www.incontinentsupport.org

Support for dealing with incontinence
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 1:53 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 48 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 11:29 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 10:46 am
Posts: 119
I'd like to hear your thoughts about this problem with my uncle.
He's in his 70's. He has an enlarged prostate and sleep apnea so he uses a CPAP machine.
The BPH meds are giving him side effects that he can no longer tolerate so he's stopped taking them.
Unfortunately he has to get up several times a night and unmask/remask for his CPAP.
He lives by himself and I am worried about him not sleeping well and/or falling in the middle of the night and breaking a hip.
I told him about just wearing a diaper as many of you have mentioned because it actually may be safer.
He was open to the idea but says that he is having difficulty using it at night.
He puts it on and when he wake up to pee, he can't use the diaper and has to get up anyway to use the bathroom.
Any advice?

thanks


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 5:11 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2018 2:38 pm
Posts: 120
fiacs wrote:
I'd like to hear your thoughts about this problem with my uncle.
He's in his 70's. He has an enlarged prostate and sleep apnea so he uses a CPAP machine.
The BPH meds are giving him side effects that he can no longer tolerate so he's stopped taking them.
Unfortunately he has to get up several times a night and unmask/remask for his CPAP.
He lives by himself and I am worried about him not sleeping well and/or falling in the middle of the night and breaking a hip.
I told him about just wearing a diaper as many of you have mentioned because it actually may be safer.
He was open to the idea but says that he is having difficulty using it at night.
He puts it on and when he wake up to pee, he can't use the diaper and has to get up anyway to use the bathroom.
Any advice?

thanks


Being unable to pee in a diaper is common in people who are not incontinent, even at his age. If he's getting up anyway, he may as well use the bathroom because just using the diaper might mean he is less able to hold it in at other times.

As for the CPAP mask, there is a strong chance that his mask does not fit properly and he needs it adjusted. However, finding one that fits comfortably is often difficult.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:31 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:45 am
Posts: 1836
There are fall alert devices he might use, that would give you some peace of mind about his security. If he is facing prostate surgery, both of you should know that prostate surgery can sometimes result in residual incontinence, which can be temporary or permanent. Good luck.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:51 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2016 11:34 pm
Posts: 146
Location: Jacksonville, FL
I also have a large prostate and use a CPAP mask. I wake up at night to urinate. What I do is stand at the bedside and use an empty detergent bottle. I do not have to remove my CPAP mask. Then go back to sleep.

As for stopping his blood pressure medicine that is a very bad thing to do. He needs to talk to his doctor and find a medicine that will not cause any side effects. By stopping his blood pressure medicine he could have a much higher pressure.

_________________
RetiredRN


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 11:13 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:29 pm
Posts: 850
fiacs, I'm all about an uninterrupted night's sleep. Waking up numerous times during the night is dangerous to one's health. I get it that your uncle is having difficulty using a diaper in bed, but I think he should adopt the habit of doing so immediately after his full bladder wakes him, and then get back to sleep. I understand that he may be concerned that voluntarily voiding into a diaper when he has the ability to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom unassisted may cause him to lose that degree of independence, but in the long run I think it's the better choice.

If he's absolutely opposed to the idea of using a diaper in bed - or if he simply can't make it happen - then I suggest that he practice double-voiding @bedtime, i.e., urinating into the toilet once @the beginning of his bedtime routine, and then again just prior to getting into bed. I think that would give him more sleeping time before his bladder wakes him during the night. I also suggest that he keep a walker adjacent to the bed, so that he can have more stability for getting to the bathroom.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, I think that since he needs to disconnect/reconnect the CPAP every time he gets up to use the bathroom, staying in bed and using the diaper is the wisest choice.

W.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 2:42 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:19 am
Posts: 16
I'm firmly in the camp of 'get your sleep'.

I long for the days when I could sleep straight through for 8-10 hours without stirring. Unfortunately as a kid/teen and on that meant I would wake up with my bed soaked from nose to knees. When I moved out and went to college I found out about medical supply stores and started buying diapers for my enuresis. By then I had developed OAB as well.

I'm old enough to remember adult disposables before SAP was a thing. Doubling up at night was the best option.

Now that I'm older and have compounding medical problems, sleeping straight though the night is rare. But getting up constantly to use the restroom means I'm not sleeping. That leads to all sorts of trouble and is best avoided.

So I wear at night because the likely hood that I wet without waking is still good but I often become aware of my bladder spasms and void right away then immediately going back to sleep. It's a reasonable/practical strategy for health.

Frankly I would love to go back to my childhood sleep patterns (dead to the world), with the availability of premium diapers these days I wouldn't have to worry about catastrophic leaks.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 4:59 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:29 pm
Posts: 850
I couldn't agree more w/your strategy, DiaperedE. I suspect that another reason fiacs's uncle is holding back (literally & figuratively, lol) from using a diaper in bed is worry that the diaper will leak and ruin his mattress. A waterproof mattress cover would of course put that fear to rest, and a supply of washable or disposable surface bed pads (depending upon his laundry facilities) would do away with the inconvenience of having to strip/remake his bed in the middle of the night, should a leak occur. I have a washable (disposable when we travel) bed pad on my side of the bed every night. If the pad gets wet I remove/replace it in the morning when I make the bed. If it's dry when I get up, I leave it in place until it gets wet, or it's time to change the bed sheets, and then wash it along w/the bedding.

I'm not concerned about hotel staff reaction upon discovering my pull-ups & bed pads. While I don't leave them lying around the room, I don't make an effort to conceal them, other than keeping them in my zipped travel bag. I leave unsoiled disposable pads on the bed, when the option of using the bedding/towels a second time is encouraged. I use clear zip-lock bags for disposal of soiled items and put the items in the wastebasket.

W.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 7:48 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 10:46 am
Posts: 119
I appreciate all the good advice for my family.
He is in construction and he tells me that the fitful sleep at night is catching up with him. He is not as alert as he would like to be.
I think there are several barriers to purposefully wetting a diaper for people who are not incontinent.
I am sure there is a mental barrier - wetting yourself is not easy and also my aunt won't be happy about a wet bed
There is probably a physical barrier.
I've told him what you said and he is willing to keep on trying to wear the diapers.
I'll let you know how he progresses. So far its been 0% success with wetting his diapers at night.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:03 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:29 pm
Posts: 850
Not sure if she would appreciate his peeing in a bottle @the bedside, either. I thought he lived by himself....

If he's currently off work due to Covid-19 restrictions, he likely can bide his time for a bit and find a workable solution, but he still needs to consider his age, and preserve his general health. If he's on full schedule @work he obviously needs to be @the top of his game for his safety and that of his co-workers, and also for the competent performance of his duties.

W.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:27 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:28 am
Posts: 90
Many people can't pee while lying down. I think I even saw a study about this once. [This isn't CP here, but sites for the ABDL might have advice on this. This site is for people who have problems with continence, not people people trying to become incontinent. Butyour uncle is in a different category, since he doesn't want to try this for fun, just to get a healthy night of sleep. So I hope no one objects that I am suggesting where you can get advice on this.]
He might find it possible to get up on his knees pee and go back to sleep. This will still be easier than getting out of bed going off to the bathroom while also dealing with the CPAP.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 48 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group