We don't see a lot here about
spasms. I have been thinking about
posting on this subject for almost a year, but never got around to it. I think I will now do it in order to
1:get other opinions on this subject
2: maybe help some newbies understand a little better an under appreciated cause of their miseries when dealing with incontinence, which is SPASMS, probably of the bladder. I think we usually concentrate on pumping iron with the pelvic muscles, but weak muscles is not all that is going on.
OK, a personal review: RP, cath out in 2 weeks, dry from the beginning while sleeping or sitting. Able from the get go to get up out of my chair with a full bladder and make it to the bathroom with little or no leaks until I let er rip. However, always leaking while standing and soaking pads while walking and even worse while hiking in the woods. Kegels and lots of them, and at about
3 months had biofeedback/electrostim which I think helped a little.
But still, quite wet for most of a year. Right after electro stim started, went on a trip to Europe at about
3 or 4 months. Lots of walking in museums and down streets. Every minute thinking "where is a bathroom", which were hard to come by, and usually had to pay. Would get by with 1 VERY heavy large pad(just the large capacity pad you add to your underwear, not the pants) by the time I got back to my room. When we were seated on the bus I was fine, but whenever off the bus and walking, just a constant needing to go and trying to hold it in so as not to overwhelm the pad.
So now at almost 2 years, I have been going without even the mini-pads for most of this last year I guess. (can't remember the exact timing, would have to look up old reports) Mostly I can get away with no pads, but there is just one problem. Often, even when hiking up steep hills off trail in the woods, I will realize that I am not even squeezing to hold it in. Even with a somewhat full bladder, not bad, right? But 2 or 3 times a day, often about
30 seconds after getting up from certain chairs, I get this sensation. It feels like an involuntary muscle contraction right at the base of my penis, and if I do not quickly Kegel, urine is coming out. I can almost always catch it in time, often before even a drop escapes. But I better be quick. I don't have much problem with incontinence now- other than climacturia- but 80-90% of what problem remains is this bladder spasm, or whatever the heck is spasming(SP?).
So guys, some of you might have problems that have little to do with how strong your pelvic muscles are, even though strong muscle are needed to fight that spasm. I strongly suspect in retrospect that a lot of the trouble I was having back then was more bladder spasm than it was me needing more Kegels and stronger muscles. What is now a brief and usually an easily controlled event 2 or 3 times a day was, for the few months at least, an all day more or less constant companion. Which required more or less constant kegels to try and control if I was up. Which quickly exhausts muscles. A vicious cycle that I would usually loose. Any one else have problems or sensations that might be like what I am describing? And you new guys fighting the battle, I don't know if it helps you any to realize it, but spasms might be a part of your problem, easily overwhelming even pretty strong muscles. If so, maybe you can get a med to help it. Or, just know that spasms are almost always going to decrease a little every day.
Post Edited (BillyBob@388) : 12/29/2015 8:20:58 PM (GMT-7)