Karen’s story

“I am 57. After menopause, I started to have several bladder control symptoms. I could not empty my bladder fully most of the time. Leakage constantly had me feeling damp. And when urinating, my stream would start splashing uncontrollably in all directions like a pinched garden hose. This of course resulted in wetting my legs, my clothes, and toilet seats. It was very annoying.

When I had my annual checkup with my gynecologist, I told him about my bladder control issues and he gave me bladder medications. Then I ask him about splashing urine stream problem. He listened carefully and then said quite thoughtfully: ‘Perhaps you sit at the wrong angle?’

Unexpected Results from BetterWOMAN

I disliked the side effects of bladder medications and started using BetterWOMAN. I understood it would take 3-4 bottles for me to start to see any results. So when I was on my 2^nd bottle, I was pleasantly surprised to notice that the occurrence of my splashing stream had became less frequent. That’s something. Interesting, I thought.

Expected Results from BetterWOMAN

Shortly after starting my 4^th bottle, I saw real improvement. More often I was able to empty my bladder fully. The leakage was noticeably less. I was much drier and more comfortable. In addition, my muscles actually felt stronger when going to the bathroom.   

Current Status

BetterWOMAN did not immediately alleviate all my symptoms. But as I continue to use BetterWOMAN, it keeps getting better. I still have occasional days that are not as good as other days. This usually occurs when I am overtired, not feeling well, or stressed. However, overall, I am very pleased with the results I am getting. I especially like the fact that when taking this product it does not give me the side effects of the prescription drugs. Eliminating that annoying splashing stream is another reason I love BetterWOMAN.

Karen C.” 

My thoughts

I want to thank Karen for her ability to observe her body so closely and to share her results with us.  

The problem of splashing urine stream in women is a phenomenon seldom discussed in public or in doctor’s offices for that matter. But the problem affects many women especially post menopausal women. And the issue needs to be addressed. If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to email us.

One possible cause of a splashing stream is the weakened bladder muscles. When that happens, the pressure generated by the bladder muscle would decrease, thus the splashing urine stream.

Karen’s observation with her increased stream strength could be the early indicator that her bladder muscles were starting to regain strength.     

Just for curiosity, the next time I am at a medical meeting, I will ask gynecologists and urologists about this splashing issue in women. I wonder how many will say “Perhaps they were sitting at a wrong angle?”

To your health,

Peipei Wishnow, PhD

Based on the data presented at 31st Congress of the Societe Internationale D’Urologie in Berlin, October 2011, 40-50% of patients developed incontinence immediately after prostatectomy; 10% developed long-term incontinence (over 12 months); and 30% developed over active bladder and  30% had sphincter damage. The level of the incontinence as measured by absorbent pad usage could vary from 1 pad a day to more than 10 pads a day.  The bladder control issues include increased urinary urgency and frequency after surgery.

The current medical treatments for male incontinence and bladder control issues have been quite limited in terms of side effects, low success rates, and lack of long-term.  Those options are not desirable to men of all ages who are still living an active life style.

There are some courageous men who dare to try different approaches to solve their problems. Today I am going to cite two letters from such men.

A letter from Bob R. (86, improved bladder control after prostate cancer surgery)

 “I had advanced prostate cancer surgery 5 years ago. Ever since then I had to get up 7-8 times a night to urinate. I ordered 4 BetterMAN early last month and have been taking 4 capsules a day.  Last night I slept 5 hours and 20 minutes before I had to get up! I haven’t gotten that much sleep at one time since my surgery 5 years ago. I have tried many other natural remedies, none of which worked. I was on Detrol for quite awhile and it did not help me either. I am glad I finally found BetterMAN.”

 A letter from Rick P. (64, improved bladder control after prostate cancer surgery)

“I had prostate surgery 10 years ago. At that time, I tried BetterMAN for one year in conjunction with vacuum erection device to regain my erectile function. After 10 years, I decided to use BetterMAN again. I am now 64 and wanted a little boost. Also my urologist does not know why, I had a problem with frequent urination which is common for people who have had prostate surgery. What a great product you have!  I now urinate less frequently, and my erections are stronger and more long lasting. Thanks for doing the research. You should be very proud of BetterMAN.”

My thoughts:

If you are not satisfied with your current state of bladder control, you should not stop there and give in to the adult pads. Give BetterMAN a try. Make sure you give the product enough time. If you had prostate surgery before, your recovery time may take longer than the average 2-3 months recommended to general public. Be patient and be persistent. You should see dramatic improvements in the quality of life down the line.

