Excessive wiping after urination claims she cannot get dry enough...

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Excessive wiping after urination claims she cannot get dry enough...

My daughter has issues with tags, socks her shoes need to be a certain way, etc. Now for 6 months after she goes to the bathroom she claims she cannot get dry enough. She had been tested numerous times for urinary and bladder infection, there is none.

She can be in the bathroom for 10 minutes wiping and trust me she is dry but says she still feels wet. The urologist sees nothing urological wrong with her and I am at my wits end!! Does anyone else deal with this?

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Excessive wiping after urination claims she cannot get dry enough...

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Feb 03, 2012
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Another excessive wiper
by: Anonymous

Thanks everyone! count me in as belonging to the "mother of a young child who insists upon carrying a roll of tp with her as she she too can't shake the feeling she's not sufficiently dry" As if we don't have enough to worry about, let's add this obscure neuroses to the list! I am so glad I found this and can't actually believe that I did! I never really thought of her as having SP issues but I'm beginning to.. we live in Hawaii and can't go to the beach due to that darned sand that like to settle between her toes (?!?!?) I thought these behaviors were my four year old's annoying personality quirks. Thanks for the enlightenment!

Jan 18, 2012
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Excessive wiping and OCD
by: Anonymous

My son is 71/2 and began struggling with excessive wiping a year ago. He would spend a great deal of time in the bathroom wiping until he felt clean as many as 100 wipes at one point. He exhibited anxiety and difficulty falling asleep. We began CBT with a fantastic therapist and he immediately showed progress, goal setting was a big part of it but first was the naming of the frustration or unwanted thoughts. This is part of CBT where a person gives it a name and then basically sets out to not let that ""whatever they named it beat them! We are huge believers in cognitive behavioral therapy now. At the height of my son's frustration last year he had some depressive thoughts as well,down on himself would be a good way to describe it. Always a great student that never waive red. He was diagnosed with anxiety and some OCD. But, I now really believe he has sensory issues as well. He doesn't like jeans, socks bother him and recently wearing gloves while skiing bothered him. Sleep is so important if we are vacationing and he is getting to bed late he can slip into a long wiping session and end up in tears. Truly believe in adequate sleep as a proactive measure. Thoughts?

Jan 18, 2012
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Glad to find this post
by: Anonymous

I too am relieved to find a post with similar stories. I have a 6 year old daughter who is constantly saying she is wet and wiping so much. She is also picky about socks and lines in clothing so after reading this I'm glad it's not abnormal and others are going through this. I am going to call today to make a doctor appointment but I am also going to try to explain how the labia is suppose to be moist to see if this helps. So glad this article was out there.

Dec 27, 2011
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OCD or SPD?
by: Anonymous

Thanks a lot, very useful your observation and testimony. is difficult to place the issue of whether it wet,is OCD,or SPD, although others coexisting hypersensitivity related to SPD.Regards

Dec 24, 2011
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Helping my daughter understand what's normal
by: Anonymous

I had dealt with the same issue for over a year with my 5 yr old daughter; she had always complained about "dripping" and being too wet, and insisting on wearing toilet paper in her underwear all the time (night and day). Then one day I was in the bathroom with her, and she kept wiping over and over and complaining, saying that "it never gets dry". I realized then that she didn't know that it's supposed to be moist inside her labia. Once I explained this to her, all of our issues went away!

I found this website about a year ago, and it helped me commiserate. I wanted to come back and share my story in case it might help other parents. I realize that every child is different, and every issue is different. Some kids may suffer more with a sensory problem and some with OCD. And I can tell you that my 5 yr old suffers a little bit of everything. I've gone through 8 different brands of socks to find something that's comfortable!

Anyway, this "solved" our problem, and I hope it might help another family. Best of luck to everyone!

Dec 17, 2011
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my girl....
by: Anonymous

Wow i cant believe i found this by simply googling "6year old feeling wet underwear"!! as most of you have, i also have a six year old daughter whom we have struggled with since a very young age with her different quirks. mostly we deal with excessive tantrums, she has a diagnosis of ADD but we know there is more to it then that.
the excessive wiping and worrying about having an accident is actually fairly new but VERY frustrating. she will go to the bathroom 5-6 times before going to bed...just in case. and we constantly battle with her wanting to keep toilet paper in her pants so she isnt wet. this seemed bizarre to me until i found this page...our therapist suggested it was a sensory processing disorder and now i am definitely seeing how it comes into play. i am definitely going to use the pantyliner idea to help her cope with this, thanks!!!

Dec 04, 2011
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Original poster
by: Anonymous

Lymie Mom, I think you have searched and found your daughters problem and relief to her problems! I am the one whose daughter had Lyme for a couple of yets and was never tested until a neurologist suggested it. Lyme can present in these OCD symptoms and most doctors do not recognize this. I have been told the symptoms can flare when starting treatment so that sounds normal. My daughter has not had a flare up in over a year and we are hopeful. But she had Lyme for so long that it could flare at anytime. She is not perfect, but she can function and is doing well.
Good for you! Doctors sometimes do not listen to Moms and brush these behaviors off as a phase. It is sad.
Good luck to you and your daughter! Keep us posted!

Dec 04, 2011
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Lyme as a cause
by: Lymie Mom

I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease 6 months after my daughter was born. Because Lyme can cross the placenta, my daughter was treated, prophelactically, with antibiotics for four months just in case I'd transmitted it to her. As she's grown, her sensory issues, from age 2 to 4, have escalated. Excessive wiping, constantly fidgeting with undies, complaining of wedgies when her undies are at her ankles, no jeans, phantom wrinkles in socks, feeling like she can't get her hands dry after washing, tantruming if she can't pull a perfect square of toilet paper and it rips at an odd angle, wanting to fold towels a certain way, hating tights, needing a certain side of her blankets facing her skin. Finally, she started having seizures. Febrile at first, and now ones that are not fever induced. After having tested repeatedly for UTI (which she never has), strep (negative) & treating for candida we have taken her back to a lyme doctor. She has just started treatment. I am hopeful we are on the right track because her symptoms flared 5 days after being back on the antibiotic...at the time when dhe should be in toxic overload from a herx reaction Iif lyme bacteria are dying as a result of the medications. I'll try to remember to keep this site posted as to her progress.

Pediatricians kept telling me this was normal preschooler behavior, or possibly OCD. Her immunologist and my maternal instinct keep us on a path for answers.

Nov 25, 2011
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Ipersensibility and frustations
by: Anonymous

Hello, your story is very similar to mine. they are two girls with wet feeling after urination, with hypersensitivity to various odors flavors clothes shoes, fail to recognize adequately the temperature climate as well as the food, they also have extreme food selectivity. I also noticed the fluctuation In daily worsening of their sensitivity and in some seasons. their Have frustrations. I state that physical examinations were negative. I submitted the case to physicians and pediatricians are not answered. After a long time I made reference to the structure of child neuropsychiatry. After an assessment of the girls considered PDD-NOS, the causes. I believe that all experiences can be useful to reflect. Greetings to all children and families

Nov 25, 2011
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This all sounds so familiar ...
by: Anonymous

Hi to everyone, As i read all these comments i can see so many similarities. I have a six year old daughter who has recently started wiping excessively. I took her to our new pediatrician last week to check for a UTI. It came back negative but she did have concentrated urine. the DR. advised her to drink more water and to take a warm bath each night (no soap).

Having read all these posts I am now thinking we should investigate further. I will take her back and rule out Lymes disease and also the possibility of PANDAS. There have been sensitivity issues for a while ... but they have been inconsistent. Socks and leggings have been the most difficult although she now insists on wearing white cotton socks to bed - so we continue with this as it seems to make wearing socks in the day much easier. Leggings pose a problem so she continues to wear summer dresses year-round.

I am very interested to hear more about success stories! I have found that her 'obsessive' actions fluctuate at different times, but Im not sure what impacts her behaviour.

I have even read that a change in seasons can affect sensitivity disorders. We were at a fair one day and i had to take her to the bathroom 31 times over a 4 hour period. School posed a new set of difficulties for her. She would go to the bathroom before we left home and then again just before class started ... she would tell me 'just in case... I have to hang on till I get home". This phase ended when we moved to another country (hence another school). But i did learn that she had an 'accident' at school one day and was terribly embarrassed. She has other 'quirky' routines such as certain toys she must sit on her bed at night, a certain blanket that she needs to touch constantly etc. But these seem to range in severity and I cant really work out what increases her compulsive actions.

I have found that distraction works the best when trying to deter these compulsions. But I am unsure how to deal with the excessive wiping. We are trying to stay positive and encourage her to trust us that she is 'dry' but we spend so much time in the bathroom! It is hardest when we have to be somewhere at a certain time. Im wondering if there is something we can do to help her now. I am presuming that we start with her pediatrician but then where? Anyhow, I am just to thankful to have found all your comments. Im hoping this is the first step forward -
Best of luck to you all,

Nov 23, 2011
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Children problems
by: Anonymous

Thank you Candi for your testimony that I share with you. I know how difficult it is for a mom to see the discomfort in your child, observing his difficulty in doing things that are easy for children. We must also fight for the misunderstanding of many people. Thank you for your sensitivity and willingness to make suggestions. Best wishes for your family.

Nov 23, 2011
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constantly rearranging underwear
by: Candi

I am so happy I found this site. I have felt so alone with trying to find out what is going on with my baby girl. She is 9 years old and has battled this since kindergarten. My poor baby even had a surgery done to remove extra skin that could contribute to the "bubbling sensation" is what she calls her frustration. Anyway, when she is preoccupied with a movie or video game she rarely is scratching or rearranging her underwear. We just got back from Disney and I just felt so bad for her because it was constant. I know she wants to be like all the other boys and girls that can just enjoy themselves. I recently even took her out of school and home school her because of the bullying she was getting. After reading all of your posts, I feel like there is hope for my daughter and she will one day be able to manage better with these tics. I am thankful for this site and hope that by writing this I am helping another mother/family know they are not alone. Please email me with any questions or support. crhodes7@comcast.net

Nov 22, 2011
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We're in this together!
by: Rai

My daughter is almost 11, and we've been dealing with this since she was just a couple of years old. The good news is I know exactly where to get seamless socks, I buy leggings by the dozen (no jeans in this house!) and I prepare for her long bathroom routines. I like the pantiliner post, I am definitely going to try this. I think it will help her quite a bit as her anxiety becomes quite bad when she's feeling "wet". *sigh* I'm certain she has SPD and mild OCD but am not comfortable putting her on Prozac with her starting puberty. I was advised that it can be difficult as her hormones flucuate. Some days are really tough. With all of the puberty talk in school and her seeing her own body change, she's become OBSESSED with the human body and confesses to staring at women's breasts or the pants on a man. She tells me she feels terrible for doing it, but is so curious about what her body is going to look like, and what a boy's body is going to turn into. This is highly disturbing to me, and I'm not quite sure how to process this yet. For now, I tell her that's it's perfectly normal to be curious, but rude to stare at someone's privates. I don't know how to curb her curiousity here; talking about changes and such isn't helping much. Hopefully, our DR will have some better ideas for me.

To the rest of you dealing with these issues, the hardest part is accepting that this isn't a choice for these kids, it's an actual disorder. We need to reassure them and help them find a level of comfort. A few extra sheets-or rolls in some cases!- of toilet paper or a few minutes with a blow drier (I love that!) is worth it if it helps your little one find a sense of peace. Stay strong!! :)

Nov 18, 2011
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SPD?
by: Anonymous

We have two girls with the same problem of wet, but they have other sensory impairments and unjustified frustration and anger and problems with food. Were considered on the autism spectrum disorder . I hope that my writing could be useful to some of you.

