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Can Methamphetamine Cause Incontinence?
Question: Hi, former chronic/daily methamphetamine addict wants to know if it's possible that his drug use may have caused incontinence? Initially, would not have any control over mild to moderate stream of urine but only while on substance. This persisted and he refuses to catheterize, so he went the adult brief route which seemed to take care of the issue...until the meth caused severe psychosis. He believes he has PTSD from the events, real or imagined, and nighttime bedwetting is almost daily, and random moderate urination happens 3x weekly. He is 9 months clean from meth and other illicit drugs. Please help
Brief Answer:
First, incontinence is a complex problem.
Detailed Answer:
Methamphetamine is a powerful drug that can have many effects, so, my bias is that it could be involved. The question is in what way, how, through which particular action of methamphetamine can it cause incontinence. This first depends on the causes of incontinence; of course it is very different (and Much Less Common) in young men versus older women.
A very large group of men with incontinence either have no physical control (due to surgery, trauma, abnormality due to prostate trouble and having prostate and/or bladder surgery). or have no mental control (this is seen in very demented people). If someone has had several strokes from methamphetamine use and has cognitive impairment then this is pretty obvious and pretty obviously connected to methamphetamine. This is pretty common. Strokes that are more subtle much less obvious and much less common. A stroke in the spine can cause incontinence, but disk disease is more common and not associated with methamphetamine.
Apparently, the effects of methamphetamine on the nervous system is indeed associated with incontinence.
http://www.jurology.com/article/S0022-5347%2813%0000-9/abstract
and there are specific drugs that control it. (see article).
Dementia, HIV infection, disk disease, are some causes of incontinence in men that are not necessarily all that associated with methamphetamine.
First, incontinence is a complex problem.
Detailed Answer:
Methamphetamine is a powerful drug that can have many effects, so, my bias is that it could be involved. The question is in what way, how, through which particular action of methamphetamine can it cause incontinence. This first depends on the causes of incontinence; of course it is very different (and Much Less Common) in young men versus older women.
A very large group of men with incontinence either have no physical control (due to surgery, trauma, abnormality due to prostate trouble and having prostate and/or bladder surgery). or have no mental control (this is seen in very demented people). If someone has had several strokes from methamphetamine use and has cognitive impairment then this is pretty obvious and pretty obviously connected to methamphetamine. This is pretty common. Strokes that are more subtle much less obvious and much less common. A stroke in the spine can cause incontinence, but disk disease is more common and not associated with methamphetamine.
Apparently, the effects of methamphetamine on the nervous system is indeed associated with incontinence.
http://www.jurology.com/article/S0022-5347%2813%0000-9/abstract
and there are specific drugs that control it. (see article).
Dementia, HIV infection, disk disease, are some causes of incontinence in men that are not necessarily all that associated with methamphetamine.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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