| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| whitehead |
Posted - 03/19/2010 : 14:53:02
I saw an urologist for frequent urination symptoms. He found that my prostate wasn't enlarged and disagnosed urination symptoms as prostititis (even though I had no prostititis pain). Has anybody had success treating frequent urination/prostitius as TMS? Thanks. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| whitehead |
Posted - 04/05/2010 : 15:39:52
I want to 'bump' this thread up -- in case anybody else has anything to add about frequent urination. The posts I've read so far have been very helpful. Last night I had a bad night -- up every ten minutes for a while! But, the day before was filled with some anxiety about me gaining weight so maybe that's the cause. Still, it's powerful when a urologist says you have 'a bacterial infection' and that's what's causing the frequent urination. (note that he didn't find any prostate enlargement which is a typical physical cause of frequent urination for a guy my age). The doctor wouldn't even listen to my thought that it might just be anxiety or side effects from meds I take -- he actually cut me off. His solution, by the way, was to switch to a diet he invented -- no caffiene, including no choclate, no alchol and no spicey food. He's actually written a self-published book about it. I found him kind of arrogant and one person on the web reviewed his book as an 'ego-trip'. |
| whitehead |
Posted - 03/31/2010 : 15:18:22
hkp, just read your post just after posting mine. Big thanks on this -- your experience was so close to mine, including that getting up every 20-30 minutes! You've given me some valuable support --thanks, Joe |
| whitehead |
Posted - 03/31/2010 : 15:13:52
walnut wrote:
"My frequent urination got better when I stopped paying so much attention to it and stopped fearing it."
Thanks, walnut. 'stop paying attention, stop fearing it' was what happened with my back pain after seeing a TMS M.D. So, it should be the same with frequent urination.
With pain syndromes, Sarno says to abandon all physical approaches (which has worked for me with my back pain).
So maybe I should do the same thing with my frequent urination symptoms. Which would mean to ditch approaches like 'drink more water' 'do kegels' 'eat cranberries' etc. since those are all physical approaches. ??? Or, should frequent urination be treated both physically and mentally? But doesn't that contradict the basic TMS recommendation to avoid the physical and go with the psychological?
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| hkp |
Posted - 03/31/2010 : 14:59:36
Hi Joe:
I used to visit and post here often back a few years ago when I was dealing with the whole frequent urination thing. It's been a while now, but sometimes I read the forum for reminders and inspiration, but I really felt like I needed to post on this topic.
Like you and Jamie, I found this to be an incredibly distressing and frustrating symptom. At its worst point, I was up to the toilet every 20-30 minutes; afraid to take long car rides, the whole thing. I also had quite a bit of pain.
I am also convinced, that for me, this was TMS. I have to admit, I took a hybrid approach to solving the problem. I found the right Dr. She was not a TMS doc, but was very well-versed in mind-body medicine, and she referred me to a physical therapist for biofeedback. Hooked up to the machine, I could physically SEE the tension level in my pelvic muscles, and how the tension released with relaxation and deep breathing exercises.
I also took Dr. Schubiner's advice and signed up for mindfulness meditaion classes. At first I found it almost impossible to sit still! Then gradually over a few months, I became more mindful of whn I was gettting anxious, panicky, tense, etc. and could start to breathe or meditate my way back down.
Lastly, like walnut said, I think one of the best things you can do is to condition yourself not to CARE when the symptoms crop up. Just let them be. i think Dr. Sarno discusses this concept quite a bit. If you find yourself starting to limit your life and activities, try to gently nudge yourself back into them.
Nowadays, about 2 years later, I still have my frequent U days, but they are far less frequent, and don't interfere with my life anymore. THe pain is gone, too.
But I'm a TMS lifer, of course, and still get other symptoms that bug me. It's a process!
Anyway, I hope this was helpful. I think everyone has to come up with the right "healing formula" for themselves. All the best!
hkp |
| walnut864 |
Posted - 03/30/2010 : 21:28:44
Ive had prostatis a few times. I never took the antibiotics they offered me and got better. My PSA levels have been elevated for a few years now and I am now 29 years old.
I asked the doc why the levels were elevated and he said he did not know. I dont think the levels have increased but are just elevated. So, im not sure what to think about the whole psa test. I have not had prostatitis in well over a year or maybe 2 years. I havent had frequent urination in maybe a year. I do occasionally once in awhile get a pain in my urethra, epididymis or the levator ani muscle. Doesnt last long though. The epididymis pain is always present when I have some sciatica or lets me know sciatica my pop up for an hour or so.
The levator ani pain and the urethra pain are always stinging and cramping pains that will come briefly once in a few months.
