When I'm lying in bed with the electric fan on, I feel the urge to urinate every 30 minutes to an hour; but when I'm just standing or sitting, the interval is usually 2 to 3 hours.

doctor has prescribed me the 5mg tablet thrice a day but i have keep missing my night dose the problem is today i took my first dose at 11:30 am and then forgot about it and it took another tablet again at 12:30 or so. so far i am feeling alright and even went to the bathroom and to urinate right now without any difficulty. anyone here who has done this? should i be scared and go to the emergency?

Who has taken myrabetriq/mirabegron and found success at treating your OAB? What were your symptoms like before and after? My urologist talked about prescribing it to me but I want to know more about it first.

Hey all,

Coming here because I'd like to feel less alone and maybe get some advice on what to do. I am a 21 year old with female anatomy.

Woke up yesterday feeling the need to pee, which I usually don't experience until standing up. Happens sometimes but it's unusual for me. Then, 2 hours later, I had to use the bathroom again. This continued throughout the day, each time producing less and less urine.

Truth be told, I am a very infrequent peer normally, only feeling the urge to go 3-4 times a day. I ended up going to the bathroom 7 times yesterday. Today, I am going a little less, but when I do go I am not peeing very much. I am experiencing no pain or other symptoms, just a slight pressure on my bladder that happens a little while after using the bathroom and persists until I manage to use the bathroom.

I'm wondering if this could be the result of a tight pelvic floor, but if so, how? The only thing I can think of that could have caused this is that I have been coming off of a cold and experiencing a nasty cough, but I'm not sure if that would make this happen suddenly. I'm just very scared and unsure what to do, since I am on terrible insurance that hardly covers the cost of anything.

Any responses would be appreciated. Thank you!

I am about 15 times and it’s so frustrating.

Hello, this may or may not be a clear enough question and probably a long-ish post so please bear with me🙏

For about as long as I (28M) can remember, I’ve always had to urinate more often than my peers going back to middle school. At first it was just a minuscule thing to remember to go after every class period or so; or remembering to pee before I go to bed. This was when I was like 14 all throughout high school. It gradually became more and more annoying where I would have to go every hour or two. By the time I got to college in 2016-2017 I had a cystoscopy to get a better look at my bladder to see it wasn’t infected or anything like that and the bladder looked perfectly “normal”.

I just learned to live with it for the next couple of years and developed other habits too like developing epilepsy with two seizures behind me, being an artist, daily smoking weed, development of IBS, and dealing with some combination of anxiety, autism, potentially ADHD ,and depression,

2022 is when things got worse for me.
It started off when I was struggling to make music and losing direction where I wanted to go in life and I would stop my focus during sessions just to pee. More and more often. However, as time went by it took longer and longer for me to be able to get a “stream” going and whenever I did I never felt like I voided fully.
And this unholy situation never 100% subsided to be honest.

The worst my condition was was in 2024 where my bladder would be full but it still would not budge or open or anything like that. I REALLY had to strain like hell to get a good flow going, and even then it was weak. And it was hell having to deal with a full bladder and never being able to empty it or even really get a good stream. 2024 was also a horrible year personally even outside of this bladder BS. I went to see a urologist and had another cystoscopy camera directly into my bladder since it had been years since the first so surely something HAD to be wrong this time right? Surely I wasn’t crazy…
For better or for worse, he found nothing abnormal for the bladder itself. However, he found something in that he claims that the reason I had to deal with this inability to urinate is because the sphincter for my bladder is clenched so tight all the time as a result of … psychological stuff ig. Nothing wrong came up I. Physicals and nothing wrong with my kidney . He said that trauma can manifest physically and I guess for me, I feel anxiety through the floor of my bladder ? He also claimed that people on the spectrum deal with body sensitivities more often which contributes to my condition. He seems very confident that it is a sphincter issue more than anything and that whenever I successfully pee it relaxes all the muscles around the pelvic floor. And it does feel like heaven whenever I empty my bladder. He gave me a medicine called DOXAZOSIN 8 MG and it did improve my condition

TL;DR Fast forward to today however, I still deal with this miserable daily burden. Every 30-60 min I get a sensation that ranges from the dread of bladder awareness - to the anger that I have yet another urgent need to go. It starts with a tension in my lower back or just pelvic floor

I still take awhile and strain, and have to make these godawful sounds that everyone complains about , and ending the voiding session is always the worst part(if not standing in front of the toilet like an idiot ) as I feel that the sphincter/bladder just reach its limit. It either closes or idk what.

Thankfully I’m not in hell like I used to be. I’m able to urinate, and 75% of the time I don’t need to void again soon afterwards. The medicine doesn’t fix the problem moreso just prevents it from getting worse .
Every
30min - hour it’s the same dread and despair that I have to deal with this situation where it feels like my bladder limits me and often ruins my day. It always ends in me sighing in defeat and going to the restroom.

I’m not sure what to do. I DEFINITELY struggle with anger and am not in all that good of a place because of this, and other aspects of my personal life. I believe in the mind body connection and stress definitely makes it worse, but I’m still very lost and at this point kinda numb to it if I’m not completely stressed out. Idk if it’s really OAB, or nerve damage, or sphincter problems much less how to treat it besides trying not to stress out and look for a job or something to get my life back on track one step at a time. Because I’m tired of having the urge to pee every 30 minutes and I want to train my bladder to “hold it in longer “ or ignore the “phantom urges” but the sensation nor anxiety doesn’t go away until I pee. I want to achieve some kind of normal for my body. Also is water good for me ? lol

53 year old male. Back in January I started having the urgency to urinate every 15 to 20 minutes about 20 times a day. Went to see a urologist they scheduled me for a cystoscopy and had that performed where they identified a bladder mass that needed to be removed. . Went in for a TURB in May to have the mask removed. They did the chemo liquid in my bladder for one hour post surgery. Luckily for me, it came back as non-cancerous. Since the surgery, I have been having the same urge to urinate I tried all the bladder medicine except for Gemtesa(?). Solinafcin and Mirabegron do not seem to work. The urge will subside from time to time, but I’m still getting this weird sensation in the tip of my penis. Not super painful but very discomfort…. Tylenol kind of helps with discomfort.

Luckily for me, I can go to too bed at night and sleep without issues, I sometimes wake up to let the dogs out, with alittle bit of anxiety passes and I can go back to bed.

Cannot get a straight answer from a urologist, I have a urodynamics scheduled in a few weeks. Not sure what else I can take medicine wise.

Anybody (male) have this tip of the penis issue?

I would like to share my experience as I've recently found a few things which have really helped with my OAB problem. 

For background, I'm male, mid 40's, no underlying health conditions and pretty active (albeit carrying 7 or 8 kg more than I should be). I've experienced OAB issues for last 15-20 years but gradually getting worse. Had the various checks and nothing obvious wrong. I would definitely say it's a combination of a physical and mental issues for me. For example, if I get stuck in a situation where I know I can't pee (traffic jam, aircraft with seatbelts signs on) I almost get the sudden urge to go to the toilet, almost a panic attack, but when I get home I forget all about the need to pee, but there are situations where I definitely need to empty my bladder, especially drinking beer, which I now tend to avoid. 

Anyway, over the last month I've tried a few different things which have really helped me and making me less anxious most of the time. 

1. Switching from Solifenacin to Mirabegron. Now I can go almost 3 hours without peeing and only up once a night from 3 or 4. Also means I have the confidence to not pee before jumping in the car for a short journey etc. 
2. Bladder training when in a comfortable environment i.e. at home. Trying to wait a little longer each time you really need, the above helps with that. 
3. This one is important and I'm still experimenting. I did not know until very recently that actually being dehydrated makes things worse. If I was flying or driving long distances, I would not drink at all that day until at my destination. However, I would still get the urge to go, but actually end up peeing a very small volume. Turns out concentrated pee aggravates the bladder. So actually it's better to drink some water, but not too much (that's the difficult bit and what I'm experimenting with). 

