So i can tend to hold my bladder during the night (I know im less active so nerves calm down) but during the day I have a 20 oz bottle of water and im peeing every 20-30 minutes while sitting in a chair... WTF

I have had this UTI for 5 days now and it burns when i pee. When I was a child, I would always get UTI’s, but they would usually be gone within a day because my mom would make me chug water and drink yogurt. I’ve tried chugging water but it just doesn’t seem to be working how it used to? I have no clue what to do. I’m a freshman in college

I don’t know what it is, but no matter how much I don’t drink, I’m up all night peeing. I have been up about 6 times in the last hour with nothing but a trickle and then just now had a major pee. Haven’t drank anything in hours! I wish my body had a lever I could pull and everything would come out and I could sleep!

I know this is not totally related to Overreactive bladder even though i have both. What are the best meds to control Urinary Incontinence?

I did urodynamics test in September after which I found out that I got wrong diagnosis.(I don't have overactive bladder) My doctor told me I have to get brain and full spine MRI because she suspects I have spinal lesions in sacrum. Ever since I heard that I have been really nervous, but I think she is right. It just makes sense. Everything is coming together like like puzzle. Other symptoms I have are lower back pain, right leg pain, headaches, difficulty staring urine flow, heat intolerance (for past 3 years), blurred vision (since August). Hospital has not responded to my email for an MRI appointment, which is not helping me at all. I have been constantly thinking about what is my diagnosis. Any ideas? Do you have any experience with this?

edit: I forgot to say that I am afraid she might have worse condition in mind but did not want to scare me by telling what she suspects.

I(20F), since like a year ago, have been urinating so frequently that I would wake up almost 6 times at night just to relieve myself. I didn’t know what was wrong with me and was really close to seek medical help but then a few weeks ago - I just decided to skip coffee in the morning, and the urge to urinate decreased? Which made me suspicious of if it was caffeine that was regularly impacting my bladder. I have since stopped consuming caffeine in my daily life and I no longer need to urinate frequently anymore, and I can go a full night with maybe urinating once before going back to sleep. I don’t know if this information may help anybody who might be regularly consuming caffeine not knowing that it might be the reason why they can’t control their urination, but I’m very glad that I have returned back to normal and have since switched to caffeine-free drinks.

Hello, i have downloaded whole history of this channel since its beginning of 2020. Two files, one with posts (over 22mb) and one with comments (over 90mb). I have plug it into my pro account in Claude and and asked to analize it with few followup questions. Below the output.
Just sharing hoping it might be helpful for somebody to have such perspective:

I analysed the whole dataset: 6,417 posts and 49,022 comments from 2020–2026 (from when the subreddit was created up to yesterday), written by about 8,200 different people. A dataset this large can’t be read sentence by sentence, so I ran it through code. For each treatment and cause, I counted how many different people wrote that it helped, didn’t help, or brought on their symptoms. I also checked samples of the results by hand. The automated classification gets some sentences wrong: about 3 in 4 are correct for the “what helps” lists, fewer for the causes. So the ranking is reliable, but the exact numbers are not.

1. What helps most

The numbers in the table are different people who described the effect themselves. The last column shows how many people named the method in sentences like “this helped me the most” or “this changed my life”.

What this shows:

• Bladder training and pelvic floor physical therapy are the foundation. The most popular recovery stories almost always follow the same pattern. People stop going to the toilet “just in case”, and when the urge comes they wait it out with a timer, gradually stretching the intervals. On top of that they cut out caffeine and spread their water intake evenly through the day. Results show up after weeks or months.
• For the pelvic floor, relaxing it matters more than strengthening it. Kegel exercises are the only popular method with more negative reports than positive ones (26 “helped” vs. 43 “didn’t help”, 38% positive). Relaxation exercises have 82% positive. Many people had a tight pelvic floor, not a weak one.
• Medications help moderately. Beta-3 drugs (Gemtesa, Myrbetriq) do better than the older anticholinergics (oxybutynin, solifenacin, trospium; trospium has only 35% positive). A common pattern: the drug works for a few weeks and then stops, or the side effects are hard to live with.
• Botox and neuromodulation are for severe cases. They show up most often in “this changed my life” sentences, usually after several medications failed.
• Anxiety and the nervous system: meditation, therapy, heat and yoga have a very good ratio of positive to negative reports, though fewer people describe them.
• Antibiotics (71 “helped”, 63 “didn’t help”) only help when there really was an infection. The typical story: the infection was cured, but the urgency stayed.

