Follow-up and Monitoring
Parents and caregivers should be advised to track their child's baseline bedwetting frequency with a journal or calendar. They should continue this throughout treatment to assess the efficacy and safety of both non-pharmacological or pharmacological treatment choices. Parents and caregivers can bring these journals/calendars to appointments with their physicians so that the physician is aware of any progress and can decide the next steps in treatment.
Bedwetting alarms may take one to two months to affect the frequency of bedwetting.
Desmopressin may take two weeks before an effect is seen.
Tricyclic antidepressants may take a week before an effect is seen.
Typically, the desired response is a 50% or higher increase in dry nights. If this target is not reached, the medication dose may need to be higher, if it is safe to do so.
Children should have appointments with their family physicians at least every four months to monitor progress. Drug treatments should be tapered and discontinued at least every three to six months to assess for cure or for spontaneous resolution of bedwetting. Tapering of medications is essential to have the least risk of relapse following discontinuation.
Bedwetting alarms may take one to two months to affect the frequency of bedwetting.
Desmopressin may take two weeks before an effect is seen.
Tricyclic antidepressants may take a week before an effect is seen.
Typically, the desired response is a 50% or higher increase in dry nights. If this target is not reached, the medication dose may need to be higher, if it is safe to do so.
Children should have appointments with their family physicians at least every four months to monitor progress. Drug treatments should be tapered and discontinued at least every three to six months to assess for cure or for spontaneous resolution of bedwetting. Tapering of medications is essential to have the least risk of relapse following discontinuation.
References:
Gorodzinsky FP. Genitourinary Disorders: Urinary Incontinence in Children. In: e-Therapeutics+. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2013. https://www.e-therapeutics.ca/tc.showChapter.action?documentId=c0052. Updated May 2011. Accessed Mar 20, 2013.
Gorodzinsky FP. Genitourinary Disorders: Urinary Incontinence in Children. In: e-Therapeutics+. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2013. https://www.e-therapeutics.ca/tc.showChapter.action?documentId=c0052. Updated May 2011. Accessed Mar 20, 2013.