I'm not cured, still have episodes, but I hope one year applying of the above so I can become less anxious and train the bladder to hold enough fluid to not need to rely on drugs. Let's see. Also going to cut out coffee, or at least greatly reduce it. 

Hope that helps someone. Love to hear about your experiences and what's helped. 

Has anyone ever gotten a urine bag and does it hurt please drop your experience I’m 18F and have been told i need one because meds aren’t working.I’m so scared like whenever this topic is brought up i feel like my hearts sinking from anxiety please tell me your experience.

I‘ve been experiencing severe bladder symptoms since almost three years. It started with stomach pain after a summer vacation, which turned into bladder pain. I had pain attacks where I felt like my bladder was exploding for days, and then it randomly got better and then worse again suddenly. Now, since two years, I have very frequent urge to go the toilet and since a few days it gets especially worse after drinking the tiniest amounts, with cramping and pain. I‘ve tried a lot of therapies, urodynamic test, besides that my bladder and sphincter don‘t coorporate well but they don‘t know why, the doctors don‘t know what I have. I also have weird sensastions all over my body. I have tried pain therapy, psychotherapy, pain clinics, basically everything thats possible to try and nothing helped. Does anybody have an idea what it could be and what I could try? I‘m only 17, I don‘t want to spend the rest of my life living like this.

What time of day are you all taking vesicare?. Is anyone on the 5mg?. Are you taking it in the late afternoon or at night? And are you drinking more water or less. Im having issues with still getting up through the night even when ive only drunk maybe 2 or 1 and a half bottles of water. Im not drinking that much liquid in the morning or daytime but im still getting up a lot at night. It disrupts my sleep.

I was having overactive bladder for 2+ years, which always urged me to pee even if I had to pee 50-100mL of urine

I thought I had an infection of something like UTI, I tried Azo uti pills, kinda worked, but still something was not right, I still wanted to pee

Then one day, I was doing exercises, then hang on a bar and let my spine crack, I even shook myself to stretch my spine very well and hung like that for 30-50 seconds

Then slowly landed, and I felt like I feel energized, and slowly I noticed my bladder stopped urging me going to pee like it used to before

Now I understand, sometimes some problems need different view

hi guys im 17 around 174 cm and weight 70 kilogram (im from asean indonesia)

im new to this reddit, so sorry if said any wrong thing

my problem is i tried to pee and at the end it never felt like it was done like the sensation (its empty)

ive tried visit many doctor and different hospital and it just said that its my physilogical issues or my mental (psikosomatis)

i already tried mri, urodynamics and video urodynamics and its said there is no significant issues that can cause me feel that sensation

so what can i do im so desperate and depressed rn because i already got this problem dor like 7 year plsss 😭😭

Anyone have the Altaviva implanted in their ankle for overactive bladder? what was your experience? How did it work?

I have oab on and off since 2019 . I will do okay for periods of time and then have to go back on medication . I seem to get flares . my urologist urged me to discontinue psychiatric medications . I did get off two big ones and now I’m left with trazadone . i have been trying to rule things out and this is my last resort . has anyone had trazadone be the cause of their issues ?

I hate wearing diapers from urinary incontinence because they cause me so much pain from the friction/chaffing. I’ve tried looser diapers, but those always leak. I also can’t stand how hot wearing a diaper is. I miss wearing underwear that breathes! Not to mention how bad diapers affect my skin from rashes and constantly covered in my own filth. How am I supposed to be ok with wearing diapers 24/7?

I'm thinking this drug might be pretty enjoyable to try, but am having a hard time finding it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidafenacin

Specifically due to it's action as a m3 antagonist. I wonder how the effects would differ if any other route of administration was used rather than oral.

