Dear Doctor, I am aged 22. I have been bed-wetting since childhood. This usually happens at night. Sometimes I dream that I am having a short call in the toilet and on waking up, I find my bed wet.
What causes this and what drugs can cure such a condition?
Esendi
Dear Esendi,
Bed-wetting, medically referred to as nocturnal enuresis, can be primary or secondary. In primary cases, it starts right from childhood and persists in adulthood, while for secondary, someone who was not a bed-wetter in their childhood starts wetting the bed in the adulthood.
A diagnosis can be done after ascertaining whether the condition is primary or secondary. While poor toilet training and development delay are often the causes of primary bed-wetting, secondary bed-wetting has different causes.
Do you take too much alcohol or too much caffeine? These can contribute to the problem. The cause can also be neurological (dealing with disorders of the nervous system), since there is a part of the nervous system that helps with bladder control. The condition can also be psychological and result from stress.
Before you think of taking any medication, try to set an alarm for when you will wake up to ease yourself. If you are stressed or depressed, you need to deal with these issues first. If all fails, there is medication that reduces urine production. However, first see a urologist for assessment.
