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Greetings fellow forum members. I am currently 38, and have been using pull-ups since my late twenties because of dribbling, frequency, and urgency caused by chronic prostatitis. I have a urologist whom I see pretty regularly. I am allergic to Flowmax. I have a prescription for a bladder medication. It helps, but not so much that I can forego protection. For a very long time, my pull-up usage was pretty light: one or two during the day, and then one at night. My usage has increased in recent months: I now use two to four during the day and then one at night. I have been considering a transition from pull-ups to fitted briefs. Are there guys on the forum who can speak to this issue? I am especially interested in hearing from guys who started off with light incontinence but eventually found themselves with moderate incontinence.

1. What criteria did you use to make this decision?
2. What were the advantages, and what were the disadvantages?
3. Is there a particular fitted brief that would be particularly suitable for someone in my situation?
4. Is there anyone who experimented with fitted briefs but ultimately decided that pull-ups were the best option for them?

Thank you very much for your insights and help.

Noe

Good evening,
I am in a similar position. My leakage is relatively light and I can get away with pull-ups with pads. There are things I like about the pull-ups, they are easy when you are in the bathroom 25 to 30 times a day. You don't have to untape the tapes and then tape them back up, additionally, I can wear regular underwear over the pullup and pad at work and it is hard to tell I have it on. However; the protection is not that great even with a pad in it, for most pullups, a pad is necessary because the landing zone isn't that big (The protection is not high enough in the front on the ones that I have worn, necessitating the use of a pad) I am a person who likes to be overprotected rather than under protected. I don't feel like pullups are great protection. So I prefer a regular tape on diaper, which just doesn't work all that well at the workplace under a uniform, so I have stuck with pullups/pads there. At home I always wear a regular diaper, I've made my wardrobe work around it. For somebody like you who can get away with a pullup, but may prefer, like myself to be overprotected for peace of mind, security, etc....I don't need "premium" level protection, the Tena Classic is a go-to diaper for me. This isn't heavy protection, this diaper is: thin, discreet, and very absorbent for what I need it for. Any Tena diapers are good regardless of the level (Classic, Ultra, Super) I've had decent luck with Attends Breathable as well, though I had an issue with tapes ripping off the Attends, their customer service was excellent. They replaced a whole case of diapers for me once. But I think I'm sticking with Tena. I've tried Abena Abri-form but don't really need that level of protection. I typically stay away from "premium" level diapers as I really don't need that much protection, I don't have floods, I just leak between visits to the bathroom. Let me know if I can help you further.

Hello Noe,

Probably most of us began with pull-ups and later changed to taped diapers after learning that the pull-ups were not adequate for our incontinence. Although convenient, all pull-ups have a very limited absorbent capacity when compared to most taped diapers. Pullups are fine for light incontinence, but most with moderate to severe incontinence need taped diapers. Taped diapers hold more and leak less which provides us with more confidence that we will not be embarrassed during a public outing.

Many cheap pull-ups only hold about 16 ounces. For example, the Depends Real-fit, which is not cheap, holds 16 ounces. You can do better in a pull-up. The Tranquility Premium Overnight is a good performer and is rated for 34 ounces. Perhaps the best pull-up available is the Abena Abriflex. It is rated to hold 37 ounces.

For taped diapers for light to moderate protection you might try the Tranquility Slimline (22 ounces) or, better, the Tranquility ATN (33 ounces). Both of these diapers are very affordable. The breathable Seni Super Plus diaper from XP Medical is a good performer in a breathable diaper.

Of course, a diaper cover aka "plastic pants" is essential. You can wear either vinyl plastic or a breathable PUL cover.

Good luck!

--John
(double incontinent and wearing 24/7; cloth at night)

Chronic prostatitis... fun, isn't it? NOT! I also have it, non-bacterial, it just seems to be acting up all the time, and certainly does make urge issues worse to the point of wearing a better form of protection. I get away with a pull up during the day when I know where I am going to be, and where all the bathrooms are, but anything else and it is a full on diaper, no other way around the problem, except the external catheter, which for a couple hours is not worth the hassle, a diaper is easier. Sorry to tell you, mine never got any better, only progressively worse over the years... wish it would just go away already! Puffy

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

Thank you, PB&J32, JDinVirginia, and Puffy Pants. These are very helpful responses.

