Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Medication puts an end to bed-wetting Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 15:00:28 EST Message-ID: Lines: 83 \SE B;METROPOLITAN;COMICS;DEAR ABBY \SS (WS) \HD Medication puts an end to bed-wetting \BY Abigail Van Buren \CR UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE DEAR ABBY: My husband is in the military and we live in Heidelberg, Germany. I read your column in the Stars and Stripes newspaper. A few months ago, you had a letter about a 16-year-old boy who was a bed-wetter. His doctor prescribed DDAVP and it cured the boy of bed-wetting, which really changed his life. Well, my daughter who is 19 years old still wets the bed in spite of alarms, diapers, restricting fluids, waking her up and walking her to the bathroom. We tried everything the doctors suggested, but nothing helped. After reading about DDAVP, I immediately made an appointment with the doctor - telling his nurse on the phone about what I had read in your column. By the time my daughter and I saw the doctor, he had already done some research into DDAVP, and what he explained to us was amazing! He said that DDAVP is a hormone that everyone has in his or her body. At night, after a person goes to sleep, this hormone kicks in and makes the kidneys absorb more fluid. In my daughter's case, her body wasn't producing the hormone at a higher level at night - hers just stayed the same all day and all night. (Therefore, she wet at night.) She also happens to be a deep sleeper. Before giving her this medication, the doctor ran several tests on her to make sure there was nothing physically wrong with her. All her tests turned out normal. Abby, she has been on DDAVP for two months, and since the first night she took it, she has had a dry bed! There are virtually no side effects, except that since the medication is administered through the nose (she uses a nasal spray) her nose gets slightly irritated. This hasn't bothered my daughter at all. She will probably need to use DDAVP all her life, but when I think of how uncomfortable her life was - plus the endless washing of bed clothes and night clothes - I cannot tell you how happy we have been since we read your article. I wish we had known about it years ago. No one knows what a bed-wetter goes through. My daughter missed camping trips, sleeping over at friends' houses, etc. I am amazed that bed-wetting is such a hush-hush problem. I know there are worse things in this world that kids have to endure while growing up, but I want people to know that there is help out there. Thank you from my daughter and me - from the bottom of our hearts. - "B" IN HEIDELBERG DEAR B: I appreciate your writing. Bed-wetters of all ages would feel far less embarrassed if they knew how many "closet" bed-wetters there are; they number in the millions. Trust me. DEAR ABBY: I know that a person can have his name changed legally if he wants to, but is it possible to change his birth date? I am 11 years old and my birthday is Dec. 25, and ever since I can remember, whenever I got birthday presents, I was told, "And this is also your Christmas present." Abby, I don't think that's fair. Is there a way I can change my birthday to sometime in June or July? - CHEATED IN MEMPHIS, TENN. DEAR CHEATED: Not officially. Your date of birth is on your birth certificate, which is part of your permanent record. However, if you want to celebrate your birthday on the Fourth of July, nobody can stop you. P.S. Queen Elizabeth II's birthday is in April, but she celebrates it in June when the weather is better in London. What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS, and getting along with peers and parents is in "What Every Teen Should Know." To order, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $3.95 ($4.50 in Canada) to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, PO Box 447, Mount Morris, Ill. 61054. (Postage is included.) This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM