QuestionI have stress incontinence which I think is due to strong coughing due to asthma. I have had it for about 2 years and am sick of wearing pads and the occasional pad leakage. I mentioned it to my doctor but he didn't seem very interested! What are my options in getting this condition successfuly treated as my asthma and coughing aren't going to go away. By the way I am 36 years old and 9 months pregnant, which isn't helping matters any.
AnswerHi Gina: You're right -- the pregnancy certainly isn't helping matters. Hopefully with your delivery impending, things may improve a bit for you, postpartum.
Still, with your medical condition as you described, you're definately at risk for continued incontinence. Surgeries for stress incontinence have come a long way, are much simpler these days, and have good rates of success; however, a chronic cough would put you at a high risk for repair failure. I would urge you to be aggressively pursue (if you haven't already, that is) some resolution of the cough, if possible -- not sure what your treatment regimen IS, or if your asthma is so severe that it simply cannot be well-controlled. Are you currently using, for instance, Advair and/or Singulair?? Or is that even a possibility, with your pregnancy??
I'm not surprised to hear of your physician's "indifference." I would encourage you to consult with a urogynecologist -- these are specialists in treating women with incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse. You'll receive much better treatment options and, hopefully, a doctor committed to working with your unique situation and needs. Your best bet would be to check out a teaching institution near you (eg, a university hospital), or you can check out the American Urogynecologic Society's website at: www.augs.org .
Very best of luck to you, and congrats in advance on the new little one!