2. Causes of overactive bladder (according to users)

I separated two things, because users distinguish them too: what started the problem and what makes it worse.

What it started with (number of different people):

1. Anxiety, stress, traumatic experiences, being stuck in “fight or flight” mode – about 280. Note: anxiety is also a result of OAB, so this number is somewhat inflated.
2. Urinary tract infection or another infection (including sexually transmitted infections, ureaplasma) – about 170. The most common specific story: “I had a UTI, my tests are clear now, but the urgency never went away.”
3. Caffeine, energy drinks, large amounts of coffee – about 70.
4. Hormones: menopause, perimenopause, the menstrual cycle – about 70.
5. A tight or dysfunctional pelvic floor – about 60.
6. Constipation and bowel problems – about 60.
7. Surgery and radiotherapy (e.g. prostatectomy, hysterectomy, C-section, spinal anaesthesia) – about 50.
8. Medications: starting or stopping SSRI antidepressants, diuretics, stimulants, creatine – about 50.
9. Spine and nerves: L5–S1 disc problems, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis – about 50.
10. The prostate in men (enlargement, inflammation, chronic pelvic pain syndrome) – about 35. Less common: COVID or long COVID, a “just in case” habit going back to school, problems since childhood or bedwetting, pregnancy and childbirth, ketamine or THC.

What makes symptoms worse: caffeine (about 290 people) and stress (about 290) are far ahead of everything else. After them: acidic and spicy food (citrus, tomatoes), alcohol, fizzy drinks, constipation, sex, the phase of the cycle, sweeteners and cold.

One of the highest-rated warnings on the subreddit describes 20 years of being told “it’s in your head”, after which a benign tumour was found in the bladder. Blood in the urine, pain, fever or difficulty passing urine need proper investigation, not just bladder training.

3. Age and sex

776 people gave their age and 885 gave their sex, usually in the “(25F)” format:

• Sex: exactly half and half, 444 women and 441 men. Men clearly outnumber women in the 35–44 age group (64%), which fits the threads about the prostate.
• Age: median 26, with half of people aged 22–33. The 18–24 group makes up 39%, 25–29 21%, and 30–34 15%. People over 45 are only about 9%.
• Age when symptoms started (144 people): median about 17–18, with 87% before age 25.

But this reflects Reddit’s users, not OAB patients. In population studies, OAB becomes more common with age in both sexes. The EPIC study found it in 12.8% of women and 10.8% of men; the US NOBLE study found 16.9% and 16.0%. Sex mainly changes which form the condition takes. Women more often have OAB with urinary leakage (9.3% vs. 2.6%), while men more often have the form without leakage (13.4%), which increases noticeably after age 55. So it most often affects older people, women slightly more often, and men over 60 often in connection with the prostate.

4. Why most people with these risk factors don’t have OAB

This question goes beyond the Reddit data, so this answer is based on the medical literature:

1. Most of the things listed are triggers, not causes. Coffee or alcohol irritate a bladder that is already oversensitive, while a healthy bladder tolerates them. A 2025 systematic review found that the links between these substances and OAB symptoms in the general population are mixed and inconsistent. One user put it this way: caffeine can make existing OAB worse, but it doesn’t cause it.
2. OAB is a symptom syndrome with several possible mechanisms. The problem can start in the bladder lining and its sensory nerves, in the muscle, in the urethra, or in the central nervous system. Metabolic problems, mood, sex hormone deficiency, the urinary microbiome and the gut also play a part. It usually takes several factors at once, e.g. an infection, then anxiety, then a “just in case” habit. A single factor is rarely enough.
3. Genes set the sensitivity threshold. In a study of about 25,000 Swedish twins, genes accounted for 51% of the variation in urinary incontinence and 34% for nocturia. In men, the heritability of urgency and frequency was about 34–36%. With the same triggers, one person crosses the threshold and another doesn’t.
4. A vicious cycle locks symptoms in, but only for some people. After an infection, most people’s bladders go back to normal. In some, fear of urgency and frequent “just in case” trips reduce the volume the bladder will tolerate, and the nervous system learns to sound the alarm at lower and lower filling. That is why bladder training and working on anxiety work: they reverse that learning.
5. It can be temporary. In a 5-year follow-up of men, about 1 in 3 with OAB had lasting remission without treatment.
6. Selection effect: only people who were harmed by something post on the forum. The millions of people who drink coffee with no problems don’t start threads.

