• Birth defects or inborn conditions that cause problems in the urinary tract
• Slower physical development
• An overproduction of urine at night
• A lack of ability to recognize bladder filling when asleep
• Anxiety
• Inherited factors (indicated by a strong family history of bedwetting)

Bedwetting in children is not considered incontinence.

Factors in Temporary Incontinence

A number of conditions can cause temporary incontinence in anyone:

• Urinary tract infections
• Excess fluid intake
• Constipation
• Severe depression
• Restricted mobility

Drugs. Drugs are often a cause of temporary incontinence.

• Drugs that affect the adrenergic system (a nerve-cell and hormonal pathway that regulates the sphincter muscle) are common causes of incontinence. For example, alpha-adrenergic blockers, such as terazosin (Hytrin), used for benign prostatic hypertrophy, can cause incontinence by over-relaxing the muscles. On the other hand, men with enlarged prostates who suffer from urinary problems may be helped by the increase of urine flow after using terazosin.
• Alpha-adrenergic agonists, such as pseudoephedrine (found in some oral decongestants) tighten the muscles and may cause overflow incontinence in susceptible people.
• Diuretics, used for high blood pressure, often rapidly introduce high urine volumes into the bladder.
• Colchicine, a drug used for gout, can cause urge incontinence.
• Other medications and substances that increase the risk for incontinence are caffeine, sedatives, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antihistamines.

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Review Date: 07/26/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)