Medication
Parents often don't know what to do about bedwetting, should you start with medication against bedwetting or should you use a bedwetting alarm? If your child wets the bed it is very annoying. Most children get rid of the problem on their own as they get older. However, bedwetting does have huge consequences for the child. Often children become very insecure and there is a chance of developing a negative self-image.As a result, bedwetting is a dormant problem that makes all parties unhappy.
Once a child reaches the age of 7, bedwetting does become considered a problem. There are several solutions to bedwetting. The first choice is to use a bedwetting alarm; if the bedwetting alarm does not help, your child can be prescribed medication against bedwetting.
Two types of bedwetting medication
Minrin is the most commonly prescribed bedwetting medication. The bedwetting drug reduces urine production during sleep. Normally, urine production during the night is lower than during the day. This is caused by the hormone ADH. Sometimes in children, the production of ADH at night is not lower than during the day. This causes the amount of urine to not fit into the bladder at night.
If so, the (family) physician prescribes medication against bedwetting. Minrin is synthetic ADH. This bedwetting medication causes . This medication reduces water excretion during the night. The fluid that is retained by the body at night is excreted during the day when the medication wears off. This bedwetting medication can be administered for longer or shorter periods of time. It is also convenient to use this bedwetting medication during sleepovers and school camps.
Minrin Melt
A new medicine for bedwetting is the minrin melt tablet. Minrin melt contains synthetic ADH, which causes the bladder to produce less fluid at night. The advantage of Minrin melt is that the tablet can be placed under the tongue and does not require water. Many children find it annoying to have to swallow pills. This is no longer necessary with this bedwetting medicine.
Bedwetting medication for an overactive bladder
Oxybutynin is a medication prescribed to children who suffer from an overactive bladder. An overactive bladder is when your bladder makes too much urine and the child constantly feels like he/she has to urinate. If this is the case, before starting bedwetting medication you can begin bladder training. Bladder training is when you start practicing holding up urine during the day. Practicing this stretches the bladder and allows it to hold a larger volume of urine in the bladder at night. With this training, giving bedwetting medication can help increase bladder volume.
With a larger bladder, there is less risk of bedwetting. A little-reported side effect of anticholinergics is decreased heat tolerance with the risk of "heat stroke" due to insufficient effective perspiration in high outdoor temperatures. Expert opinion recommends taking additional precooling measures above 30º Celsius or stopping the administration of anticholinergics in children.
Bedwetting medication
The bedwetting medicine Furosemide (lasix) is a medicine that causes the body to dehydrate, so to speak. This bedwetting medicine squeezes the body so that less urine is produced at night.
When in doubt about your child's bedwetting, we always recommend contacting your doctor. They can tell you whether it is advisable to start using a bedwetting alarm or to start medication. According to the guidelines we will always see if your child's behavior needs to be adjusted by using a bedwetting alarm instead of starting medication.
