Three Supplements That May Help with Female Incontinence

If you're a woman who suffers from mild to moderate incontinence and you are tired of always having to worry about leaks, you have a number of treatment options. You could visit a urogynecologist and inquire about pelvic floor surgery to improve your bladder control, or you could begin taking prescription medications to increase your muscle tone. However, these options both come with substantial risks and possible side effects. It's wise to try milder supplement remedies first.

Supplement remedies for incontinence don't work for everyone, but wouldn't it be nice to know if they work for you before you take more drastic measures? Here are three remedies to try (one at a time).

Magnesium Supplements

A double-blind study revealed that women with incontinence found that their symptoms lessened after they began taking magnesium supplements. A dose of 150 mg twice per day is recommended. This remedy is thought to work because magnesium plays a role in muscle contraction. Many people are deficiency in magnesium, so taking supplements may restore healthy levels of magnesium and get rid of symptoms like incontinence. Magnesium supplements have also been found to help fight fatigue, depression, and abnormal heart rhythms, so don't be surprised if you start feeling a lot better all-around after taking magnesium.

Vitamin D

Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced when your skin is exposed to sunlight. A lot of women are deficient in vitamin D, and a recent study found that those who are deficient in this vitamin are more likely to suffer from incontinence. Taking a vitamin D supplement according to the instructions on the package may help raise your levels and restore normal bladder function. According to the Vitamin D Council, you should take 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day if you get some regular sun exposure.

Gosha-jinki-gan

If you visit a health food store, you may see a number of herbal remedies that claim to help with incontinence. However, gosha-jinki-gan is the one you should try, since there is scientific evidence to back up the claims that it improves bladder control. This supplement is actually a blend of several Japanese herbs. It is thought to work by reducing bladder contractions by interacting with the nervous system. Take gosha-jinki-gan supplements only as recommended on the package label, and make sure you purchase them from a reputable brand to ensure their purity.

Often, it takes a few weeks for a new supplement to really work its way into your system and have pronounced effects. Regardless of which of these supplements you try, wait at least two weeks before evaluating its effectiveness. If you're not noticing an improvement after a few weeks, then you can move on to trying another new supplement. For more information, talk to a professional like Western Branch Center for Women.