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Bladder weakness while having a chest infection

Posted , 10 users are following.

sue19918
sue19918

Hi, has anyone experienced Bladder weakness when they have a chest infection? I have moderate copd and don't normally have this problem when I'm well. Probably the coughing putting extra strain on the muscles but would like to know if others suffer with this problem.

2 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • jude65855
    jude65855 sue19918

    Posted

    Do you mean slight incontinence?   Common with lots of coughing, especially if you haven't been doing pelvic floor exercises
  • lill83898
    lill83898 sue19918

    Posted

    Not sure of all the facts, but if you have a chest infection at the moment, it is possible you have developed a bladder infection while your immune system is low.

    If you are having pain while urinating, feeling fevered, have a change in the color of the urine, more frequent urination or low back/kidney discomfort I would ask your clinic if you should have a urine for culture and sensitivity done.

    Bladder infections do not clear up on their own. Regardless, increase your water intake if you are able and call if you have signs of infection.

    • sue19918
      sue19918 lill83898

      Posted

      Hi, I've had a water and chest infection which doesnt seem to be clearing completely after 2 lots of antibiotics. The gp I saw,not my regular one, was unsympathetic and didn't seem to want to give me another course of antibiotics after the first course even though my sample of urine still tested positive and my chest was still wheezy.

    • lill83898
      lill83898 sue19918

      Posted

      IF you continued to have signs of infection then I would say you need to return to the doctor...and if you can, somehow, see your regular physician.

      If you still have infection after two courses of antibiotic something is not right. Either you have resistence to the antibiotics you have been given, or you have not been given an adequate doseage for a long enough course. Certainly if you have been confirmed to have a bladder infection it needs to be treated.

      If you have a chest infection, very likely this requires another type or family of antibiotics than what would be given for urinary tract infections.

      Wheezing could be related to lung infections, but it could also be related to a build up of fluid.

      The chest infection would be unrelated to the urinary infection, but when a person has lowered resistance, both certainly can occur at the same time.

      I hope you can see a medical person who can pursue this.

  • hypercat
    hypercat sue19918

    Posted

    Hi I cough a lot more with chest infections - I reckon this is why I also have bladder weakness then.   I do know it is more common when you get older,  especially if you have had children.   x
    • sue19918
      sue19918 hypercat

      Posted

      Hi, yes I have 3 children I'm 61 and have moderate copd. It's good to know I'm not the only one with these issues.
    • janine55566
      janine55566 hypercat

      Posted

      I'm 37 4 kids aged 14 13 12 and 9. I'm really sick with chest and ear infection and can't hold my bladder right now. Will it go back to "my normal" ???? I freaking out that I'll need adult diapers😯😢

  • brenda62546
    brenda62546 sue19918

    Posted

    I have heard that the bladder has one of the weakest muscles, so when our oxygen levels go down, this is the first muscle to become effected. I notice that whenever I over do myself, that the first thing, or sign, is having a feeling like I have to suddenly run to the bathroom. I've learned to go to the bathroom first, as a precaution, before doing any activities. 
    • brenda62546
      brenda62546

      Posted

      I reason for what I am saying (see above comment) is because when we have an infection, our oxygen saturation percentage drops too. 
    • emmgee
      emmgee brenda62546

      Posted

      Yup, to prove it is not just ladies who so suffer, "me too". And also in my case, loss of control over breaking wind can be very embarrassing !
    • brenda62546
      brenda62546 emmgee

      Posted

      Yes, I agree! I have had only a few episodes of, loss of control times, and they are pretty embarrassing. I have had bladder infections a couple of times, and usually I would have extreme cramps in my abdomen that went along with it. They gave me a very good medication that really cleared it up, two different times. I had to really learn how to take care of the urge to potty, or know when it was going to happen, in order to know how to go about my daily life and handle it well. But I was told it is due to when our oxygen saturation levels drop, especially suddenly drop, as when our bladder's muscles weaken, then we have to go. I know some people who go on the spot, and it is very embarrassing. This is why I always stay near a bathroom, and go before doing any exertion. This I've learned...lol. 
    • emmgee
      emmgee brenda62546

      Posted

      Interesting what you say about stomach / abdominal  cramps too. I suffered very badly with this, particularly when hit by a coughing fit when already out of breath. Horrid !

      Eating a banana a day helped a bit but best .... so far ... has been taking a vitamin D tablet or two each day. Apparantly a side effect of COPD is a vit D defficiency, and C to some extent too ... but probably best to ask doc for a vit test before starting, or at least discuss with yr respiatory nurse.

    • brenda62546
      brenda62546 emmgee

      Posted

      Emmgee, I had never heard about vitamin D or C, but will give it a try. I even respect over dosing on vitamin's so will first ask my doctor. I already am taking vitamin D along with my daily calcium though. Maybe that is why the urges have subsided more. I had cramps both time's when I had mild UTI's and the cramps were low abdomen and were most unpleasant. As soon as the medication course given to me were used up, the cramps had slowly left, and never came back. Cramps are one of the symptoms, and they were my worse! I found the following symptoms on the internet...the last one was the most prominent for myself. I did not have the other ones. The internet states that not everyone has the same symptoms, or any of the symptoms at all. I only had the one symptom, which was the abdominal pain in this list (last one):

      *A strong, persistent urge to urinate

      *A burning sensation when urinating

      *Passing frequent, small amounts of urine

      *Urine that appears cloudy

      *Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored — a sign of blood in the urine

      *Strong-smelling urine

      *Pelvic pain, in women — especially in the center of the pelvis and around the area of the pubic bone

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