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I have been suffering with Shy Bladder for as long as I can remember. As I am getting older, now 30. It is becoming worse.
It is now affecting every aspect of my life.
I March I approached my GP I was reffered to a Urologist. In fact the appoinment was today. The consultant was very good, Listened to my concerns. She conducted several tests. Ultrasound on the Kidneys with a full bladder and after urinating. 2x Flow tests. Flixble Cystoscopy and examination of the prostrate. All within a few hours not bad for the NHS!!
She has diagnosed my condition as both medical and Pyscological. In that my Bladder does not empty properly when urinating, And my Kidneys are enlarged. She thinks the Shy Bladder is self taught by a way of delaing with the problem.
She has reffered me to her colleague to conduct a bladder stress test. And put me on a course of Beta Blockers which will allow urine to pass more easily.
Not being one to take pills I have read that St Johns Wart is meant to be good?
Hi Jon, I wish you well and hope that you may find that alternative medicines help in some way. For many of us who have experienced very similar difficulties, however, it has been the acceptance that we suffer from essentially a problem that is "all in the mind" and can be helped by some variant on CBT and gradual desensing that has been of greatest help.
Just knowing that there are lots of otherwise ordinary people with the same difficulty can be a great relief, and even better if you can get to meet some of them and start to share the task of working towards improvement. For those reasons, I'd suggest you also take advantage of the information on this site (not just the discussion board), better still get hold of a copy of the Soifer book, and best of all, enlist for one of the 'workshops' that are organised from time to time.
For many of us, these steps have produced a positive transformation in our attitude towards the problem and the level of anxiety we feel about it, and, to a greater or lesser extent, a marked physical improvement as well. I can't recommend them enough.
To Andrew, Whats the direct links between paruresis and Chronic urinary retention? I've suffered from paruresis since I believe I was around 8, now I'm 29. I'm getting on top of it now after alot of hard work (cbt), but have noticed after reading about Chronic urinary retention, I have had many of the symptoms for as long as I've had paruresis. They are: - small bladder size - long hesitancy, even at home - weak flow - feeling of not emptying bladder fully - urine dribble after finishing - getting up in the middle of the night for the loo All the above have improved since tackling paruresis, but I just wonder if my paruresis was caused by Chronic urinary retention, or the other way round? Have you seen any studies on this? Thanks.
There is no direct link that I am aware of. CUR is a physical condition, whereas paruresis is a psychological condition.
Because an individual can become self-conscious and anxious because of delays in being able to urinate, the physical condition could in some cases be the pre-cursor to paruresis. The other way, severe paruresis, whereby the individual is repeatedly prevented from voiding by "unsafe" circumstances, could possibly lead to physical symptoms similar to those of CUR. I say "could" because the individual is usually prevented on only an ad-hoc basis, and not continually.
CUR seems to be due to physical obstruction: I'm sure you have googled the term and read this. Others have told me about being diagnosed with a constriction where the urethra leaves the bladder: a minor op to make a small incision, so widening the exit, seemed to work. But there are other causes of obstruction, so you would be well advised to get a referral to a urologist to get a physical check up.
The symptoms you describe are worth examining.
Small bladder size: this is not a two way symptom. i.e. having a small bladder does not mean you get CUR; it just means you need to pee more often.
The other symptoms: these can be due to physical obstruction. In men it is usually later in life due to an enlarged prostate, but there are other causes as well that can apply at any age.
The one caveat is that it has been shown that tension and anxiety when peeing can result in a long hesitancy period, a weak flow, and inadequate emptying. That thes symptoms have improved as your CBT has progressed is interesting in this regard, suggesting that the psychological aspect is present.
As for getting up in the night, are you drinking near bedtime: are you drinking a diuretic? Try avoiding a drink say less than two hours before bedtime.
But the bottom line has to be, get checked out by a urologist; we always advise that, just to be on the safe side. Who knows? There could be both physical and psychological causes at work here.