Difficulty peeing when very anxious

[Emc]

Embarrassing problem but I wanted to know if anyone else has/is experiencing the same.
I’m a 30yo female. I’ve had 2 babies by vaginal delivery. Like a lot of mummies I’ve had occasional leaks of urine since, usually when sneezing for example & haven’t thought anything of it.
However about 3 weeks ago now I noticed an episode in work & for whatever reason it completely freaked me out & I started panicking about cancer & spinal injuries causing it.
Since then i’vE had constant issues with my bladder - need to go all the time right now, more leaks than i’ve Ever had before. Gp treated for UTI initially but no bacteria ever grown.
The frequency & urgency have settled a lot but I have a constant uncomfortable sensation in my bladder/urethra & feel like I’m leaning all the time - sometimes when I check there is a little drop, other times i’n Completely dry.
I’ve seen a gynaecologist who thinks it’s an ok beractive bladder linked to anxiety but I just wanted to see if anyone else has had the Sam problem. I’m desperate for it to go away & the more I think about it the more it seems to bother me.
My mum & sister both say that they probably leak drops of urine at times without even realising it but I just don’t know.
Thoughts?

[Bittersweet05]

Hi. I understand where you coming from. I had bout of ibs the other week with fever etc. No i started with discharge. Went to dr Thursday. Said could be part of menopause and anxiety. I kept running to bathroom yesterday. Did home test for uti which came out positive. I too have bladder leakage and really had for years. Part of menopause. Still is driving my health anxiety high. We have to stop dwelling in our health anxiety. But i know i can say that but i can't do it. I hope all works out with you. Sorry i needed someone to talk to. I was told after children normal to have leakage.

[Emc]

It’s now coming up on a month since I started having problems with my bladder. Initially treated for UTI with 2 courses abx - never any growth on testing. Symptoms still ongoing. I have a constant need to pee - literally all day long. I’m trying to force myself to wait but i’m Only managing half an hour at a time before i’m Convinced i’m Going to leak. I am having some small leaks which seem to correspond with how anxious I am. Evenings are better. At night I wake to pee maybe twice but that could also be because my son has been quite unsettled the last few nights. The urgency never seems as bad during the night. I have a constant pressure feeling in my bladder with some urethral burning from time to time.
Gp has started medication for an overactive bladder but i’m Scared to take it because i’m Worried it will make me unable to pee at all. I’ve had an ultrasound which didn’t show retention at that stage but I can’y Shift the worry.
Anxiety seems to settling a bit - sleep is improving, appetite is returning & I feel less panicky but still the pee problems carry on which is making me worry a bit. Surely if it was anxiety driven it would settle with the anxiety? Or maybe me asking that question means i’m Still anxious ...
help?

[Fishmanpa]

The fact you're posting affirms you're still anxious about this. Remember...


Anxiety is like a campfire. When you're in the midst of a spiral the fire is burning bright and hot. When the flames die down, there's still a bed of red hot coals burning away just waiting for some more fuel. You may not feel anxious but your body is still on high alert and has a bed of hot anxiety coals inside just waiting to flare up. Just like a campfire, the hot coals of anxiety take a long time to finally go out.

If you have meds to help, take them. It's irrational to think they'll stop you from going all together :lac: Hope you feel better soon.

Positive thoughts

[Sophs50522]

I agree, They will really help you. Some people say OAB meds are really life changing. They are only usually needed for a short amount of time to let your bladder heal and get back to normal functioning order. I hope they work for you!

[Emc]

I’ really gutted. I was having a better day today - managing to go longer between toilet trips, less anxious. Went to the shopping centre & leaked while I was there - the first definite leak in a few days. I’m now panicking this means there is a genuine serious physical cause 😢😢😢

[Fishmanpa]

Have you been taking the meds?

Positive thoughts

[Emc]

Yes but I know they take a while to work ...
it’s more I had convinced myself that I wasn’t ill & that it was all down to anxiety & that maybe the icontinence wasn’t even happening but it is 😢

[Emc]

Hi all;
So i’ve Been contributing to a very lengthy post for a while now regarding ongoing urinary symptoms i’m having. I’ve started this separate post because I know the main one is a bit intimidating at this point & because I’ve developed a slightly different issue now that I was wondering if anyone else experiences?

I’m incredibly fixated on my bladder & feel the urge to go pretty much all the time. As a consequence i’m Passing small volumes most of the time. One thing i’ve Noticed lately though is that when i’m Very panicked I find it difficult to pee at all. Like i’ll be desperate to go but literally can only trickle drops or have to squeeze to get anything out. Yet the minute the anxiety starts to break I can usually wee a really good volume yhay’s Clearly not been able to be passed when i’m Very bad.

I feel it’s probably similar to people not being able to wee in public places but I was wondering if anyone else has the same problem?

[cattia]

Hi Emc. I know you already know about my many urinary symptoms, but this is a relatively new one for me. I have found that over the past couple of weeks, it takes me ages to start going when I sit down on the loo, even if I feel like I'm very desperate. I think it's a pelvic floor issue because I feel like I kind of have to work out how to use the right muscles if that makes sense? It's been bad for a couple of weeks but then the past few days it's been much better. I think this is what they mean by hesitancy? Am I right in thinking you're taking medication for overactive bladder? I think this can definitely cause hesitancy.

[hanshan]

Hi Emc - Inability to pass urine for psychological reasons (usually in public places) is called paruresis. It may be helpful if you check out the websites of the United Kingdom Paruresis Trust https://www.ukpt.org.uk/ and the International Paruresis Association https://paruresis.org/

[Elen]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Elen