This is pretty close to my situation. I almost never have anything I would call a flood. I'm contemplating switching to fitted briefs because of increases in my levels of frequency and urgency. For a long time, I was able to get by as you do: frequent bathroom runs with some dribbling in between. This has become progressively less comfortable. I now have an almost constant, low-level urge to pee. Prostatitis also causes a painful sensation when voiding any significant volume. I'm finding that it is a lot more comfortable to just let myself dribble in small quantities throughout the day.

I use Attends pull-ups (80 for $48-$60, depending on the supplier). I can typically make that last a little less than a month. I'm not sure what their capacity is, but I have used the Real Fits, and the Attends definitely beat those. I kinda feel that the Real Fits are mostly about mimicking the look and feel of normal underwear. The Abena Abriflex is a fantastic pull-up, but kinda pricey. I've stuck with pull-ups in the past for two main reasons: 1) I don't have floods; 2) Even if a diaper has a high absorbency rating, I still find that I need to change every 6-8 hours, which means that I'm still going to use 3-4 a day, minimum. Follow-up question. How long are you able to make a fitted brief last, typically? Is it hygienically feasible to plan for one or two at most during the day? If so, I will probably give it a try. That would reduce my usage.

Thanks for this very apt description! Yes, I also have non-bacterial, chronic prostatitis. I appreciate your candor in describing the reasoning behind your decision to use fitted briefs.

Thanks again, guys!
Noe

Noe, I plan to change my fitted briefs (taped diapers) with a small booster pad when I am out of the house after about 5 hours. However, please note that 5 hours is a conservative figure as the diaper-booster combination almost always is good for 6 - 7 hours, depending on my level of hydration. The estimate is based on a ConfiDry 24/7 diaper with a small NorthShore Care booster pad. Of course I always wear plastic pants with the diaper.

Another excellent diaper that is a bit less expensive than the Dry 24/7 is the Unique Wellness Superio Signature diaper. They advertise that you only need three per day. The Wellness has a maximum absorbency of 87 ounces while the Dry 24/7 has a maximum of 90 ounces. Your real absorbency before leaking in a real-world situation probably will be at about 30 - 50% of the maximum, depending on your level of activity and body position.

You would find it rather difficult to use fewer than three diapers per day. There is the dangerous temptation to reduce your water intake too much, potentially causing other problems, including skin rashes. IMHO even 3 diapers per day is optimistic. At 8 hours per diaper you would be at a high risk of a leak when the diaper is near its working maximum unless you are very sedentary. I definitely would not risk it when out of the home.

--John

With regular diapers, I can get away with 2 in a day, but I find they're usually falling apart by that time. If I plan on 3 or on rare occasions 4 diapers a day, I'm all set. I'm a pretty active guy so having a diaper or pullup that can keep up is important.

Thank you very much, guys. Based on what you write here, I think I am probably not a candidate for fitted briefs. The main selling point for them seems to be the capacity and absorbency factors. These are not really issues for me. I am currently using about four pull-ups each day. From what you write, it sounds like my usage pattern with fitted briefs would be the same as with pull-ups: three to four each day. It probably doesn't make sense for me to switch.

I might experiment with some of the pull-ups John describes. I have used the Abena Abri-Flex before, and those are really nice; however, the case-cost is on the high side. I am intrigued by the Tranquility Premium Overnight pull-up. Those are new to me. The reviews on Amazon are pretty positive.

Thanks again!

Noe

I have the occasional flood, and that overflows every pull up I have tried, including the Abena. For that reason, I stay with what I can trust - diapers.

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- Tom

Thanks, Tom. I think that chronic prostatitis may actually help to prevent floods. I have uncomfortable and even painful urges when I have to void 50mls or less. I simply can't store enough urine to cause a flood. Pull-ups easily manage my near-constant dribble.

Noe