View Full Version : Foamy Urine and a revisit from my old friend health anxiety
Overall, I have been doing pretty well. Living life, enjoying a life mostly devoid of anxiety, even through covid and all the nonsense of the last year.
Well this past week, it all came crashing down. I noticed I had foamy urine. Not super thick foam, but absolutely foamy urine. I went to the doc, and confirmed no UTI. Was sure that's what it was, so I didn't worry at all, until it was confirmed NOT a UTI.
Now I am awaiting results on blood work. My last bloodwork was 15 months ago, also due to covid, but was fine. I tried to do all the things, compartmentalize, avoid google, distract myself, exercise, and the anxiety is rolling in hard. I feel like I am really losing the fight here.
I have googled, I have gone into full catastrophization mode, pretty much assume I have kidney failure, and I feel the walls towering around me.
What's worse is there is no avoiding it. I have to go to the bathroom. Every time I do, there is foam. Every time.
I cannot seem to escape the thought that this can only be protein, and there can only be one cause for it. My logical brain knows this happens, but my illogical brain is a disaster and fully in charge.
Not sure where I am going with this, other than perhaps to vent.
A few things...
Do you have a toilet block in your loo? Or is your toilet being cleaned regularly? (apparently easy way to test this is to pee into a clear container)
Next, this may be a 'thing' with you (maybe you pee really fast) and you've only just noticed?
Dehydration can also cause this. I've noticed that Hub's pee is especially 'foamy' the morning after he's been on the beer. ( I know cus the minger don't always flush innit)
Do you have other, obvious, symptoms?
I try to look at all the logical reasons first, and if you can't make a connection - see your GP and get your pee tested.
Thanks. As far as I can tell I literally have no other symptoms. No edema, no pain, no weird colors to the urine, blood pressure good, not sure about diabetes, but it happens whether I go in the morning or after a ton of water.
It also happens in any toilet i use,, and it is definitely foam. Maybe not to the standard of beer, but a layer that will hang in the toilet for a couple minutes. Been taking hydration seriously.
That said, had blood work done, so should know more on Monday when I hear back.
Thanks
Thanks. As far as I can tell I literally have no other symptoms. No edema, no pain, no weird colors to the urine, blood pressure good, not sure about diabetes, but it happens whether I go in the morning or after a ton of water.
It also happens in any toilet i use,, and it is definitely foam. Maybe not to the standard of beer, but a layer that will hang in the toilet for a couple minutes. Been taking hydration seriously.
That said, had blood work done, so should know more on Monday when I hear back.
Thanks
No other symptoms is very encouraging. Let us know how you go on. :yesyes:
Pamplemousse
23-01-21, 14:14
If it's any comfort, I've had this for something like 15 years and frequent urine tests and tests associated with diabetes have never shown anything untoward.
It is very much a comfort! Always something waiting in the wings for us, but the fact that it has brought back so many old HA habits is probably more disturbing than the actual medical issue causing foamy urine at this point. Worst case scenario is my kidneys are failing, if they are, I will control it as best I can, and deal with it as it comes. In the meantime, just trying to set aside the catastrophizing and worry and not fall into old habits.
What this is really showing me, is that we are never "cured" 100% from HA. It is very much like an addiction or substance abuse problem. You can justify a lot of reasons to google something if you try hard enough, and it comes roaring back.
NotDeadYet
23-01-21, 19:50
What this is really showing me, is that we are never "cured" 100% from HA. It is very much like an addiction or substance abuse problem. You can justify a lot of reasons to google something if you try hard enough, and it comes roaring back.
I would completely agree that HA is never really cured. Our brains become so wired to think and act a certain way that completely ridding it of those connections is almost impossible. I have opted to develop a "friendship" with my HA. Rather than constantly fight it, I just acknowledge its presence and move on.
Pamplemousse
23-01-21, 20:02
It is very much a comfort! Always something waiting in the wings for us, but the fact that it has brought back so many old HA habits is probably more disturbing than the actual medical issue causing foamy urine at this point. Worst case scenario is my kidneys are failing, if they are, I will control it as best I can, and deal with it as it comes. In the meantime, just trying to set aside the catastrophizing and worry and not fall into old habits.
What this is really showing me, is that we are never "cured" 100% from HA. It is very much like an addiction or substance abuse problem. You can justify a lot of reasons to google something if you try hard enough, and it comes roaring back.
Couldn't agree more.
Just a thought: do you drink a lot of diet soda, or recently have done? It seems to make my problem worse.
No, pretty much a water guy. Loads of meds for heart stuff though.
I had to reply to this as I noticed this recently and spiralled, went down the Kidney/Diabetes and other routes.
I then noticed that it seemed to occur within a couple of hours of me taking Prozac??? I just thought I'd mention it as you said your are taking meds for heart stuff.
I also recently started taking beta blockers for a few days and noticed my urine has become darker, almost to a dehyrdrated colour and I am having to drink a lot more for it to clear.
