Sometimes MS will disrupt the nerve signals sent to the bladder, sphincter, and pelvic muscles, allowing urine to be lost involuntarily. Nocturia , sometimes called nocturnal enuresis, is the involuntary loss of urine during sleep. There are a number of causes for this type of incontinence, but persons with MS may experience nocturia due to the interruption of brain impulses that travel up and down the spine to coordinate urination. Urinary hesitancy refers to difficulty initiating urination. With multiple sclerosis, this problem may be caused by interruption of brain impulses that control the urination process.
Bowel incontinence is the loss of voluntary bowel control.
A person suffering from bowel incontinence may not be able to reach the bathroom quickly enough. The most common causes include long-term constipation, severe diarrhea, stress, hemorrhoids, nerve or muscle damage, and overuse of laxatives. Bowel incontinence has also been associated with MS, injury from giving birth, diabetes, and scleroderma. Constipation is characterized by the inability to have more than two bowel movements per week, or by straining to void fecal matter more than a quarter of the time. Medications and supplements may also contribute to constipation.