Medication
If all else fails, your child's doctor may prescribe medication to stop bed-wetting. Various types of medication can:
- Slow nighttime urine production. The drug desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) boosts levels of a natural hormone that forces the body to make less urine at night. The medication is available as a pill or nasal spray. DDAVP has few side effects. The most serious is a seizure if the medication is accompanied by too many fluids. Change a child's sleeping and waking pattern. The antidepressant imipramine (Tofranil) may provide bed-wetting relief by changing a child's sleeping and waking pattern. The medication may also increase the amount of time a child can hold urine or reduce the amount of urine produced. Imipramine has few side effects for bed-wetters. Caution is essential, however. An overdose could be fatal.
- Calm the bladder. If your child has a small bladder, an anticholinergic drug such as oxybutynin (Ditropan) or hyoscyamine (Levsinex) may help reduce bladder contractions and increase bladder capacity. Side effects may include dry mouth and facial flushing.