We are very much interested in your feedback, questions, comments, or stories.

To your health,

Peipei Wishnow, PhD

PS: As always consult your healthcare professionals before taking any new supplements.

“My son has been Incontinent for the last 30 years”

Mrs. Kate B. called us on 1/4/2012 to reorder BetterMAN for her son.

“My son, Ron, suffered severe brain damage in an auto accident when he was 18 years old. His brain was so traumatized that he was in a coma for about 4.5 months. His doctor lost hope and said he would not make it, or became bed ridden in a persistent vegetative state.

My husband and I refused to accept that ‘reality’. We brought Ron back, cared, and prayed for him at our home. We tried everything to help him recover. Ron was in a wheelchair for 6 years, gradually progressed to using a walker, and then finally was able to walk.  Now Ron is mobile, loving, upbeat, and has a great sense of humor.    

But Ron still has problems. He has no short term memory, cannot remember what he had for lunch.  In addition, he has bladder control problems, incontinence at night and dripping after urination during the day.

When I saw your BetterMAN/BetterWOMAN ad in Reader’s Digest, I thought that the natural remedy BetterMAN sounded very interesting for Ron to try. I thought if nothing happened after 6-12 months, we could always move on to try something else. So I started Ron on BetterMAN at two capsules daily on 12/20/2011.  

To our big surprise, we started to see some improvements almost immediately, during the past two weeks, Ron had 7 nights dry!  We were thrilled to death!”   

A letter from Kate on 2/5/2012

“Dear Dr. Wishnow,

Enclosed is the copy of the January calendar we use to record Ron’s condition and communicate among several shifts of caretakers and ourselves. As you can see, in January, Ron was dry 70% of the time at night (21 nights in a month)!  Before he started BetterMAN, he had only about 3-7% of dry nights per month (1-2 nights in a month).

Wearing Pull-Ups is a humiliating experience for adults. But we had to do it. I said to Ron ‘If you can make one month dry, I will let you wear whatever you like when you go to sleep.’  Ron is thrilled and very proud of his progress.  

We are very thankful!

Mrs. Kate, B.”

My thoughts

What a mother!

There were plenty of reasons or excuses for Kate to give up and accept the “reality” a long time ago.  

But this is not Kate, an exceptional mother. She persisted, knowing the road to recovery would be long, slow, and difficult; she refuses to give up, ever…

To Kate’s courage and Ron’s continued recovery,

Peipei Wishnow, PhD

 It can happen at any age

Helen had incontinence problems since she was a child. “I was on a date when I was 31. We started kissing, and suddenly I was all wet. I was not even excited, just horrified. I tried bladder medications. They caused dry mouth, very uncomfortable, and also did not work. BetterWOMAN changed my life.”

Jennifer found herself in a new awkward situation. After losing her husband of 25 years recently, she found herself single again at a matured age. “I have had bladder control problems all my life. As I get older, the control is getting worse. My late husband, a very sweet man, never said a word about it. For so many years, I never sought treatment. But now, my friends are wondering why I shy away from intimacy. I am just too embarrassed to get involved. This new situation really forces me to rethink my bladder problems. That’s why I decided to give BetterWOMAN a try.”

Take action and you can regain control

No matter how old you are, do not let bladder problems control your life or happiness. All you have to do is to acknowledge the problems and take action. If you are persistent, you could regain your control just as Helen and Jennifer did with their bladder and their lives.

Ask yourself, what did you do when you noticed grey hair and facial wrinkles? Most likely, you started to take action: you started to dye your hair and use moisturizers to make yourself more youthful looking.

To be fair, now also ask yourself what you have done for your bladder after all this time. Your bladder is telling you that it is getting tired after so many years, don’t you think you should help your bladder a bit too?

Solutions are out there. BetterWOMAN is one. Or try others. But you need to take action.  Period.

For Helen and Jennifer, lives have changed. Helen is now completely dry instead of needing 6 pads a day. Jennifer is involved in a new relationship with great confidence and joy. They both are living a fulfilled and happy life, much thanks to their determination, persistence, and action.

So can you. Act today.

To your health,

Peipei Wishnow, PhD.

The answer was Incontinence. “38% of women suffer from urinary incontinence; these women spend more than $20 billion per year to manage the condition”, Parade went on to say.

I am not surprised – the cost is true, or even underestimated.

