Urine Flow... a little personal, but....

I love those embarising symptoms. I just strated having bladdar problems, it started with having a hard time getting it all out. And has now it has turned into Bladdar Spasms they are so painful.

They say for me it is all Nuerological, I do have lesions in my spine. It feels like having a UTI all the time its so painful.  Sorry not really any answers here just lettin you know I feel the pain.

StutterBug: 'Irritable bladder' is one of the many Lyme symptoms. On the lists on which I've found this listed, it is defined by trouble starting and stopping. Sudden urgent need to relieve. Altho I rarely have sudden needs to relieve myself, the feeling of need often pops up when there is no reason to.

But mostly, difficulty starting is the problem I'm having. This can also be caused by amiltryptaline (spelling?). Unless I have actually guzzled tons of water, I will sit there, often for minutes, before being able to start. And if I really need to empty all I can, like at bedtime, I have to sit there a LONG time and concentrate hard on the ability to squeeze it all out.

And, like you, Stutterbug, it is most often a piddly little stream and kind of bit by bit.

Lyme MD has a post on his blog about Lyme and the bladder.

Go to lymemd.blogspot.com and put interstitial cystitis in the search box at the upper left.

The bladder symptoms do get better with treatment.

Stutterbug, There is should be no shame is discussing bodily functions here as long as they are to share and learn about Lyme related issues. We all pee etc..........

Before I began treatment 2 1/2 years ago I had to get up several times a night to urinate and also had to go several times a day. The feeling was urgent most of the time with little urine being produced. I believe it was irritible bladder from Lyme and co-infections because his all gradually stopped and got better as time went on with treatment. A few years prior I did have a stone.

+Lyme, Elavil (amnitripoline) is an antidepressant so it does depress and slow down all of the systems in the body and can cause this but I would check further -just in case.

The fact the urine production increases as one stand leads me to think that perhaps it is due to some kind of blockage (maybe a stone) and you should get that checked. Our kidneys are our filters--we are in big trouble if we can't get the waste out properly.

Blessings

Cajun

Was it cystoscopy? I refused also. Good for you. I did my research and found they can cause infection and pain and decided it was not necessary and luckily I eventually found a urologist who agreed with me. Most of the "experts" also say cystoscopy is not necessary.

Well, you all have left me with no choice but to admit to having all of those sx (but no stones) at one time or another. **Blush, blush**

The different sx keep changing order, but are continually rotating. Makes it real hard to go anywhere, I never know what to expect!!

I agree with RD - and I think I'm a lot closer than I want to admit!!

I have a ton of experience with this sort of thing.  For me it was diagnosed as "neurogenic bladder".  I suspect you all may have something similar especially if you have neuro-lyme. 

The not being able to go is called retention.  It can cause urine to be kept in your bladder too long and can result in frequent bladder infections (UTIs).  It can't be a good thing to have constant UTIs when you are trying so hard to fight chronic lyme infections.  I no longer have UTIs because I have acidified my urine with cranberry extract.  This creates a nasty environment for bacteria in the urine.  There are no side effects for me.  I just take a supplement once a day.

The other option is to learn to self catheterize.  If you can empty that bladder completely a couple times a day, then you won't get as many UTIs. 

I hope this helps.  Good luck with your fight to defeat lyme!!!

I have not yet looked up all these things that some of you have posted about, but want to add this. My mother had repeated UTIs and kidney infections most of her adult life.  I've always feared for her kidneys and now she has just one.  Dr's never told her what was causing this (could just be bad kidneys), but one Dr told her she was not completely emptying her bladder, which leaves a little in there all the time, suseptible to infection.  He told her to relieve herself, then sit there 5 min and try to go again, at least a couple of times. To my knowledge this has helped her a lot.  Along w/ her cranberry juice daily, and often plain cranberries.

I figured out that I had been doing this already out of need, mostly at bedtime.  Because I got tired of relieving myself, getting up and getting in bed, then feeling like getting up and going again, sometimes several times before I could stop and go to sleep.  You will laugh, but my last pee of the day usually takes me about 20 minutes! (I use that time to read, usually).  I believe that this has kept me from getting infections, I think I've only had 2 in my life, none went to my kidneys. 

This is too personal, but maybe will help others.  about 5 times, I 'empty', then sit a few minutes and squeeze out a little more. Takes a lot of concentration on those muscles!  Somehow I can tell when it's all gone enough and I can finally go to bed and not have to get right back up.

And about the Amiltryp -- It is also precribed for bedwetting, because it makes it more difficult to empty the bladder.  So kids that have the problem of involuntarily emptying their bladder in the nite, depending on the reason, amiltryp often helps them, at least until the problem resolves.