My frequent urination got better when I stopped paying so much attention to it and stopped fearing it. |
| Sam908 |
Posted - 03/30/2010 : 16:49:12
My urologist referred me to his nurse/technician, who is a certified bladder retraining instructor, for help with my frequent urination problem. More effective than the Kegels, biofeedback and timing of bathroom breaks, which she covered, was her advice to DRINK A LOT MORE WATER, in order to increase my bladder capacity. Since I've been drinking much more water, I've found that my bladder holds more urine and my bathroom visits have come farther and farther apart, and hence are fewer, even during the night. |
| DrGUID |
Posted - 03/30/2010 : 03:15:05
I have no doubt that urination problems are a major symptom of TMS. I had a lot of this when I was a kid, but now I get other symptoms.
Eating plenty of cranberries helps with problems in this area as it seems to kill of minor infections that may be present. |
| whitehead |
Posted - 03/29/2010 : 14:20:53
Jamie - thanks for your reply. As of late, thinking of the symptom as TMS (and keeping in mind that 'conditioning' idea offered by a previous poster) seemed to control it more, but then the symptoms came back full force on an evening when I was very stressed out over some emotional matters that happened during the day.
To me, that suggests that emotions are the cause, not any disease state. |
| n/a |
Posted - 03/27/2010 : 08:30:53
Urination issues are my most distressing physical symptom, but I have urgency/pain and constant sensitivity on top of the frequency. I have been diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, but that's really yet another one of those useless wastebasket categories that means they can't find anything wrong with you and so believe it could be an inflammation of the bladder lining (funny how many of these symptoms seem to be caused by some sort of "mystery inflammation" if you ask doctors).
I actually don't wake up at night very often (0-1 time), my problems are during the day. Claire Weekes, whose book I just finished, briefly mentions urination as one the body's responses as part of the fight-or-flight pattern (which fits into the idea of anxiety causing them, or I guess perhaps repressed emotion if you follow the pure Sarno language).
I am trying to ignore the food restrictions recommended for IC (as well as my IBS issues and supposed "food sensitivities" that were "confirmed" by a rather unreliable ig4 allergy test) and convince myself that the cause of the symptoms is mental. So far, my success has been mixed.
I try to live my life and ignore the symptoms, but I am not really sure what to do at this point. I have continued to work full-time, travel, go to restaurants or the movies, etc etc, so in terms of practical things, what more can I really do? I try not to obsess about the symptoms and to accept them as best as possible (e.g. I don't spend time researching solutions 24/7 or read online boards all day or the like).
I just recently started seeing a therapist to explore the anxiety angle (as some of you may remember, talking to a TMS-specialized therapist for several sessions had no impact and he really didn't know what to do with me by the end). I've talked in a separate thread about the things that make me angry and/or stress me out. |
| whitehead |
Posted - 03/20/2010 : 16:36:30
RageSooth -- Thanks! This author's frequent urination advice makes perfect ' TMS sense.' I'm going to try this tonight. Thanks for responding -- it really helps.
-- Joe |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 03/20/2010 : 16:32:15
Yes, I too was getting up 7 -8 times a night. Just once now, but that is normal for me.
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| RageSootheRatio |
Posted - 03/20/2010 : 12:59:56
I saw a book recently in a store about "fibromyalgia" by a fibromyalgia expert and almost passed it by, but something about "sleeping" caught my eye and I thought .. what could it hurt to have a quick peak?? So I did!!
Interestingly, the author DID discuss frequent urination at night (one of my annoying symptoms) and he said it was just CONDITIONING !!! He said if you woke anyone up at night and asked if their bladder was full they would probably say yes! He said if one awoke in the night, just to tell one's bladder that "this is the time to sleep... not to get up ...that is for the morning when we get up." And then he said, just go back to sleep!!
This approach has actually been helping me !! |
| whitehead |
Posted - 03/20/2010 : 12:23:49
Patis -- I should have said night time urination. Getting up 7-8 times -- not fun!
Shawnsmith -- thanks for sharing. That others have had the same protititis/frequent urination symptoms and gotten over them makes me optimistic.
Anybody else have a story similar to Shawnsmith's?
Thanks, Joe |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 03/19/2010 : 18:58:44
Yeah, I was diagnosed with that. Frequent urination now under control. |
| patils |
Posted - 03/19/2010 : 15:58:53
quote:
Originally posted by whitehead
I saw an urologist for frequent urination symptoms. He found that my prostate wasn't enlarged and disagnosed urination symptoms as prostititis (even though I had no prostititis pain). Has anybody had success treating frequent urination/prostitius as TMS? Thanks.
So what is issue ? Person should worry only when urination has been stopped.
Frequest urination is good thing. You might be drinking a lot water.
I too go for frequent urination but I have not noticed anything abnormal.
Check your bloodsugar level. |
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