Peeing, urination, etc

[Binxybop]

So I have a peeing question...

Just last night I had to go the bathroom 6 times in about a 7 hour period. I would wake up desperate to go for a pee. I was passing about 1/4 pint everytime I went. I haven't been drinking anything different or more than usual, but I have been having a lot of trouble with the crohns in my large bowel. Lots of pain and discomfort, unable to sleep on certain sides.

I have been having bad night sweats too, but I am on Pred and I am thinking they must be due to the drugs.

I regularly wake up at about 5am (bang on the dot usually! ) desperately needing to pee and this has been normal for me for a while now, but def not 6 times in the same night!

Have any of you guys ever had any issues with needing to pee alongside crohns symptoms?

Been concerned that there is some swelling and it might be pressing on the bladder or something like that?

Also, i'm definitely not pregnant. I finished being on my "ladies" 4 days ago.

[merrywidow]

are you sleeping on your front? as your insides maybe pushibng against your bladder.
it dont sound like cystitus as you only pee a little bit and have to go every 15 mins or so.
you say you havent eaten anthing different, but did you eat anything with a high salt content? as your body will be trying to "flush" this out of your system

[Binxybop]

I think I tend to to rotate a bit when I sleep, but will ask the fella to have a quick look for how I sleep and if it is on my front.

I am cutting down on the old salt at the mo as have read it makes weight gain worse with the prednisone, creating water retention, so I'm having less than normal.

It's all a bit of a mystery

[tamesis]

Any pain/burning when peeing, or does it have a foul odor to it? It could be a bladder infection.

[NatalieMT]

I have exactly the same problem - came on after my last colonoscopy last October oddly. I get up around 8 times a night to pee. The urge wakes me up every few hours, easier in the day though. I don't drink an awful lot at night so I don't see why it all suddenly worsens. I can't make sense of it. I know I've read topics here before though with people reporting the same thing, a lot of members also said it happens to them more when on steroids. I'm on Entocort not Pred. but I assume these things could cause similar side effects. It might also been the bowel putting pressure on the bladder or bladder spasms, sound like other reasonable explanations atleast.

At first I thought I had some type of infection, it sort of felt like that and I had antiobiotics, which did help. It kind of comes and goes in waves and gets periodically easier, then relapses however. Only thing I've read about frequent UTIs is if you have a tract from the bowel to bladder it can contaminate the bladder and cause infections and I guess because we are going the bathroom so much more anyway that could also leave room for an increased risk of infection.

I'm not pregnant either - no chance ha ha!

[tamesis]

Just had another thought, if you're on Pred., or other steroids, i believe those can cause water retention, swelling, etc? If that's the case, then when you lay down to sleep your body can move some of that fluid around, out of your extremities, and that's why you're peeing so much? could be that you're retaining during the day, and then it's all finding it's way out at night, when it's not fighting with gravity and it's easier for the fluid to move around? Kind of like pregnant women.

Just a hypothesis.

[kenny]

When was your last ultrasound or Ct scan?

The illium is right there beside and behind the bladder. If Crohns becomes active in the outer layers of the intestine it affects nearby organs. Due to the frequent attacks in the illium the bladder is often affected. The walls of the bladder become irritated and you can get fistulas between the illium and bladder. That is not a good thing.

edit: I wanted to add this is a problem for men & women. They told me my bladder wall was 1+" thick due to irritation from my bowel. And I had an abscess pressing into the bladder that hit some "Have to pee" nerve at the base of the badder. My Mother-in-law is a 20+ years Crohns vet and she has had fistulas between the bladder and bowel. It is something Crohns people need to be cautious with.

[Becky]

I go more too but not as much as you. I sometimes have a hard time going. I have to but just cant. This started when I was preg. and I thought it was UTI but wasnt. Then I thought it was a preg. thing. Well still happening 1.5 yr after having my son.

[Binxybop]

Have had a UTI before, pretty sure its not that as I remember some serious pain when passing water. No pain with this though.

Kenny - I haven't had an ultrasound or a CT scan. I have recently had a barium x-ray on my small bowel.

I'll be seeing my specialist on Thursday next week so I'll definitely be mentioning all of this to him, especially as the disease is active at the moment.

Thanks for all the thoughts and input guys

[Peaches]

It is probably the pred Binxy. I would have to get up several times a night on the pred and also when I was getting the methotrexate shots. As soon as I stopped the MTX shots - that problem went away. Try not to drink very much fluid a few hours before bed and see if that helps. Like many have said - it may also be inflammation near the bladder as well.

[imisspopcorn]

The Prednisone always makes me urinate more....I tell ya, it's a nightmare drug. Gives you insomnia, when you finally get to sleep you are up peeing half the night.

[Agent X20]

So... it's not just me then. I had all sorts of tests for prostate problems and infections and they were all negative. I'm not on pred but seems to be worse when my crohns is acting up. When I suggested to the doc that maybe the inflammation was pressing on my bladder, she seemed to think it could be possible.
Kenny's idea is a bit more worrying, but something to think (worry) about.
On a good night I only get up once in the middle of the night, which could be considered normal for a fifty-something guy... on a bad night it seems like every hour.

[kristyn]

I have the same frequent pee problem too. It has gotten worse over the last few years. But now I have kidney stones (the calcium kind) off and on and seem to get infections off and on. My doctor says my inflamed intestines press on my bladder and that makes it feel like you are full and have to pee even when you just have to pee a little.

[shazamataz]

Hey there, I have had spells of constantly needing to pee since my diagnosis. I put it down to the steroids, however, as I think it is a common side effect. On a bad night if I have insomnia I can pee maybe 5-6 times. Ona good night usually once or twice.

I had a spell when I needed to pee at least every hour during the day, even if I didn't drink anything. Very annoying when my job involves being out in the car and all over the place. Seems to have let up lately.

Also, do you suffer anxiety? that definately makes you pee more!

[MissMel]

Pred does cause swelling and water retention but it can also cause high blood sugars. Mine were in the 160s and that caused me to pee all night as the body was able to rid the body of the water and sugar. You should have your blood sugars tested. When it is high like a diabetic you pee alot! Good luck, sleep is so important!!!!

[Binxybop]

Bit concerned... my pee has started to look "frothy" Not really darker than usual and there is also a kind of "wheaty" smell. Not overpowering just different I am tapering Pred, does anyone know of effects on the kidneys? Still peeing a lot, not as much, but still something like 8-10 times a day in total.

Getting a bit sick of all these side effects now, is it Pred, is it Crohns, for goodness sake... AARRGH!

[tamesis]

I would go get it checked out....I don't know the effects of a pred. taper on the kidneys, but i deffinately think being this has been an ongoing thing that you should have the doctors take a peek.

[Binxybop]

Have had it confirmed that I have had me a lovely, friendly UTI and the steroids were "hiding" some of the symptoms. NICE.

I'm having further checks (CT & Colonoscopy), down there, to see if there is any leakage from my guts, doc said i dont seem to be showing signs of anything as severe as fistulisation so fingers crossed its all ok and is just regular inflammation not going away.

[tamesis]

Glad you got it figured out, hopefully it will settle soon.