Continence

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ithought
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by ithought on Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:26 pm

Continence

It is well documented in Very Severe ME that maintaining continence can become a problem. Why then is so little done to support people with this very distressing symptom?

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Dr Charles Shepherd
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by Dr Charles Shepherd on Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:13 pm

Re: Continence

ME/CFS can cause urinary symptoms - possibly as a result of a disturbance in something called the autonomic nervous system. This is a part of the nervous system which sends messages from the brain to the bladder to control bladder emptying

Any sort of problem with maintaining continence (bladder or bowel) should be taken seriously by the health professionals who are looking after you - regardless of what may be causing the problem

At a GP level this should involve taking a proper history covering all bladder/bowel symptoms and arranging some blood and urine tests - the latter to check for infection

If your GP needs further help he/she should refer you to hospital - where further assessment and investigation of bladder emptying can be arranged

There are also nurses and other health professionals with specialist knowledge in this area who can give practical advice on all aspects of managing incontinence

Here is a good example of what can and should be done on a multidisciplinary basis from Essex:

http://www.cecs.org.uk/continence-advisory-service/

So there are a number of ways in which help can and should be offered by the NHS to people who have continence problems
Dr Charles Shepherd
MB BS, Honorary Medical Adviser, ME Association

ithought
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:08 pm

by ithought on Thu Aug 15, 2013 7:17 am

Re: Continence

Thank you for the timely response however it appears that my local health board doesn't see ME as any more than an illness to be laughed at and it's almost impossible to get any blood tests or research into symptoms. The district nurses say its a mental health problem and as such wont support although the mental health teams have said its neurological.

As for nurses and teams managing continence they first have to believe you have a contince problem although the neurologist and GP have both insisted that I do have.


Whilst GP's and Nurses and Health Board managers are refusing to accept ME for what it is the neglect will continue

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