Scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, ruptured disc = bladder and bowel incontinence.

Tundra1975

Tundra1975

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  1. Incontinent
Is anyone on this forum experiencing these issues? These are the issues I have with my spine that are causing unending relentless pain and incontinence. If you have similar issues, I would really like to hear the treatments that your doctors have done to help you. I have done physical therapy and epidural injections and the spine specialists all want to do surgery on my spine. I don't want that as I know the odds are they will only make my condition worse. My thought process is to get a scoliosis back brace to stretch my spine from my skull to the base of my spine to get the pressure off of the discs. All of the doctors I have seen have said that would only make things worse. I don't believe them. I think they all just want that big payday for doing surgery. What have your doctors done for you to help improve your condition? Thank you for your input.
 
Not the same, but I had an injury to my L5-S1 disc, which caused my urge incontinence and then-worsening neurogenig blockage. For me, agressive stretching and decomprssing the spine absolutely helped eliminate my pain. It will return if I don't keep it syretched though. However, my incontinent problems never went away, and over the years did get worse.

Doctors tried every medication out there, botox, and interstim. The botox temporarily made things worse, and the Interstim permanently made things worse. Eventually I underwent 14 surgeries in an attempt to open up my urethra, which finally succeeded. I now no longer have pain or difficulty peeing, and am fully urinary incontinent so I don't even have to think about it anymore. Let alone worry about it like I used to.
 
I was diagnosed with neurogenic bladder and the best the neurologist could come up with was that it may have been related to medication. I'd been dealing with low back pain/issues for years and finally started looking for links there. After going to a new spine clinic, the doctor there confirmed that my bladder and bowel issues are likely related to my L4, L5, S1 problems. These problems stem from congenital issues as well as sports and powerlifting injuries. So while I don't have scoliosis, my incon is directly related to probems in the lumbar/sacral area. Therapy, injections, and chiropractic care have helped with the pain and, ideally, will slow the progression of the degeneration. I am not interested in surgery at this point, as I've spoken with too many people who have had back surgery that ultimately made things worse.

What I have found is that if I am consistent with my therapy and exercises, my pain is usually manageable, though I do have flare ups that limit my activity and functionality. As to the incontinence, I haven't found a correlation between the amount of pain and the level of incontinence - ie: being relatively pain free does not equate to improved control. Increased pain does, however, make it more difficult to change and/or diaper myself.
 
I'm 25, male, and I have had trouble with bladder and bowel accidents since I was little. I don't wake up and end up wetting the bed, I sometimes have bowel accidents in my sleep. (although not as often as bedwetting) I also have trouble where if I wait to go to the bathroom (for urine or bowel movements) my brain forgets about it then when it remembers it can be too late and I have an accident. I was a preemie and had a brain bleed that caused issues with developments as well as the signals for my body to "go to the bathroom." That and I also have a shunt/tube in my brain for hydrocephalus (fluid). It was embarrassing dealing with it at school growing up.

I'm very grateful that you guys showed me great tape-on plastic briefs/diapers though. They work so much better at holding any accidents than the Pull-ups/GoodNites did growing up and keep me from embarrassing leaks. I user NorthShore Supreme and Confidry 24/7 and sometimes ABDL diapers if I want to feel less bad about my incontinence. (I know it sounds dumb to say that, but ABDL stuff helps me cope with having to wear diapers.)

You are not alone and there are plenty of us here to help.
 
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