Nov 14, 2011
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Confused mom
by: Anonymous

My daughter has recently started school and previously has been through a short spell of selective mutism (now resolved). The new issue now seems to be feeling like she needs to pee after having already been and saying she still feels like she is dribbling in her panties - though bone dry. After reading this thread I am unsure whether this could be a physical or psychological problem? Other than this she would appear not to have any other symptoms posted, though she does spend a lot of time fiddling with her underwear. I am trying to understand but feel confused with what is the best way to proceed. After 6 months battling with the selective mutism issues I am frightened of drawing too much attention to this!

Nov 11, 2011
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So greatful for the info
by: Anonymous

Hi my 5 year old has started the same thing with the not feeling dry after toileting she is also going into rages because she keeps saying there is something stuck in my bum I have a wedgie even when she has no underwear on I have done all the usual worming and giving her parifin for constipation to rule out those things a few weeks ago my teenage daughters friend had hit her head and it was bleeding my 5 year old after seeing this spent 3 weeks asking us is my face ok is my neck ok is my body ok this went on 24 /7 then suddenly stopped then the other day I had her go into a rage because she thought she had hair all over body and there was nothing there then she thought she had something sticky on her back and again nothing there I had a doctors appointment to take her to and we started the process of getting her dressed as soon as she put her underwear and shorts on they sat the wrong way and she went into full rage and ripped all her clothes off destroyed her room and was screaming in frustration about what to wear the gp automatically said asperges but she is the opposite in so many ways she is highly emotional and makes emotional connections with people she is definatly not withdrawn and is all over the place rather than repetitive she is very forthcoming with telling people what she thinks of them she shows alot of empathy towards her siblings if they hurt themselves or are upset she is also very affectionate I myself suffer from adhd and anxiety and in regards to the PANDAS when I was pregnant with her I was never tested for the strep B bacteria but with my last baby who is 5 months old I was tested for it at 31 weeks at the same time they did a feotal fibronectin test because he threatened to come early I tested positive for strep B so im wondering if I carried the bacteria through my pregnancy with her and being a vaginal delivery its possible it crossed to her she is also pouring cold water on her vagina in the bath and wiping with baby wipes even when she hasnt been to the toilet its so upsetting to see her so uncomfortable and upset im seeing a different doctor on monday and I have written down every behaviour she exhibits and the disorders they are related too I dont want her to be misdiagnosed because its easier I was told I had bipolar disorder all my life and no medications worked it was a constant struggle and I was properly diagnosed 2 years ago at the age of 31 and I finally know what its like to feel normal I only wish more people took the time to get to the bottom of my problem so im going to insist every option is looked at I thank all of you so much for sharing your lives and struggles on here it has given me so much information I needed to get help for my daughter

Nov 04, 2011
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Pandas part 2
by: original poster

I strongly agree with what the last poster wrote. I had written about this in past comments. My daughter is the one that had undiagnosed lymes disease and these OCD symptoms. My daughters Lyme doctor said that not just strep can cause the PANDAS symptoms and that Lyme can cause it too. My daughter did not have typical Lyme symptoms. I thought they were crazy when it was suggested to test her. So we think her symtoms were a result of the lyme. We are able to control flare ups now with antibiotics, but you should get your children tested (blood tested) for strep and lyme. Antibiotics can help to reduce or take away this behavior. My daughter is not as she was before all of this, but we ahve not had a flare up in over a year and it is wonderful!!! Good Luck! Keep seeking the answers for your child. This is not normal behavior. My first doctor brushed it off and blamed my daughter for 2 years before I went elsewhere and got answers. The Neurologist finally figured it out.

Nov 04, 2011
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PANDAS
by: Anonymous

My daughter had this exact issue. Eventually things snowballed and it got worse, and more issues were added. This can actually be OCD.

Pandas is pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcus.

Have your daughter tested for strep, and do some research on pandas. Not all doctors are knowledgeable or believers- you will need to find an expert in order to get an accurate evaluation.

If it is pandas, the good news is that antibiotics and immunotherapy in conjunction with therapy can rid your daughter of this, along with many of her sensory issues.

Good luck!

Nov 03, 2011
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tanks
by: Anonymous

Many thanks to all of you for your willingness to post with tips and experiences. Do we feel less alone. good luck

Nov 03, 2011
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Excessive wiping
by: Anonymous

Read all the posts and hopefully you will find some help. My daughter went thru this also. We now count the wipes and we are down to three. When she comes out of the bathroom we cheer and tell her great job. I'll say wow that was so much faster then yesterday and this seems to work. Also I gave her pads which really helps. I buy the small thin ones and it makes her feel more confident. But I will tell you and it took me awhile to believe this, this obsessing will go away and they tend then pick a new obsession. We started with wearing the same outfit everyday when she was little, then to underwear never fits right, then I think im going to throw up,to wiping! Good luck! It's hard and stressful. Just try to find a award system that works for you. I had tried it all including telling her I'd put a TV. In her room if she would stop and I don't think kids need tv's in their rooms but I was desperate . Well that didn't even get her to stop! But counting and stickers did! I couldn't believe a tv she was like whatever but stickers get her off the toilet!

Nov 03, 2011
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disconfort after urination
by: Anonymous

Thanks for posting your experience, it made me reflect on this anxiety, which could be the cause of wetness after urination in girls. Apart from this site, I have not found any person who knew this problem. greetings

Oct 29, 2011
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Rest, Eat, and Play
by: Anonymous

This is for the kind lady who said she has sensory issues. I want to thank you so much for explaining to me how to handle my daughter when she is overwhelmed. Thank you this has helped tremendously. I don't know about the rest of the kids but for my child she gets overwhelmed when she needs to rest, eat, or release some energy and once I figure out which one it is I correct it before it gets to the feeling wet part and that has totally worked for me. Just like you said when your house is a mess you start to get overwhelmed and with my daughter when she has not played with any other kids or released some energy like running she gets overwhelmed and if I continue to let it go on for a few days then she starts to say her stomach hurts or she is wet. She gives all kinds of excuses because she does not know how to handle being so anxious. So everyone please monitor your kids because it does not just happen its a process that gets to this point of feeling wet and it can be avoided.

Oct 04, 2011
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Ask
by: Anonymous

In this site, we all have the same problem with the children but not the only one, because in addition to the wet conditions after urination. In my case and in others you add other sensory hypersensitivity, which vary in intensity on different days and in particular worse in the fall. Some of you said the most difficult times of the year? Given that sensory disturbances are often part of ASD diagnosis that they have done for your children? Thank you.And Greetings to all .

Sep 22, 2011
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Always feeling wet
by: Anonymous

I love this site! I am not alone. My daughter is seven and wipes non stop and drives me crazy with underwear doesn't feel tight enough. She ask all day, can underwear fall off? And why are my privates still wet. Here is what has helped me.
I use mini maxi pads, carefree seem the best they stay flat.

She wears them and says she is dryer which is so funny since she isn't even wet. But in her mind it helps and it is an inexpensive way to help her.
We count how many wipes she does. She was also plugging my toliets , so we started counting and everyday she did a little less wiping and I cheer and praise her. We are down to flit wipes verses the whole roll she was using.

I told her the more she wipes the wetter it gets and it will start hurting because she will make it sore and then we will have to see the dr.
Lastly I bought the total transformation , she is not defiant but her obsessing is hard to deal with and so frustrating. She was making all my kids late for school with the wiping and underwear drama!! Some days I would try reason and other days in would scream like a loon and I knew that I was not helping but it is just so stressful especially when you have other kids to care for. The total transformation has helped me big time!! Not to sound like a commercial but it has helped more then any dr. I have asked for help with her wiping and underwear drama.
Also let me tell you this started for me when she woke up screaming that her privates burned.
First her dr. Said nothing was wrong. After screaming for two days I took her to the ER. She had a yeast infection, so my
dr. Was wrong! But she has obsessively wiped for months
since.

So whatever your child's reason is remember Dr. Can make mistakes too! But also there is no reason for her to keep wiping like this, the yeast infection is long gone .
I hope this helps someone and thank all of you for making me feel not alone! Good luck

Aug 18, 2011
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My 6 year old son has wiping issues
by: Anonymous

my son has Asperger's and has been saying he has " a pee allergy" but he has been tested and does not have an infection. He will go to the bathroom excessively, spending 20-30 minutes standing in front of the toilet because he is afraid of "getting ee pee drops" on his underwear. A bowel movement will take 30-60 minutes to go and wipe. He will use half a roll of toilet paper and I tell him he is clean and I show him he will pull his pants up out of frustration and leave the bathroom. I try to limit his time in the bathroom and he will sneak into the other bathroom. I fear he won't be able to get though the school day,

Aug 08, 2011
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here we go again
by: mom of 3

I cannot believe that so many families are having to deal with these same issues that my family has been dealing with. My daughter now 5 ½ started these odd behaviors at around 2 years old. The behaviors always changing. Started out with excessive washing of her hands at 2 years old. Between age 3-4 it was the battle of the clothes. We have been to doctors, therapists and occupational therapists. She was doing great for almost a year now.

All of a sudden this wiping after the bathroom started. It is so hard to hear your baby cry for 30 minutes because she just can't get it dry enough. I just keep telling myself and her that we will get through this. I haven?t figured out my approach yet.

Here is what I have learned through therapists and through my own trial and error. You more than likely will not receive an official diagnosis. I was told they do not like to diagnosis small children as often they grow out of the behavior. I was told that often bright children are not able to express their emotions nor are they able to let us in to help them this is also something they will learn to cope with as they get older. I am already seeing a little of this. More than likely she has sensory problem. She displays this behavior especially when she is over tired (this is getting more and more difficult to recognize as she is getting older).

My suggestion is bed at 7:30-8:00pm and believe it or not nap or rest in the afternoon. Yes you can still get your 5 year old to take a rest and sometimes even a nap. I know it can be difficult but trust me you will see a huge difference! I have tried to use the brush on the arm prior to dressing but she didn?t like it so instead I would message her arms, legs and feet. She liked this while it didn?t work all the time it certainly cut down on our clothing battles. Other activities prior to difficult situations would be what they call ?heavy work? exercises. Things like pillow fights, rolling her up in a tight blanket, asking her to carry something heavy from one room to another. You will find tons of these on the internet.

For those parents with younger children (under 5) there may be some relief with the dressing issues. I found that at about 4 ½ my daughter become much easier to dress. Let them choose their clothes (It doesn?t really matter if they match they are still cute). I found that new clothing is difficult for her so sometimes I will force her to wear something new prior to the day she actually needs to wear it. Usually it will become her favorite outfit after the initial fight.

If anyone has any tips on dealing with the excessive wiping please post.

Aug 05, 2011
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Hypnotherapy
by: Melonaid

My daughter is just like all of yours...nice to know we are not alone! My 3.5 year old ha had issues since 22 months. It is strange because the issues always change. It started with hating certain clothes, which has intensified. Getting her dressed is often a battle, especially in the winter. Hates socks, pants, coats, etc. She has t o change if she gets the slightest bit wet or dirty. It is so frustrating!

She went through the always wet phase, I m happy to say sh grew out of it after a few months. Now she alway think she has a wedgie and she always has her hand in her under ware trying to fix it. I am hoping she outgrows this one too.

I have seen many doctors. All agree that there is nothing wrong with her and it is just a "phase" but it s so frustrating.

Has anyone tried hypnotherapy and has it worked?

Jul 21, 2011
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Thank you!
by: worried mom

I'm so happy to find this post! My daughter started this a week ago and I've been at my wits end about it. Now I'm thinking back to other things like there was a time she only wanted "soft" pants and getting underwear to fit right was a big issue for a while. I always thought it was anxiety as it only seemed to happen before going to school or an outing. She also has a thing about washing her hands very thoroughly and is always watching others to make sure they are keeping their hands clean. I thought maybe I had overdone the handwashing when she was little which caused it to escalate as she got older.

Although I'm a little sad to think she may have a sensory issue, it's also a bit of a relief to know it's something I can help her with. I was getting so frustrated with her and thinking she was just behaving badly. I'm anxious to read more and find ideas to help her.. Thanks again for your post!

