bowel and bladder issue?

[shaypay20]

Does anyone else have bladder and bowel problems? Like waking up 3-4 times a night? What helps you "get going" in the morning. Help..

[wkikta]

Cathing has pretty much eliminated the waking up at night to pee. Coffee helps me get going, bowel, in the morning. Cath before I leave for the day, drastically reduces trips to the loo during the day.

[Justsayyes]

Over in the ladies room we've been talking alot about magnesium, which acts as a muscle relaxant and can calm the bladder. I take it at night before bed and can get thru the night most nights.

Especially before bed, I don't feel any need to go, I have to sit and wait, go, sit and wait, try again. If I am successful and am fully empty before bed, I don't have to get up.

I have had urodynamic testing, I do retain but not enough to cath. I have frequency, urgency, bladder spasms. Cutting out most of my caffeine helped.

Now the bowel problems are another matter....the magnesium actually helps there, too, acting as a bit of a laxative.

[robyn55]

For ladies - I would suggest a consult at a reasonably major medical center that has both urogynecologists and neurologists (and for men - urologists and neurologists). And maybe call in a GI doc too. I think the older we get - the more we have these problems - whether or not we have MS (I don't). Cigarettes and coffee get me going in the morning (most docs probably wouldn't recommend this ). Robyn

[wriser]

I DONT PEE THAT MUCH.
I STARTED A PILL CALLED BETHAAZONE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT STIMULATES THE BLADDER TO HELP YOU FINISH. IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING FOR NOW.

THE BOWEL IS ANOTHER ISSUE. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING FROM REMEDIES TO FIBER DRINKS. NOTHIN SEEMS TO HELP.

JUST THESE ONE PILLS BUT THEY MAKE U BLADDER OUT OF YOUR BOWEL. AND THAT THING THAT U STICK UP UR BUTT THAT HELPS YOU GO./

Medtronic Interstim works great for me.

Before that I had to cath and used Flomax. Also took in a lot of fiber (excuse me) LOL!

I understand if you have MS, Interstim is not FDA approved.

I got mine before the diagnosis of MS.

I do know someone that has gotten one since her diagnosis.

Good Luck