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Zoemom Asked December 2019

Any suggestions for 91 yo mother with incontinence that is making her get up 3-4 times a night?

Tried Myrabetriq but she said it made her nauseous. Getting up so often is dangerous and makes her tired. Thoughts? Thanks

lealonnie1 Dec 2019
My mother gets up all night to go to the bathroom or winds up soaking the overnight Depends, the disposable chucks, and the bedding as well. When a person lies down, the bladder flattens out and makes the need to urinate a more frequent thing.........that's how the doctor explained it to me, anyway. No matter when my 93 y/o mother stops drinking fluids, she STILL wets the bed every night, she's STILL up several times calling the aides to help her to the wheelchair & then to the toilet, etc. It's a mess and makes for fitful sleep patterns. Nothing works, at least in my mother's case. She's also fallen 40x over the past 5 years she's been in Assisted Living and now Memory Care...............so some of those falls were at night en route to the toilet. Many years ago, when she took Ambien, she fell and broke her foot after falling asleep on the toilet one night.

It's truly been a no-win situation for my mother with this issue. Thankfully, she's in Memory Care and has an entire team of overnight care givers to help her with everything. And to change the soaked bedding every morning.

GardenArtist Dec 2019
How late is she eating dinner, and does she drink fluids after that as well as close to bedtime?   If she can drink more fluids earlier, there's less need to get up overnight.

Also, keep her hydration either consistent or heavier during the day.    She may have enough fluid that she doesn't need any pre bedtime rehydration.

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Zoemom Dec 2019
Thanks for the advice. Yes, she uses Depends and a potty chair although suggestion of nighttime diapers from medical supply company is my next stop. Hoping to get some ideas on reducing need to urinate if that’s even possible. Btw this is my first post and I so appreciate everyone’s timely and thoughtful responses.

LivingSouth Dec 2019
My mom used a bedside potty for years until she damaged her hip. We had a handrail put up near it so she could hold on to it when she had to get up, and a very bright motion night light nearby. For several years she was able to get up and avoid soiling her pull ups, and it made her feel more independent.

FirstRodeo Dec 2019
There are several brands of pull up underwear that are designed for overnight use. We recently switched from a Depends grocery store type product to one from a medical specialty shop and there is a huge difference.
My Mom is very small with very small legs. The grocery store brands are aimed more for daytime use. If you look online for a medical supply company you will be able to find a much greater selection with a better fit and varying levels of absorbency.
Look specifically for overnight protection. They focus on providing more absorbency and a better fit to protect from leaks for up to 8 hours.
Try a few different brands until you find one that meets your Mom's needs. The various companies will send you samples to try if you contact them.
It's worth trying a few different brands to make sure that you're getting what you need.

Geaton777 Dec 2019
Is she not wearing Depends or some such? Can a "potty chair" be put next to her bed so that when she does get up at least she's not going far? You are right to be concerned about the fall risk around this pattern. Good luck!

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