Jun 21, 2011
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for i like to respond
by: Anonymous

Kind lady I feel much gratitude for your kind response and your advice. Thank you for your sensitivity and the good feeling, I wish you all the best for your life.

Jun 21, 2011
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Don't mind answering
by: Anonymous

I honestly don't think this issue has much to do with the actual urination at all. I think when our bodies our over stimulated and you get that overwhelming feelings that I was explaining. Our private area become so sensitive and I think especially as a child you just relate that to urination because that is all you know that can help that area. It is kind of hard to explain. They are trying anything to make the irritation go away. They don't get that it has to do with the whole body and if they can relax their nerves that will go away too. I had a rough adolescence. Although, I am 30 and didn't know this was all sensory related until a few years ago. So, I kind of was battling this stuff alone which I am sure made adolescence a little rougher. The best thing as they get older is for them to know their body and know how to use a sensory brush or go swimming or wrap up tight in a blanket when your body starts to feel un-easy. These kids are lucky to have parents aware of their sensory issues and be ready to help!

Jun 20, 2011
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Question
by: Anonymous

I would ask the nice lady available to give other answers. If at puberty with the beginning of the physiological cycle, had the same feelings of discomfort, or whether the disorder is exclusively limited to post-urination. Please excuse the personal question. But it would be useful to know to prepare our children. thanks

Jun 20, 2011
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Thank you
by: Anonymous

Thank you for your well explained as an adult experience. I agree with what you wrote. Even for my little girl there are good days and bad days, and I think that fatigue and stress, accentuate the problem. I am grateful to all the people who help with their testimony. Best regards

Jun 20, 2011
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Answer to flare ups
by: Been There

There are most definitely times when this issue flares up as to other days when everything is great! As an adult I am get the most flare ups when my house is a mess and I am overwhelmed, when I am stressed or too tired. I don't remember what triggered it as a child, but she probably flares up when her little body is overwhelmed or over stimulated. When you have sensory issues and your whole body becomes over stimulated, so does your private area. It is a similar feeling to being aroused. I am not trying to be graphic, but that is what it feels like. But, it is too much arousal. It becomes so sensitive and almost feels swollen and the feeling won't go away. I don't know if you own a sensory brush, but when she is feeling like this it would be a good time to brush arms or legs or lay under a weighted blanket. Just calm all the nerves in the body so her other area will calm too and not be so sensitive. I hope this helps. I don't mind answering other questions as well!

Jun 19, 2011
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for the person who has been there
by: Anonymous

This Question is for the person who says they have been there. I would like to know is this something that comes off and on like a flare up because there could be times when my child is fine but all of a sudden changes and she gets irritated by everything?

Jun 14, 2011
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I used to have that issue.
by: Been There

I am an adult with tons of sensory issues. I never realized I could have a type of disorder and I just found ways to deal with it. When I was a little girl I used a huge amount of toilet paper and wiped and wiped because it wasn't dry. My underwear never felt tight enough and it was too flimsy. My mom bought me boys underwear and this helped a ton. It fit so much tighter and more comfortable. You could always get white and sew a girly type ribbon on the band. I hope this helps a little. It definitely won't solve the entire issue.

Jun 12, 2011
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hands wet
by: Anonymous

Now my three year old is on a kick to where as her hands are wet so she washes them all day. I think they may feel sweaty because its been so hot and that bothers her. I don't know what to do here. People thinks I am crazy when I tell them the things I go through. I am so tired of this not being able to help her. I have been going through the crying since she was born and not knowing how to deal with this is nerve wrecking!

Agrivatedmom

Jun 05, 2011
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advice
by: Anonymous

In my child has been excluded as the cause of the disorder a urinary infection, no specialist was able to give a precise explanation of the disorder, she is on the autism spectrum and sensory disabilities. My case makes me think that the probdevelopmental abnormality neurologic.advice Board lem is associated with ASD and related to report to the pediatrician.

Jun 04, 2011
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in the same boat/toilet
by: HolyCow

my 4 year old too has been complaining that she is wet and wants to wipe all day long....panties are a fly'n everywhere....she changes constantly...clogging toilets too..but now i have her wiping and throwing the extra in the garbage. She wants to bathe all the time, which now i say shower....try to put bag balm on, but of course that is a wet feeling. Sometimes she's indicating her bottom part is hurting. Constantly drops her pants to her ankles and checks her underwear and spreads her butt cheeks....its out of control...frustrating. She will ask "Mom does your pee pee feel weird?" and "mom, did you just dribble?" and i try to agree with her and when i say i did dribble, lol, i'll say "did you just dribble?" and she says, "no." lol...i feel like a loser, jk....i am really glad to read im not the only one with this issue. I just hope its nothing more...i do plan on taking her into her pediatrician.

May 19, 2011
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thanks
by: Anonymous

Thanks! any experience or advice is useful and appreciated.

May 19, 2011
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Seasons and allergies
by: Anonymous

I have too noticed that it may be the change of seasons such as Autumn and Fall, which brings to my attention if it could be associated with allergies. I have been giving her a bath every night to wash off any pollen, dust, etc. I have also been washing her sheets more often and dusting to help her allergies and since I have been doing this I have noticed that she hasn't had a flare up. I will continue to monitor this and let you guys know if this helps.

May 17, 2011
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ypersensitivity
by: Anonymous

Hello Laura. my testimony concerns two sisters children with various sensory hypersensitivity including clothes shoes etc etc, and the problem of wetness after urination. What I have noticed that the symptoms are accentuated when they are anxious about something and are not at home when are tired, and during the change of seasons in autumn and spring. anyone who has advice will be welcome to all of us. thanks. marisa

May 16, 2011
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Love the internet
by: Laura

After reading all of your blogs, I feel so relieved to know there are so many of you out there who are going through the same thing. My daughter is now 8. She has always had small sensitivity issues. When she was young, she used to self hum to block out excessive noise. She still does this occasionally but over the years she has learned to recognize when she is going it and to stop. She has ALWAYS had clothing sensitivity. Jeans are a nightmare. I don't even buy them anymore. I struggled for a long time with letting her get away with what she wanted to wear. I mean if my mom bought me clothes, I wore them no questions asked! She wears sweatpants all winter and sweat shorts all summer. We should buy stock in gap clothes because to her they have the softest clothes.

Underwear is a nightmare! She pulls it all the way up her butt till "it feels right" and wipes excessively just like all of your little girls. Tonight she cried hysterically on the toilet for a long time because "I just can't get the wet off". I can't wait to try some of your suggestions. I am so glad that I found a site where there are people that understand and are going through it. Tonight I felt like such a bad mom because I don't know how to help her and I know most of the time I am insensitive to it. Looking forward to reading more.

May 08, 2011
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thank you
by: Anonymous

Thanks so much for your testimony. I'll keep into account to investigate. You were very kind.

It is really frustrating problem for girls and their families also because it is often mistaken for a fancy what for them is strong discomfort Best wishes for your child, and my regards.

May 07, 2011
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Original poster
by: Anonymous

The only diagnoses I have gotten has been the diagnosis of Lyme disease. I have posted about this before, but my daughter has been free of a flare up for a year. She was on antibiotics for 1 year and now off them and so far so good. We think she has Lyme for 4 years before this diagnosis. Not sure if the Lyme was related or just an additional problem, but the doctor said it could have been what was causing the symptoms. If a flare up happens again we will start the antibiotics back up. The doctor who recommended the testing was a neurologist. Everyone else told me nothing was wrong. From neurologist we went to a Lyme specialist.

Hope that you find your answers. This is frustrating for the child and family.

May 07, 2011
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diagnosis
by: Anonymous

Is there anyone on this site that had a real diagnosis for this disorder? I do the questions if this is connected to the SPD and the message arrives late at the end of urination or delay is filtered by the nervous system that remains for a few minutes the feeling of wet, or ASD is a disorder or OCD? who has had medical explanations? thanks

May 03, 2011
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Have the same problem!!
by: Lynn

I have a 3 year old daughter who has the same problem!! I have been searching the internet for weeks until I found this page!! I can't believe I am not alone. My daughter, now matter how many times she wipes after peeing... still says she feels wet and want to wipe again and again, even when she is no longer wet. She keeps clogging my toilets! Can't figure it out and thought I was alone. Great to find this!!!

Apr 14, 2011
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help for little gherl
by: Anonymous

have great understanding for children and parents, because as a parent I would like to live the same problems.I that all of our witnesses here described this real noise of our little girls were brought to the attention medical.if someone has means of access to and disclosure please .i ask also seek to disclose information about anyone with new info on the blog. thanks and best wishes to all.

Apr 14, 2011
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I feel your pain...
by: Tara

We are dealing with this too and I am so happy just to not feel alone (though I'm sorry others are dealing with it).

My daughter is nearly 6 and this "wet vagina" stuff has been happening for a couple months now. She has had some sensory issues as well including the uncomfortable socks, not wearing jeans, only wearing certain fabrics, only wearing certain shoes -- but we've been able to handle it fairly well.

This wiping business is so annoying though and it's really impacting our lives. I don't know what to do -- I am considering taking her to the doctor but I honestly don't believe there is anything physical going on. I think it's the sensory-monster rearing it's ugly head. I know for a fact she has NOT been abused in any way -- she is never out of our sight for one, and secondly, she tells us every detail of her life lol... which is a good thing I know...

I don't know what to do -- we've tried letting her wipe with cloth toilet paper (non-fraying velour pants I cut up into appx 3x3 inch squares -- we've tried just 'letting it go' and not making a big deal out of it at all... we've tried making bathroom "rules" such as she can only use 2 cloth pieces to wipe (one is big and absorbent enough for me to wipe so it's plenty for her to use 2)...We've tried talking to her about communicating to her body that she appreciates it sending her messeges but that this time the messages are getting confused (kind of like when you have a high fever but feel cold)... We tried explaining that her vagina/vulva is always supposed to be a tiny bit moist just like the inside of her cheek or her eyes so it doesn't dry out and get chapped...she seems to get it in theory, but to no avail on the behavior.

Now she's started wanting to change her underpants every time she's peed and it's ridiculous because they ARE NOT WET. I have felt them, they are BONE DRY. There is NO EVIDENCE of WETNESS AT ALL ... can you tell how frustrating it is for me? lol

We have always tried to parent gently and lovingly, we try to reason, talk it out, we try to be fair, we never have imposed harsh punishments or shamed her... I don't know where this is coming from other than the sensory issues. I am considering getting her tested for PANDAS. We are completely against medication (other than antibiotics if it were PANDAS).

It's kind of an embarrassing issue to deal with because you don't want to really tell a lot of people because they think you're off your rocker or that your kid has "issues". Thanks for letting me vent. I hope it gets better for everyone.

Apr 12, 2011
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wiping after urination
by: Anonymous

Omg I thought I was the only one going through this. this makes me feel so much better. My daughter started this when she was 2 and she is three now and it happens very often. Also she does not like to wear socks or shorts and pants. I think someone needs to give us some explanation on why this is happening because I don't know how much more I can take. Overall I am happy I found this site and maybe someone will find something that will help me cope with this.

Apr 12, 2011
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HOPE MEDICAL STUDIES
by: Anonymous

Hello My own girl has these problems since he was 5 years, now has 11 she also cried a lot did not want to go to the bathroom, but with growing awareness has learned to deal with this problem this way:
after very dry, leaves a lot of toilet paper folded in panties. The distraction helps calm and reassurance. We hope medical studies on this disorder. wishes for our children.

Apr 11, 2011
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My daughter also doing the same
by: Miami_mom

My 4 year old recently started doing the exact same thing. Her thing is she wants to dry herself with a towel because using toilet paper makes her feel like she's still wet. She will dry herself for about 2 minutes. At first, I wasn't too concerned but now it's an ongoing issue. Especially because she doesn't want to use the bathroom. I read a post below that their daughter started doing it after an incident. My daughter started soon after a "pee accident" during naptime at her daycare. I think she was embarrased. This morning I was telling her she needs to use toilet paper because she can't use towels when we go else where. She told me today that the kids call her "towel girl" at school. It broke my heart. Any thoughts on how to deal with this?

