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Urinary Incontinence Remedies

| Modified on Jan 24, 2024
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Treating urinary incontinence naturally can be effective with home remedies, dietary changes and natural supplements. Remedies that balance and alkalize the pH such as apple cider vinegar and baking soda, as well as eliminating artificial sweetenrs and caffeine are effective at alleviating this condition.

What Is Urinary Incontinence?

A common yet sometimes embarrassing problem, urinary incontinence is a condition that involves the loss of bladder control. The severity of urinary incontinence can range from occasional leakage caused by a laugh, cough or sneeze to such an intense and sudden urge to urinate it is impossible to make it to the restroom in time. Urinary incontinence can affect everyday activities; however, the condition is very treatable.

Described as the inability to control the release of urine from the bladder, urinary incontinence ranges from occasional, minor dribbles to total bladder emptying. While urinary incontinence in women manifests different than urinary incontinence in men, the type of incontinence an individual has also determines the symptoms and severity.

Stress incontinence is the loss of urine caused by pressure or stress on the bladder, such as coughing, laughing, sneezing, exercising or lifting.

Urge incontinence involves the sudden, intense urge or need to urinate followed by the involuntary loss of urine. This type of incontinence is also called overactive bladder.

Overflow incontinence involves he inability to empty the bladder and is characterized by frequently or constantly dribbling urine. Mixed incontinence, functional incontinence and total incontinence involve the severity of the urinary issue.

Several causes contribute to the development of temporary or chronic incontinence. Alcohol, overhydration, caffeine, bladder irritation and certain medications may cause temporary incontinence. Urinary tract infection, constipation, pregnancy, child birth, aging, surgery and neurological disorders contribute to chronic but treatable urinary incontinence in women and men.

Natural Urinary Incontinence Treatments

Urinary incontinence is often treatable. Natural urinary incontinence treatments include apple cider vinegar, chromium picolinate, magnesium, nutmeg and vitamin B12. Changing the diet can also help treat urinary incontinence. Dietary changes include avoiding gluten, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Completing a parasite cleanse using buchu leaves is another option for treating incontinence if the infection is bacterial or parasitic in nature. Additionally, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, specifically in women, by doing kegel exercises can help treat and reverse urinary incontinence in women.

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Apple Cider Vinegar

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Posted by Gord235 (Vancouver, B.c., Canada) on 08/22/2018
 ★★★★☆

I suddenly started wetting the bed at night and decided to try the ACV treatment twice a day. I mixed 2 tablespoons ACV with 1 tablespoon of honey and added hot water and took it twice a day, morning and night.

On the first night, the amount of urine discharged was reduced by 50% and reduced again on the second night. The next day I noticed an absence of that achy urgency feeling in my bladder. I suspect that I had a UTI (urinary tract infection). I am now on the third day and looking forward to a further reduction of the problem and eventual elimination altogether. This may take up to three weeks according to what I have read on other sites. I will post an update in the near future.

Replied by Gord235
(Vancouver, British Columbia)
08/27/2018

Update: The ACV & honey worked for a few days and then it stopped being effective but I discovered that just taking the honey without the ACV stopped the bedtime leakage. I stumbled on to this by accident when for a couple of nights I treated myself to toast and honey before going to bed and woke up dry. Searching on the internet turned up several articles mentioning honey as a cure for bed wetting. Could it be this simple? I now plan to take one teaspoon of honey every night and will post an update soon.

Connie
(CO)
08/01/2021

Do you think it would be wise for me to use honey for my leaky bladder? I am 72 when I go to stand up straight sometimes I leak urine, I want to be cured of this without taking med. please let me know; that would be awesome if honey would cure this; love connie

marta
(Portugal)
10/12/2023

HI........A psychologist told me years ago that honey stops children bed wetting......now I am over 70 and just remembered this......and earthclinic of course!!!!

