Time for Tena Lady

[julie111]

Took my pony out for a short hack today, 1st time I've ridden him in 15 months. I'm an older rider 52 and boy was I reminded of that when I dismounted, I peed myself!!! Had to drive back home wet, please tell me I'm not alone!

 

[stencilface]

Oh dear, treat yourself to some pilates classes, you won't regret it.

 

[julie111]

Does it really help?

 

[cobgoblin]

Pelvic floor exercises should help.

 

[[100323]]

You are not alone. Short term pad up before riding, empty tank as close to riding as possible. Long term the riding will help. A quick easy exercise that helped me was. Sit on the bottom or second stair and stand up without any assistance from hands. As many times a day as you like. I had reach a stage where I could not reach the loo at all in the mornings. Though I had to go downstairs, through the kitchen and back porch to reach the loo. Some days I would not have reached an upstairs one if we had had one. It will get better.

 

[satinbaze]

Pelvic floor exercises should be performed. 5 fast and 5 slow 3 times per day. This is the best way to improve bladder control. Check out the bladder and bowel foundation website for details on exercises.
Your pelvic floor is for life not just for Christmas
BTW I run a continence clinic so I know all about this, my clinic is full of men and women with the same issues

 

[stencilface]

Does it really help?

I've been doing antenatal pilates and definitely have less sneeze related incidents since starting! The pilates lady says that doing kegels doesn't work as well as doing the pelvic floor exercises you do in something like pilates.

Plus pilates is good for core strength and riding.

 

[julie111]

Thanks everyone, will definitely start the pelvic floor exercises and wear a pad ��

 

[Auslander]

I play the pelvic floor lottery every morning, and I swear it's improved things! Tis as follows:

Get up.
Fill the kettle up
Boil kettle
Pour water into mug

A few months ago, I could only fill half the kettle before I had to run for the bathroom. Now I'm mostly able to complete the entire process!

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Bless you for being so brave to post...never peed myself but I am known on the yard for needing to pee a lot and my riding companions always check "ive been" before we hack out. Its one of the reasons I'm reluctant to go pleasure and endurance riding as I have visions of being taken short where there is no cover and I'm hi vizz ed up to the eyeballs for everyone to see! The indignities of age and having children!

 

[julie111]

I play the pelvic floor lottery every morning, and I swear it's improved things! Tis as follows:

Get up.
Fill the kettle up
Boil kettle
Pour water into mug

A few months ago, I could only fill half the kettle before I had to run for the bathroom. Now I'm mostly able to complete the entire process!

Hahaha brilliant!

 

[julie111]

Bless you for being so brave to post...never peed myself but I am known on the yard for needing to pee a lot and my riding companions always check "ive been" before we hack out. Its one of the reasons I'm reluctant to go pleasure and endurance riding as I have visions of being taken short where there is no cover and I'm hi vizz ed up to the eyeballs for everyone to see! The indignities of age and having children!

Hahaha, I've been known to dismount and go in the bushes, I could dismount then without paring, lol

 

[julie111]

Hahaha, I've been known to dismount and go in the bushes, I could dismount then without paring, lol

Peeing ^^^

 

[WelshD]

Is it just me that is tickled to see the post called 'New Floor' a few posts down the page

No its not just you OP, I don't ride but my pelvic floor is shot to pieces so you have my sympathy

 

[ycbm]

Me too. Consultant has just told me effectively he can't help. Pelvic floor is fine, I just have an overactive bladder. I won't take the drugs, they can mess with your eyes, no surgery option is available because the results are so unpredictable. I'm not prepared to have botox because then you have to use catheters and they cause infections.

Newest treatment is tibial nerve stimulation. Yes, the nerve in your ankle !! Apparently it's connected to your nerves for bladder and bowel function.

I'm trying for a referral to have an electrode implant, but meanwhile I'm using a TENS unit on it and I'm getting a very good result. I can now at least get off without wetting myself!

 

[smellsofhorse]

Ive had surgery to correct this issue.
It go so bad and embarrassing.
Ive had 1 child, had the operation at 31.
After suffering for 7 years.

Even doing lots of pelvic floor exercises, physiotherapy (yes with a lady helping out!) emptying my bladder immediately prior to mounting. padding up, up to 3 pads and on strong tablets which had side effects.
I had other non horse related issues too.


Its so much better now, I regret how i waited so long before going to the doctor for help.
Then it taking the NHS so long for my appointments!
Lots of tests, embarrassing ones!

But it has changed my life.

So dont put up with it.
Lots of people dont need surgery, there are multiple tables out there that will help.

 

[mums the groom]

have the same problem after child birth best advice hospital gave me was pelvic floor exercises( I never remember to do them) I know my fault but the best thing they said was to use a lubricated tampon before riding as for me it would just help to support the muscle and slightly lift it up, I have found it works but still pads for extra safety, haven't tried with jumping yet, need to get the nerve up to do it. also got told to avoid the 3 C's Caffine Carbonated and Chocolate .. not happening .....

 

[Snuffles]

I have always been the one to check out loo locations wherever I am ! Have always had an overactive bladder, not helped now at having to take blood pressure pills that are a diuretic. Many years ago when on a cruise, we had a day trip to St Petersburg. I was informed there were no public toilets anywhere on the journey so did not drink anything after 6 p.m.,the preceeding evening. No loos on coach, I spent the entire journey trying to hold on to the pee, until we finally found a loo at a shopping centre. it was 20 years ago and still a traumatic memory ! Most holidays are picked on the availability of clean loos !

 

[pennyturner]

By rights, with 6 kids, I should be joining in this discussion. I credit bareback riding with restoring my inner integrity, which was a mess after a particularly damaging delivery. Even 5 minutes without a saddle seems to reach parts I didn't know were there.