Apr 11, 2011
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Very Thanks
by: Anonymous

Madam, I am very grateful for having made available his knowledge and personal experience about my previous question. I think a lot of sensitivity in those who make available through their own experiences. Thank you very much.

Apr 10, 2011
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Diagnosis
by: Anonymous

I have experience as both a mother of a sensitive child and as a school psychologist. In both roles I have found that there are children who experience sensory processing difficulties as a situation on it's own or sensory processing difficulties in combination with other psychological or developmental disorders. Autism Spectrum Disorders and OCD are very serious disorders and have very specific diagnostic criteria. While excessive wiping can appear to be an obsessive or compulsive behavior it should not be considered a major piece of diagnosing OCD as there are other symptoms that should be identified. In ASD there are usually actual delays in many areas of development, particularly with social skills and communication skills. The delays are typically pervasive in low functioning autism and more moderate in higher levels of functioning such as Asperger's Syndrome. Sensory issues are just apiece of the puzzle. I work alongside many Occupational Therapists and many of their clients are receiving therapy to address sensory processing difficulties but not all clients have ASD and very few have OCD.

Apr 08, 2011
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diagnosisTRIVIA
by: Anonymous

If I may I would ask the lady with the title (in the same boat) if your child has a primary diagnosis that is the cause of SPD, such as ASD or other.because, even in my little girl as well as sensory issues. appear every few months new sintomi.rendering a difficult diagnosis. thanks

Apr 08, 2011
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SPD ASD OCD ?
by: Anonymous

I experience the same problem with my baby. 5 years have elapsed since the beginning of the disorder, nothing has changed. What puzzles me is that SPD does not appear in the list of this symptom. maybe it's part of ASD or OCD if someone more knowledgeable can give us some suggestions? Thanks to those who will give us an answer or advice.

Apr 08, 2011
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in the same boat
by: Anonymous

I've always believed there wasn't something right than the Dr. explained to me about sensory disorder and it made a lot of sense. She is seven now and for the last few months she will spend 20-30 minutes wiping her butt after peeing. So i'm glad to see i'm not the only one dealing with this. It's very frustrating but i try to keep cool. She also has issue with tags, socks with seams, shoes, underwear,pants wont wear blue jeans. Wrinkles in socks that i cant even see but she knows they are there. She is very smart told she is at the top of her class always bringing home a's. I just wish there was something i could do seems like every few months something new develops. She has wiped herself before so much she has bleed And im not sure if there is any danger in that or not. And my toilet is always clogged we now put it in the trash can ;) and some way i swear she folds one piece toilet paper 10 times. Has anyone ever had these issues to fade away? it seems when something new goes on all the old problems still here and it just adds up we will still have to take 20 mins for her to get socks on and i even have to take them off of her and pretend to fix them. thanks!

Mar 30, 2011
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Things somewhat improving
by: Anonymous

In the last few weeks this wiping issue has slightly improved. For starters I have majorly backed off and have given my 5 year old physical and emotional space to address her wiping needs. Secondly, after wiping to her satisfaction I have allowed her some panty-free time for additional "drying". I then notify her that she has to put underwear on when the cartoon is over or whatever activity is next on the agenda. Overall, these adjustments have taken the intensity down a couple of notches. She now struggles most when we have to use a public bathroom and there is little time to implement the earlier mentioned strategies. Sometimes having to speed through it distracts her from the issue but other times it increases her stress and she is fidgeting with her underwear for the next hour or so. Just thought I would update you on our situation (Frustrated mommy and daughter)

Mar 29, 2011
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ocd?
by: Anonymous

Yours is an interesting question for all of us who live the same problems.I hope and ask all people with similar experience to collaborate with suggestions. Thanks.

Mar 28, 2011
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Not alone
by: LVMom

Finding this website has made me feel like I am not alone. My 12 year old daughter got all weird about her socks and tags etc at about age 7 and also wore the same 2 outfits for about a year. Now the wiping and wetness issue is in full force and it is so frustrating to always have to unclog the toilet and wait for her to finish her "ritual" wiping every time she goes to the bathroom. She takes an antidepressant which has really helped with her many other OCD's but this one seems to have a hold on her. I am so afraid for when she gets her period. That is hard enough for a normal child, but how on earth will she handle it? Has anyone here experienced this yet?

Mar 25, 2011
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Hang in there!
by: Anonymous

My daughter, who is 8, has this issue as well. I believe that she is a little obsessive, like her Momma:) I also think there is nothing wrong, but that she is a little sensitive and in tune with her body(I am the same way). I told her that it is somewhat normal to have a little moisture and that she is doing a fine job wiping. I challenge her to stop at three wipes, so if she does four or five, then that is progress. I also just let her be and don't stand over her anymore. It is her thing that she needs to make peace with, so I can encourage, give options, support and make sure she is okay. When I mention going to the doctor, she gets nervous and doesn't complain for a while. For my daughter, I think it is a little OCD. I WILL NOT medicate her. I am trying to encourage her awareness and enlist behavior changes with giving her a certain amount of wipes to stick to. I also have explained that too much wiping could irritate her, so she could try patting dry instead. I also just hug her and tell her I know how frustrating it can be (I had some issues after delivering that have been corrected, so I feel her "pain"). I think she will be okay and if I ever feel the need, or if it escalates, then I will make a new plan.

Mar 24, 2011
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My daughter has the same problems
by: Anonymous

My daughter has MANY issues from wrinkles in her pants and tops to stuffing her underpants with toilet-paper after urinating. I mentioned it to her DR but the DR feels it's totally normal and not to worry. I certainly WOULD NOT MEDICATE her unless it was life threatening!! Children are quirky, perhaps ours are more than others but, don't freak out.

Mar 07, 2011
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Frustrated mommy and daughter
by: Anonymous

I feel so fortunate to have found this thread. a few months ago my 5 year old daughter began her first real episode of not feeling dry and required numerous underwear changes to feel comfortable. It finally subsided and in the words of another post we are in the midst of another flare up!!! It is much worse this time and she seems to be very frustrated with herself and this irritating sensation of wetness. Since very young she has shown other mild to moderate sensitivities but we never pursued any formal diagnoses. I am thinking of bringing her in to rule out a UTI but my intuition tells me that this is more related to sensory issues an that we will just have to ride this thing out! I really struggle with seeing her frustration and have a hard time concealing my frustration which always makes the situation much worse for us all. Tomorrow is a new day and I really plan on working on my own patience and compassion for her struggles.

Feb 17, 2011
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neurologic disorder?FIANCE
by: Anonymous

Hello from Italy thanks for your testimony. it is important to share experiences. a hug. marisa

Feb 15, 2011
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Been there..follow up
by: Anonymous

One year ago we were in wiping hell, now we are continuing to cope. My 9 year old daughter did the "wedge" for a while, and now goes commando. No flare ups since (fingers crossed). She wears only 2 outfits, only after she has stretched them out thoroughly, most of the time her pants are inside out, and her hair is always uncombed. I've gone beyond embarrassed, and am just so glad that she is such a likable student no one teases her at school. She has asked a million questions about getting her period, so I think she is mentally prepping for how she will cope with this. At this point I've just decided not to sweat the small stuff. I've already seen some positive effects of peer pressure, as lately the pants haven't been inside out, and this past week she has worn two new shirts from the closet!

So breathe..we are all going thru this, no amount of hoping will make our kids "normal", we just gotta love them the way they are & help them thru as best we can. And lots of breathing! By the way, my son has Aspergers, and he's the easy kid, so I don't say these things lightly. I've been in tears in the middle of the night trying to prod the hysterical daughter from the bathroom - although it doesn't feel like it, this too will pass. :-)
Diane

Feb 09, 2011
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please answer
by: Anonymous

I would like to speak to anyone of you can help me. I have 2 nieces diagnosed with PDD-NOS (autistic spectrum disorders) Both girls between the various disorders, they also feel very uncomfortable to always wet after urinating, and we also avoid hygiene various parts intime.I urological examinations were all negative. we live in Italy, and doctors are not known these problems. If anyone has any advice or experience that can improve this great inconvenience, please kindly send a mail. thanks. marisa

Feb 07, 2011
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I have the same problem
by: Anonymous

my 4 year old daughter has had problems with tags, socks, shoes... you name it. I have concluded that she deals with some amount of sensory sensitivity which seems to be somewhat "common" in children, although most children with this tend to be autistic which my daughter is not.

We just started dealing with the wiping issue too. She complains that she cannot get dry enough after urinating and showering. I am at my wits end, but I honestly don't think there is anything wrong with her. I have been trying my hardest to get her to understand that this is something she needs to figure out how to handle.

P.S. I was a bit sensory sensitive as a child and it definitely has subsided the older I get. I am hoping and praying that this is only a phase and will get better in a couple months or years.

Feb 03, 2011
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Trial of Prozac
by: Anonymous

My M.D. friend, who has children herself with OT and psych issues, said to me as I was discussing with her whether these symptoms were a subset of OCD (there is some research pointing that way), "One way to determine if it is OCD or SPD is by trying Prozac and seeing if it helps. You can always go off if it doesn't."

To the British woman who is at her wits end, you know in 2 - 6 weeks after starting it if there is an effect. As such it would possibly be the most immediate way to remedy the situation, if she responds. Then you can get going on the longer term treatments. Just a thought.

Feb 03, 2011
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welcome
by: Original Poster

So sorry to hear your story but it does sound like many here. The good news is, for many of us, it seems there are "flare ups" of this obsessive behavior. It appears your daughter is in one now. I assume she was tested for urinary tract infection? My daughter used a towel for a while and the blow dryer. She became very dependent on the blow dryer so we had to limit that to only after showers. I have shared before about testing for PANDAS and Lymes Disease. Not sure if you have Lyme Disease (tick born illness) in the UK, but my daughter was tested 1 year ago and has been on antibiotics for it for a year and we have had no flare ups. (She still does an underwear wedge after going to the bathroom, but I am ok with that) Keeping my fingers crossed. PANDAS is related to strep throat. Did she recently or does she currently have strep? The OT was/is a help for us. We now go every other week and I am afraid to stop. If nothing else, the OT recognizes some sort of sensory disconnect and tries to help you and your daughter through it. Please keep posting here and keep us updated. wishing you and your partner and your daughter the best! Hang in there. You will get through this and your daughter will find ways to cope. As she gets older you will be able to reason with her more. My daughter is 10 and we can talk about it much better than when she was 7. Do not give up! I went to the pediatrician for 1.5 years and had them telling me my daughter was fine. Then I got aggressive and contacted a neurologist. I had to pay an out of pocket consult fee but he was the one who recommended the Lyme test. I am thankful for that everyday!

Feb 03, 2011
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My pee pee's wet!!! the rage of frustration
by: UK sufferer

Its in one way quite a savour to read about all you folks having identified the pee pee thing. Im in the UK and SPD is not widely recognised, even by GPs which is a nightmare when GPs (General doctors) are the gate keeper to getting referred to anywhere regardless of if its private or our wonderful (not) National Health Service which I have worked for for 13 yrs and received no help for my daughter.

