Bed wetting- a natural approach

by Dr.Michael Kane

Bed-wetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is an issue that can have a huge impact on a child. The social pressures and expectations not only impact a child’s social decisions (no sleep overs) but can have an impact on his or her self esteem.

 As a parent it is sometimes hard to deal with the issue of chronic bed-wetting. It can be helpful to be reminded that the mechanisms involved are often out of the control of the child.

There are two types of bed-wetting, primary and secondary.  Primary is usually chronic and consistent, while secondary is usually periodic, occurring during times of stress or significant changes in the life of your child.
 
The majority of children dealing with bed-wetting do not have a problem holding urine in the daytime. The causes of primary bed-wetting could be due to a small bladder capacity, delayed maturation of the bladder, genetic factors, food allergies, a very deep sleep, or chronic constipation.
 
There are a number of conventional approaches for the treatment of bedwetting, from alarms to medications. The complimentary/alternative approach can utilize a number of options including homeopathy, nutrition and testing for food sensitivities.
 
 
CASE STUDY: Using Homeopathy by Dr. Michael Kane 
 
Ryan is a nine year old boy with a history of night time bed-wetting. He came in for a first office visit accompanied by his mother. After getting some of his health history, I sent him to the waiting room while I got the history of his bed-wetting from his mom because I could tell it was to embarrassing for him to deal with.
 
Mom reported a chronic history of bed-wetting. Ryan was wetting the bed nightly. They had tried a few things such as waking him one to two times per night to use the bathroom and fluid restriction in the evenings. They were considering medication, but came to the Center for a complimentary approach.
 
Ryan is a very sound sleeper and is in an almost coma-like state at night. He has had some social issues that he has had to contend with associated with his bed-wetting. He has avoided going on sleep-overs for fear of having an accident and this has been an issue for him on cub scout sleep overs.
 
Mom was interested in trying a homeopathic remedy, so we got information about the details of the bed-wetting and asked Ryan a number of questions about his likes and dislikes and general health questions. After reviewing the many homeopathic remedies for bed wetting, I chose one that best matched his overall constitution. Rhus Tox was prescribed nightly with a follow up visit in 4-6 weeks.  After five weeks, Ryan and his mom came into the office to report that since starting the remedy he had only one accident. Needless to say both mom and Ryan are thrilled.