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Health anxiety re bladder and urination

Posted , 3 users are following.

shirley84100
shirley84100

Absolutely sick of this. Since I had the most sudden, terrifying, painful and overwhelming urgency episode in town 18 months ago Ive not been the same. Ive developed urethral urgency anxiety and health anxiety all focused on my bladder. The urgency anxiety has stopped me from going anywhere where there are no obvious loos or where there may be queues for them. So my world has gotten smaller as a result. This fear has extended to all things linked to my bladder and if something doesnt seem right or normal. Like getting up at 7.30am for a wee this morning and not going again till 1.30pm! However the urologist thinks I am emptying my bladder properly and not retaining. All I want to do is get my bladder out of my mind and the urgency anxiety and get my life back. Anyone else with a similar problem?

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • hollydoll25
    hollydoll25 shirley84100

    Posted

    You'll probably be sent first for an abdominal ultrasound - and/or following that, an ultrasound of your bladder that measures retention by doing tests before and after voiding urine. I know exactly how you feel, there is no apparent cause for my own urgency and retention issues other than blaming the amount of medications I'm on after brain surgery. It does limit you, but one thing that really helped me was knowing that if I KNEW my bladder was or should be empty, I was okay going out because although I knew it may be painful or feel like I would have an accident, that there really wasn't that much urine there at all. Wishing you the best. 

    • shirley84100
      shirley84100 hollydoll25

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply hollydoll25. Yes I did those tests about a year ago and not retaining. Also the urologist scanned my bladder only last week and said I wasnt retaining. Sorry to hear you are having trouble too with urgency and retention. I know Im not retaining but the low voids after so long (6 hours in between voids) scare me. Sorry also to hear you had brain surgery. Yes it makes you wonder about all the medications doesnt it. I know what you mean about knowing your bladder was or should be empty and feeling ok about going out. I am the same with that. My urgency feelings are in my urethra and that can be painful and uncomfortable too and make me feel like I could wet myself. But as long as I am pretty sure my bladder is empty or almost empty I feel ok going out. I also wear Tena Pants whenever I go out but unless I know Im empty or at least almost empty, they dont take away my anxiety.. I only wish they did. I am working on it though as I never get the urgency feelings at home or through the night or if Im near a loo, as long as there are no queues!!

      Wishing you the best too.

  • cindy80253
    cindy80253 shirley84100

    Posted

    My bladder is ruined and the liner from taking antipsychotic meds for to long. I had the urge to urinate all the time even if I didn't have to go. A great doctor put me on  ( Phenazopyridine HCI 200MG) I'm back to normal. the best medication.

    • shirley84100
      shirley84100 cindy80253

      Posted

      Hi cindy80253, Sorry to hear your bladder is ruined. Ive not had the urge to wee all the time. However I had frequency for a couple of years. Basically amounted to wanting to wee again 5 minutes after I had just been. So I have an idea of what it was like for you. That was part of vaginal atrophy. But for some reason the frequency disappeared after my hip replacement 2 years ago. No idea why. Instead Ive got this uretheral urgency problem and the soreness in my urethra often makes me feel like I need to wee even after I have just been or when I dont need to go as well.. The urgency seems like the soreness and burning feeling has gone too far. A lot of it comes on when I get scared and tense and panicky inside. So as I said the urgency is a symptom of my anxiety. With this in mind I am wondering if the phenazoprydine would help me. Having said that, I do have a lot of uretheral burning and soreness regardless of the urgency feelings. I have been on vagifem for about 8 months for vaginal soreness and burning. But my urethra seems to feel sore and uncomfortable most days.

      Thanks for the idea anyway. Much appreciated. Glad it works for you. I just want my life back.

  • cindy80253
    cindy80253 shirley84100

    Posted

    I don't get any urgency whatsoever with that medication it has given me my life back. It can't hurt to try it.

    • shirley84100
      shirley84100 cindy80253

      Posted

      Ok thanks for that Cindy . Great to hear you dont get any urgency at all. As you say, it wouldnt hurt to try it would it, thats if my doctor will give me it. Asked her for some particular medication before that was recommended to me for motion sickness as I have awful dizziness taking off in a plane. It was actually Dr Hilary Jones who recommended the medication for me in a magazine - Fabulous that comes with the Sun on Sunday. I wrote to him at the magazine a couple of months before I saw his reply. Wasnt expecting it to be honest. But Doc wouldnt prescribe me his suggestion. Anyway I can always try your suggestion cant I. Doesnt hurt to try. Thanks again.
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