This post is not an easy one to write. Indeed, I have been thinking about it for a number of weeks – should I or shouldn’t I? Having finally decided, here goes…
Overactive bladder syndrome is a condition that affects between one in six people or up to a quarter of the adult population (depending on the source you look at). It is a condition that has a habit of creeping up on the sufferer until there comes a point where you realise that things aren’t quite normal.
Subconsciously, I started to realise about ten years ago when it became difficult to make the short motorcycle ride to the railway station in the morning without discomfort. I cannot remember what it was like before that. While staying in Tunisia in January 2001, a forty minute walk along the beach became an uncomfortable endurance until we could reach Sousse, a cafe and, thankfully a toilet. Mrs L simply commented at the time that this was a male thing as her father was much the same as he grew older – and here’s the rub; sufferers assume incorrectly that this is an age thing. It isn’t. As time went on, journeys would be made around motorway services – a behaviour referred to by the medical profession as toilet mapping and any trip out would be viewed with concern about access to toilet facilities. At best, I could manage about an hour – at worst, I would be making a dash every twenty minutes.
It was in 2003, during a ride through France with my sister when things came to a head. With her customary frankness, she remarked, “You’ve got a problem. See a doctor” I did. Not that this ultimately helped over much. The medical profession understand what happens but no one knows precisely what causes it. The specialist at Southmead hospital told me pretty much what I’d already found out for myself. There followed various tests including flexible cystoscopy. Now that was an experience. The nurse who prepared me for the procedure advised that I would experience “some mild discomfort”. If by that, one means having to peel me from the ceiling when the consultant shoved a great big tube up my urethra, then, yes, I experienced some mild discomfort.
The end result of all of this was; nothing found. There was nothing obviously physically wrong – so it was back to the basics; bladder training and kegel exercises. I was also prescribed medication to help control the detruser muscle’s urge to contract. However, this caused side effects including headaches. The cure, unfortunately, was worse than the problem it was trying to solve, so I stopped taking them.
A couple of years ago, I called in on an erstwhile colleague. It turned out that he, too, was a sufferer. Coffee, he told me, aggravated the condition. He switched to decaffeinated and it helped. During the past couple of years, I have explored the dietary approach. I cut out not only coffee (a diuretic), but anything that includes caffeine, which irritates the bladder. Acidic foods can also be a problem. Orange juice, for example. Isn’t it always the way? Nothing hits the spot first thing in the morning like a cold orange juice. What you like is always the thing that you end up having to cut out. I tried switching my morning coffee and orange juice to apple juice. The outcome was almost dramatic. No longer am I waiting uncomfortably for a break in proceedings before making a quick dash to the toilet. No longer do I have to carefully plan journeys around motorway services. Indeed, things are pretty much back to normal – not perfect, by any means, but certainly manageable.
Another foodstuff that people claim may have an adverse effect is tomatoes, but this one seems to make no difference to me. So, if you are a sufferer, I can only suggest exclusion of various likely foodstuffs until you identify the one(s) giving you problems.
There is no cure, despite those tempting Internet sites that claim otherwise. If there was a miracle cure, up to a quarter of the adult population would be well aware of it and deeply grateful.
So, on balance, things are not perfect. I still get bad days, but overall, the condition is under control and I am managing it. Hopefully, sharing this will help others do likewise – if you do suffer from an overactive bladder, you are not alone.
“Now that was an experience. “
You have a way with words… 🙂
Still, look on the bright side – as a chap, you are at least equipped to ‘go’ anywhere!
.-= ´s last blog ..Sunday Funnies… =-.
That’s more than interesting. Drop the coffee, eh? Hope you’ve got the thing where you want it. It’s not a laughing matter, though it might sound like it.
.-= ´s last blog ..[anything we do] magnify by 200 in china =-.
For what it is worth (I’ve already revealed myself in your pp as an exercise-nut & megalomaniac), in addition to exercises I’ve been running a half-mile or mile per day since the Spring, just to wake up my heart-rate before doing any of the floor-work, press-ups, crunches, and also pull-ups — and, so help me Hannah, this non-stop piss-business has virtually completely (!) gone by the board.
Before that, and now for a year or so, I’ve regularly been taking a capful or so of apple (sic) vinegar (MUY acidoso, senor!) in /every/ tumbler of water, and three-four of these daily, it seemed to help then, and perhaps now synergises wirh the running part…quien sabe?
I Eat Meat Muchly & All The Other Horrid Things just as always, so all the best, and I do agree, more than two cups of coffee in the ack-emma is simply Loo City!
I’ve never come across the syndrome. It appears to be the opposite of water retention and in that respect, perhaps increasing your salt intake (provided you don’t suffer hypertension or heart disease) might help.
Do you imbibe a large amount of potassium?
I do take in a fair bit of salt. Interestingly, one of the Internet “wonder cures” I came across is to reduce salt. The theory being that the fluid retention causes irritability.
I’m a dabbler, partly because I’ve never really trusted ‘conventional’ experts.
E.g., after a nasty bout of encephalitis, my doc said I should avoid all activity, get complete bed rest and that I’d be lucky if I ever regained neurological health. After a month of absolutely no progress, I got out of bed and went to work – a wreck! The next day, I was at least 20% better. So I continued to exert myself. I returned to normal within three months.
I can cite many such examples. My point is that sometimes you just have to try something which goes against conventional wisdom.
If the cause of your condition is bladder irritation, try cranberry juice?
Yup, cranberry juice is good. It’s not so readily available in France, though…
Whether the cause is purely irritation is another matter. In the early days I was asked to measure urine output. The average adult bladder will hold around 300 – 400ml. I’m busting at 150 – 200ml. This seems to be a fairly typical reaction for someone with OAB. Now, on a bad day, I’ll pass that amount twenty minutes apart, which suggests that it is also about the flow of urine as well as the bladder itself. Cutting out the coffee – a diuretic – eased that one considerably.
I’ve suffered from this for years, and an ongoing kidney stone problem (due, I think, to hard London water) doesn’t make things easier as one grows older.
I find your post most helpful – especially the advice to give up coffee and orange juice and drink apple juice instead. I’ll certainly try that, and also Emmett’s suggestion of a spoonful of cider vinegar in a glass of water. I also drink cranberry juice.
Incidentally, I recently had a comprehensive week-long diet analysis at my local renal clinic, and to my surprise was told to eat less spinach as it apparently forms acidic crystals. I’d always thought it was A1 healthy. Also chocolate is bad: one lives and learns!
Sounds like we are a bunch of old crocks… Still, the advice is freely given and hopefully will help. The general advice of an exclusion diet is another way forward if the coffee/orange juice thing doesn’t work.
I don’t think you are an old crock yet, though I, at nearly 82, definitely am. One comfort I’ve found is that there’s no ageism among top NHS consultants: they take as much care of me as if I was 30 years younger. (Although a rather eccentric GP we had some years ago did say she thought everyone should be put down when they reached 70!)