Table of Contents
- 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.
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)