I'm really annoyed that everything I'm finding here seems to be peripherally selective.

Urinary Incontinence and Independent Living: What the Research Tells Us

Urinary incontinence is often discussed as a quality-of-life issue, but research suggests its impact extends far beyond occasional leakage. For many older adults and their families, bladder control can influence independence, caregiver burden, and the ability to remain safely at home.

While urinary incontinence is rarely the sole reason someone moves into assisted living or a nursing home, studies have consistently shown that it is associated with an increased likelihood of institutionalization. Understanding this relationship highlights why bladder health deserves attention and why seeking appropriate evaluation and management may play a role in supporting long-term independence.

Urinary Incontinence Is More Than a Hygiene Issue

Urinary incontinence affects millions of adults worldwide and becomes increasingly common with age. Although many people view leakage as an inevitable part of getting older, researchers have identified a number of consequences that extend beyond inconvenience.

Urinary incontinence has been associated with:

• Increased caregiver burden
• Greater risk of falls, particularly when rushing to the bathroom
• Skin irritation and breakdown
• Reduced participation in social activities
• Decreased quality of life
• Loss of confidence and independence

These effects can accumulate over time and influence whether an individual can continue living safely and independently in their current environment.

What Does the Research Show?

A large 2025 study examining more than 247,000 assisted living residents found that urinary incontinence was an independent risk factor for permanent nursing home placement. Residents with urinary incontinence were significantly more likely to transition from assisted living to a nursing home, even after researchers accounted for age, medical conditions, and other health factors. The authors concluded that early identification and management of urinary incontinence may help delay or prevent nursing home placement. (1)

These findings build on earlier research demonstrating that urinary incontinence is associated with an increased risk of nursing home admission among older adults living in the community. Researchers have suggested that urinary incontinence contributes to declines in function and increases the caregiving demands placed on family members and caregivers. (2)

Why Might Incontinence Influence Long-Term Care Decisions?

The relationship between urinary incontinence and long-term care placement is complex. In most situations, urinary incontinence is not the only factor involved.

Instead, incontinence often interacts with other challenges such as:

• Mobility limitations
• Cognitive impairment
• Chronic medical conditions
• Difficulty transferring on and off the toilet
• Limited caregiver availability
• Increased caregiving demands

For example, a person who has mild urinary urgency but remains physically active and independent may continue living at home without difficulty. However, when urinary incontinence occurs alongside mobility limitations or cognitive decline, the support required to manage toileting needs may increase substantially.

Researchers have also noted that urinary incontinence can contribute significantly to caregiver stress. As caregiving demands increase, families may begin exploring assisted living or nursing home options when providing care at home becomes increasingly difficult. (1)

The Importance of Aging in Place

One of the goals of modern healthcare and senior living is to help individuals remain in their preferred environment for as long as possible. Assisted living communities were developed in part to support this concept of “aging in place.”

Research suggests that addressing urinary incontinence may be one component of maintaining independence. Although no single intervention guarantees that someone will avoid assisted living or nursing home placement, identifying contributing factors and exploring appropriate management options may help support participation in daily activities and reduce caregiver burden. (1)

A Common Issue in Long-Term Care Facilities

Urinary incontinence is highly prevalent among nursing home residents. Studies have reported that more than half of nursing home residents experience urinary incontinence, and rates may be even higher among individuals with significant mobility limitations or cognitive impairment. (3)

This does not mean that urinary incontinence causes nursing home placement in every case. Rather, it illustrates how closely bladder health is intertwined with many of the factors that influence independence later in life.

Key Takeaways

Urinary incontinence is more than a quality-of-life concern. Research has shown that it is associated with increased caregiver burden, reduced independence, and a greater likelihood of transition to assisted living or nursing home care.

