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Bladder problems

Posted , 2 users are following.

jay65953
jay65953

Hi! I am 29 years old and I have been getting the following problems with my bladder:

* Not registering my bladder filling up until right at the last minute, thus wetting myself

* Only going to the toilet once or twice a day despite adequate fluid intake (7 glasses a day with still the same problem)

* Frequent urinary tract infections

Unrelated bladder issues:

* Painful periods

* Periods lasting 5 days usually but last one lasted 7 days

* Heavy periods with lots of clotting

* Pain before/during orgasm (not sexually active but masturbate)

* Constipation

* Currently under treatment for underactive thyroid (autoimmune)

I had a consultation with a urologist at the start of July and he has sent me a letter that he CC'd me on regarding further tests. He now wants to do an ultrasound on my kidneys and bladder (kidney ultrasound I had done before and showed absolutely nothing) although this time it includes a post-void residual and possibly a urodynamic study.

Why would they order another kidney ultrasound if my last one done in 2011 was normal?

What is a post-void residual?

Would a urodynamic study be suggested if the initial tests come back clear?

This is all very worrying and confusing for me, any advice on the above would be most helpful.

Thanks! smile

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • bob120
    bob120 jay65953

    Posted

    Post-void residual is the amount of urine left in the bladder after a void. A good amount is 50ml or less. If you have a lot of PVR (eg. more than 200ml.) you will urinate more often, because you will fill up faster. The urodynamics test will measure the amount of urine you can retain before you feel the urge to go. In combination with the PVR, it should tell you how often to visit the bathroom to get there before the urgency is overwhelming. I think the bladder makes about 100ml an hour. So your bladder capacity minus your PVR divided by 100 is a rough nmber of hours between voids. At night, our bladders compress urine during sleep, so the volume is less, allowing us to sleep.
    • jay65953
      jay65953 bob120

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. smile

      I once peed in a measuring jug to see how much urine actually comes out in one toilet visit (provided that at the time I am bursting to go). One measurement was something like 450ml. But I wasn't aware of my bladder filling up.

      So, the post-void residual would be much less than 450ml if I can readily urinate that much in one toilet visit and it measure the amount of urine left over, is that correct?

    • bob120
      bob120 jay65953

      Posted

      Most likely. But there's no way to tell based on your output. Somer people only comfortably hold 350ml., others may comfortably hold 700ml. Have you tried making an extra trip to the bathroom just to keep from getting to the bursting point?
    • jay65953
      jay65953 bob120

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply.

      I have made an extra trip to the bathroom when I don't need to go at all. That probably isn't the same thing, but I don't usually pass anything then.

      If I pick a time when I don't feel the urge to go but I decide to go for a pee anyway, maybe I could try to see if I pass any urine then?

    • bob120
      bob120 jay65953

      Posted

      It's worth a try. If your PVR is good (eg. 100 ml. or less) then you are emptying OK. You don't have abnormal frequency and it seems you are going a good amount. Your only problem seems to be urgency.

      The only other things I can think of that could cause urgency would be bladder stones or a UTI (although a UTI would cause burning and frequency). 

    • jay65953
      jay65953 bob120

      Posted

      Ok, thanks. I originally thought it could be bladder stones and I do get some pains in my ribs (where I had read that that's where bladder stones cause pain) but it's not all the time as I would expect with bladder stones.

      I've had recurring UTIs, ever since I was 7 or 8 years old, and back then they caused burning and frequency. Now, I get told by doctors I have a UTI after they do a dipstick test and I have no symptoms at all.

    • bob120
      bob120 jay65953

      Posted

      I never had any pains except when I had a UTI or was in retention. I used to get really bad frequency but that calmed down after a couple of years. With bad frequency (going every 15 minutes for several hours) I sometimes got a bubbling feeling in my bladder, like there were jumping beans in there, but nothing I would call pain. Bladder stones are different than kidney stones, which are extremely painful until they pass. 
    • jay65953
      jay65953 bob120

      Posted

      Ah, I see. I must be mistaking bladder stones for kidney stones. My bad!

      I don't get bubbling feelings in my bladder...in fact I get nothing. I get cramps/intermittent waves of pain in my bladder which occur right at the last minute when I need to go. Sometimes I don't feel that the urge is that strong so I then retain it until the urge is stronger if that makes sense. I don't know why I have done it. Just one of those things I don't really think about.

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