www.incontinentsupport.org

I'm currently using Abena cotton "fixing pants" (brief style, not boxers) to hold up large liners and/or AbriFlex underwear as needed. I do have some PUL pants but generally find them uncomfortable, harder to wash clean and overkill most of the time for my needs. The current pairs of Abena fixing pants that I have are now stretched beyond usefulness and have to be replaced with something.

I see that a different vendor has mesh pants available in boxer style, several for lower cost than one Abena fixing pants. Ideally, I would like to have several changes available during the week plus unopened spares should something rip unexpectedly. Do mesh styles generally work? Is there an increased odor problem? Can they be machine washed safely or will they shred?

I am female with unpredictable partial incon of bladder (frequently) and bowel (occasionally, rarely full) I am employed in an occupation with daily contact with large numbers of people, business casual attire, if any of these variables may matter.

Thanks.

Zenute, any mesh definitely will transmit odor. If you are well-hydrated, urine odor should not be a problem.

However, if you have occasional bowel incontinence (I am bowel incontinent), you definitely need to be wearing plastic pants not only to catch leaks but to reduce the fecal odor while you quickly find a means to change. Any bowel incontinence usually prompts one to change over to taped diapers.

--John

Thank you, John.

Unfortunately, I have dexterity and mobility issues making taped briefs a problem, especially since I do use the toilet when I'm able. Fortunately, when I have had fecal leaking, the vast majority of time it has been staining or small amounts well contained by high end pull ups. I have, knock wood, only had full bowel incontinence several times in almost as many years of daily symptoms. I appreciate the information about the mesh and the plastic pants.

Hi zenute

I was told that taking vitamin c helps with odor issues and for me this has worked. Have you tried a newish type of diaper like Attends Flex other brands offer the same product. This has a belt round the waist and the pad is pulled between the legs and fixed to the belt using hook and eye fixation. If you need the loo the pad can be unfixed and fastened to the belt leaving one free to use the loo. The pad can then be refixed if needed or changed without the need to undress. I use stretch pants to help keep the pad snug.

I hope this helps.

Greenbank

Thank you, Greenbank. I don't believe the Attends Flex specifically is available in the U.S. but probably something else of similar style is.

Since I only have partial incon, most of the time, one premium pull on can get me through several hours until I can return home or, if traveling, wherever I am staying, and change in privacy, but there are occasions of major leakage, where my solution thus far has been to tear off the pull up and replace it with a large liner and hope for the best so I do not have to attempt changing more fully in a narrow public stall. Not the most ideal for my particular limitations, but one must do what one must do. At some point, I will try the belted pads.

Thank you for the suggestion of Vitamin C. Even when well hydrated, I find sometimes the odor problem is worse than other times.

Hi zenute

TENA Flex is a similar product I have done a bit of research and they appear to be avalible in the USA.

Changing is always an issue for me too I wear a mini diaper durning the day and you have my every sympathy. It is such an annoyance however it comes with the territory and is part of the life we all have.

Kind regards

Greenbank

The flex version from Tena is available in Canada now, has been for a while at AgeComfort's website. The local hospital uses them, but I don't like the belt, seems to wick and leak, especially when laying down. Puffy

_________________
Puffy
BC, Canada
Fighting the "Bladder Battle" since 1995

Thanks for the feedback, Puffy.

I use tena extra pads with mesh fixing pants during tha day and tena maxi pads, mesh pants and plastic pants at night.