My partner and I are beside ourselves in frustration, and so angry at the GP for and I quote saying "well, none of her behaivour stands out at me to be excessively abnormal". We typed up a list of weird behaviour, alot that has been mentioned here...tags in clothes, socks, tights, shoes, hair put up/being brushed, knickers (down to a favourite of 3) vests being stretched, trousers being pulled up exactly level with her belly button, coughing at night??! dreaming and screaming in her sleep, and HOLDING HER WEE IN AS WHEN SHE GOES SHE GOES INTO FITS OF 'RAGE' that her pee pee is wet!! as she refuses to wee before bed now, she sometimes gets up at night and wees and the screaming starts. Today it lasted an hour and a half until she fell asleep from exhaustion. During this we cannot help her with affection of reassurance...infact she gets up and walks away from us often very angry...shes started wiping with a towel...weird! but use to use lots of toilet roll. I suggested the hairdryer but she wont try it. We tried talc and on the rare occasion it will work. Life is aweful with her at the mo, and during the rage we feel obviouslyy tense, angry and lost..and heartbroken that we cant help. We have to listen to her for ages suffering...My partner is moving towards clinical depression over it...and so i feel like im trying to hold it all together. We are becoming resentful of mothers with 'normal' children and we are fascinated watching other children get clothes, shoes and socks on without having to think twice. We are angry with others that they have no idea how bad it is and how we are suspended in hell, and im sure our daughter is there with us. She use to be so happy and shes getting worse every day, and has fits of rage all the time with short windows of being ok.
I have given info about SPD to her school, as she often gets to class without socks and her jumper etc and the hair looking messing and 20 min late (even though we get her up 2 hours before)and just to add to the frustration she will just put them on for the teacher!

Makes us look stupid. We are paying through the roof to get her assessed sat (1 day to go) by a private OT...and we prey she will respond well to OT. Reading your posts when your kids have it aged 8 and 11 horrified us and didnt give us much hope..we are not coping at all!

Have any of you had significant improvements from attending OT? im exhausted right now in bed and i cant sleep for her coughing again!!! AHHHH

Jan 26, 2011
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So what do we do?
by: Anonymous

Yes, we have been going through this at our house combined with feeling like you have to pee but can't, yesterday we wanted to wash our hands alot. It comes and goes from day to week, some weeks nothing. But actually it's been a lot lately. Arrggh. I don't know what to do or how to approach it. She's definitely difficult at times but doesn't exhibit a ton of the symptoms of SPD but a handful. She also does this arm, face tensing thing when she concentrates on something. I'm so beside myself sometimes. HELP!

Dec 14, 2010
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Excessive wiping
by: Anonymous

Wow, my daughter sounds much like some of yours, however her issue is exactly opposite. She is constantly claiming her vagina is overly dry and sticking together. Of course, we have gone to the Dr. and ruled out many illnesses/infections/etc... we've also tried lubricants, etc.. nothing can calm her constant discomfort.

She is almost 11. Has had a long history of Sensory disorders and I do remember when she was younger we went through the "always feeling wet" stage. We've had lots of annoying "stages" that have come and gone. This one is especially frustrating because she will actually stick her hands down her pants in public to make herself more comfortable.

If anyone has experienced this and has a "solution" ... would love to hear about it. Thanks!

Nov 07, 2010
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***
by: original poster

Hi, I am not sure if you already go or not, but I have had my daughter in Occupational Therapy for 1.5 years. This does seem to take the edge off some of her symptoms. We are down to every two weeks. I think we all have thought about the possibility of the situation you are going through right now. I feel the same about trying to avoid medications and would like to try to avoid them when possible. Does she have a friend or relative who may have recently gotten their period too that she could talk to? Maybe if she sees she is not the only one, it may bring her comfort. Easier said than done.Maybe wearing a pad even when she does not have her period she would feel protected.

Good luck to you, and your daughter!

Nov 06, 2010
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Going through the same
by: Anonymous

My daughter has Tourettes and ocd. When I read your post, it reminded me so much of what I an still dealing with. My daughter does the ame with socks, wiping, and now worse, she is 11 and started her period 2 months ago. Now she says she constantly feels like she is bleeding all over herself. It is almost impossible to get her off the toilet. She does not like the way pads feel on her, and I have bought every kind there is. Please if anyone has any advice share it. She does have a neurologist but other than meds there is not much we can do. Thanks for the post..

Oct 30, 2010
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**
by: original poster

AJ, Hi, we went through the blow dryer phase too as a suggestion from the pediatrician. For us it worked great, but I had to limit it to after bath only, because there was no way we had time to do this after every time she went to the bathroom. It was a great way to deal with the situation. Good luck to you, your wife and your daughter! It can be frustrating, but I think we are all finding ways for our kids to deal with this in their own ways. In my daughters case, it is the "underwear wedge" as I call it. for some reason wedging her underwear prevents her from excessively wiping.

Oct 25, 2010
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Another possible solution
by: AJ

My daughter meets all the criteria listed by everyone on these posts. Age...4 and a half yrs, she waivers from socks that don?t fit right to wearing flip flops only, to certain panties that "fit just right", to now the excessive wiping and feeling of being wet and "dripping". I along with my wife have taken to acknowledging her feelings along with allowing her the power of accepting what she feels works best for her. For now the excessive wiping and wetness after urination is en vogue, for lack of a better term, in her mind. For her, we use the blow-dryer. After she goes to the bathroom or gets out of the tub we turn on cartoons (bit of a visual mind distraction for her) in our bedroom, turn the blow-dryer on cool and low and allow her to sit commando on the bed until she feels dry. She'll normally sit there for about five minutes before she either turns the blow-dryer off herself (so she can here Phineus and Ferb lol) or put on her panties and goes about her merry little way. I think for her, because she is so strong willed, much of this is about the power of making her own choice and deciding she is dry when she says she's dry. This might not be an optimal method if you're running late in the morning trying to get out of the house but hey...there's always the option of getting out of bed 15 minutes earlier. Thanks to all who have posted and continue to post here...my wife was also literally in tears. I know for her as well as I, it's important to know there "are others out there among us". :)

Oct 03, 2010
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Been there..follow-up
by: Anonymous

I posted in May, so here's my follow-up. My now 9 year old still goes commando and wears her "toilet paper underwear", but at least it's been 5 months since the excessive wiping issue. School started last month, and we're back to her wearing the same 2 outfits every day to school. She wears fuzzy socks with sandals (now that's a fashion statement) and we still can't find sneakers whe will wear to gym class. She refuses to use the bathroom at school, and practically runs home from the bus like she's going to explode!

But on the positive side, she is doing great in school, has 2 BFF's, actually wears her leotard to tumbling class without a tantrum, and has found ways to work around her quirks. I'm positive she's SPD, but she is so strong-willed that she won't listen to my suggestions, she has to come up with a solution on her own. Her brother has Aspergers, so I'm sure that's also playing a part.

So we are having our ups and downs, and luckily they seem to balance out. I keep UTI testing kits at home to make sure nothing bigger is going on, but otherwise I'm just trying to...hang on (couldn't think of the right word!). But reading these posts every couple of months really help, because at least I'm not alone in this struggle. I love hearing everyone's suggestions.

Sep 27, 2010
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happy we're not alone
by: Andrea

In the last two months we have realized that our 4th child, 3.5 yr old Amy, may very well have SPD. Now that I've read this page I'm more convinced. We have had trouble with clothing, shoes, hair, and many other areas for the last yr or two. Just recently she started with feeling wet after going to the bathroom. She holds it as long as possible then it's quite an ordeal when she goes now. Tonight we waited for over 15 minutes for her to finish sitting on the toilet till we ate dinner. She thinks sitting there will dry it enough to feel fine. Then it's still not enough. Sometimes powder will do the trick for her. She seems to do better with her issues if there's a motivation involved (like candy or an activity). We can get quite exasperated at times. Glad to hear there are other people dealing with the same issues. I have the book "Sensational Kids" which I really need to get reading more. Hoping it has some helps in it. Thankful to know there's a "name" for it but waiting to hear about some wonderful ways to deal.

Aug 29, 2010
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lyme disease link
by: original poster

Mom of one, Hi I am the one who started this thread and starting into our third year of this "wiping" I know exactly what you mean about the amount of toilet paper. We have had clogged toilets as a result of this obsession.

I just want to let you know, through the advice of a child neurologist I had my daughter tested for strep and Lyme disease. I live in the mid atlantic region (high incidence of Lyme disease here).

The pediatrician was reluctant,but did it anyway. Looks like in my daughters case she has Lyme. Now it is thought that she has had Lyme for a while and it may be the cause of the OCD wiping. My daughter had NONE of the typical symptoms of Lyme. No joint ache, or sickness. we are now seeing a Lyme literate doctor who is treating her. Not even sure if this is the root cause of the wiping or not, but I am desperate and this at least seems to be some sort of explanation. The Strep came back negative for my daughter so PANDAS was ruled out. On one more note, my pediatrician also told me initially the Lyme test was negative. I got a copy of the blood work for the neurologist to look at and he, an infectious disease doctor, another pediatrician and the Lyme doctor have all said she has it. Please get the copies of any blood work results and have a second opinion just to be sure. I think some of the pediatricians do not get the severity of this issue. It is difficult to watch your child suffer! Starting to separate yourself from going into the bathroom with her is a great idea. I used to go every time my daughter went then I would try to talk her into doing things differently. It became a battle and I think it made things worse. I also notice flair ups of this. She is never "normal" when wiping, but there are times where this flairs up for weeks and becomes to much!

Aug 29, 2010
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Dear MomOfOne
by: Princess & Pea

I'm glad the your-body-is-trying-to-protect-you speech is working for you!

Here's an idea on how to help determine how much is too much toilet paper: Cotonelle makes a toilet paper for children that has a dog and paw prints printed on it. The design takes up 3 or 4 squares of toilet paper. I think it is made for the very purpose of showing kids how much to use.

p.s. Thanks for calling me "absolutely brilliant." Will you be MY mom? ;0)

Aug 29, 2010
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P.S.
by: MomOfOne

To the mom who wrote "I came across this page thru tears of frustration, feeling like a failure as a mom." - you and I are totally on the same page. I wanted to tell you are NOT ALONE and thanks so much for posting so I know that I am not alone either. I completely understand not wanting to 'force' your daughter to speak to a doc - my daughter tends to be kind of shy - and I also don't want her on medication unless there is absolutely no other option. Also, I totally agree that "I don't want to make her feel like she is doing something wrong or in trouble." And "I can't get through to her". Last night in our row, I was just basically like, You use too much toilet paper, *period*! (How can they not see that??) And I woke up this morning feeling like a 'bad mom'. :-( My daughter, too, is a "good girl". So you essentially wrote my story, and I thank you. I am going to try the words that the other parent wrote, and also I am going back to the doc for blood work.

Aug 29, 2010
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thank you all so much.
by: MomOfOne

I had found this page before, but after last night's row I needed to come hunt for it again. My 11 year old daughter has had some symptoms of sensory disorder (the socks, soft clothes, etc.) and we are now having problems with the wiping. For a while she wore pantyliners in her panties; this was fine w/me, I figured eventually she's going to have to learn how to handle feminine products anyway. She stopped dong that, but now she wipes and wipes and I bite my tongue again and again. I honestly don't get as upset about the repeated wiping - I can sort of understand that, in some way - as I do the fact that she uses a GIANT WAD of paper each time. Last night my eyes got big at the amount she was using, and she snapped at me and I snapped back, and off we went.

I think that person who came up with "I explained to her that her body was just trying to protect her by being very sensitive, including sensitive to the sensation of moisture after peeing, and that that was a good thing. But the body was doing too good a job of it and she needed to step in and take over." etc is **absolutely brilliant**. My daughter is pretty responsive to logic and likes for things to make sense. I am going to try this with her.

I also share completely the reluctance of another poster, to take their child to the doc/psychiatrist. You just never know whether the doctor you see is going to be a good match for your child and/or you. Since my daughter's symptoms are relatively mild, IMO, I sometimes wonder whether focusing attention on the problem via a doc would be helpful, or would make it worse.

Also, thanks to the posters who mentioned strep. My daughter did have an irritation around her anus and the doc thought it might be strep, and swabbed it but the test came back negative. But maybe I will insist that blood work be done. Yes, I think I will go back to her regular doc, tell her about the wiping, and ask for a blood test.