Assume 13 million women have incontinence problems and the total annual spending is $20 billion, then the average woman would spend $1,538 a year dealing with her incontinence problems.

This number is well in line with what our customers are telling us.

• My pharmacist once showed me line by line the costs of each item for him to handle his 79 year old mother’s incontinence issue: $2,400 a year out of pocket cost.    
• Rosemary, a retired teacher, spent $191 a month on a bladder medication. After insurance reimbursement of $40, her cost was $151. That’s $1,812 a year out of pocket.

This kind of costs may not be necessary if you search for other solutions. Here are some examples from our customers.

• Rosemary researched for alternatives and started to use BetterWOMAN in 2010. She is now saving more than $1,200 a year on her bladder control problems.
•  Caro started BetterWOMAN in 2009. She used to spend $119 for one month on bladder medication that caused her severe dry mouth. Now she saves $74 per month and enjoys her life fully and freely.  
• Wendy discovered BetterWOMAN in 2009 after she got fed up with spending $125 per month on bladder problems. She is now saving $80 a month and happy to have her reliable body back.   

Do your own research.

What you need is to defy the old saying “It is just part of getting old and you need to get used to it.”

What you need is to face the problem and take action since you cannot wait out of this problem.     

What you need is to know that more women are acting proactively to take care of their bladder health. “I do not want to wear pads like my mother”, they would say. Join them and free yourself.

It is not necessary to be THAT expensive to regain bladder control.

To your health,

Peipei Wishnow, PhD.

Classic symptoms associated with diabetic bladder dysfunction include decreased bladder sensation, increased bladder capacity, and impaired bladder contractibility that results poor emptying.

Recent clinical and experimental studies have shown strong presence of urine storage problems such as urinary urgency and incontinence in both Type I and Type II diabetes.

52-87% of the randomly evaluated diabetic patients have urologic symptoms.

25% of diabetic patients on oral hypoglycemic treatment have diabetic bladder dysfunction.

Studies in animal models also indicate that diabetic bladder dysfunction exhibits two phases. In the early onset of the disease, there are increased bladder capacity and thickened bladder walls.  As the disease progresses, other bladder symptoms would appear, including urinary urgency, incontinence, and poor empting.

It is not quite clear yet how diabetes causes diabetic bladder dysfunction.

Be aware.

To your health

Peipei Wishnow, PhD

I did not know I was diabetic

About a year ago, I started to experience very frequent urination and increased difficulty with bladder control  

My work requires me to stand for 3-4 hours at a time without leaving my post, and the unwritten rule is to use the bathroom as little as possible. So when I read about all natural BetterWOMAN, I decided to give it a try as I wanted to get rid of the bladder control problems.

Within about one month, I began to see a difference. As I continued taking BetterWOMAN, things were getting much better. Before, by the time I felt the urge, it was almost too late. Now, if I felt the urge, I knew I could make it to a restroom in time!

Nights had always been the worst – I was up almost every hour just to use the bathroom. Slowly and thankfully, that problem had all but gone away. I hardly ever got up at night. An uninterrupted night’s sleep is a blessing!!

After being diagnosed

This past winter my doctor told me I was diabetic. She also told me diabetes could cause frequent urination.   After my diabetes became under control by medications, I assumed that my bladder problem was being controlled by the diabetic medications as well. I decided to experiment by not taking BetterWOMAN capsules.

Within 24 hours of going off BetterWOMAN, I could tell the difference with my bladder control. After one week, the difference was so dramatic that I was almost back to where I started. But I wanted to give my body a chance, so I stayed off BetterWOMAN for 3 weeks total to get a good reading. My situation deteriorated to the point that a couple of times at work, I did not make it to the bathroom and soiled my clothes (luckily, my uniform is black!).

I have been back on BetterWOMAN ever since, and I can’t imagine not taking it!

BetterWOMAN has been a lifesaver for me!

My name is Donna and I am 60 years old. You can use my name because I am a believer. BetterWOMAN has been a lifesaver for me! I hope my experience can help other people with similar situations.  

Warm regards,

Donna, FL.

Donna’s emails always end with: “What You Dare to Dream, Dare To Do!”

That says all.

To your health,  

Peipei Wishnow, PhD.

The Email

“Friends call me Jill. I am 66 year old and have been taking BetterWOMAN for 2 years now.

My Overactive Bladder (OAB) came on very suddenly and my GYN put me on a leading medication for OAB. The dry mouth and side effects were tolerable considering my problem.  One year later my insurance changed my coverage and I had to switch medications.  This time the side effects were almost unbearable: visual disturbances, so much so I was ready to go to the eye doctor, stomach problems, extremely dry mouth, and headaches.

