www.incontinentsupport.org

I am a 27 yr old with severe urge incontinence. It is caused by my psychiatric medications. I take Lithium, Saphris, and Ativan for my Bipolar disorder. Urologists and Psychiatrists think it is because of the way the psychotropic meds effect the neurotransmitters in my brain. The side effect is giving me neurogenic bladder. I also have some minor bowel loss on rare occassions. In order to protect myself, I wear Abena supers to avoid the embarassing accidents. I have tried anticholinergenics such as Detrol, Enablex, Vessicare, Gelnique, and Imipramine. None of them have worked. Am I the only one with this problem?

Hi Don,
Sorry you are going through all this. I have been diagnosed with urge incontinence, OAB, and now they say it is a neurogenic bladder. Mine isn't due to the medication taken rather the medications that were injected into my spine over a year period. I too was given different types of bladder medications with nothing helping. For peace of mine I have accepted the fact that wearing a good diaper is better than having wet clothes or trying to stay 10ft from a bathroom. I have found that the doctors want to find what is causing it, but they don't help as much with dealing with it. It's places like this that have helped me continue to live a life worth living.

You must chose your battles. What is more important to you? Living a quality life or staying at home doing nothing? I have accepted wearing diapers and find that changing a wet diaper is easier than wet pants. If this is the only side effect of the medication and you are able to live and be active then it's not that bad. It may be hard at first to accept and learn how to deal with it, but I know for me, I want to continue living a purposeful life.

Keep your head held high and I will keep you in my prayers.

Sorry for renewing such an old post. I just wanted to refresh it and give people that may read this an update in an effort to find more people like me. I think that the side effects I am experiencing on my psych meds are really rare. Here is a little expansion on my previous post:

I now take Lithium, Saphris, and Xanax (PRN) for my Bipolar Disorder. In the past I have tried Depekote, Celexa, Lexapro, Remeron, Wellbutrin, Abilify, Seroquel, Geodon, Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin. Not all at the same time, but in different concoctions at different levels. I may have forgotten a few. The side effects I experience are Bladder and bowel incontinence, IBS, Nocturnal Hypoxemia, Hypothyroidism, and tremors.

I take synthroid and propranolol for the Thyroid and tremors. The Propranolol also regulates blood pressure. I have gained like 30 lbs. since being in the Marine Corps, but I have lost like 20 since going on the Saphris and Synthroid.

For the nocturnal hypoxemia, I have to sleep with an oxygen concentrator that delivers oxygen into my nose through a cannulator. I hate this machine. I don't like things to be near my face and I have to sleep with this.

I have looked for other people with the same side effects as me but I think I'm 1 in 100,000. I have been on numerous forums and have only found people who wet their bed as a side effect of their meds. They just deal with wet sheets. None of them admit to having to wear diapers. I have talked to my psychiatrist and psychologist and both of them have said I am their only patient exhibiting these severe side effects. My psychiatrist is probably in her late 30's. She has never heard of anyone like me. I have also asked other psychiatrists. They all said the same thing. That my case is really interesting and they have no other patients like me. I am at a loss. I have had numerous tests done and no conclusive physical evidence has been found as to why I am completely incontinent. The urologists just keep saying that they think its my psych meds.

My gastroenterologist would not even say why he thought I was having frequent diarrhea and bowel incontinence. My psychiatrist theorized that it was the effect of Lithium, as Lithium is known to cause stomach upsets and GI distress. I have bowel incontinence due to frequent diarrhea and I just can't hold it. So the two are theoretically related to Lithium. But no one knows for sure as all my tests have been inconclusive. Colonoscopy, Endoscopy, Stool studies, blood test, and CT scan of my bowels. All negative for evidence of why I am this way.

My Psychiatrist believes that this is normal for my body and this is how my body reacts to the medicines. I have to take them though. The meds I take now regulate my mood the best and allow me to do things that no other med does. I have not been in the psych hospital in over a year and have not been depressed or manic in over a year as well. Depression is negative for 2 years. So I'm happy with the way things are going.

I just have to wear diapers in the meantime. So hopefully, some new member will read this and be able to respond.

I talked to Shyguy a while back but I think he has dropped off the site and hasn't come back. He had bipolar and incontinence as well.

i had a female roommate 7 years ago who is bipolar
she took lithium an kolipin the side effect was bedwetting
an its not uncommen
the problem was she would stop taking meds when se felt good
it was a sea saw
their no shame involved in wearing a diaper

_________________
well ibs thats enought

Thanks Bruce. I've met quite a few people that bedwet. But nobody with the severities that I have. I know there is no shame in wearing a diaper. I wear them and I am not ashamed in the least bit.

That is a problem with people and bipolar disorder. I have known alot of people that get in trouble because they go off of their medications and have an episode. Thats how people end up in the hospital. They quit taking their meds because they feel good. No matter how good I feel, I never quit taking my meds. My stability means to much to me. Thanks for the post!