Replied by Gord235
(Vancouver, British Columbia)
08/28/2018

Update: Unfortunately the honey also stopped working after a few days. I find this with a lot of the home remedies I have tried. Perhaps it's the placebo effect, where I'm so desperate for a cure that I convince myself that things are working at first only to later admit that they're actually not working that well.

Now I've visited my doctor who seems very familiar with the problem and have received a prescription and an appointment with a Urologist so thank you Earthclinic.

Replied by Gord235
(Vancouver, Canada)
09/06/2018

Update: My doctor put me on flomax and that reduced the feeling of urgency but after a few days I began to experience incontinence during the daytime as well as at night so have stopped taking it. I'm hoping the Urologist I'm seeing next month will be able to help.

W
(Me)
09/07/2020

try acupuncture.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Blu (Nashville, Tennessee) on 12/11/2013
 ★★★★★

I started drinking ACV with honey in a few ounces of water twice a day to help with hot flashes as suggested here. I believe it's been very helpful with that, but a great side effect is that the urinary urgency and occasional incontinence I've been dealing with for a couple of years now has not flared since the DAY I started on ACV! It took me a few days to notice since I was focusing on the hot flashes, but lately, instead of getting up multiple times in the night to go to the bathroom or having difficulty making it to the ladies room during the day at work - I've had NO PROBLEM AT ALL! It's pretty amazing and I haven't changed anything else about my lifestyle or diet, so it's got to be the ACV.

Also, since I started ACV only a week after having the first hot flashes, I don't feel comfortable swearing that it helped with that, they could have dissipated on their own, but limited anecdotal evidence certainly points to it being the reason I'm not having them much at all now. Fantastic stuff!

Replied by Shannon
(Va, US)
04/21/2015

"uncomfortable swearing"?!! ?
Betting that was supposed to be "sweating."

Teasing aside - Thanks for the really helpful feedback!

Replied by Dreamerbob
(San Diego)
05/01/2015

Shannon, Please reread what Blu wrote. She wrote it correctly.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Leslie (Los Angeles, Calif. USA) on 05/02/2009
 ★★★★★

Yea! I had begun using about 1 tsp organic, raw, apple cider vinegar 3x a day with a glass of water (about 12 oz) with a spoonful of raw honey and my energy and stamina have improved greatly. That's why I was using it and to see if it would help with weight control, and it seems to... then I read that it helped rid incontinence and I thought, huh, maybe it'll help me, but I didn't really believe it.

My boyfriend and I walk our dogs every afternoon in the park and until 3 days ago I had to stop once without fail to relieve myself. I am so excited and know that the vinegar treatment really works for me. My problem has plaiged me for about 5 years now and continued until just 3 days ago!

I also do home visits and I can't wait till I don't have to ask to use the bathroom on each visit!

Thanks for this website indeed!!!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Carmen (Irvington, NY, U.S.A) on 02/25/2009
 ★★★★★

My mother, now 81, suffered a number of strokes in 1995. As a result of this she became urine incontinent. She would soak her bed in urine at night. I read the anecdote of the father who gave his daughter ACV for bedwetting and thought it couldn't hurt to have my mom try it. She did, and within a few days she became free of this terrible condition. Almost three weeks later she is still able to get up at night to relieve herself in the toilet. My prayers of so many years have been granted. I thank and praise God for His abundant provision.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Phyllis (Weldon, Calif. USA) on 12/04/2008
 ★★★★★

I have had urinary problems(incontenance) for about 6 months and tried several different herbs and also went to a naturopatic. The things they gave me didnt work. Then I found earthclinic and the apple cider vinigar columns. I started taking 2 tbsp. in the morning and 2 tbsp. at night. and what do you know, it cleared the problem up in 10 to 14 days. I used about 8 oz. of water and sweetned the vinigar solution with stevia powder. I have become addicted to it. I love the taste. Shortly after taking I do get a slight headache but it leaves in a very short time. Must be from a rush of nutrients .Thank you so much for your website and acv. Phyllis

Replied by Candycane
(Grants Pass, Or)
12/26/2013

Hi Phyllis...I read that some people can't tolerate the stevia sweetner. Maybe the reason for the headaches? Also, I've read that the ACV can make your teeth hurt, so I take mine through a straw. I'm glad you like the taste. I tried to take it a lot of different ways, but I still had trouble downing it. Someone posted here to use salt to taste, and it not only made it good to take, but it also stopped from my stomach being upset when taking it too far from a meal. I just shake a little salt in the water, stir it, then add the ACV. My 2 cents!