On a more serious note, my mum couldn't pass a loo from her mid 30s. She just coped and said nothing, but it turned out to be the first sign of ovarian cancer which wasn't diagnosed for nearly 10 years. Don't suffer in silence ladies.

Superb thread OP.

 

[JennBags]

I suffer from an overactive bladder, and have been using the "lights" for a few years. The one thing that I have found to really help me is taking electrolytes: I was having my hydration levels measured at the gym, and it was showing that I was dehydrated which I couldn't understand as I drink gallons of water, and my pee is generally almost clear. I started taking electrolytes and it improved; now I take one at night (so I only get up once in the night as opposed to 2 or 3 times) and I take one in the morning. If I'm going out anywhere, I also take an extra one as it just stops me having to run to the bathroom every 20-30 minutes.

 

[scats]

I have a bladder that is 3 x smaller than that of an average human, and I pee in excess of 40 times a day. My life is one big journey to find the nearest toilet!

Currently awaiting to see if I can have it made bigger via surgery.

 

[Caracarrie]

The menopause makes life harder too as it seems to weaken the bladder muscles. I've always been to cross my legs for hours but have had a few close runs on my way up the stairs to the loo after much shorter durations.

 

[Landcruiser]

I'm not a loo runner - I can generally go hours without going, but I have been taken by surprise a few times in recent years (post kids, post menopause) by a sneeze, or a belly laugh, or a horse spooking under me resulting in peed pants. I had a bad cough over xmas that seemed to really weaken the widdle - holding muscles, and had to change my pants a few times. I have a cough again now, but this time I have armed myself with Tena lady - yet another step towards decrepitude, but I do feel more confident

 

[ycbm]

Some advice from a long term leaker

Tena are very expensive. Both Tesco and Morrisons do own brand ranges that are much, much cheaper.

For only minor leakage, a very good option is Morrisons own brand ultra thin value sanitary towels. Less than 5p each, very thin, gel filled. They do them with and without wings. Tesco and Aldi have them too, but only with wings which I find a faff.

For people being told to use a tampon, eBay sell polyurethane pessaries that will do the same job and be reusable and less messy. I was fitted with a permanent very thick ring one (and it flipping hurt!), but it didn't help me, so I took it out.

If your doctor suggests botox, be aware that using catheters to empty your then paralysed bladder often causes multiple infections, and the antibiotic they put you on full time to relieve that causes ruptured Achilles tendons! Win/win huh!

For anyone who wants to try tibial nerve stimulation, here's a picture of where to put the pads:

If you have legs as hairy as this man, I recommend you shave a patch first!

This is the unit I have. I use it on the pulsed mode (not the fade in and out mode, the on/off rapid pulse, the switch for this is inside the cover) as strong as I can stand it, for at least half an hour a day.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131863991487

There are cheaper units on eBay, from under ten quid, so worth a try maybe. This is a bona fide treatment now cleared by NICE and offered on the NHS, if you can get it. They make you jump through hoops to get the version they do though, where they put the electrode under the skin. This way also works for a lot of people, though PENS is reportedly more effective.

 

[Fidgety]

You're making me wonder if my tibial nerve could have been damaged when I broke my leg, it was a nasty displaced tib and fib break around where one of the branches is?

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Oh, maybe I should make an appointment with GP, my problem is made more complex by my coughing and sneezing, as sometimes a light pad will be fine all day, and sometimes a maximum would need replaced, eeks, I never thought I would discuss thiswith anyone.
As we say in our house "Cillit Bang" has changed my life.

 

[ycbm]

You're making me wonder if my tibial nerve could have been damaged when I broke my leg, it was a nasty displaced tib and fib break around where one of the branches is?

I'd say there's a very good chance of that. I broke my wrist nine months ago in exactly the same way, and I still can't wear a watch all day because of the nerve damage even though the repair is almost perfect in terms of wrist use.

It's a weird thing but the nerves for bladder and bowel control go on down to your ankle!

 

[ycbm]

Oh, maybe I should make an appointment with GP, my problem is made more complex by my coughing and sneezing, as sometimes a light pad will be fine all day, and sometimes a maximum would need replaced, eeks, I never thought I would discuss thiswith anyone.
As we say in our house "Cillit Bang" has changed my life.

Getting off the horse, like in the first post, is the worst for me. Sometimes I sit in the yard on the horse for ages waiting until everything calms down. If I was in livery it would be more than just the horse wondering what was going on!

There are drug options, which are good for some people. They have side effects including a dry mouth, constipation and glaucoma, so I won't take them as my eyes are a problem. The Professor I'm seeing at the moment says that surgery is an absolute last resort as he very often makes things even worse, the nerve situation in that area is so complex. I have a friend who would rather have botox to paralyse her bladder completely and have to use catheters than wear a pad. I'm not on her page, there. We are both hoping, eventually, to get an electrode permanently implanted in our ankle, but it's a very rationed treatment at the moment due to what they are having to pay the people who developed the procedure, I think.

See your doc, they see this problem all the time.

 

[Meredith]

I am so glad I found this thread. I am off to see consultant for the umpteenth time next week. The advice I have been given has been very confusing. 2 doctors have told me opposing opinions! I am not keen on the sling operation (because of my fears that the mesh will disintegrate or rub )or botox (see other posts) and although exercises have helped I would like to have more improvement. No-one has mentioned the implant or TENS alternatives. I will ask about them.

 

[Fidgety]

It's a weird thing but the nerves for bladder and bowel control go on down to your ankle!

I'm amazed, it's something that I would have never believed had it not been for this thread. I'm off to hunt out the tens machine now!