Anyone Have Any "Experience" With Overactive Bladder?

[Christine]

Gosh, I really hate to bring this up but I can't find anything specific on the web, just very generic.

First off, I have had full bladder work up a few years ago and I do not have an infection.

My question is: does overactive bladder actually may you *go* more or just FEEL like you have to go more often.

I have times where, I will go to the bathroom and it's nice and normal. Then, about 10 minutes later, I will have to go again--and it's like I never went 10 minutes before. There's quite a bit more in there. So, for me, it's not like I just have the "urge", I really do have to go again, and again, and again. It gets annoying. Fortunately, I'm always able to hold it and it never gets to the point where it is really bad, but it's just weird.

When I read about it on the internet, it talks about frequency but never about "output" if you know what I mean?

Anyway, this has happened to me on a few occasions and I guess I'm getting ot the point of discussing it with a doctor again, although I went through this a few years ago, so I'm not sure where it will get me.

Any similar experiences?

 

[chrissyk]

Do you drink more than an average amount of fluids? I drink nearly a gallon of water a day, so I'm sure that I make more trips to the bathroom than the average person. I wouldn't call it "overactive bladder" in my case, since it's just a normal result of drinking a lot of water.

 

[mickeyboat]

I have three things to add:

1. If you lean forward while you are "going," it helps to make sure you are fully emptying your bladder.

2. Someone once told me that you should be able to count to 12 while you are "going." If you don't make it to 12, you are going too often.

3. Do you drink a lot of caffeine? When I was in college I complained about this to my Dr. who said that caffeine makes the bladder contract, so you feel like you have to go all the time. It seemed to improve when I laid off Dr. Pepper.

Denae

 

[Christine]

Do you drink more than an average amount of fluids? I drink nearly a gallon of water a day, so I'm sure that I make more trips to the bathroom than the average person. I wouldn't call it "overactive bladder" in my case, since it's just a normal result of drinking a lot of water.

No, that's the thing--I don't drink much at all.

For instance, today was a normal day for me but I had an "episode."

I got up at my normal time of 4:30 a.m. Took shower, got ready. Right before I left for work, I took my daily medications with a few swallows of water--just enough to get the pills down.

I then commuted to work (one hour). Got to work, made breakfast and ate breakfast by 7:30. My breakfast is a bowl of cereal and hot tea at 7:30. Usually by 8:30 the tea (caffeine) gets me "going" and I will have a short period of "frequency" after the tea and then all is well for the rest of the day.

Today, I didn't have to "go" until about 10:00 a.m. which is unusual for me considering I hadn't been since about 5:45 a.m., had breakfast and my tea. So I go at 10:00 a.m. Then 10 minutes later I have to go again. Then again. Then again. It slowed down a little bit, but then I ate lunch (PB&J) and about 6 ozs of water. Here we go again.

It's like someone flipped a switch and BAM I'm in the bathroom all day. VERY weird. Now, this does not happen to me everyday, thank goodness. But, it has happened before and disappears as mysteriously as it starts.

 

[Christine]

3. Do you drink a lot of caffeine? When I was in college I complained about this to my Dr. who said that caffeine makes the bladder contract, so you feel like you have to go all the time. It seemed to improve when I laid off Dr. Pepper.

Denae

Well, I do drink two cups of tea per day (with caffeine). All my soda's are decaffeinated (and I drink MAYBE one of those per day if that much). Caffeine definitely has a diuretic effect on me, but it is short-lived; i.e., if I have a mug of tea I will "go" about two times within the hour of drinking it, and then it's over.

This episode has been going on for a few hours now.

 

[chrissyk]

Might it be a side effect of the medication that you are taking in the morning then?

 

[Feralpeg]

I'm not trying to be nosey, but how old are you? Let me put it this way. I am 53. I know ever bathroom in the greater Orlando area. I plan all of my theme park ventures around the restrooms. I get up at least 3 times a night, some nights more often. I would think I had a problem, but my sister, who just turned 56, is exactly the same way.