Castor Oil

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Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 05/24/2021 524 posts
 ★★★★★

I am in the middle of theorizing regarding some of the effects of castor oil and one that has just come to mind is the possibility that incontinence may actually be caused by a release of pressure that may be building up behind adhesions somewhere along the urinary tract that, once opened whether by the build up of pressure itself or movement, flood the bladder so that the inability to "hold it" isn't an inability to "hold it" at all, but, rather, a sudden rush of fluid overwhelming the bladder.

Adhesions, being scar tissue, is usually association with trauma, whether due to internal injuries or surgical scarring but there's another cause of adhesion which is dehydration in instances of which organs that are dying of thirst attach themselves to other organs in an effort to get fluid from them. Ordinarily, they'd attach themselves to the bowel but when the bowel is dehydrated, what then, if not the urinary tract?

Anyway, after rubbing castor oil on my belly a couple times per day for a few days, I am experiencing what I recall as "normal" signals of a need to empty the bladder and one of the things that castor oil is VERY good at is breaking up adhesions SOOO...

Rub some castor oil on your belly a couple times per day AND drink at LEAST 8 ounces of water every two hours.

This little idea makes me wonder how many other issues and diseases might be a matter of abdominal, pelvic or other adhesions within the core and if the breaking up of those adhesions might actually be what's behind the "miracle" of castor oil.

That said, it would seem even more important to keep hydrated if using castor oil and, thereby, possibly cutting vital organs off from the the source of moisture they're stealing from other organs. It would make sense if some organs got better - as in those that were being stolen FROM - but, ALSO, if could result in other organs getting WORSE - as in those cut off from whatever moisture they were stealing from them. Oil's great but it's no substitute for water.

Cold Water Therapy

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Posted by Om (Hope Bc Canada) on 12/19/2013
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Ladies, just want to share with you an important subject of personal experience which has to do with lower pelvic troubles. This will cost absolutely nothing and will make you feel young and care free again. Anyway, that is happening now to me and only after a few days of repetition.

First I have to regress and tell about the back ground of this. Online I found something on hydro therapy which I am familiar with as it is widely practised in Europe for a couple of hundred years or more. People who have health insurance can take advantage of it; the government pays.

Two natural doctors are practicing in North America and unfortunately I cannot give a link. But I remember very well when they say: for all troubles in that area cold water sitz bath is the cure. This also goes for hemorrhoids, fungal infections and vaginal problems you may have.

I had become incontinent. Whenever the bladder was full, the moment I tried to reach the bathroom it was too late resulting in a major clean up and more laundry. Then I developed hemorrhoids even though generally I had not had any problems like that before. The itch was awful and nothing worked as this became wet, it just spread. I felt as if my bladder was trying to slip down with a feeling of energy drain.

That is when I remembered. After each bathroom visit I dunked my private parts only, in a roomy bucket of fresh water, only wetting the private parts, sitting in it for at least two minutes. Immediately I felt new energy and an overall lightness. With each session matters are improving One has to realize that the lowest chakra when not functioning well, affects also the upper ones, resulting in illnesses. After a few days, the flow of urine has direction, improving all the time. Before it was like a water tap without a washer, wetting both cheeks and causing more problems. In between urinating I was fine but the bladder was weak as well as the sphincster. I had tried yogic exercises before with the resulting development of muscles around the bladder but it did not work for this.