I haven't taken any today and it's been fine so I definitely think medications affect the consistency, foaminess and colour of our urine. I went off Prozac a few weeks ago and the bubbles seem to have calmed quite a bit.
It is an amazing spiral, isn't it? I have very clearly visible, lasting foam. There is no denying it, and I am not imagining it.
Now, that said, in my brief flurrying of google, before I reigned myself in, I read a medical study (yeah, I know, what can I say. When I slip I really go for it I guess lol) talking about foam in urine. It was actually pretty interesting. The thing is, they said right there that only one in three people coming forward with this complaint actually *have* protein in their urine.
But anxiety comes with a fair share of hubris. We never think we are part of the unwashed masses in the "average" or in this case "two thirds" category. We assume we are special, and rare, and have the ultra rare diseases that affect three people a year and can only be caught by licking frogs in the Amazon under a blood moon. We can make exceptions so ridiculous, we can justify having the frog disease and spiral down around it.
That said, one in seven people in the US have or develop kidney disease in their lifetime, so at least my fear is somewhat more proportional this time around I guess.
What this is really showing me, is that we are never "cured" 100% from HA. It is very much like an addiction or substance abuse problem. You can justify a lot of reasons to google something if you try hard enough, and it comes roaring back.
Every human being has anxiety. It's abnormal not to experience anxiety. The reason (I think) HA comes back is because the core issue (death, dying - leaving kids etc) hasn't been addressed. I had HA as a child and that was fear of death itself. Then I had a paranormal experience which changed that - so no more fear of death. Then I became a parent and this time it was the fear of dying and leaving my children motherless and this was my HA for 28 years until my breakdown in 2016. This time, the trigger was my mother dying suddenly. I worked hard with therapists to unravel what was in my mind and I got there, because I've had two major health issues in the last 12 months - one where I was fast-tracked and one which started last September and is on-going. I am anxious and it would be abnormal for me not to be, but there is no crippling fear like before. More than anything, I just want an answer for why I'm in pain so that I can get the right treatment. I've been wondering when the wheels are going to come off, but it's not happened yet. I think this is because I've addressed my HA at core level and then practiced the acceptance that I'm not always going to be here for my son, but that he will be OK without me because other people will step up. Also, I'm teaching him life skills to be able to live on his own - while I'm still here.
I should add that I also have OCD - catastrophic thinking has been my life, but I still found a way to control HA.
I don't like to use the term 100% cured with HA. I see my 'recovery' as work in progress because I have to maintain the good practices and 'thinking' that got me out of the shit I was in.
I also think that I needed to hit the bottom so that I could push myself back up off the floor, so, while I wouldn't recommend having a mental breakdown - it turned out to be a positive for me.
Google, when you have HA, is what Kryptonite to Superman. The key to controlling HA and understanding anxiety and the stress response can also be found in Google, but the HA mind will only ever see what it's looking for - which is terminal disease. This obliterates all else. So it is best to stay away from Google - completely - until your mind is strong enough to be able to rationalise. Do what you have to do - even if that means removing laptops, and changing smart phones to normal ones without access to the internet.
The test is when a health issue arises and you don't fall down that rabbit hole, and, like Elton John - I'm still standing. :yesyes:
You brought me home. Thanks for that.
Everything you said rang very true in my own battle with the dragon.
At the end of the day--and I have come to accept this now--you have a choice. Either the foamy, persistent urine *is* something, in which case, there is nothing to do but deal with it as it comes, or it *isn't* something, and you have wasted days being anxious about nothing. At the end of the day, my biggest regret in battling anxiety over the years has been the absolute lost moments going on around me. If I could go back and get this coping tool into younger me, and tell myself "Hey you little shit, you are missing out on a whole world while you obsess about diseases you don't have."
But alas, that is wasted time too. I am in a better place. Sure, maybe in the back of my mind I am still wondering if I am going to need a kidney transplant one day and crazy thoughts like that, but when you recognize the step in thinking that is happening there, it is easier to reign it back in.
Foamy urine, how I remember ye well
When I was about 13 I had a full blood test for some reason. I was anaemic. From that they wanted a urine sample. From that they told me I had blood and protein in my urine. Is your urine foamy? Well now that you mention it..yes I suppose it is!
I had blood tests and urine tests for months, I had back pains in the kidney area...I had an ultrasound, I had more urine and bloods - it was all gone. They just gave up on it. I'm not convinced my "foam" ever got any less and I was never sure if it was related to the block in the bowl. Its more noticeable in the morning? I probably still have some sort of kidney issue but its never flagged up again so I've just buried my head in the sand (20 years on)
I'm going through some other health issues at the moment thats causing me to freak out (heart related) and I swear I'm noticing the foam more recently! I'm sure its never let up but its funny how these thoughts come flooding back during a bit of a crisis (which may or may not be all in my head)
NessMonster
24-01-21, 17:10
You're allowed to have a moment. It happens and I think it can be a good reminder to pay attention to what's going on for you. I know my healthy anxiety tends to peak when I am have difficulties in other areas of my life or something has happened that's making me feel a little out of control. Maybe it's worth having a think about what else is going on in your life right now that might need attending to.