Last night, we decided to go to DTD for dinner at The Earl of Sandwhich. We both went before we left the house. We live exactly ten minutes from DTD. By the time we drove there and parked the car, we had to visit the restroom. This is normal life for us. We both drink Diet Coke, but not an excessive amount. My doctor doesn't seem to think this is unusual, just a part of getting older. There are drugs we could take, but they all have side effects and I'm not willing to chance them at this point. If it gets worse, I suppose I will have to.

I hope this helps.

 

[Christine]

Might it be a side effect of the medication that you are taking in the morning then?

I'm taking Synthroid and Prilosec (and have been for about 10 years). The only thing that it could be is that I am slightly hyperthyroid right now. I have been hyperthyroid before and I don't remember it being an issue, but as I said, I have had this happen on and off, so who knows? Believe me, you never want to lose your thyroid gland--you just wouldn't believe what it effects!

 

[Christine]

I'm not trying to be nosey, but how old are you? Let me put it this way. I am 53. I know ever bathroom in the greater Orlando area. I plan all of my theme park ventures around the restrooms. I get up at least 3 times a night, some nights more often. I would think I had a problem, but my sister, who just turned 56, is exactly the same way.

Last night, we decided to go to DTD for dinner at The Earl of Sandwhich. We both went before we left the house. We live exactly ten minutes from DTD. By the time we drove there and parked the car, we had to visit the restroom. This is normal life for us. We both drink Diet Coke, but not an excessive amount. My doctor doesn't seem to think this is unusual, just a part of getting older. There are drugs we could take, but they all have side effects and I'm not willing to chance them at this point. If it gets worse, I suppose I will have to.

I hope this helps.

Feralpeg,
Now you can't really be TOO nosey when I've gone and posted a thread about OVERACTIVE BLADDER, now can you???

I am 41 years old (almost 42) and I've had two children...

Now to give even MORE info than you'd probably want to know:

I've always had a bladder "issue." When I was about 8 years old, I had to have a urethral dilation as the opening had narrowed and could hardly go. But, ever since then, I've always had to go frequently. I always viewed myself as a person that probably had a "small" bladder but when I had urodynamic studies, no one said anything. If I drink one soda, I have to go a LOT. Forget about drinking beer!! If I have a large meal with beverage at a restaurant, the ride home better be no more than 15 minutes. This, even when I was a teenager. My parents and I would go out for these big Sunday dinners about 45 minutes from our house. Well, I was always DYING on the way home and we sometimes had to stop.

So, that's my 'background'. But, like you, it is always predictable. Today (and some other times) have not been predictable. It's like it just went crazy today.

 

[disneygals]

You may just have what me and my friend call "tb" (tiny bladder) syndrome. We have both always been this way and we are now 45. We were just talking about it because my dd9 couldn't give a sample at her check-up. We were saying that we can always give a sample, even if we've just gone!

As for your non-stop episode, we used to call that "breaking the seal"!

It does get tiring to schedule your life around going to the bathroom. Hopefully, nothing is actually wrong.

 

[Christine]

You may just have what me and my friend call "tb" (tiny bladder) syndrome. We have both always been this way and we are now 45. We were just talking about it because my dd9 couldn't give a sample at her check-up. We were saying that we can always give a sample, even if we've just gone!

As for your non-stop episode, we used to call that "breaking the seal"!

It does get tiring to schedule your life around going to the bathroom. Hopefully, nothing is actually wrong.

Well--"breaking the seal." Now that's a new one!!

Good to know I'm not the only one out there.

As I've been "googling" I came across an interview with Mary Lou Retton who has been diagnosed with overactive bladder. Turns out, she has had these same symptoms all of her life. She always thought that since she was a tiny person, that she had a tiny bladder. Turns out not to be the case, but overactive bladder. Oh, well, another topic to add to my growing list of maladies. If I ever get to a good doctor, I think I'll need more than one appointment!

 

[aprild]

i'm 26 and i have that EXACT problem. I bring it up with my doc and she says that i shouldn't worry unless i feel like i have to go but can't.

It's very annoying to potty so much!