So I think if there are recurrent problems, try the healing power of pure cold water. One condition is that you must feel warm to begin with, dry or dab yourself well afterward and keep the pelvic area warm. That is all. I feel wonderful and hope it will help others. This is for any disease of the pelvic area, not only incontinence. It is also good for men, of course , and people with bowel problems. Hemorrhoids shrink and stop itching and the lower story feels clean and toned. I expect to have to keep this up but more spaced apart. It is such a good feeling anyway. Like a private spa. Wish you all the best, Om

Gluten-Free Diet

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Posted by Cara (Miami, Fl, Us) on 01/22/2013
 ★★★★★

I completely cut gluten out of my diet and try to stay away from foods that are known bladder irritants and it is much improved. Try to cut out chocolate, citrus, alcohol, and DEFINITELY tomatoes. It takes a while for your system to completely get rid of all remnants of these foods in your system but wait it out its worth it! Good luck I hope this helps some people. I am blood type O positive for those of you out there who may be following the blood type diet.

Kegel Exercises

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Posted by Marilyne (Tampa, FL) on 12/05/2008
 ★★★★★

RE: Incontinence - Kegels! I know, no one wants to do them - I know I certainly didn't. My GYN wanted me to have surgery for my bladder issues, and I figured I had nothing to lose. I started with 50 (yes, 50) a day and have progressed up to approx. 100. I don't lose urine when I cough or sneeze, laughter is still a little problem, but nothing like it was. I'm 53, and determined to stay out of depends. Iyt took about 3 months before I noticed a significant improvement - so hang in there. It sure beats surgical options.

EC: More about Kegel exercise here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegel_exercise

Replied by Aimee
(New Brunswick, NJ, USA)
01/05/2009
★★★★★

I started having problems with urgency and incontinence when I was about 23 years old. I couldn't believe it-- but it was very real and very hard to work around it. (when you gotta go- you gotta go-- then again, with incontinence- sometimes you just go!)

I went to a physical therapist and she taught me that there were certain triggers usually that led to these special moments. For example, when I put my keys in the door, I would immediately have to go, be jumping all around and it was a miracle if I made it to the bathroom in time. There were other triggers too.

She said I should try to start recognizing those triggers and use the kegel exercises in combination. So, approaching the door, I would start the exercises. (If you don't know how to do it, you just contract your muscles like as if you are trying to stop peeing.) I would hold the contraction for about 6 seconds then release and do it again, five more times. So, 6 seconds, 6 times. If I still had the urge to pee (which I did), I had to do the exercises again. Once I got into the bathroom (another trigger), I did it again. Sitting on the toilet, I did it again.

The point is to continue doing it until you have control over the moment. Once I felt like I could control when I actually went to the bathroom, I was allowed to go.

This worked so well for me. I was shocked at how quickly it worked as well. Within days I was noticing a major improvement and within weeks, it was hardly an issue. You have to be diligent though- if you still feel the urgency, do another round of exercises.

Every once in a while, I'll start to get that feeling again. I do the exercises and within a few days I am totally back in control.

Replied by C
(VERO , FL)
01/06/2009

Note this FDA page and FDA approved device that makes these "exercises" more agreeable:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfCFR/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=884.5960

EC: Funny!

Replied by Nature
(Portland, Maine)
12/10/2009
★★★★★

Kegel exercises worked for me as well. I do them at night as a way to move into sleep. I do them for five seconds each and fifteen at a time as was recommended in a natural healing newsletter. I try to do this three times a day. If I wake up at night I do a set of three again. This kills two birds with one stone as I find it very relaxing and a great way to go back to sleep. This works for me!

Replied by Laniet
(San Leandro, Ca, Usa)
02/08/2012

Hi--first time commenting on this great site, not sure where to post this!

I inherited "have to pee" disease--runs (lol) in the female side of the family!

I am almost 60 and I used to walk a mile home from school. My friend and I would get the Have To Pee urge halfway home (we didn't have the sense to take care before we left school). So we'd tell ourselves we had to walk another HALF HOUR.

Somehow, the mind over matter thing works quite well!