I hope your results come back fine tomorrow and it's just one of those things in which the body does its quirky little things for absolutely no reason. But you're right that irrespective of what those results are, you can handle it. I don't know you but you sound like a strong person.
Good luck
Thanks! Either way, will deal with it. In a round about fashion, this has been a good reminder not to take the absence of HA for granted. It is also a reminder not to take good health for granted. Enjoy the day, enjoy the hour, the second the minute.
So, had a nice dinner and watching a movie with the wife.
I have to say though, it has made going to the bathroom no fun. ;)
For the sake of future generations, foamy urine still, no change there, but bloods came back perfect. In fact, my kidney function on this test is literally the best it has ever been on any bloodwork. Liver numbers good too. No elevated blood sugar either. Whatever it is, it isn't manifesting in the usual fashion or from the usual reasons.
Giving it a couple weeks, if it doesn't clear up, heading in for a urinalysis. But not stressed anymore, just deal with it as it comes.
Thanks for letting me vent about the HA.
Pamplemousse
27-01-21, 22:11
For the sake of future generations, foamy urine still, no change there, but bloods came back perfect. In fact, my kidney function on this test is literally the best it has ever been on any bloodwork. Liver numbers good too. No elevated blood sugar either. Whatever it is, it isn't manifesting in the usual fashion or from the usual reasons.
Giving it a couple weeks, if it doesn't clear up, heading in for a urinalysis. But not stressed anymore, just deal with it as it comes.
Thanks for letting me vent about the HA.
That's all great news about your bloods :D
TheWorrier2020
04-02-21, 18:40
Had this despite drinking a bunch of water every day and had a urine test for it - came back clear, blood tests (for something unrelated) also came back clean too.
I'm sure I've had this most of my life but it's only since seeing something online that convinced me I was having kidney failure. Got to a point where it was so bad that I was looking at other people's urine to see if it was foamy or bubbly too...yep, not a good look - a clear example of the compulsions HA will get you doing.
Anyways, I still get the foamy urine to date but after having it all checked there's no worries from me! Same as with your tests, you've been checked out and it came back fine - if the doc doesn't feel the need for more tests then don't push for more is my personal belief...just keeps the fears going unnecessarily when you've already been given the all clear.
Hi everyone I have this foamy urine from past 3 years and once I had my blood work done which was normal.
I still have foamy urine and its get more when I am dehydrated.
Anyone found out what's the reason for foamy urine
Still have it, still no other symptoms. I do have cloudy urine as well, but not really worried about it. I am going in for more blood and urine work, as well as my annual heart scans for valve issues and aortic aneurysm. I will make my inquiries regarding the urine, but honestly, as long as I feel good, and have no other symptoms, I am not too worried about it.
itsmedebraj
16-05-21, 03:55
If this helps you mentally then let me tell you... I have been experiencing foamy urine since 2016. Almost everyday. Sometimes it's clear but most of the time it's foamy. Sitting or hitting the sides of the toilet doesn't help. Last week I got my blood works done. Everything came back normal. So I guess it's normal to have foamy urine. But one thing is that drinking plenty of water throughout the day has turned my urine clear. But if you are worrying too much then the best solution is to get tested for your peace of mind. All the best.
Love. D.
Been at this for five months. Generally it is no worry, but I am taking one last test, a 24 hour calcium urine test, this Tuesday. It isn't really a panic reassurance test, but I need to be sure it isn't calcium leaking because I have an aortic valve issue which calcium will really exacerbate and potentially accelerate the pace at which I will need open heart surgery and complicate matters.
Honestly, I am writing it off for the most part. My bloods were fine last time, I feel good, no other symptoms, just foamy urine. What can you do? ;)
Thanks men
You really give me some peace of mind
Uhmm, I guess its not a big deal since foamy urine is cause by having a full bladder. Unless, it has something to do with kidney problems.
Hey,
Foamy urine is fine. My doctor says so too. Its pretty common for men to experience it because we fire off from a distance away and air bubbles get trapped in our urine while travelling and add some agitation to a toilet bowl. Tada, foamy urine. Nothing to worry about. Just get the usual kidney function tests done and you’ll be fine!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Been at this for five months. Generally it is no worry, but I am taking one last test, a 24 hour calcium urine test, this Tuesday. It isn't really a panic reassurance test, but I need to be sure it isn't calcium leaking because I have an aortic valve issue which calcium will really exacerbate and potentially accelerate the pace at which I will need open heart surgery and complicate matters.
Honestly, I am writing it off for the most part. My bloods were fine last time, I feel good, no other symptoms, just foamy urine. What can you do? ;)
Hello my friend, I hope you are fine. Do you still have it?
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.