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Journal of an Herbalist
By Karima Burns, MH, ND 21/06/2001
Client: Sara, 5-years-old
Complaint: Sara's mother came to me complaining that her 5-year-old daughter was still wetting the bed. She had tried all obvious measures to prevent this habit, including restricting liquids before bedtime. However, despite all her efforts Sara still wet the bed about four times a week on average. She had finally resorted to putting her in toddler diapers at nighttime. She also mentioned that Sara suffered from eczema, but was not as concerned about this since she had it under control with medication.
Journal:
When Sara came in to the office I could tell she was a typical Sanguine type (see the Health and Science archives article on typology). Sanguine types tend to get easily overheated or chilled so I suggested that she first make sure Sara did not get too hot or too cold at night as this might instigate a bed-wetting episode. I also pointed out that Sanguine tendencies are strongest in childhood, so as Sara got older her system would naturally balance out. Although she would always be a Sanguine type, many of her childhood ailments would lessen in intensity. I prepared an herb mixture for Sara consisting of marshmallow root, chamomile, St. John's Wort and oat straw, which would help balance her type. Many of the herbs in the mixture have historically been used for bed-wetting. I instructed her mother to mix the herbs in equal parts and then pour one cup of boiling water over each teaspoon of the mixture. Sara would drink one cup in the morning and one with lunch.
I also suggested that her mother try some other measures that she had not yet explored. One of the main causes of bed-wetting is an allergic reaction, specifically to milk or peanuts. Of course any allergies can cause this, but milk and peanuts are the most common. Sara's mother seemed surprised. "But if it is an allergy wouldn't it have shown up before?" I pointed out to her that it had shown up before - that is what the cause of Sara's eczema probably was. I explained to her that allergic reactions can come in the form of lethargy, headaches, stomach aches, eczema, hives and other skin disorders, asthma, frequent illnesses and more. Allergic reactions can also change. A child who has had stomachaches for instance, could suddenly start to have hives. A child who has had headaches, could suddenly start having asthma attacks instead. If the allergic reaction is suppressed somewhere it will come out somewhere else. In any case, I told her that first and foremost to eliminate milk from Sara's diet for a week and
see what happens. Along with milk, I made sure that she did not drink any caffeinated beverages, as these increase urine output.
Along with eliminating milk and peanuts for a week, we also planned to continue restricting Sara's liquids at least three hours before bedtime. If she did ask for water, she would be allowed only "just enough" that her thirst was satisfied, but not quenched. Because of this restriction, Sara's mother had to make sure that she was drinking enough during the rest of the day to keep up her fluid intake.
I also mentioned that she could try taking Sara to the bathroom each night for a while to get her into the habit of waking up when she needs to go. As adults we often wake to go to the bathroom anyway each night. It often does not occur to us that we wake to go to the bathroom every night, so why should we expect a child to sleep (longer hours) and not get up at all? I recommended that her mother "teach" her to get up once during the night and go, just like she will do as an adult. Most kids will sleep or sleepwalk through this procedure and some do not even remember it in the morning. I suggested if she was a heavy sleeper and does not wake up at all, then she does not have to do this or she can have her husband do it.
Thirdly, I suggested that Sara stop using nighttime pants. This was a sensitive issue as her mother felt it might be cruel to let the poor child be wet and get a rash and she was also tired of cleaning the bed every night. However, in Sara's case, she was a child that has been given a lot of respect and responsibility by her mother so I felt she would do better when allowed to exercise this responsibility and awareness. In nighttime pants, she would be robbed of responsibility, sensitivity and awareness - traits that are natural to her.
In addition to the herbs and some precautions, we also talked about other alternative therapies Sara's mother could use if she still needed some more help. I suggested she try some reflexology on Sara. Sara is the "middle child" and her mother said, "She is a quiet kid so I sometimes have trouble hearing unless she is looking at me..." A child like this often benefits from some more personal attention in the form of reflexology therapy - even if it seems that they are already getting plenty. Reflexology is a simple massaging of the feet that is easy, takes about 10-15 minutes every night and helps the body harmonize its signals. It is also a simple way to connect with the child and make them feel intensely special. I directed her to a free chart on reflexology, and suggested that she concentrate her pressure massage on the kidney and adrenal areas.
We also discussed other methods that my other clients have found helpful in cases of bedwetting. Some children take calcium and magnesium tablets as well as B-vitamins. 10mg of zinc a day also helps the bladder function. Some children find that a spoonful of honey before bed at night is helpful. Other mothers have found success by adding more fiber to their child's diet in the form of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Kegel exercises are also helpful (learn these by going to:
this
site )An aromatherapy massage of the abdomen with lavender and cypress oils has also been known to stop bedwetting.
Sara's mother took her home, eliminated milk and peanuts from her diet and started giving her the tea right away. That night she did not wet the bed. The next night she did not wet the bed either. Sara's mother was so thrilled she forgot even to try any of the other therapies. However, after a week passed Sara's mother called me excited. "This is the first week in a year that Sara has gone a week without wetting the bed." Sara's eczema was beginning to subside as well. All she had done was: eliminate milk and peanuts from her daughter's diet and give her some herbal tea once a day.
A few months later Sara's mother called to tell me that she had visited her mother for two weeks and that Sara had a recurrence of her eczema as well as her bedwetting. We discussed the incident briefly and realized that Sara had been consuming a lot of milk products at her grandmother's house. However, Sara's mother said that this was unavoidable and that there had to be something she could do about Sara's milk allergy.
I told her that a lack of Potassium would often cause milk and milk product allergies, so that by increasing her daughter's potassium intake she may be able to help the situation. Food sources of potassium are: potatoes (the peelings mostly), oranges, tomatoes, bananas, dulse, kelp, soybeans, parsley, rice bran, apricots and dates. Juice sources of potassium are: carrots, dandelion leaves (yes, the pretty bouquets your son brings you from the backyard can be juiced!), beet tops, blueberries, cabbage, coconut, endive, lettuce, mint leaves, parsley, spinach (apple - spinach juice is GREAT), green peppers, pineapple (fresh only), Swiss chard and wild black cherry.
I also suggested that she simply limit Sara's milk products at her grandmother's house to one or two a day, rather than avoid them altogether. She had been having milk products at every meal and then ice cream for a snack at night. I also suggested Sara have an AL CAT test done to determine if she had any other severe allergies that may be compounding the problem.
Sara's mother also mentioned that the teas were hard to travel with and that she would like to have a more portable solution. I suggested buying a tincture of St. John's Wort or to make some "herbal candy". Black seed (Hibat al Suda) is a famous bed-wetting remedy, which can be made into a portable candy. To make black seed candy you simply take one teaspoons of black sesame seeds and grind them in a grinder. Then mix them with a teaspoon of sesame seeds,
tahini (sesame paste) and honey until you can form a ball. Add oatmeal, oat bran or carob to create a firmer ball. Children should eat up to three of these a day.
Sara's mother called three weeks later to say that Sara was once again dry every night and that she had been able to add milk products back into her diet in a responsible way. And she loved the black seed candy.
Karima Burns is a naturopath and herbalist. She has published her own
newsletter about natural healing for four years and has studied many aspects of
natural healing from herbs to homeopathy to aromatherapy for the past 12 years.
She is an herbal consultant and teaches people about natural healing from her
home in Saudi Arabia. This is a journal of her experiences with her clients.
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