my acupuncturist but now my own local doctor sent me to a Psyiotherapist and during her conversation with me told about the Seminar they are holding up in Cairns on the identical method that I've been ponding for years. Now some one has decided that the treatment they were giving patients in the back for INCONTENTENCE was not the right place so now they are looking at the foot, I took all my research into the psyio and she will get back to me after the conference in September (this month). I also saw where you can buy "weights" to insert that massage the pelvic floor muscles, they are expensive but worth a try. I wouldn't dare go on holidays for the reason that I'd need to dispense with pads each morning so I'm waiting until this method is actually in play and then if it works on me I'll go on a long awaited holiday!....I could never think I was going to be OK in the mornings, it's just not ever going to happen the way I am. So look into other alternative methods. Good luck and enjoy your holidays. Maybe using a pad (very thick night ones) for the 2hr trip may give you much peace of mind.
Good luck Rebecca, hope the always help you feel less stressful on your car journey. The sachets may help, I never had pain going to the toilet just needed to go very frequently and leaked but sometimes they did help with frequency. I'm glad you are also going to go back to your gp as it can take a long time to find answers. I went back a few times and had tvt. I saw two specialist but they could not find answers.
If they feel your pelvic floor is contributing to your symptoms you can actually get a pelvic toner on prescription and some areas provide them free, a continence nurse might be able to help. In the past I tried lots of medications and bought all sorts of contraptions for the pelvic floor but nothing helped me so I thought it is best to use products and get my life back. I hate wearing them but the alternative is to stay indoors and not go out.
It's not that difficult to dispose of incontinece products the pull ups tear apart at the seems and roll up small, just buy perfumed nappy sacs and they can be discretely placed in any bin, or even in your handbag until you can dispose of it discretely.
i have just come back from 2 weeks in Spain and I got myself really stressed travelling to and from the airport and on the flight.
it was the first time I have been on holiday since I been incontinent. I ended up emptying my balder using ISC every 2hrs, just to be on the safe side. I also wore a pull up or of Tena Maxi pants just I case I had an accident.