One of the most common problems with people that use incontinence supplies and products is that the product leaks and they can't figure out why. How do you stop and prevent an adult diaper from leaking? Our customer service team has been dealing with this for a long time and has come up with several important things to do to get dry.
Outlined below are the 5 most common solutions to this problem...
1. Try a Different Size, Style, or Brand.
Different brands fit different people better. People are just shaped differently, and one person could fit great in one product and leak in another while another person does the opposite. We're formed differently in our bodies, and each type of adult diaper is shaped a bit differently.
Different Brand: The best thing to do is to find a different brand, a different style, or a different size. If what you are using is leaking, along with a fit and absorbency check, it can help to try a different brand like Tranquillity, Prevail, certain McKesson or Attends products. The most common reason people call in with leakage is that they are using a product out of the pharmacy for heavy or overnight incontinence. The types of brands that are sold over the counter are nice in a price range but don't perform well if the person has a true incontinence issue.
Different Style: Changing the style or size can also make a significant difference. Again, you're looking for a product that fits just right for you. A brief with tabs is good for small or large legs. A pull-up is excellent for normal-sized legs. A cloth adult diaper can sometimes take care of the leakage problem.
A Tranquility Pull-Up is great if you need a pull-up, if your pull-up is not working for you, you can try the Tranquility All Through the Night Disposable Brief (ATN) (a brief with tabs), but other brands can work. You want something with plenty of padding around the legs that fits your legs properly. Again, if your legs are an odd size, you need a brief with tabs.
Different Size: Did you measure your waist and hips at the belly button, find the largest of the two, and compare that against the table before you bought it? If not, you might have the wrong size. Even using the table, sometimes, things can need adjusting. First, make sure it's not just the wrong style. How does it fit around the legs? The waist? If everything is evenly loose or evenly tight, you need a different size. If the waist is tight and the legs are loose, for example, you need a different style.
2. Try booster pads.
Another way to add absorbency is to try booster pads, for example, the Dignity Stackable (standard absorbency – 8 fl. oz) or the Tranquillity Topliner Regular Booster Pads (heavy absorbency – 10.9 fl. oz.). Booster Pads can be used as more than one at a time in a stack, and they add more and more absorbency to almost any pull-up or brief with tabs. Tranquility makes the most absorbent pads. You can also try a reusable alternative like the Slim Fit Shield Reusable Pad
3. Make sure it's snug around the legs.
Is the product you are using snug around the legs? It's best if it's not too tight, but if it's snug it prevents leakage. Find a product that gives you the right amount of snugness around the legs. If your legs are an odd size, again, you need a brief with tabs or a cloth adult diaper.
4. Try an overnight product.
Products that are labeled 'Overnight' are more absorbent than non-overnight products, and thus are less likely to leak as long as they fit well. A couple of the best overnight examples are the Tranquility Premium Overnight Pull-Ons and the Prevail Super Plus Underwear. All of the prevail products have the added quality of being compact and thus more discreet, and the Tranquillity is one of the most preventative of leakage. Make sure you get a quality product labeled "Overnight". If you use it during the day, be careful of discreteness. Some are bulky.
5. Try reusable underpads for a backup.
Reusable Underpads protect against extra leakage just in case, keeping the bedding dry and safe. They are much higher in quality than most disposable underpads, and they can be washed and dried like regular linen. An example is the Reliamed Reusable Underpads, which come in singles. A reusable or even a disposable underpad can be one final layer to protect the bedding. This puts a pad between you and the sheets.
Incontinence product leakage can be solved! Just use the 5 tips outlined above and contact our nurse if you have any detailed questions (Click on the 'Ask a Nurse' tab at the top of the iDiaper.com website). Feel free to ask our nurse a question or leave any kind of question or comment below, we'd love to hear from you...
A few suggestions about containing leakage for overnights: side and stomach sleepers have the worst time with leakage. I have found that a high-absorbing cloth diaper works better than disposables because there is still good absorbency on the sides of a cloth diaper. Disposables concentrate their absorption more in the center of the garment. Use waterproof bloomers instead of plastic briefs so that there is a larger distance between the cloth diaper and the leg/waistbands. Finally (if needed) use a cloth bed-sized underpad if leaking continues to be a bedtime issue.