I am laughing reading some of the accounts here--"key in the door" triggers it. I know that well!

I have flown quite a lot for business during my adult life. So now I use the scenario of the captain saying,

"Thank you for flying XXX Airlines. We are now on descent to XXX destination. Please turn up your tables and return your seat to the upright position. Fasten your seat belt. We will be on the ground in 25 minutes and will arrive at the gate shortly after that time."

I say this in my head when I get the Pee Pee Urge, "knowing" that it's a good 40 minutes before the bathroom.

It actually works! Fool the mind, avoid wet panties!

Magnesium

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Posted by Katie (Bellingham, WA) on 08/15/2019
 ★★★★☆

I'm 70 years old. Have had this problem for 20 years.Recently decided to really work on it. I have tried kegel exercises. they helped about 25%, But magnesium really helps. With magnesium I'm about 75% better. I take a little less than 1 tsp of epsom salts in some water. Sip throughout the day. Epsom salts are cheap. That's about 900 mg of magnesium. Careful not to take more or I get loose stools.

It also has sulfur which is good for you. My nails are growing much better.

Magnesium
Posted by Arcticlily (Anchorage, Ak, Usa) on 07/07/2012
 ★★★★★

I've had incontinence about 6 years. Less than a week ago I read about magnesium for incontinence on this site. Within two days I was out walking hills without needing to make pit stops and without leaking. I haven't leaked a drop since taking the magnesium. I just spent $1000 co-pay to hear from the urologist that my options were surgery or physical therapy. I'm so disturbed that my gyn or urologist didn't know the benefits of magnesium, but I'm so thankful for this site and all that participate. I have a new lease on life because I can exercise again. Thanks!

Magnesium
Posted by Karen (Alpharetta, Georgia) on 01/17/2010
 ★★★★★

I noticed when I took a magnesium tablet that the next day I didn't have a problem with incontinence. Then I did some research on the web and found that researchers accidently found out magnesium supplements will sometimes stop incontinence in people over 50. I take a 400 mg tablet daily. It works! Nice!

Replied by Noris
(San Antonio, TX)
04/26/2009

I had this problem until I read about magnesium helping. I take any of the Magnesium and in no time (days) there is no more leakage.

Replied by Ravi C
(Alpharetta, Ga, Usa)
01/10/2012
★★★★★

I had mild incontinence and taking magnesium (400 mg) twice a day really helped.

Replied by Viola
(Hampton Bays, New York, Usa)
04/25/2012

To Ravi from Alpharetta, Ga. -- what type of Magnesium do you use?

Replied by Smithsurfermom
(Huntington Beach, Ca)
07/15/2012

I was having trouble with incontinence a few years ago and just chocked it up to getting older. I was even checking out Drs. who specialized in treating it when my friend said her Dr. told her taking too many vitamins can cause it. I immediately stopped taking most of my vitmains except magnesium & vitamin D which I was low in and I stopped having the problem. Recently I switched to a magnesium containing zinc and calcium, thinking I should start taking calcium again, and now I am having the same sudden urges and incontinence again! I'm tossing those pills out and going back to straight magnesium again! I'm thinking it is the calcium as I never took zinc before but I'm just going back to straight magnesium. I take 500 mg. 2x per day. I tried researching it but couldn't find anything that said this but it is sure true for me. I'm so glad my firend mentioned it to me when she did or I may have gone through some kind of extreme treatment to fix something that just adjusting my vitamin intake fixed. Go figure!

Replied by Citygirl27
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
07/16/2012

I have never heard of that. I take "therapeutic" or "effective" doses of just about everything (i.e. Sometimes several times over what the FDA will make people put on the bottle) and have never had that problem. I did notice that it improved after I had both my kids when I reduced my caffeine intake and weight. Be sure it isn't the tea/soda/coffee or other caffeinated drink you're taking the supplements with that isn't causing it.

