Living with Overactive Bladder

This in regards to the 61 year old diabetic who runs to the bathroom at night. I have had this problem for almost a decade. I have had two urinary tract infections before this started. Then at 23 years old it started out of nowhere.

At first I thought this was because I was losing weight; however, I was putting on more weight. I went to a general practioner a few months later and my urine was fine. He said if this continued I would have to see a urologist Well after three years of this, I went to see a gynecologist to rule out anything gynecological; however, all this doctor diagnosed me with was a bladder infection. He put me on antibiotic but it didn’t help.

Finally I went to urologist #1. He did a sonogram and a cystoscopy and it turned out according to him that I had a tight urethra, which pushes urine back into the bladder causing bladder infections. He put me on antibiotic, detrol and a dietary supplement and I thought this would finally cure me. Well a few days later I was running to the bathroom more than ever so I called him and he told me that my problem was going to be a chronic thing. So after my follow up visit with him, which he dialated my urethra, I stopped going to him.

I went to urologist #2 a few months later and he did a urodynamic study and it was discovered not only did I have a tight urethra but a bladder that contacts small amounts of urine at a time. This causes a big inconvenience. So he put me on ditrophan and for a while it helped. After a while I ceased taking it.

But then a year and a half ago the night time urination has come back and personally I noticed something. If I drink diet soda at night it can cause me to go to the bathroom as many as ten to twenty times during the night. Or if I’m nervous about something it causes me to run to the bathroom. Still sometimes it comes and there is no reason.

I went to a general practioner again last week and recently he told me that it was overactive bladder that I have. And he says if this continues I may have to go to a urogynecologist. Personally I do noticed that when I don’t drink too much caffeine at night I’m fine. But I don’t know much about your situation. With my problem it would come and sometimes it would last a whole week of me running to the bathroom so many times. Now it comes and it lasts maybe a day or two before it stops. But it causes a big inconvenivence because like I’m fine during the day but as soon as I lay down I find my bladder contracting. Sometimes I literally have to shut myself down so I can go to sleep at night. But I can’t always do that.

All I can say to you is to try a urologist and see what he/she has to say and there may be tests he/she may need to do such as a cystoscopy a urodynamic study, a uroflow, a sonogram and whatever else. I’m warning the cystoscopy is very uncomfortable. General anesthesia may be applicable if it is done with a rigid scope. If it is done with a flexible one you probably could be awake but don’t get upset if you are uncomfortable.

The urodynamic study is a bit uncomfortable at first when they put the tube in but then when they put the water in and you feel you have to go to the bathroom it is fine. But make sure you find a urologist you can talk to. He might even prescribe medication.