Bedwetting is experienced by hundreds of thousands of children and teens–and even adults. Some parents try medications to fix it fast, yet not only are these drugs a big risk to their child’s health, they are also ineffective to permanently resolve bedwetting. Let’s talk about the top three prescribed medications for bedwetting, and why you might wish to think twice about using them.
Desmopressin (DDAVP)
- Typically used to treat the symptoms of central diabetes insipidus, DDAVP is a synthetic form of the vasopressin hormone. Taking it requires strict fluid consumption to avoid a life-threatening electrolyte imbalance.
- Side effects include: Headaches, nausea, weight gain, confusion, drowsiness, high blood pressure, seizures, psychomotor agitation, nose bleeds, faster heart rate, edema, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, muscle weakness; fluid retention.
Imipramine (Tofranil)
- Typically used to treat symptoms of depression, Tofranil increases vasopressin, a substance that tells your body to hold onto water, and also relaxes the bladder.
- Side effects include: Dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, dry eyes, blurred vision, constipation, sun sensitivity, hostility, personality changes, hyperactivity, seizures, hallucinations, confusion, low blood pressure, loss of appetite, allergic reactions, trouble passing urine; suicidal ideations.
Oxybutynin
- Typically used to treat overactive bladder symptoms, Oxybutynin helps decrease muscle spasms of the bladder and the frequent urge to urinate caused by these spasms.
- Side effects include: Disruption to learning, memory, and cognition, paranoia, nightmares, anxiety, agitation; life-threatening allergic reactions.
Why Are These Drugs Dangerous?
Besides the detrimental physical and mental side effects listed above, these medications are simply temporary band-aids for bedwetting–at best. If there was any diminishment of the bedwetting through the use of these drugs, once someone stops taking the drugs, the bedwetting automatically returns. This has a devastating emotional impact on a child as well. This has been our ongoing experience when we talk with parents who’ve tried these medications to end their child’s bedwetting, and the same findings have been reported by the National Institutes of Health. That’s because medications treat symptoms; not the cause.
A Parent’s Outcry
Emily, the mom of a 15 year-old patient of ours, tried all three of these medications that were prescribed by her son’s doctors over the years. She said, “These meds scared us with the side effects we began to notice. My son’s personality was altered. At one point, he was nauseous and dizzy for a week straight. And what’s crazy is that there was NO impact on the bedwetting whatsoever! Why were these meds even prescribed in the first place?”
Steer Clear of False Hope
Bedwetting is not a physiological issue. It is not a medical condition. It’s a sleep condition. In other words, no type or amount of medication will end bedwetting. Drugs don’t correct the disordered pattern of sleep at the source of the bedwetting, and it leaves a family feeling perplexed and helpless when they don’t work. Moreover, the bedwetting persists. Medication is NOT a viable option for the permanent resolution of bedwetting because not only are their side effects dangerous, they don’t get to the heart of the problem.