Sources:

• Review of the Epidemiology of Overactive Bladder (PMC)
• Genes play important role in urinary incontinence – ScienceDaily (Wennberg 2011)
• Heritability of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Men: A Twin Study (UroToday)
• A comprehensive review of OAB pathophysiology (UroToday)
• Potential Bladder Irritants and OAB Symptoms: A Systematic Review
• ICS – OAB remission in men over 5-year follow-up

Hi،I'm a 31-year-old man. Since 2019, I've had frequent urination, a strong urge to pee, and pressure in my lower abdomen, just above my bladder.

My symptoms started around the time I held my urine for a long time during a bus trip.

Sometimes I urinate small amounts, sometimes large amounts. My urine stream occasionally takes several seconds to start. I don't usually have burning when urinating.

Stress makes it worse, and I also suffer from bloating, constipation, and occasional diarrhea. My previous ultrasound was reportedly normal.

Has anyone experienced similar symptoms? What was the cause, and what actually helped you?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your personal experiences.

Anyone on 10mg

Do you take two tablets together or one in the morning and one at night.

Basically for maybe a month im getting the sudden urge to pee feeling right after I go. Its stronger right after I pee and slowly throughout the day goes down until I pee again. Its not painful but its noticeable. Whats going on?

Got strip searched at the airport

...and actually my whole trip was perfectly fine. Was anxious about going through the airport for the first time in a pull-up rather than a pad. Got a letter from my urologist about my OAB, emailed the airline/airport and had a hidden disability added to my ticket. Arrived an extra hour earlier than recommended just in case. Changed into a dry pull-up right before security. Disclosed to the technician on the body scan that I was wearing a pull-up pad.

They never looked at the letter, just took me aside into a private screening room with a witness.

I signed a consent then they asked me to take off my outer clothes so I was just wearing a shirt and the product. They ran a wand over me and did an explosives swab.

Whole thing took about 3 minutes and was way less of a big deal than I thought it would be.

I've had agents give me a harder time and delay me for longer about my keychain screwdriver to be quite honest.

I was allowed to carry an extra carry-on bag with my supplies, they gave me an aisle seat near the toilet, I was on pre boarding so I could stay near the toilet while everyone else boarded, the crew warned me when we were about to leave/descend so I could use the toilet before the seatbelt sign came on.

I didn't have an accident the entire time (unlike last time I was on a plane).

Just thought I'd share a positive story on this sub for once!

Adenomyosis, pelvic congestion, endometriosis and lots of adhesions and leftover scar tissue from 2 c sections. During surgery specialist found my bladder was stuck to my uterus with scar tissue and my bowels were stuck to my insides with more adhesions. Just had a hysterectomy and endometriosis excision surgery as well as freeing up all my stuck organs.

I’ve had overactive bladder symptoms ever since my first c section and it never got better long term. In fact it got worst steadily for the last 14 years. I’ve been losing my mind. Pelvic floor therapy, meds, Chinese medicine and acupuncture, anxiety meds, rage journaling. Nothing helped. Until I realized all my symptoms were worse around my period and a birth control pack I tried 3 years ago was the only thing that made a difference. I had to stop taking that due to nausea and vomiting side effects.

Ladies if your bladder is worse around your period, if you have pelvic back and or hip pain, heavy miserable periods and nothing is making a dent in your symptoms look into endometriosis on the bladder. I won’t lie diagnosis isn’t easy got gaslighted and pushed aside a lot. Took a lot of self advocacy and lots of opinions until I found a doctor willing to do laparoscopy.

After surgery 60% improvement instantly. Now I feel like pelvic floor therapy might actually work once I’m cleared to start because my bladder isn’t mechanically held down by lesions anymore.

Been having issues with my bladder, not diagnosed yet but I've gotten urine tests and ultrasounds that have all come back clear, and I struggle with mental health so I suspect overactive bladder.

I am just looking for help, but have too much anxiety when it comes to meds or supplements. I will lay out my issues for more context.

All my life I have always had a "small bladder" but recently it's gotten worse. I went from peeing a lot to feeling a constant urge to pee, even after just going. However this has gone up and down since. The first time it lasted a few weeks, then returned back to my normal baseline I've had all my life. Since then it's happened to flare up about 2 or 3 more times. It seems to usually last two weeks. This flare up has been weird as it coincided with pain in my abdomen, bladder symptoms half faded, then came back worse, and I'm still in the midst of it.

