Fluctuating Water Retention?

[Friedbrain]

I don't know what's going on (or why), so would appreciate any and all thoughts.......

Anyone have suggestions for why I might be alternating between water retention and water "sieving" (ha, how's that for a name?)? It seems logical that it would be hormonal, but I have no idea why I would fluctuate diurnally. I know there are others here who, like me, try to increase our water intake and discover that it's like we are a water sieve, with intake and then going to the bathroom constantly.

Well, I have been experiencing "bladder retention" problems, where I have difficulty urinating. It's worse at night, and sometimes for days at a time (staring before ovulation, lasting for about ten days or more). One month, after my period came, I was going to the bathroom every hour, just buckets. It occurred to me that I was going even more than usual, so maybe I'd been retaining water when I wasn't going on TOP of not being able to go. Likewise, the last few days (circa ovulation), it's been retention at night and then I am going to the bathroom every hour during the day.......so fluctuating even across the day.

It seems like not only am I having problems going to the bathroom, but maybe my body is even retaining water; such that when I do have to go later in the morning, I am releasing (body) water all day long.

Does this make sense to anyone?! I drove home from a trip yesterday and it was a NIGHTMARE because I had to stop every hour to go (and it was actually painful....my bladder being super sensitive when sensation kicks back in)

[E Soskis]

I can relate - it is no fun when the bladder is involved. I am also having problems with swelling, water retention, and weight gain. I thought it was related to my frequent plasma exchanges but, the MD's think it is just another joy of dysautonomia. I the past 3-4 weeks, I've gained 15 pounds and lost 13. One day I'm peeing like a racehorse and another, not so much. My feet are swelling some but, my abdomen is quite swollen at times. I get short of breath when I begin to swell. I'm what they call a "retainer" - I retain urine in my bladder. I've also lost sensation and the "urge" to urinate. I can hold over a liter of urine in my bladder and not even know it. I also recently discovered that during one of my hospitalizations, I picked up a chronic bladder infection from a bacteria that is extremely difficult to eradicate. That is not helping my bladder problems and there is no way to get rid of it.

All in all, now that I've tried progressive dysfunction from dysautonomia, I think I would like to find something else to do.......I'm tired of the bladder dysfunction, gastric dysfunction, Raynaud's and neuropathy, and cardiac arrhythmias with vascular dysfunction......Oh well.....we don't get to choose.....have to rely on faith!

[Mytwogirlsrox]

E Soskis-- personal question, but did they set you up with a straight/ intermittent catheter at home?

[Friedbrain]

E Soskis, I appreciate knowing someone else knows what I'm talking about! It's fascinating to know that you are also experiencing trouble with bloating/sieving, retention and lack of sensation. Why?! It makes some sense to me that the difficulty urinating (the actual problem varies and sometimes is in combination, too-difficulty with initiating, stream, and/or complete emptying) and lack of sensation may be related to dysautonomia. Although I'm still trying to tease it apart, there are two nerves that send/retrieve info in the pelvic area, the pelvic nerve and the pudendal nerve, I think. But I only started wondering if my water balance is affected.....I'm not sure how that would fit with the picture. Unless it's kind of a physiological response to the urinary retention (ie, does the body sense that the bladder is not releasing, so it starts simply withholding the water? And then when the bladder's working, the body stops retaining water and whoooooosh?!) But yes, I'm also a "retainer" like you talk about; I thought I was imagining it that I have some difficulty breathing at night when it's at its worst.

I had urinary retention on and off for ys (had to be catheterized in the hospital 10ys ago when I was experiencing a host of neuro problems, and the uro consult said it was probably neuro-related), but only within the year, I've started having problems with lack of sensation. I tried dealing with it by literally setting the timer on my phone to go off every hour. However, the month my dog died, I had lack of sensation combined with complete inability to urinate one morning and ended up going to the ER. That was scary! So, although I'm not E Soskis, to answer your question, Mytwogirlsrox, yes. After the trip to the ER, I went in and learned how to self-catheterize. I'd resisted and resisted, but because of the cost (of an ER visit!) and for peace of mind, I decided I needed to have the ability in case that happened again!!

Fwiw, the uro insisted I have a spastic pelvic floor and that I needed PT (nevermind that when I was in for the visit where she diagnosed this, I was not experiencing symptoms because my period had started). Otoh, interestingly, the PT discovered that when I am lacking bladder sensation, that I am completely lacking feeling in the muscles of my pelvic floor. The uro specialist I saw (an arrogant jerk) refused to speculate why this is (in fact, I'm not even sure he was listening to me; he kept asking if I *leak*, which I do not), so I don't know why yet. He wants me to have urodynamic testing done, which I scheduled but have to wait three months so that it falls during the time when I think I'll be experiencing symptoms (again, this is usually the 2 wks or so around ovulation).

Would love to know why these things are happening to us, E Soskis!

[blueskies]

I was looking through the forum for urinary retention. And found quite a few posts on it. Since Friday morning (Sydney, Australia time) I've been finding it hard to urinate. No stinging or pain. Just not going much and when I do it's a weak stream. It's now Sunday early Sunday morning and none of the usual getting up to pee like a race horse in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning. I'm one of those people who usually can't hold onto fluids and pee them out frequently.

I did take zyrtec and zantac on Friday morning. I was off to the dentist and was wary of allergic reaction if he did any work. So I did this as a precaution. I can remember one of these meds has caused me urinary retention before ( can't remember which one) but only for a half day or so. Nearly 48 hours of this is driving me crazy. As much as I hate the need to urinate frequently, not urinating enough is worse. Any one experience urinary retention because of zyrtec or zantac? The should have left my body by now, anyway.

I'm also constipated. Always am to a lesser or greater degree. Am wondering if my bowel is full and pressing against my bladder somehow and causing my bladder to be partially blocked or something? Was going to try and treat the constipation with a fleet enema (not always successful) but was worried that the slight dehydration it causes would make the urinary problem worse. But am definitely going to try doing it in a couple of hours if my bladder flow has not returned to 'normal.'

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[Alison]

Friedbrain is it a from of neuropathy that causes it - the nerve connection to the brain is not working?

I to make a lot of urine. My bladder quickly fills up and then I am really uncomfortable till I can get to a bathroom

[blueskies]

Well, I'm urinating a bit better now. So whatever it is/was, it seems to be correcting itself. If only my constipation (9 years and still a problem but I'm still here) would do the same.

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