incontinence - women please

[Rachel W]

Hi,

I was just wondering if extremely occasional urinary leakage is considered incontinence. A couple of times during the summer I had loss of liquid, but it is strange in that I don't 'feel' it like I would when I urinate. It feels more like the loss of cervical mucous and happens in the middle of my cycle, but is more frontal and so at least a couple of times it was definitely urine. It also mainly happens when I am walking, although once or twice while sitting. It also only happens when I am not desperate to go to the loo and is only a small amount.

In comparison I am able to hold myself for hours on end without any leakage (I can go 14 hours while at work, even after drinking coffee - I know not healthy but I hate public bathrooms and as I am not currently working then I haven't done this much over the past few years except if I volunteer or go out for the day). I also have good control when urinating (can start and stop flow). If I had weakened muscles or incontinence, surely I would be more likely to leak when my bladder is full or I have left it too long.

I am 41 but no signs of perimenopause or anything so hopefully it isn't that. I have been REALLY inactive on and off for the past years due to working on a thesis and other studying. Could it be lack of exercise and maybe when I start being more active again my body will become more balanced? Please help. I can't go to the doctors as I do not have health insurance and it is also really rare so not really an issue, just a personal worry.

---------- Post added at 13:42 ---------- Previous post was at 13:41 ----------

PS It has happened probably 8 times max in a year.

[Stormsky]

Is is definately coming from your bladder? or vagina? you can have a weak bladder, which can happen as we get older... if its mid cycle and from vagina, thats probably normal, like when you ovulate etc

[Rachel W]

it is mid-cycle but I DO believe that it is urine, despite the fact that I have cyclic cervical mucous usually at those times. It happened for the first time in ages last night and it dried yellow and was at the front so is urine (sorry TMI). However, my bladder in most circumstances is not weak at all. I can last for hours without leakage and it never happens when I need to go, it usually occurs when I do not feel that I need to go, perhaps only a short while after I have gone. Since it started I have had plenty of times when I have really needed to go and no leakage ever in those circumstances. In fact it has never happened when I have been wanting to go.

In fact there were numerous times during the summer when I needed to go during my field research and walking carrying equipment and it never happened, but occasionally during those times I would experience the phenomena, but never when I was desperate to go. I have also experienced a sudden flooding of clear liquid while sitting, again no feeling of urinating, but I think the couple of times that happened it was vaginal.

---------- Post added at 14:01 ---------- Previous post was at 14:00 ----------

by the way, love the doggie. Is it a husky? I assume so because of the blue eyes although the markings and size look more malamute.

[sherylee xx]

no hun just weak pelvic floor muscles do your pelvic floor exercises and itl get better :) if you was full on wettin yourself all the time id say that was incontinence hun xx

[Rachel W]

thanks. I think my whole body is weak since my inactivity. I can't wait to be active on a daily basis again which I think will help my own body. Pelvic floor exercises I can do while sitting though so I will try to remember to do them...LOL

[Stormsky]

Rachel- hes a malamute, the flash on camera made his eyes blue...
.http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=1567&d=1328300400
i have a husky too though..pic

[emmalrob]

I go to physio and have really weak core muscles that cause my incontinence. It happens when I have already emptied my bladder. The physio is helping loads

[Rachel W]

emma, I think this could be it though. Also, I don't always sit to pee (an OCD thing) and last night I also had a full bowel (sorry TMI again) and so maybe it was a combination. I have been very inactive (really really inactive for weeks at a time). Even in the summer i was walking a lot but had been inactive prior. Hopefully when i am done with my thesis in a few weeks and have more time to exercise then it will fix itself.

Stormsky. I thought he looked more like a Mal and was thinking perhaps the flash was the issue. Beautiful. I used to have malamutes that I ended up losing when my husband left me. I got one back but then she had to be euthanised due to illness and I still cry when i think about it. There is nothing like a Mal. They have such strong and unique personalities.

[PinkRoxy]

It could be a thing due to holding on too long and not emptying it when you need to. Im not too sure though but I do remember when I use to hold on for so long in high school and then when I went to empty it it would make it feel worse like a stingy burning sore feeling inside the end of my bladder, it was horrible.

Yours could be a result of that but like I said Im not too sure aye, I often leak slightly if Im having a sneezing fit, or coughing alot or laughing really hard.

But if you are really concerned then maybe talk to your gp about it.

Anyway all the best.

[emmalrob]

Just a suggestion that my physio told me to do, if you lie down flat on a mat or something comfy, not a bed as it is to soft, then where you hip bones are, if you feel next to it with your fingers and tense like you are stopping yourself from having a wee, you should be able to feel the muscles contract.

If you do this a few times each day your brain recognises what your doing as you can feel it, if that makes sense and when you do it standing up and any other time than just lying flat the brain will automatically get to recognise your building the pelvic muscles.

I started this 8 weeks ago and I could feel it and it was weak, now it is stronger, I can feel the muscles more, so it definately works.