The main thing that this site helps me is to have sympathy and empathy for my daughter. Keeping my mouth shut all the time is really hard (I mean, REALLY hard) and it's inevitable that every now and then I will "blow". I think I'm going to make a point of being in the bathroom with her less. In our house we have an 'open door' bathroom for the most part, it's just the three of us, so often two of us are in there together. She excels in so many ways and handles school, etc. just fine so I hate to make too big a deal out of this one thing. Does that make sense? But every now and then it just gets to me.

Thanks again, you guys have truly saved my life.

Aug 16, 2010
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my 8 yr old too!
by: sarahsmith

My 8 yr old started with clothes sensitivity at 4, and it got better at age 7. Maybe the fish oil has helped.

She recently started with this same wetness issue.
Started her on a vitamin called Empower plus recently. She has rages and it may be bipolar, but it's hard to say. Maybe sensory puts her in this really agitated mood.

May 29, 2010
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Autism?
by: Anonymous

Hello , my daughter also has this problem which has persisted for some years, but also other sensory impairments. Please if you have any advice for me. For example about the diagnosis... does the psychiatrist consider this an autistic symptom? This is my question what do you think? thanks greetings.

May 12, 2010
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Robbie---Follow up
by: Anonymous

Dear Been There et al.

Though my daughter's situation thankfully was short lived (about 4 months) I too found that the situation greatly improved when we begin to act like it all was no big deal (very hard at first) and started looking into whatever worked daily. At first my daughter went commando, then we graduated to her to the "mini diaper" [a maxi pad cut in half put in her underwear] phase, to powder patted on her vagina, butt in the mornings before school. We found that letting her decide what she was comfortable with on a daily basis without judgment helped her to be open to new suggestions. At this point, she rarely even wants the powder and rarely has problems with socks anymore--though she wont ever wear jeans or pants that aren't soft but after everything who cares.

I am thinking that my daughter's phase really sprung from the trauma of my husband and i going away for four days when we had only left her overnight once before. It seems that maybe all of this is really about control and perhaps it started when she felt that she had no control over a situation and it freaked her out. Who knows but it all seems to be behind us now (fingers crossed).

I'm wishing you all the best,
Robbie

May 11, 2010
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Been there...
by: Anonymous

I found this sight after frantically searching the internet for a reason why my 8 year old would spend so long wiping. Ruled out, UTI and yeast infection, and I was sure she was OCD. Then I found the SPD sight, and it described my girl exactly! She literally would only wear 2 pants and 2 shirts since school started last fall. Socks and shoes have been a nightmare forever.

I can't even discuss the underwear situation.
Surprisingly, my daughter found a solution she can live with. Not sure I can, but we're giving it a try. She goes "commando" - wears no underwear at all anymore. She usually wears, what she calls, her toilet paper underwear. It makes me cringe, but suddenly she is wearing different clothes every day of the week. And *gasp* she wore blue jean shorts to school last week. She hasn't worn denim of any kind since she was 2.
The bathroom issue is basically gone. Her "toilet paper underwear" must give her the dry feeling she has been craving for so long.

May 06, 2010
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Dear Scared,
by: Princess & Pea

Just wanted to let you know that it won't always be this hard. In my experience the wipies/fussies ebb and flow. Hang in there.

May 05, 2010
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Scary
by: Anonymous

My daughter is having same problem with excessive wiping and always feeling wet. It is so bad that she wait to go to the bathroom, she will hold it all day. She is in kindergarten and does fine but has not gone to the bathroom all day for a few days now. I have been so frustrated. On top of that she is constantly having tantrums. I don't know what to do.

Apr 06, 2010
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So glad to have found this site...
by: Anonymous

I have a 6 1/2 yr old daughter who is going through the "I'm still wet" stage, even after going through a half roll of tp! When looking this up on the internet, so many sources claim that it's due to sexual abuse, etc., which is definitely not the case.

After reading some of the other comments, some of her other behaviors were brought to mind. She has a fit about socks - wears the heels above her ankles, refuses to wear jeans, can't stand when her shirt gets wet, and so on. Someone mentioned trauma playing a part, and I realized the wet thing had started again after my dd found out she was going to have surgery. I figure she's stressed about that and it's making this whole thing worse.

A few years ago, she was wiping excessively, and complaining that she was wet. When I took her to the doctor, we found out that her inner labia had fused together, so the pee was getting stuck up there. A little estrogen cream opened it back up. I did notice that it's starting to close a tiny bit, but she says the cream makes her feel wetter.

It is frustrating to deal with the meltdowns and going through rolls of tp in a day. What drives me nuts the most is the constant touching of herself.

Anyway, I'm glad to know there are other people going through the same thing. Would love to hear about things that have worked for you.

Mar 01, 2010
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Been going through "retun wiping" for years
by: Kim

I honestly don't know what to do. My daughter is 8 now but has had this excessive wiping problem for about 2 years now. We did the urine tests and with normal results, hoped it was just a phase. She returns to the bathroom 5-6 times to re-wipe saying she feels drips. If I don't let her return to wipe again, she jukes and jives and pulls trying to make it right.

She has never been difficult with any other issues. No other OCD behavior exists. In fact, she is pretty easy going except for this problem. If we go out somewhere, she immediately asks to use the bathroom and even then she wants to return to wipe some more. Sometimes before bed, she will go through tons of toilet paper and actually sneaks out of bed to wipe.

Since she doesn't have any other OCD behavior, I don't know where to start with treatment.

Feb 23, 2010
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Sexual Trauma
by: Princess & Pea

I remember a few weeks ago there was another concern about possible relationship b/t sexual trauma and excessive wiping/feeling of wetness. I wanted to write back at that time b/c the author seemed to need some support. And I thought she might be feeling guilty unnecessarily. But who's to say her concern wasn't valid??

This latest post reminded me, I just wanted to let her (and anyone else who was wondering) know that we appear to have a case in which "phantom wetness" arose without any apparent sexual trauma. In our case it was not associated with any negative feelings about sexual development or exploration. Our daughter started wiping excessively after a garden-variety upsetting event. I also note that changes in routine seem to bring it out.

I'm a stay-at-home mom with only one child. My daughter had not been out of my sight for the first 4 years of her life. She started the wiping thing at 4 years three months. It was after an upsetting event. She had just started a gymnastics class--the first class or "school" she had ever attended. On the first day the teacher completely forgot her in a corner and moved on with the rest of the class. I watched the whole thing. A day after-wards, my daughter told me she wet herself. When I changed her clothes, there was not a drop in her panties. It was a few days after that that she started wiping excessively.

It seems to me that any traumatic event could trigger this sort of reaction. Even an innocuous change in routine. We've been dealing with this for about a year. It has ebbed and flowed. Changes in routine and mood bring out the "wipies," if you will.

Looking back on it,I think she showed a predisposition toward this sort of thing. She was always fussy about toileting (as well as getting dressed and eating.)For example, she had to have her undies pulled up first and then her pants. If they were pulled up together, she'd throw a fit.

I think the "wipies" are not so uncommon, at least in a less severe form. I've talked to two other moms in my community within the last month who have been dealing with the same thing. I was comforted to hear their stories. One friend has noted the problem but is not tearing her hair out. Lucky her. The other has more concerns, noting some defining OCD behaviors.

Feb 22, 2010
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2nd post
by: Robbie

Well, the plot thickens in our case. I was reluctant to assume my daughter actually has SPD as she doesn't have any other symptoms save the socks issue. Since I recently bought seamless socks she no longer has any probs with socks just the complaining (crying and anxiety that her vagina is "wet."). After discussing the issues with her at length (though admittedly hard with a 4 1/2 year) she told us that he wet vagina only started after her childhood friend a boy she's been close to since infancy recent stuck his finger in her vag and "played with it" that it got wet and now its it a source of great embarrassment to her. She even told me that she had a bad dream where her vag was leaking and that her friends at school were making fun of her. All of this she told me tearfully and is truly greatly bothered by the incident. Her candor and ability to really feel this shame is of obvious concern to us. We played the whole thing down with her, that it is normal for a vag to get a little wet when played with and that is okay. We told her that we weren't mad with her at all and that is okay to be curious but that she should never let anyone touch her there if she doesn't want them too.

So what to do now? I tried everything from letting her go without underwear when wearing pants or see can wear pull ups to school if she is more comfortable, since nothing to seems to abate her fear that her vag is going to drip and that everyone will see it. She seemed ok over the weekend but today I found out that during the day she simply took off her underwear and went commando with her skirt!!! She again stated that she took her undies off b/c they were "wet." Ugh.

I guess i'm going to need to consult a child psychologist? Or if anyone out there has any experience with her growing out of this issue. In the meantime, I created what I call a mini diaper in which i cut a thin maxi pad in half and put that in her underwear. She seems ok with this for now.

I just don't know what to do. This excessive talk of her wet vag. with her obsession with playing with herself to see if she is wet or not is just too much. I'm really worried about the whole thing since she now takes over an hour to get dressed in the morning cuz she is anxious that her vag. is going to somehow drip out water.

Your feedback is appreciated.

Feb 19, 2010
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had our urologist appt
by: original poster

We had our urology appt at Johns Hopkins and the Dr. was very responsive. She said that this could be a constipation issue or that my daughter is not relaxing her muscles enough to fully empty her bladder. We had a ultrasound of her kidneys and bladder done two years ago and it showed she was not completely draining her bladder. Over the past two years I was told by another urologist that the amount she kept in her bladder was acceptable. This new urologist did not think so and either did the radiologist who initially took the sonogram 2 years ago. Therefore, we are now getting an updated ultrasound to see if she is still holding urine after voiding and also an xray of her kidneys and intestines to see if constipation is an issue. I am continuing with OT as this seems to help my daughter handle this sensory issue she is having.

In the meantime, my daughter has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease which also apparently can cause OCD like behaviors. (When I was having her tested for PANDAS they also tested for Lyme since it can mimic PANDAS symptoms.) My daughter had no other Lyme symptoms it was just a fluke that we discovered this. She is on 30 days of antibiotics and although I do not know if any of this is related, I am hopeful that we are on the right track to some resolution with the help of this Urologist and treating the Lyme. I will keep you all posted and I am hoping everyone is getting some resolution for their kids too!
Good Luck!

Feb 18, 2010
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me too
by: Anonymous

Interesting that we all seem to have 5 year olds. My daughter is 5.5 yrs old. She also had major underwear issues. I think I spent $1,000.00 on underwear trying to find comfortable ones. Once we found Hanes Wedgie Free that issue stopped. She is also picky about soft pants. She just started the pee thing. She wants to wipe with a towel. Paper just doesn't do it for her. She seems to have a UTI right now. She said it hurt to pee yesterday and we went to Dr. who said her pee appeared to indicate a UTI but are awaiting lab results. When we got home from Dr. she wet her pants. We started Bactrim yesterday and are awaiting conclusive test results. Today she also had an accident. I am hoping it is a UTI and not some bigger issue. I am wondering if she has had a low level infection that caused some leakage and led to the towel thing. I just don't know. I haven't done therapy yet, I am just hoping she will outgrow it. Really, the underwear thing probably took 5 years off of my life. WOW! Just wanted to let you all know I have one too!

Feb 14, 2010
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Phantom pee-pee and excessive wiping
by: robbie

Wow. We are now dealing with the same excessive wiping, can't get dry issue in our 4 1/2 year old. It all started about 10 days ago when my husband and I finally went on our honeymoon and left her with her favorite babysitter for 4 days. Also her issues finding tights and socks that don't feel "weird" has just gotten a little crazy in the past month, as well. I was happy thinking that it was just a phase but now realize that it is probably something deeper. My daughter's father has ADD and her step brother has ADD with sensory issues too. So I'm thinking that the apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree here...

I am happy to know that we are not alone but I am also hoping to hear of some solutions too. It seems that the posts I have read have not really included what the OT or psychologists have said and what treatment these children are on. If someone could share the treatments and any progress being made, that would be beautiful. Since the wiping thing has just started (I found comfort seam socks that seem to address her perfect sock fit freakouts) I am reluctant to take her to an OT at this point with the thought that she might have to go later down the line.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. It is really disheartening to think our kids are so seriously so anxious about phantom pee pee and clothing seams. I know we all just want our kids to feel safe and happy.