Replied by Rachel
(Cheltenham, Gloucestershire)
07/19/2012

Hi there, read your comments re: supplements and magnesium. If you want to know why magnesium works for you compared to taking loads of vitamin pills look up IMVA particularly Mark Sircus book on Transdermal Magnesium Therapy. You will learn so much and it is sooooo interesting and helpful Be well and happy

Replied by Stlou
(St. Louis)
11/23/2013

I've had the same trouble with brands of calcium and MSM. I had been finally diagnosed with mercury poisoning and was finally 90% better, but changing supplements gave me incontinence again as well as insomnia, some migraines, fogginess and more. Realized that in each instance, I had switched from a shellfish-free or fish oil free source to one that did not make such claims. Any of these items can be contaminated with heavy metals and may be causing the issues. I had to learn to stick to my brands, specific items and check label carefully every time. I do take a refrigerated fish oil capsule, but it is third party mercury/dioxin-free certified and I've no issue with it. You may need calcium or the MSM, just not the source that particular product has.

Replied by Beloved
(California)
03/24/2022

Thank you for the magnesium tip. I feel like b-12 helped me like the magnesium helped you. Also, the pinch of nutmeg helps.

MSM

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Posted by Jemima Puddleduck (Halifax, Nova Scotia) on 01/26/2013
 ★★★★★

After suffering terrible urinary incontinence for the past two years (I'm 51 years old and figured it was part of menopause since it started around the same time as hot flashes) a few weeks ago it suddenly stopped. I had been going through 3 or 4 of the most absorbent pads every day, leaking steadily while walking and sometimes while just standing. I was thrilled and puzzled when one day the leaking just stopped. It seemed to correlate with starting to take MSM for my chronic allergic rhinitis after reading an article about MSM and allergies (sneezing constantly when you have urinary incontinence is no fun! ). That is the only thing I am doing differently (my allergies are a lot better too). I have been doing kegels for years with little success and was about to look into surgery.

After wondering whether MSM was responsible for this wonderful effect, I thought I would do a search to see if there was any info on the web about MSM and incontinence and ended up at this wonderful site. Thought I would add my experience. I take 1000 mg two or three times per day (I try for 3 times but the bottle says not to take them at bedtime and I often forget that third dose). Also, I'm not sure if its related, but I've lost 5 pounds as well when, if anything, I should have gained weight based on the amount of "fattening" foods I've been eating!

MSM
Posted by Catherine (Wellington, New Zealand) on 05/04/2010
 ★★★★★

To Ted: Early this year I had a very bad UTI and ended up in hospital. Afterwards I had trouble with extreme urgency and thought that I would now have to rely on pads for the rest of my life. I had already been taking ACV regularly, so no obvious help there...However, a couple of weeks ago I started regularly taking MSM (500mg x 2 times daily).I was suprised on the second day after starting that I no longer had the "before and after" dripping problem. On the third day I was amazed at being able to hold on for 10 minutes instead of the usual 10 seconds. Since then I have had no real problems and no longer need to wear pads. I have an idea about why this worked for me but of course I have no proof, but perhaps the infection weakened my bladder (or kidneys) sufficiently to allow some opportunistic parasites to invade and the MSM killed them off. I would be interested in your thoughts on this. As ever Earth Clinic is a wonderful source of information and support.

Nutmeg

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Posted by Sue (Fairfax Va) on 10/13/2017
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Nutmeg for bladder control

Hi, 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg is a lifesaver when you have to drink 24 oz. water and hold it for a renal ultrasound!! I was amazed and very happy, as was the ultrasound technician.

Also, a shout-out to Mama to Many for your very thorough, informative posts. You help a lot of readers. Thank you!

Replied by KS
(IL)
06/29/2021
★★★★★

Nutmeg is a diuretic, improves kidney function, helps with kidney stones, and helps to detoxify.

Replied by teri
(ca)
10/24/2021

Does nutmeg work for dogs with bladder issues?

sara
(the beaches)
10/24/2021

Nutmeg is toxic to dogs.


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