Bedwetting and 'Shock Garments'

My son wet his bed for years. It runs in my side of the family. Actually, you just have to wait until their body is big enough to let their brain know. We tried everything too. My doctor suggested medication and I was very hesitant. I tried the "potty pager" which I got from the internet. It is a senor that the child puts in their underwear and then you pin the pager to their pj's. As the sensor gets wet, the pager goes off to awaken them to get up to go to the bathroom. Usually it woke me up so I helped my son after that. For us, it took a combination of the medication and the potty pager. Good luck!

I knew a girl growing up that wet the bed until she was 8 or 9 years old. I found out while working in the medical field that sometimes the reason is because children's bodies often grow faster than their organs, and if this is the case, her bladder may be small with her growing body weighing on it and causing her to release her urine while she is relaxing. Her organs will catch up to her body in her own time. I for one wouldn't use a 'shock treatment'. I haven't even seen these, and with the word "shock", only tells me that electrodes are used and it very well could damage her nervous system, brain cells, or any other part of her body function. I wouldn't even go that route if I were you just to be on the safe side. This is just something your daughter, and you have to deal with until her bed wetting quits on its own. She's not doing this on purpose, and it sounds like you already know that, so just let nature take its course and in time, she will be fine. :-)

Hi K.,
My daughter is also a heavy sleeper and wets her bed. We tried the "potty pager" several years ago. (I think she was about 6) The first couple of times she woke up (after completely relieving herself), and after that she just slept through it. There is some question in my mind about whether she's just being lazy or if she really can't wake up. I'd like to try the pager again if I can find it. (We've moved since the last time I tried it.) I hope you find something that works. I'm going to read the other responses, too, and hopefully will find someone who was successful. God bless!

I personally have not used the shock garments, but I do have a friend that uses them on her son. She told me that they do work. The only thing is that it is a little uncomfortable, because one end is around his wrist and he can't move his arm very much while sleeping. Other then that she loves it.

My sister used a "pee pee alarm". It had sensors on it that relayed to an alarm that was plugged in across the room. That way when her daughter wet, the alarm would go off, and it would force her to get out of bed to turn off the alarm. It worked great for both her kids. I think it is nicer than getting shocked. Good luck

She probably has to just outgrow it. My mom tried a buzzer shocking thing. It didnt work. My 8 year old wets the bed. We just use the goodnights. He will outgrow it when his bladder matures enough.

Good day to you all. I am not a mother. I am a father. I did not want to have children because I was a bedwetter from the time I was born until I was 14. I saw this post here as I am trying to find pictures of the original "Moses Detector" which was used on me when I was aged 7. For six months my parents had me wear a device which looked like a male athletic supporter cup with metal wires in a grid pattern inside which went against the skin of my genitals. It was hooked up to a device that when I passed water, would initiate a "low voltage but high amperage" shock which was supposed to "cure" me of my bedwetting. The shock was administered until the the cup was unplugged either from the electric control box or from the wall outlet. Please let me say that the "low voltage but high amperage" shock was sufficient to leave me screaming in pain every night as my genitals were electrocuted. I remember getting tangled up in the cords a few times such that I could not pull the cup off my genitals because my hands were bound to my sides from near convulsions and sheer pain. The electric shock continued to be administered until someone unplugged it. This happened many years ago, I thought I had gotten over it. At the time I had believed my parents when they told me this was for my own good and they loved me, but I need to try this option to help me get over my bed wetting enuresis. It lasted for 6 months before my parents decided it was not working and ceased the "treatment." Now at age 46, I am experiencing uncontrollable flashbacks of some of those nights. I also flinch when certain words are said. I can only ask that you seriously consider what you plan on doing before you actually are doing it. The question was asked, " Has anyone used the shock garments and if so, did they work?" I have to say, No they did not work.

I have used the buzzer with my daughter with a limited amount of success. You hook a monitor onto the panties and when it gets wet a buzzer goes off and wakes them up. She is 10 now and still will wet the bed about once or twice a month. We also tried the limiting water and waking in the night. I have researched and found out that this is hereditary. That somone in the family had this problem and it will take time for that part of the brain to mature. My one girlfriend used the same device and it worked right away with her daughter. I don't know about a shock garment. I have used the buzzer items. Hope this helps.

Hi,
I have a friend that used the alarm garments with her son... is it the same thing an alarm goes off if they wet the bed, It has worked great within 2 weeks he has stayed dry for the first time in his 10 year life.
Good luck,
T.

We used a bedwetting alarm from Travis International, not sure if they're still in business. We got a doc's prescription for it, and our insurance paid for all but $35 of the cost. It had a little attachment on the front of the special undies that set off an audible alarm in his room, and one in our room. It took just a couple of weeks, and our 8yo son was completely cured. I wish I could find another like it - the puppy chewed it up, and we have another son with the same problem...

My son suddenly outgrew it at 5.5. It's developmental. I could wake him at 11 and he'd be wet at midnight. I did not limit fluids as I don't think that's safe.

Talking to other parents, I've heard the same story; they outgrow it "overnight."