Feb 02, 2010
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Visit to Urologist
by: Tawnya

We made our visit to the urologist and they confirmed by ultrasound that her bladder was emptying fully after urination. When we first told them about it, they were very familiar with the symptoms. The doctor explained to her that the inside of your mouth is wet just like girls down there, but you don't try to dry the inside of your mouth out, so you shouldn't try to dry yourself out down there. When I showed them the many posts from this website, they confirmed that with my daughter it was nothing physical, only sensory processing issues. She has really good days now, which is good. She has gotten to the point where she tells herself she can do it, she can get off the potty and quit wiping after a couple minutes. This helps if she psychs herself up like this.

Since then, however, she has had another distraction to worry about. Last Wednesday, she was in a go-kart accident and has one fracture in her orbit and two in her sinus cavity. She also banged her leg up, so she has been more worried about that lately than her bathroom issues. We are just hanging in there and hoping she grows out of it. I have noticed an improvement with her chiropractor visits.

Feb 01, 2010
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wiping
by: fiveatpeace

Though my daughter is now grown, for some reason I have still been bothered by how much she wiped when she was young. Because my daughter was too young to communicate specifically why she was unhappy at a babysitter's house at 18 months, then she later became obsessive with wiping and then cleanliness in general (picking at pores on her face) I wondered if she had been sexually abused. I had thought that she cried when I left her because of separation anxiety; 6 months later I decided to pull her out and take her back to the old sitter. She never cried again. But then later there were all these wiping issues. I wondered if somehow it might be connected in some way. As I listened to a woman talk about her own daughter's sexual abuse and how she wanted to scrub her daughter clean hoping it somehow would help take away the filthiness of it all, it just made me wonder again. Has anyone heard if this symptom could be a result of early childhood sexual abuse?

Jan 30, 2010
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Sock Fairy
by: Princess & Pea

Hi,

Your post about socks reminded me. I wanted to tell you all about SmartKnit KIDS Seamless Sensitivity Socks. They help. Also, I've been putting on her socks at night while she's asleep. After her bath at night we usually dress her in the next day's clothes. It avoids changing clothes in the am. For us the mornings were always the worst.

Jan 30, 2010
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My Daughter Shares the same Symptoms
by: Robert

My daughter also has issues with excessive wiping and feeling wet. Along with this she is very finicky about socks complaining about lumps that we can't feel. Even from an early age she has similar problems. When she was three we went through a few months where we could not get blanket adjusted right when putting her to bed. We'd would try over and over before she finally felt it was OK. We naturally worried about OCD but she did not show other symptoms. Thankfully she stopped having blanket issues, but shortly after began having clothing issues. Socks, pants, and underwear were problematic. She would only wear overalls for awhile then suddenly she wouldn't wear the overalls and wanted to only wear soft pants. So far distraction has been our only successful strategy. Bouncing her on the bed or having her balance a tall toy like a bat has helped but it is difficult to get her calm enough to try. On the bright side we have seen progress on socks and other clothing. We found the Hanna Anderson socks and pants are softer and seem to fit her better. Thankfully she seems fine otherwise. She makes friends easily and is doing well in school. I'm hopeful that the excessive wiping will fade in the next few weeks. As others have said it really helps to know there are other people out there looking for answers as well.

Jan 22, 2010
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update on us
by: original poster

Tawnya, Please keep us updated. I am interested in what the ped urologist has to say. I am taking my daughter Feb 15th to a pediatric urologist. I am glad to hear the chiropractor is helping if only a small amount. My daughter is back in OT for a few weeks. She (the OT) suggested buying a small trampoline, (the exercise type) that can go in our basement and have her jump on that before getting dressed. I guess it gets the sensory system moving. I has helped slightly getting her dressed and reduced some wiping, but not all by any means. Interestingly enough my daughter had an orthodontic expander put in her mouth right when she regressed back to her old ways. The OT said that that the pallet expander can put extreme pressure on the sensory system (even if the child is unaware of this) and can cause a regression. So we are thinking this may be a reason for her set back. I am really interested in the urologist diagnosis and if any tests are recommended. I am dreading the appt with the ped urologist because I think they are going to recommend the VCUG test and that will surely set my daughter over the edge. Keep us posted!

Jan 21, 2010
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Another Urology Appointment Tomorrow
by: Tawnya Fowler

I began taking my daughter to the chiropractor and believe it or not, she went three days without wiping excessively and constantly feeling wet. She also began waking up dry instead of wetting through the night. I am convinced that chiropractic has helped her. After three days, though, she was crying because she began wiping excessively again. I am taking her to a pediatric urologist tomorrow and will keep everyone posted. I will also continue to take her to the chiropractor. This really seemed to help initially and I am convinced that it will continue to help. We maybe just had a little setback.

Jan 15, 2010
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Comforting
by: Sara

It is comforting to know that I am not alone with this issue anymore. Thank God for the internet! I'll be checking this site frequently for any new ideas or breakthroughs, as well as posting any new ideas or info that I have.

Jan 15, 2010
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Original poster again
by: Anonymous

Hi all, I now have my daughter temporarily back in OT. I as well do the brushing technique. It seems to relax her but never takes away this wiping issue. I am also taking her to the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Urology center in February to go further down that road. I am not convinced there is not something going on with her urinary system. I figure they will be the ones to figure that out. I have been avoiding that because of the invasive testing they do to discover urinary issues, but I am hoping to get some answers. PANDAS has not proven to be our problem through the blood testing, however, my daughter does have some markers in her blood for early Lyme Disease. Apparently that can cause some OCD behaviors. She is having more blood drawn Monday to check to see if there are any further signs of Lyme. I will keep you posted. Maybe between all of us and the things we are trying we can get to the bottom of this!

Jan 14, 2010
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Supplements
by: Princess & Pea

My diagnosing OT suggested fish oil supplements for omega-3s. She said that some skin sensitivity responds to it and, given our little one's aversion to most sources of omega-3s in her diet, it couldn't hurt. I've also learned from other sources that these compounds are supposed to be good for mood and brain development. The OT recommended a particular brand that you can buy at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. I've now forgotten the name, but it comes in gel form in a tube (like a yogurt tube). She said they were particularly high quality. My daughter didn't like the taste, so we're using a gummy instead, but I thought it was a sensible and recommendation.

Good luck with the counseling. We're right behind you! We switched insurance companies thinking we might need regular mental health visits. I'm still collected recommendations for counselors. I'll tell you how things go, too.

For now, I'm finding that in addition to brushing and deep pressure, distraction works. I think this is the nature of OCD. I'm purposely trying to give her positive things to distract herself with in an effort to supplant any obsessions that might be developing. We think and talk about Santa, X-mas, summertime, and her sleep toy while we take slow deep breaths until her body accommodate the sensations.

We are also dealing with some amount of --what I think is--excessively demanding and manipulative behavior that goes beyond any solace we can offer her. For that we are using a very consistent reward system of minutes of playtime. If the whining is excessive, minutes are taken away. She has an opportunity to earn them back with good behavior or by taking on a challenge, if she chooses, such as wiping only one time or crumpling her sock up in her shoe and wearing it around for 15 minutes. She invariably adjusts to it and forgets all about it. She's pretty proud of herself for completing these challenges. My hope is that she'll build up confidence that she can handle the initial discomfort.

I had one idea that I thought was great, but it's totally NOT working. I explained to her that her body was just trying to protect her by being very sensitive, including sensitive to the sensation of moisture after peeing, and that that was a good thing. But the body was doing too good a job of it and she needed to step in and take over. I suggested she say something to the effect of "Thank you body, I know you're trying to protect me, but I know that I'm dry because I can see the paper is dry. You can't see what I can. I'm the one in charge and I promise I'll keep you safe and dry."

Anyway, I thought this was a brilliant idea and it's not working. I still try it every once in a while just to see if it looks like it might take hold.

I'd love to hear what others have tried. What has worked and what hasn't.

Jan 14, 2010
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Follow up
by: Sara

I posted yesterday with the title "My daughter too!!!" I will post any info I get when we see the counselor on Saturday about this wiping issue. A few weeks ago I was at my wits end argueing with my daughter about clothes and it was affecting the whole family. It was affecting every aspect of our relationship and her behavior. Even when she was not complaining about her clothes she was grumpy and disobedient. One change I made was to start consistently giving her vitamins and natural supplements. I figured that her little brain needs all the help it could get to cope with her stresses. It may be a coincidence, but I do see an improvement in her behavior. Might be worth a try for some of you, if you're not doing it already.

Jan 13, 2010
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Yay! Two more out there!
by: Princess & Pea

So nice to hear about two more kids like my little one. She just turned 5 a few days ago. For her it started with difficulty with certain food textures as an infant,then discomfort with "crumples" and seams in socks, elastic in her underpants, sleeves getting wet, wiping and still thinking she's wet, and sensitivity to her hair getting in her face.

Morning routine--toileting, eating, dressing, and fixing her hair, especially with winter static and having to bundle up in layers--couldn't be more challenging.

I've found that Willbargher brushing DOES desensitize her and deep pressure is calming. But it's not a cure-all. I suspect OCD, too.

I'd love to know about anyone's experience with psych treatment, specifically what approach they use with such young children. Is it exposure and response prevention? How do they approach such a sensitive issue as peeing and wiping?

Jan 13, 2010
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Excessive wiping and she thinks she still wet.
by: Anonymous

I thought I was the only one !!! My daughter does the same thing. She is Five yrs old and she wipes so much its red and she pulls down there. I brought her to the specialist and couldn't find anything. I think its OCD.

Jan 13, 2010
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My daughter too!!!
by: Anonymous

Wow. This is the first day that I have done any research to why my almost 5 year old daughter wipes excessively after peeing. She is going to her first visit with a counselor in 3 days because we've been having MAJOR problems getting her dressed in the morning. Nothing is comfortable except summer dresses. It didn't even cross my mind that the wiping issue could be related to her clothing issue. I've been thinking she probably needs to see a urologist, but now I will be sure to mention this to the counselor. I'm shocked that there are other kids out there with her exact same issues. I am disappointed to see that there are not any simple solutions to this.

My daughters own way of coping with this is to pull her underwear up so far that she is "flossing" it between her privates. It looks disgusting and I hate it, but it does seem to do the trick for her.

Dec 29, 2009
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to ISO: SI OT in MD
by: Anonymous

There is a great OT office in Frederick Md. Not sure where you are in Maryland. The name of the place is Way to Grow. If you do a web search you will find their website. Good Luck!

Dec 29, 2009
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back to the old drawing board (long)
by: Anonymous

Original poster here again. Just as quickly as we finished OT and thought we were fine, my daughter is almost as bad as the day I first posted over a year ago. I do not think it was stopping the OT as it has only been two weeks. We had missed a week in the past and there was not a response like this. She is still better with the other sensory things, but the bathroom is an issue again. I am taking the advice of one of the other posters and getting PANDAS checked as an option . Apparently toileting issues are very common in PANDAS kids and in my daughters case she has flare ups (as we are in right now) also common in PANDAS kids. I am heading to the pediatrician today and not only having a urinalysis, but also asking her to do blood work to see if my daughter has any strep in her system (the main factor in PANDAS). I do not know whether to hope for this or not as I would love to finally have an answer, but I also do not know if I necessarily want her to have PANDAS.

It does seem that when my daughter is on antibiotics her symptoms lesson dramatically, probably because if there is strep in her system, it is taking care of it. She never tests positive for strep throat so I am asking for blood work. I guess they can have strep in their system and no symptoms at all. Funny thing is one of the many urologists I had taken her to last year suggested PANDAS, but since she had no recent strep he said it probably was not it. Now I realize it does not have to be strep throat. Also the key factor is obsessive behavior that starts overnight or out of the blue.