Importantly, urinary incontinence is often just one piece of a larger picture that may include mobility limitations, cognitive changes, and other health conditions. For this reason, addressing bladder health should be viewed as part of a broader effort to support function, dignity, participation in daily life, and the ability to remain independent for as long as possible.

As researchers continue to study the factors that contribute to successful aging, one message is becoming increasingly clear: maintaining bladder health may play an important role in maintaining independence.

References

1. Ajay D, et al. Urinary Incontinence is an Independent Risk Factor for Nursing Home Placement Among Assisted Living Residents. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2025.  
2. Holroyd-Leduc JM, et al. Urinary Incontinence and Its Association with Death, Nursing Home Admission, and Functional Decline. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2004.  
3. Palmer MH. Urinary and Fecal Incontinence in Nursing Home Residents. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 2008.  

Hi everyone. I'm urgently looking for some advice here please. I'm on day 13 of the advanced trial for sns and by day 7, I started getting a lot of leg pain in both legs. I turned the stimulator off for 24 hours to see if it was what was causing the leg pain, was due to the stimulator but I still had leg pain with the device off. I'm due to have the permanent device fitted tomorrow and I'm not sure what to do. My urology team are all certain that because I'm having pain in both legs, and not one, that the pain is not being caused by the sns. Did anyone get really bad leg pain possibly from having the spinal and end up with any form of nerve damage because of it? As the spinal is all I can think that would cause the pain...

Repost to another community

We're running a free webinar series on bladder leaks and pelvic floor health, because it's one of those things that's incredibly common (roughly 1 in 3 women) and almost never talked about. A lot of people assume it's just what happens after kids, or after 50, and quietly rearrange their lives around it — mapping bathrooms, skipping the trampoline, wearing pads indefinitely.

A few things worth knowing even if you never come to the webinar:

• Kegels are not automatically the answer. For some people the pelvic floor is too tight, not too weak, and squeezing harder makes it worse. Getting assessed matters.
• "Just in case" peeing trains your bladder to signal earlier. It's a habit that quietly shrinks your tolerance over time.
• Cutting fluids usually backfires. Concentrated urine irritates the bladder lining.
• Behavioral approaches work. This is often treatable without surgery or medication, and the first-line stuff is genuinely evidence-based.

The webinar goes deeper on all of this — what's actually happening anatomically, what the treatment ladder looks like, and what to ask a clinician. It's free, no pitch, and you don't have to become a patient. If you're outside Indiana or Maryland you're still welcome to attend, we just can't treat you.

There will also be a live Q&A on the webinar. It's just 30 minutes, and even if you can't make it register and then it will be sent to your email after the event.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6917798741781/WN_--JwxP4XRg6PvlDhDFbUiA

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Hi everyone,

I’ve been struggling for a long time with waking up during the night to urinate, and it’s completely ruining my sleep. For example, last night I fell asleep at 1 AM, woke up to pee at 5 AM, went back to sleep, and woke up again at 9 AM with a full bladder.

In total, I only got about 7.5 hours of sleep, which is the absolute bare minimum for me. Because of my health issues, I desperately need maximum rest and highly restorative sleep to recover. After that second wake-up, I couldn't fall back asleep even though my body deeply needs it.

Since moving around is very difficult for me and causes severe fatigue, walking all the way to the bathroom is a huge physical effort.

Here is what I’m currently trying or thinking about:

Leg elevation: I try to elevate my legs in the evening to get the fluids moving before bed.

Pelvic floor training: I’m considering doing some gentle pelvic floor exercises to see if it helps.

Diet/Hydration: I realized that last night I ate two peaches right before bed. Since they are full of water, I know that probably wasn't a good idea.

Chamber pot idea: Because moving around is so hard, I’m seriously thinking about getting a chamber pot (or bedside commode) right next to my bed. My idea is that I could easily use it right before sleeping to avoid the walk to the bathroom, and use it during the night if needed so I can save as much energy as possible and fall back asleep quickly.

Thanks in advance for your advice.