My son is 5.5 yrs. and still wears a night time pull up. He is fine with it and we then don't have to worry about wetting the bed. I am noticing recently that he is having fewer wet diapers - so I think we are almost out of the woods on this one. I have never tried any of the other things - just don't want to give him a complex about it. He did have kidney issues when he was younger and had a specialist say that some kids don't resolve the nightime wetting issue until they are 7-8 yrs old. So, we just use the diapers and everyone is happy! Hope this helps! Good luck!

Before you try "shock garments" has she been checked out by a doctor? My brother wet the bed till almost 7 years old, and we found out he had growths on his bladder that would fill up during the day, but weren't a part of the bladder muscle so they wouldn't empty when going to the bathroom. They would empty when he was relaxed and sleeping. Once they were removed, he never had a problem again.

Hi K.,
Responding because as a family (3 children and 2 grand children) we have had a lot of experience with the wetting issue and have tried every thing under the sun.
A Dr. specializing in urinary issues reported that my daughter had a small bladder that was not very sensitive at that time and would grow out of the night time wetting as she got older. This held true for the 2 grand children.(for your peace of mind you may want to have a Dr. opinion.)Also you may want to check out homeopathy as an alternative to meds. I did not have access to this amazing alternative at the time.
We discovered the best way to handle the process was to make sure that the child did not feel as though he/she were doing something wrong. We just had to take extra precuations. It was a great day of celebration when the child was dry for days.
We have also discovered that it seemed to be a theme that runs in our family as both grandparents had this issue when young.
I know this puts extra burden on Mom dealing with wet bed clothes and wash. I enrolled the childs help and kept encouraging him/he. We have gotten through it all 5 times with love and great patience.

Good Luck and Blessings
P.

Hi,

I was a bed wetter until I was 12 yrs old. It was very traumatic to have to go to school and know that there was a faint pee odor on my skin. Each night I went to bed fearful that I would 'fail' by morning. It was very frustrating and I felt powerless.
All of the gimmicks my mother tried were just adding insult to injury.

Eventually my mother took me to see a chiropracter. The Doctor said that my lower back was a little out, the muscles were a bit tight which would put pressure on the nerves. The signal from my bladder wasn't getting through at night when I was sound asleep. (I also was a heavy sleeper, I always woke up groggy and tired)
After the first session, I went home that night and woke up the next morning dry. It was the first time I had ever remebered waking up dry. It was complete shock.
I went for two more appointments and had no problems since.

Whether it was psycho-somatic or actually a real cure, it worked and it changed my life.

Before you unintentionally punish your daughter and disrupt her sleep with this device, try an alterior option, such as accu-pressure, chiropractic's, homeopathy....something that might help identify WHY she isn't waking in the night....I assure you it isn't because she enjoys waking up each night, FREEZING, lying in a puddle of her own piss.
It's a lot of laundry but never punish her, just put a plastic cover over the mattress, support her emotionally and help her to find power over the situation and her body.

Good luck,

J. G.

PS: If she is open to it, put a diaper on her at night. Explain that it is NOT a baby thing, that even adults use them sometimes when their bodies aren't cooperating....that it is just a pre-caustionary measure to help her, her sheets and her blankets to stay dry and that it is ONLY for nighttime.
It may help to alleviate her embarrassment and frustration about waking up drenched and smelling like pee in the morning. Waking up in a warm dry bed may re-inforce getting up to use the restroom in the night and may eventually lead to waking up dry completely on her own.

I'd take her to a chiropractor first and see if you make progress there.

Bedwetting usually is a physical problem. Chiropractic adjustments is a huge solver of this problem.
G. CMD

Hi K.,

My daughter too was a bed wetter and an extremely heavy sleeper. I took her to the Dr. when she was about 5 and they said there was a "shock thing" that we could try but that usually they will outgrow it by age 8. Sure enough she did...all of a sudden she quit wetting the bed after she started Kindergarten and she still is a heavy sleeper. Not sure how that happens. I know it is a pain and all but I also heard that shock system is kind of weird too. Back when I checked into it I was told it hooked to the underwear and when the child would start to go this really loud alarm would go off and wake them up to remind them to go. I don't know it would probably scare them and myself to death. Plus, my daughter would sleep thru the alarm. I would just put her in big girl night pants for now and wait to see if she stops on her own. I have a friend whos son is 8 and still wets the bed at night..there Dr. told them to just wait it out and that it is completely normal. Sorry that I didn't really answer your question.

Good luck,
M.

Our oldest son had problems with bedwetting. Like most of your responders we tried alot of things like limiting fluid intake at night, rewards, sticker charts, etc. We realized that our son was just a very heavy sleeper. We finally talked to our pediatrician about it and she suggested a potty alarm. I also want to mention that she said that you should not be overly concerned until after they are 6. The one that we got just clips to the underwear and has a cord that runs up their shirt and the "pager" clips to their shirt. It vibrated and it cycled through 8 different alarm sounds. With most of these types of alarms they do suggest that the parents need to be involved with the process. When the alarm goes off you must get out of bed and physically wake/help your child to the bathroom. It is a pain but it works. It took a couple of weeks and he was "cured". Here is a link to the alarm we have. http://www.bedwettingstore.com/Bedwetting_Alarms/malem_ul...#
Good Luck!