My daughters did as I imagine many of yours did too. I found a child neurologist in New Jersey who specializes in PANDAS and I spoke to him on the phone. He suggested investigating this as her symptoms could definitely be PANDAS related. I just wanted to throw this out there to all of you as we all seem to have similar issues. Many Peds do not know a lot about Pandas, but if my pediatrician does not agree with testing my daughter, I am searching until I find one that does. I promised my daughter that I would make this better and 2 years is long enough for this to go on. I used to feel better leaving the ped office after they blamed it on her rough wiping or not wiping right etc. I felt like that was a valid reason and I was happy to hear there was nothing wrong with her. Clearly this is not her fault. I can no longer have her thinking it is something she is doing wrong. well not anymore

I know there is something very wrong and I will post here as I go through this and hopefully get some answers that may lead some of you to some answers too! Keep your fingers crossed for me and for the next few weeks as just getting her dressed is a total challenge. Good luck to you all! I will keep you posted!

Dec 29, 2009
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Please tell me the name of the Md OT
by: ISO: SI OT in MD

To the original poster who found relief for her daughter through SI treatment in Maryland . . . Can you please let me know who you saw? I'm in the same position with my daughter. I live in Maryland.

Dec 22, 2009
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Having Same Problem
by: Tawnya

Hi There,

While I was researching bathroom issues with my 7 year old daughter, I discovered the SPD website where I found other mothers who were experiencing the same issues as I am with my daughter. My daughter will spend 30 minutes in the bathroom after urinating stating she is not getting dry - she says she is leaking. When I check her with toilet paper, she is dry as a bone. I am soooo very frustrated.

I was glad I researched it online and found this website. I have taken her to a urologist and they find nothing wrong with her and I am trying to plan my next course of action. I am considering taking her to a chiropractor as well. They deal a lot with neurological issues.

Please let me know if you have found any solutions or if it will eventually subside.

Tawnya Fowler
fowlerdental@aol.com

Dec 22, 2009
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Excessive Wiping after Urination
by: Tawnya

I first took my daughter to the pediatrician due to her feeling like she was constantly having to urinate (like she could never get done). They did a urinalysis and an antibiotic. The urinalysis came back nonconclusive due to contaminants. The antibiotic gave her a yeast infection. The yeast infection is now cleared up; however, she stays on the potty for 20 - 30 minutes constantly wiping after urinating. She even gets a towel out of the closet and puts it between her legs because she says she is still leaking. When I check her with toilet paper, she is dry as a bone. Has anyone else experienced this and will she eventually grow out of this? Very frustrating!!

Nov 22, 2009
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My daughter has stopped
by: Brenna

My daughter has gradually "outgrown" this. She has not been wiping excessively since she started Kindergarten this fall. I canceled the appointment with the behavioral psychologist. I am hoping she is over it.

Nov 20, 2009
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original poster here a year later
by: Anonymous

Hi, I am the original poster of this thread. Last Thanksgiving was my breaking point with my 7 year old daughter as she was out of her mind uncomfortable when we were away for Thanksgiving, In April I had her evaluated for Sensory Processing Disorder by an OT. Make sure to get with an Occupational Therapist that specializes in Sensory disorders. They did a test on her (a long test) and determined she had a mild case of SPD and could benefit from therapy. We have been going every week.

I live in VA and drive to MD each week for this as there were none around me. We are nearing the end of her treatment and I must say, I have a different child. Now I will preface this with she is not free of all of her symptoms. But... she gets dressed BY HERSELF in the morning and still has some toileting issues, but not the severity she had and I am not involved in it at all. (I used to have to be in the bathroom with her and it broke my heart to see her wiping so much) She still wipes hard, but not as much.

She can tie her shoes without me helping her get them so tight that circulation was cut off. We still have tag and sock issues, but they are so minor than what we were dealing with. I just get seamless socks and cut tags. The pediatrician tried to make me think this was OCD and that she needed a psychologist. I went with my gut and I feel good about it. My ped did not even have an OT to refer me to because I do not think she believed in SPD. You will run into that. I am fearful as we stop treatment in December, but I feel that we are in a better place this year.

Good luck to everyone, I am curious to see your outcomes. It is nice to know we are not alone. I will check this post more often, I did not know there were other posts.

Nov 19, 2009
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happy to see im not the only worried mom out here!
by: Jamie

Omg... I seriously started crying reading these comments! My daughter will be 5 Dec.7. She just started excessive wiping and dribbling in her panties problem a month ago! It is terrible. She wipes SO hard over and over. She's also been wetting her panties often. She tested negative for a uti.she has also been so grouchy and mean lately! It also takes 15 mins of fighting on a outfit for her to wear to school, every morning. She's also started being scared of dark. Its been very strange seeing my 4 yr old little girl change in the last month.ps I would NEVER think a 4 year old can have OCD?! Please email me if u have any answers! Branin2@comcast.net (Jamie)

Jul 08, 2009
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PANDAS
by: Anonymous

My 5 yr old started the excessive wiping after urinating a few months ago (along with clothing and eating issues). She was diagnosed with pandas. Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with strep. If your child had a sudden onset of OCD like behavoirs- please consider pandas. Have your ped do a strep test. Although there are no easy answers for pandas, it is helpful to have a diagnosis. check out www.Latitudes.org for a great forum...

Jul 01, 2009
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My daughter did this
by: Anonymous

My four year old daughter has done this, also. About six months ago she started doing it, getting up from the toilet, pull her panties up and then go back and re-wipe over and over saying she was still wet. I took her to the doctor and was told she was severely constipated and this can cause the bladder not to empty fully, and then to leak. She stopped for a while, but still does the same thing occasionally. Today, she was diagnosed with SPD due to other issues she is having. Now I am beginning to wonder whether it was indeed part of the SPD. I don't know if this will be of any help, but just wanted to share what (kind of) worked for us.

May 08, 2009
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ongoing
by: Brenna

It seems that my daughter started this after many prescriptions for antibiotics which caused a yeast infection. Then the meds given for the yeast infection made her very dry and uncomfortable. Ever since then (about 6 months ago) she has been wiping excessively and complaining that she is wet. I am wondering if this has happened with anyone else? I can't figure out what started it and why.

May 07, 2009
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many thanks
by: Anonymous

I came across this page thru tears of frustration, feeling like a failure as a mom. My daughter is 12 years old and I have had the hardest time understanding the excessive wiping,often using a whole roll of toilet paper, tag cutting on clothes, extreme germ phobia. Thank you for showing me that we are not alone. I read someone's post that said they can "hop around" and one thing that bothers them one month may not bother them the next. With that in mind, is there any suggestions other than professional help? I have concerns about "forcing" my daughter to speak to a doctor about it and I am very leary of her being prescribed medications. (I've seen kids turn into zombies on some of the meds they prescribe these days.)

I don't want to make her feel like she is doing something wrong or in trouble. I have tried to explain/reason with her why she does these things and why they are unnecessary, but for some reason I can't get through to her. It's frustrating because she is a good girl. She listens and does what she is told, but when it comes to this, she thinks she knows better than me. Any suggestions? It's not that I am unwilling to take her to a doctor, I just was hoping that isn't our only option. Again, thanks for any suggestions.

May 01, 2009
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Thank you
by: Anonymous

We are taking her to a behavioral psychologist because it is looking like OCD. Thank you.

May 01, 2009
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Same thing here
by: Anonymous

Our 3 year old daughter first started pulling her pants up at the waist NONSTOP a few weeks ago and constantly complaining that her clothes didn't fit right. But she has NEVER shown OCD tendencies before that. Now, she has developed this wiping habit - never feeling dry, needed to wipe again after we've exited the bathroom and have her redressed. I tried the powder tip one mom left and we're seeing if that will help with the dryness issue - I'm hoping that summer dresses will ease her clothing anxiety for the summer so that she'll stop thinking about it. It's hard to think that the OCD develops so quickly with no prior tendencies.

Apr 20, 2009
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Sounds familiar!
by: Anonymous

My daughter is 9 years old. She went through the "my underwear feel wet, do I have to go potty, did I go potty, am I going to go potty?!?!" stage when she was about 4 and it returned when she was 8. She also had problems with clothes not feeling "right" and goes into huge fits of rage when she cant' get things just the way she wants them.

For the first 6 years of her life we were totally perplexed. I got so much advice from other parents about spoiled children and how their kids went through stages like that too. She went to numerous dr. appts. for phantom illnesses. And then...we finally got some answers about a year ago when my daughter refused to go to school because she had seen a boy throw up all the way across the lunchroom and she was afraid it was in her hair and clothes. I immediately called her school counselor and he referred me to a nearby psychologist who works with kids who have OCD. She has been in therapy for a while now, and things are finally starting to get a little easier.

I would STRONGLY suggest speaking to your daughters counselor or taking her in to your MD for a psychiatric eval. Kids often try to hide how bad OCD is for them and it can present differently from adult OCD. For example, it jumps around from obsession to obsession and one thing can drive them crazy for months, and suddenly not bother them anymore.

Good luck and if you ever feel like something is wrong, don't let anyone persuade you that it is a stage. I did and I will regret that for a long time. Trust your maternal instincts!

Apr 13, 2009
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me too!
by: Anonymous

OMG! Thank goodness she is not the only one, not that I would wish this on anyone. Has anyone has luck with therapy? My daughter is going to go next week. We are having her tested for allergies and candida also. I am beside myself with guilt. Please if anyone has suggestions, please post!

Mar 30, 2009
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baby powder?
by: Anonymous

Hi, I was wondering if she might feel better applying a little baby powder to her undies it might also distract her from the wiping habit. I can imagine with all of that wiping she'd have a bit of irritation that might exaggerate that feeling. Maybe an oatmeal bath and some powder would help.

Mar 30, 2009
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I'm going nuts, too!
by: Anonymous

I am a bit late on these posts but I am dealing with the same issues with my 5 year old daughter. Your posts are like taking the words out of my mouth; noting is comfortable on her, still feels wet, shoe are not right, socks are uncomfortable, too tight, too loose! OMG!!! exactly the same issues! Have you found a solution? DO I have an OCD child?

Oct 11, 2008
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Dealing with similar situation!
by: Anonymous

Hi, first I must say that I was totally blown away reading your post. My daughter does the SAME thing! She has been known to go through an entire roll of toilet paper trying to get "dry." I have even caught her stuffing toilet paper in her underwear, or even a washcloth, b/c she still feels like she is wet. She has also been tested to rule out any type of infection, and nothing appears to be physically wrong.

She has always had issues with clothing, tags, socks, etc. and things have become very difficult dealing with getting her ready for school everyday. Nothing feels good on her. She only wants to wear dresses, which doesn't work in the winter considering she won't wear tights either. She also stretches out her underwear until they nearly fall off her and has a terrible time riding in the car b/c of the feeling of the seat belt between her legs.

The tantrums are unbearable at times and we feel so helpless. I've never posted on here before, and I don't know if it's ok to give out an email address, but I would love to talk to you some more. I am just so amazed to hear of someone else dealing with the exact same thing! If you would like to chat, please email me at: abmommy09@yahoo.com

Good luck to you and your family!

Sep 27, 2008
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She Loves Her Mom
by: Stephanie Whitt

I think she loves her mom very much. First things first. It seems to be a case of Good Attention & Bad attention, from what I gather. Ask your self how often does she go to the bathroom with you & do you wipe a lot. If wet ones are used STOP.

Back too Attention. I had to work on that one myself. Children love any attention even the bad so make notes. If she is in the bathroom do not let her see you, & don't give in when she calls your name, unless she is so upset that it lasts more than 10 min. Also take lot of notes & watch her and find out if she is the same when she is getting out of the bath.

Start now as there will be hard work ahead dealing with SENSORY DISORDER/O.C.D. Talk with her DR. & ASK for O.T if you do not get the answer. Plan a day of phone calls or weeks as it is by far not easy.

Stephanie Whitt

Jesus LOVES YOU' KEEP up the GOOD WORK...

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