Treatment options

Generally, there are two main types of treatment for bedwetting:

• Alarms
• Medication

Bedwetting Alarms

Alarm therapy is a conditioning treatment. The aim of the treatment is to teach the child to recognise and respond to a full bladder during sleep. Bedwetting alarms are used to teach the child to wake up whenever wetting begins and to go to the toilet to finish urinating.

There are two types of alarm:

• Pad and bell alarm which has a pad connected to an alarm or bell that rings when the pad gets wet with urine.
• Body worn alarm that can be clipped onto the child's underpants.

Bedwetting alarms can be purchased or hired from pharmacies, continence clinics or through the internet. Please consult your doctor for more information.

Medications

For children who continue to wet the bed despite the alarm system, then medication may be appropriate.

Desmopressin acetate

Desmopressin acetate works like vasopressin. For children who wet the bed as a result of low levels of vasopressin during the night, desmopressin acetate supplements the body's natural vasopressin, thus reducing the amount of urine produced during the night.

Desmopressin acetate is a prescription medication available as tablets. Please consult your doctor for further information.

Oxybutynin

Oxybutynin may be used if the child has an overactive or "twitchy" bladder. It works by relaxing the bladder muscle so that it does not contract.

Oxybutynin is a prescription medication available as tablets. Please consult your doctor for further information.

Tricyclic antidepressants

Tricyclic antidepressants are also approved for the treatment of bedwetting. However, they are much less commonly recommended than in the past because of their potential side effects.

Other treatments

Alarms and medication are treatments that have been extensively studied over many years and which are known to be effective and well tolerated.

You may hear about other treatments that are less commonly used such as hypnosis, acupuncture, psychotherapy, reward systems and fluid restriction.

They are not discussed here as it has not been established whether they are effective in managing bedwetting.

Nappies

Nappies, pull-ups or disposable pants are not a treatment. They do not address the causes of bedwetting. Their main function is to absorb night-time urine in an effort to keep the bed dry, thus reducing the amount of washing needing to be done. Nappies can be a source of acute embarrassment in particular for older children who wet the bed.