Overactive bladder frustration
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi, I'm a 31 y/o female and I've been suffering from overactive bladder for 6 years. I sit up all night straining to go, which has just caused more problems. I miss a lot of work because I don't get enough sleep. Lifestyle changes haven't helped. The dr prescribed me Oxybutynin but the reviews are horrible and I'm scared to try it. (Yes I know everyone has different experiences) Can anyone suggest anything other than the obvious? I can't keep living like this.
1 like, 3 replies
Middlechild79 Lucky121
Posted
Oh I feel for you. I am a 37 year old female with OAB for over 3 years. In the last 6 months, I feel like I finally got my bladder under control again but it was a several year process. I took Oxybutynin Extended Release for years and it worked so well for me! I had no side effects beside dry mouth in the beginning. I would encourage you to try medication if diet and lifestyle changes haven't worked at all. Another major thing I did was pelvic floor physical therapy. It helped so much with urgency and frequency. During pelvic floor rehab, the therapist did electrostimulation which works to "reset" the nerve signals from your bladder. I can't say enough good things about pelvic floor PT. Please consider it if you haven't tried it. Also, I initially took Nortriptyline (in same class as Amitriptyline) at night to help me sleep through because the constant urge to pee woke me up all night. From the first dose, I slept through the night. I am now off all medications but I needed them to get my bladder under control when it first went crazy. I now take pumpkin seed oil supplements and use cypress essential oil applied over the bladder when I need it. My bladder still acts up when I am stressed or nervous about something. If medication doesn't work for you, there is sacral nerve stimulation which is an implant device that regulates the bladder. That of course would be a last resort. I noticed you said you are staying up all night straining to go. Don't strain! So bad for the pelvic floor and bladder. Why are you having to strain? Do you feel like you are retaining urine and not able to empty completely? If so, see your doctor for a post void residual ultrasound to see if you are retaining too much. For a long time I felt like I was emptying my bladder but the ultrasound confirmed that I was. Let me know if I can help in any way. I've been where you are and it's such a desperate, lonely feeling.
Lucky121 Middlechild79
Posted
You got that right, it is a desperate and lonely feeling.
Thank you so much for responding! I saw a pelvic floor PT and she did find a lot of pelvic tightness. I haven't heard of electrostimulation, I'll have to ask if she can do that. I strain because right after going I feel like I never went but my ultrasound showed I'm emptying just fine. (I do feel like a lot of this is mental now unfortunately. The physical therapist suggested a behavioral management counselor so I had my second appt with him tonight.) What dose of the Oxy were you on? I got prescribed 5mg, once before bed time. I haven't heard of pumpkin or cypress oils either, I'll definitely have to check those out!
clivealive Lucky121
Posted
I do hope you manage to find an answer soon and wish you well.