When I went to my family doctor (who deals with integrative medicine) I asked her for a recommendation.  She immediately said she had many women who had good success with BetterWOMAN. I tried it and have never looked back. Within 2 weeks ALL my side effects were gone and my OAB was well under control.

I tried sharing my good news (and your newsletter) with my GYN.  She listened but questioned the long term effects.  I suggested she call your number and talk to you.  She didn’t comment. I left the newsletter on the counter and left the room. :>)

Thank God for you and BetterWOMAN.” – Jill, CA.

My Disappointment

I am delighted at Jill’s positive outcome. But I am disappointed as well:

• Why should the system put Jill through so much pain and discomfort in an attempt to find a solution? 
• Why do some healthcare professionals not keep an open mind to new information and evidence based results?

Jill had tried three different OAB medications before she tried BetterWOMAN. The fact that she prefers to pay out of pocket for BetterWOMAN, instead of taking insurance-covered OAB medications should send a clear message – Other Options Exist and Need to Be Explored!

What would have happened if Jill were not proactively seeking alternatives?

To your health,

Peipei Wishnow, PhD

Nocturia – Frequent Nighttime Urination

Frequent nighttime urination, or nocturia- the need to urinate more than two times a night, is mostly related to aging.

But why?

An enlarged prostate seems to be the common culprit for many men.  However, studies have shown that for a majority of the men with enlarged prostate, nocturia remains to be a problem even after their prostate surgery. In addition, many men who have no prostate issues are also experiencing the annoying nocturia problems.

Now, how about women? No prostate! But millions of women have nocturia issues.    

Studies have shown that for both men and women 50 years and older, the average number for nighttime urination is three times. This number tends to increase as people get older.

But why?

According to Dr. Jeffrey R. Weiss, MD, Professor and Chair at the Department of Urology SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY, one of the key reasons for nocturia is that the kidney produces more urine at night as people grow older.  This is caused by decreased levels of Anti-Diuretic Hormone -ADH.  

ADH is a powerful hormone that regulates water metabolism in the body. It has direct impact on the amount of the urine the kidney produces. The lower the ADH levels, the more urine will be produced.

In people 60 and older, the nighttime ADH level becomes barely detectable. For them, the urine volume produced at night (average 8 hours) is about 34% of the total volume for the entire day. The more urine produced, the more often you need to void.

As a comparison, younger people’s ADH level increases at night. The urine volume produced at nighttime in people younger than 25 years old is only about 14% of the total volume for the entire day.  This means for young people, urine production is drastically reduced at night.  That’s why their bladders can easily hold urine for the whole night.

Nocturia and ADH

So the older one gets, the less the ADH, the more urine production at night and so the nocturia.

To your health,

Peipei Wishnow, PhD.  

PPW: “Sally, you are pretty young, only 49. What made you start using BetterWOMAN three year ago?”                                                                            

Sally: “I have suffered from overactive bladder since I was a child. I always had to go the bathroom.  My family and doctors told me I had a small bladder.

As I got older, and after having my three kids, I found myself struggling more with the urgency problems. I was fine until I was on my way to the bathroom, but often I started to leak before I got there.

I don’t like to take drugs. When a good friend of mine told me about this all nature BetterWOMAN, I decided to give it a try.”

PPW: “How has BetterWOMAN helped you?”                                                                                     

Sally: “I have had tremendous results! I don’t have to go to the bathroom all the time, I can sleep through the night, and I can hold it much longer than I used to. Occasionally I still have leakage issues, but I am able to maintain control most of the time.”

I have also found BetterWOMAN helps me with my PMS. My life becomes more tolerable during the week or two prior to my menstrual cycles. The cramping has been significantly reduced. My skin is smoother and rarely breaks out. More to the point, everybody in my family, especially my husband, has noticed that my temperament has been greatly improved. I am calmer and more even tempered.”

PPW: “Are you still taking BetterWOMAN?”                                                                                      

Sally: “Yes. Faithfully. It has been part of my daily routine for three years now.”

I appreciate Sally’s openness to share her experiences. That’s how we learn.  Every one of us has unique stories to tell. Together we can improve one another’s journey to better health.

I will continue to report user comments like this in the future.  So please write and tell me your story.

To your health and perhaps PMS improvement,

Peipei Wishnow, PhD.