IBS and bladder problems
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IBS and bladder problems
| Wed, 09-20-2006 - 6:03pm |
Does anybody else suffer from bouts of frequent urination when their IBS is particularly bad? Sometimes it seems to me that my body is so desperate to get rid of "something" that my kidneys get involved as well. I find myself having to rush to the bathroom every half hour or so, where i pass great quantities of clear urine. It's almost like my kidneys are hanging onto the toxins and getting rid of the water, instead of the reverse. Sometimes i have cramping pelvic pain at the same time, particularly on the right side and going around into my kidney area, and this is also when i have diarrhea. I've had kidney investigations and apart from a "kink" in the right ureter and a small cyst on my right kidney, everything seems to be working fine. Maybe IBS is not just irritable bowel but irritable other things as well.

I can't say that I've personally noticed a connection between the two, but anything is possible. Have you mentioned this to your doctor? Any suggestions from him/her?
The one thing you need to be aware of is that you can easily become dehydrated because you are expelling so much fluid. Be sure to drink a lot of extra water during these bouts, even though it might seem to be counter-productive.
CL of

<Thanks for the reply, Elise.
Yes, i have mentioned this to several doctors and everybody seems puzzled. This problem was the reason i had kidney investigations. I sometimes also run a temperature at these times, so obviously something is inflamed or infected, but all tests have shown nothing except a few blood cells in my urine but no identified infection. The medical advice has always been to drink lots of water, so i do this. Usually these episodes only last a few hours, thank goodness, because i've got better things to do than spend most of my time in the bathroom! My feeling is that my irritated bowel sets of some kind of sympathetic reaction in my bladder. Maybe it's similar to the way some women get worsening of IBS symptoms when they're menstruating.
Thanks again for your comments :-)
I just wanted to mention that I also run a low grade temperature more often than not. My doctor is aware of this, but isn't concerned. I can usually tell if something more is going on and have needed antibiotics a few times, for minor infections.
My IBS symptoms are normally not too disruptive and the way I look at it, things tend to even themselves out.
CL of

<Elise, i notice you're also on the Allergies & Asthma board.
The more i get to know other people with IBS and the more i find out about my own problems, the more convinced i am of the connection with autoimmune disease. I'm obviously not the only one who has not only IBS but also... this and this and this. Sorry if this is something that's been obvious to you all along but it was only a few months ago that i began to realise the connection between lots of conditions. For instance, i would read things about one "disease" and discover that all the other things i suffer from were also mentioned as being related.
Here's a list of what i have:
Asthma
Migraines
ETD (eustachian tube dysfunction)
Underactive thyroid - well, not active at all any more!
Various drug and food and vegetation allergies
Von Willebrands (a hemophilia-related disorder)
IBS
Fibromyalgia
Acne rosacea
Peripheral neuritis (probably part of the fibro)
I may have forgotten something but they're the most significant. I try to focus really hard on other people and other things and not to dwell on my own problems, but when you're in pain all the time it's hard to ignore :-(
Sorry for the ramble.
Elise, i notice you're also on the Allergies & Asthma board.
I am not part of the Allergies & Asthma board directly. Many of us do a monthly 'exchange', where we list other boards and help get all of the Health & Well Being boards mentioned and noticed. Right now, I am the Community Leader (CL) for this board and also for the Back & Neck Pain board.
You have quite a list and I can empathize with you. I have a long list of illnesses too and agree that many have to have a connection.
I try to focus really hard on other people and other things and not to dwell on my own problems, but when you're in pain all the time it's hard to ignore :-(
That is a good and healthy attitude to have. The way I look at my life, I can be miserable and bring everyone around me down, or I can try harder to find the good around me and help others to the best of my ability. It takes my mind off of myself and also helps me realize that everyone has 'something' that causes them pain, or at least worry.
CL of

<My apologies for the mistake about the Asthma & Allergies board... but anyway, i think your attitude to helping others is great! I've been looking after an elderly lady who's dying, and that puts everything into perspective - most of the time. If i can get a good night's sleep, without being woken by pain, i can cope with anything :-)
Thanks for your replies.