Snapdragon75
15-06-17, 20:31
Hi all, hope you don't mind the wall of text but I needed to share and see if anyone can help!
I'm a 29 year old female with a history of slight health anxiety that has been really well under control the past year.
Last year I had an episode where I thought I was about to get told off by my boss - and whilst I kind of was, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. Anyway I scared myself so much that I actually wet myself. Thankfully they didn't notice it and I managed to sort myself out.
I managed to push this situation to the back of my mind and forget about it and it hasn't been a problem - until now.
I've recently started learning to drive again and I noticed that whenever my instructor uses his dual controls and brakes, I get that 'stomach dropping' sensation along with the sensation that I'm going to pee. I never have, but in my most recent lesson I was feeling really ill and didn't drive well and experienced that feeling a lot more.
Of course when I got home I freaked out that there was something really wrong and I was going to pee in my instructor's car.
I did ok for a few days but had a bit of an irritable bladder. Then last Tuesday, the day before my next driving lesson, I noticed that I was needing a wee a lot. I was sat in my chair at work and thought 'Jesus, if I don't tense my pelvic floor muscles I'm actually going to pee my pants'. I stood up and all of a sudden it overcame me - it was like my bladder was contracting and how I didn't wet myself god only knows. I went to the bathroom, stayed in there until I could get picked up, and went to see a GP.
He tested my urine and all was fine, felt my belly - all fine. Not pregnant, no UTI, no diabetes, just anxiety and an overactive bladder. I've been given 40mg of beta blockers for two months to see how I go with them.
This was last week and I haven't been in work since - I took some days off and have just been on holiday. The needing to pee feeling is nearly always constant which is irritating but I can live with it (although it does go away after a few alcoholic drinks!) However if something takes me by surprise, I get the whole 'oh my god I'm going to pee myself' feeling. It's like my bladder or pelvic floor muscles have gone into spasm and I can't control them. (Fwiw I have very tight pelvic floor muscles which I feel may be making this situation worse.)
I flew back from my holiday this afternoon and I had to be felt down as the metal detector went off - I really had to fight the urge for my bladder to contract and just let go. It's complete 'flight or fight' but over really silly things! I'm not even scared of flying!
I'm now so worried that this is going to be my life - that if something makes me anxious I'm going to wet myself. I have no idea how to get over it and how to start dealing with it. It seems so crazy that it just came out of nowhere! I believe it's associated with the driving because it genuinely scares me but now the anxiety has become coupled with this irritable bladder I don't know how to get over it. The beta blockers aren't doing much other than making me very sleepy, so I'm going to revisit my doctor next week.
If anyone has any experience with this 'urge incontinence' I'd be ever so grateful to hear what has helped you.
tl;dr: my anxiety has all of a sudden become coupled with an irritable bladder and I feel like I'm going to wet myself if even the tiniest thing takes me by surprise.
I'm a 29 year old female with a history of slight health anxiety that has been really well under control the past year.
Last year I had an episode where I thought I was about to get told off by my boss - and whilst I kind of was, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. Anyway I scared myself so much that I actually wet myself. Thankfully they didn't notice it and I managed to sort myself out.
I managed to push this situation to the back of my mind and forget about it and it hasn't been a problem - until now.
I've recently started learning to drive again and I noticed that whenever my instructor uses his dual controls and brakes, I get that 'stomach dropping' sensation along with the sensation that I'm going to pee. I never have, but in my most recent lesson I was feeling really ill and didn't drive well and experienced that feeling a lot more.
Of course when I got home I freaked out that there was something really wrong and I was going to pee in my instructor's car.
I did ok for a few days but had a bit of an irritable bladder. Then last Tuesday, the day before my next driving lesson, I noticed that I was needing a wee a lot. I was sat in my chair at work and thought 'Jesus, if I don't tense my pelvic floor muscles I'm actually going to pee my pants'. I stood up and all of a sudden it overcame me - it was like my bladder was contracting and how I didn't wet myself god only knows. I went to the bathroom, stayed in there until I could get picked up, and went to see a GP.
He tested my urine and all was fine, felt my belly - all fine. Not pregnant, no UTI, no diabetes, just anxiety and an overactive bladder. I've been given 40mg of beta blockers for two months to see how I go with them.
This was last week and I haven't been in work since - I took some days off and have just been on holiday. The needing to pee feeling is nearly always constant which is irritating but I can live with it (although it does go away after a few alcoholic drinks!) However if something takes me by surprise, I get the whole 'oh my god I'm going to pee myself' feeling. It's like my bladder or pelvic floor muscles have gone into spasm and I can't control them. (Fwiw I have very tight pelvic floor muscles which I feel may be making this situation worse.)
I flew back from my holiday this afternoon and I had to be felt down as the metal detector went off - I really had to fight the urge for my bladder to contract and just let go. It's complete 'flight or fight' but over really silly things! I'm not even scared of flying!
I'm now so worried that this is going to be my life - that if something makes me anxious I'm going to wet myself. I have no idea how to get over it and how to start dealing with it. It seems so crazy that it just came out of nowhere! I believe it's associated with the driving because it genuinely scares me but now the anxiety has become coupled with this irritable bladder I don't know how to get over it. The beta blockers aren't doing much other than making me very sleepy, so I'm going to revisit my doctor next week.
If anyone has any experience with this 'urge incontinence' I'd be ever so grateful to hear what has helped you.
tl;dr: my anxiety has all of a sudden become coupled with an irritable bladder and I feel like I'm going to wet myself if even the tiniest thing takes me by surprise.