Tip for anyone with urinary frequency

[kevin]

If you have very significant urinary frequency, like I do, consider doing the following, which significantly reduces my urinary frequency:

(a) Try to put yourself in a setting where you can void at any time. I mean, sit in your room with a plastic container (e.g. the type of portable urinal you can get at your urologist's office) between your legs, so that at any time, you could void. Just go about your work as usual.
(b) Or, alternately, if you have the house to yourself, sit on the toilet for a little while and read a book or something.

I tried this and noticed that my urinary frequency went down significantly while I was doing it. It's as if the conscious knowledge that I am safely able to urinate reduces the need to go. Very weird and unexpected for me.

I don't have an exact explanation for why this happens, but it's certain that the mind/brain can affect bladder sensation significantly. For example, when we're excited or engaged in something, we tend to feel our bladders less. Another example is that hearing running water can make one have to urinate more. This is just the way the nervous system works.

Give it a try and see what happens -- and let me know how the experiment turned out.

[Viking]

At the onset of my symptoms, I used to have some frequency too. Not too bad, but I found that RSA breathing helped tremendously for this.

[boulder]

Very interesting idea, Kevin! Kind of reminds me of some of the behavioral techniques used to overcome paruresis ("shy bladder"): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paruresis

And speaking of paruresis, I see there was some discussion of it on here a while back, concerning statistical anaylsis of comorbid conditions and the like: viewtopic.php?f=37&t=2860&p=14439 Hopefully this will be something a good-sized study will touch on in the future (or if one has already been performed, somebody please point it out).

I have a (continuing) history of paruresis. One of the best things I've done so far for my chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome was quitting a job where I would have to "hold it" for several hours at a time, only to walk into a highly paruretic restroom environment and not be able to go! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that was a major contributing factor to my coming down with CPPS, that was the job I was working when I first noticed symptoms...

OK, I don't mean to hijack this whole thread into paruresis territory, but before I wrap this post up, let me recommend a very informative book about dealing with paruresis: Shy Bladder Syndrome: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Overcoming Paruresis (Paperback)

...and a website/forum much like this one: http://www.paruresis.org Haven't been over there in ages, but I think I'll give it another look soon- could be some useful tips on there...

[Sleeper Service]

What constitutes 'significant' frequency?

[carld]

What constitutes 'significant' frequency?

Good question, I was thinking the same thing.

During the day at work I have to pass urine every 2 hours. I wouldn't really think that's so frequent and if I'm real busy it could be less or if I drink more water in could be more trips to the bathroom.

[Sleeper Service]

Every two hours or so is within the bounds of normallity. Basically it depends more on how much you're voiding and if that's about 200-400ml then you're pretty much normal.

[strobers]

I was reading somewhere that "normal" voiding is six to seven times per day. When I'm having a good day and very distracted I only go every three hours, sometimes more. I went today at 6:30 when I got up and I haven't gone since and it's 10:30. I think the cysto-protek and Aloe Vera tabs that I take have coated my bladder and made me less sensitive to feeling the urine in my bladder.

When I'm in a major flare, I feel the urge to go, all the time. What I do then is void and then make myself wait for two hours minimum before I go again, so as not to condition my body to be going all the time.

[garyholc]

Thankfully my frequency has totally gone. I now only need to go when I get up at 8, when I get home at 5 and then when I go to bed at 11. I don't drink loads during the day, I found stopping tea was the best drink to not drink when having frequency

[24_7]

I only have frequency/urgency problems. I have frequency problems but I've controlled it to an extent. More like I know what to expect and its nothing new (I've been thru worse), and I know it clears up. When I first got this problem, it was really hard understanding it, and flare-ups scared me.

The typical triggers are a bowel movement, or the opposite, being constipated, sometimes stress, caffeine after 5, and/or too much wheat/gluten. I don't know but I've just noticed these as sometimes become the trigger, but not always either.

What helps is activities like eating consistent and healthy, any exercise (hot yoga is best) with little caffeine intake (if caffeine is taken only in morning/early afternoon),. If I did this for a year, I could probably avoid a flare-up experience for good.

I agree that sitting on the toilet and voiding (rather than standing up) helps in times of high frequency and urgency. I just wait until it plays itself out. Sometimes its longer than others. If anyone is at home with me, he/she will think I'm just constipated or taking a long time in the bathroom, but really its that I'm voiding on/off for about 20-30 mins usually after a bowel movement (typically a quick one), which maybe a reaction from caffeine stimulation. After I'm done, usually 10 or 15 mins later after I leave the bathroom, I have to void again, but its a more sizeable amount as I hold it for awhile so that it builds up to get the spasm to reduce. I do this again, right before I go to sleep and the effect is more urine from hold in, but a better feeling after I void, that I really voided everything out. I do put more pressure around the area with fingers and strain, but it works and the area does calm down, before I hit the pillow and I can get an 8 hours without waking up at night. And next morning and day, I'm fine like a normal person.

Another thing I do, which some may find gross, is put an old sock around my penis. So, if I do drip a bit right after I void, it doesn't wet my underwear. Use Febreze and wear comfortable sweat pants. I do thoroughly wash the old sock the next morning with Cheer powder. Too much information I know.

Other times, the night issue isn't there, I get sleep without waking up, but in the morning I void 3 or 4 times (once when waking up, once after flossing, once after shaving, until I hit the shower). That's usually a slightly constipated morning. This much more usual. I take a hot (long) shower and I'm alright for the day, and usually have my bowel in the late morning, and no urine frequency problems afterwards.

My problems aren't everyday now, and usually an at night or early morning issue - the first thing when I wake up. My concern is going on vacations and sharing a hotel with somebody or staying at somebody's house. So far, I'm usually okay when I'm in a new environment for a short period.
I've been lucky. But, I guess I can always say I had stomach problems or something - I'd rather not tell that I have chronic prostatitis.

Another concern is when I get old or if I get handicapped, how would I handle myself. Another health issue I suffer from is dry eye (right eye). Whats strange is I got both problems around the same time (or during the same year). You can imagine what toll it took on me. Its also just recently within the last 6 months or so, that I've learned to control it (with the right stuff - TheraTears flaxseed oil pills with Genteal gel) so that I'm fine during the day. However, before I learned the concoction which was best for me, at times, the pain from dry eye was more of a problem than frequency/voiding. I'm high maintenance alright. But now I feel fine enough that I don't have to buy prescriptions or see specialists for either problem.

Do Aloe Vera tablets help with controlling frequency?