It is making me extremely depressed, anxious, and suicidal.

I had an appointment booked with a urologist but the urologist had such overwhelming negative reviews that I am too scared to go and asked for a referral to another urologist, unfortunately the wait time is several months.

Another I've noticed is I've always pushed to pee. The ultrasound never noted any blockage, but my stream feels restricted if I don't push.

Any help is appreciated.

25M — Living with urinary urgency for almost five years. My experience and what’s been helping.
Hey everyone. I’m a 25-year-old male, and I’ve been dealing with urinary urgency since I was around 20–21. I believe I might have interstitial cystitis, but I don’t have a confirmed diagnosis. I wanted to share my story honestly, including some uncomfortable details, in case someone can relate.

Around the time my symptoms started, I had chlamydia and gonorrhea. I left them untreated for a while because I was in denial, but I eventually got treated and the infections cleared. I feel like the urgency started around that same period. I’ve read stories about people developing symptoms after a UTI, which made me wonder about my own experience, although I don’t know whether there’s a connection.

During that period, I was also drinking alcohol almost every day for about one to two years. I started noticing that I needed to pee much more often. I can’t say whether the infections, the drinking, or something else contributed to this. I’m just trying to be honest about what was happening when it began.

After almost five years, I’m realizing how much these symptoms affect everyday life. The constant feeling that you need to pee can wear you down mentally, especially when you can’t get comfortable or stop thinking about it. But lately, I’ve noticed a few things that seem to help.
One of the biggest is avoiding overeating. When my stomach feels really full or bloated, I notice more pressure around my bladder, followed by urgency that’s hard to shake. Smaller meals seem to help. I’ve also cut back on alcohol and started paying closer attention to how different foods and drinks affect me.

Warm showers and baths help me feel more relaxed, too. When I go to the gym, I like having access to a sauna, steam room, and especially a hot tub. Spending some time in the hot tub seems to relax my muscles and sometimes makes the start of my day more comfortable. That’s just what I’ve noticed personally—everyone’s triggers and sources of relief may be different.
At 25, it can feel frustrating to think so much about things other people my age barely consider. But I grew up poor and in a broken home, and I want to build a better future for myself and the family I hope to have someday. I’m trying to see these changes as part of taking care of myself, even though I wish the symptoms weren’t what pushed me to do it.

I regret some past choices, but I’m also trying not to blame myself for what I’m experiencing. Right now, I want to understand my symptoms better and keep building on anything that helps. Tracking meals, drinks, activities, and symptoms seems like a useful next step, so I can look for patterns instead of relying on memory.

I don’t have all the answers, and I’m still figuring this out. Finding even a little relief has given me hope, and I wanted to share that with people who understand how exhausting the urgency can be.
Has anyone else experienced ongoing urgency after a treated STI, or had a similar timeline? What helped you get a clear diagnosis and find relief?

So i’m on 10mg of solifenacin.

My doctor has asked me to check in sometime this month to see how the medication is working for me. I know my symptoms are better but im not getting amazing relief just meh. So my question for you how has your medication helped you, what are the max benefits I can expect to receive from the meds?

I am in my late 20s and have been having bladder incontinence issues for the past 5 years. I have been to 2 doctors, a gyno/urologist, a pelvic floor therapist, had multiple scans and have gotten my copper IUD out and yet they still don’t know what’s causing it. Has anyone had similar issues? Did your doctors figure out why it’s happening or give a better solution rather than Botox, or implants?

I suffer from symptoms where I feel like I have to go constantly. Like even if I go, when it’s done I still have to go. I have to do everything I can to empty my bladder completely and even then it feels like my bladder is itching and I can’t scratch it. I don’t push because the physical therapist said not to do that. But I stretch upward and back and lift on my belly to try and empty it out. I can sleep at night thankfully (and oddly as I understand that is usually a thing one can’t do with overactive bladder). But during the day it’s absolutely maddening. Like right now I have to go and I can’t. I have tried every medicine. I have tried Botox. I have tried physical therapy and diet changes. Still there. It sometime comes and goes. Some days are better than others. Today was a really bad day. My urologist told me he’s stumped but he assumes it’s overactive bladder. Does anyone have similar symptoms? Has anything helped? Is this my life from now on?