Living with Overactive Bladder (OAB) - Urology Care Foundation

The Urology Care Foundation is the official foundation of the American Urological Association. The Urology Care Foundation raises awareness of urologic health through national public health campaigns. More awareness helps reduce embarrassment and fear. It also helps patients take an active role in their care.

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[amigoAsterisk]

I’ve had OAB for more than 13 years. And it seems I almost cured it just a month ago.

Was trying different doctors. It took multiple years until they set a proper diagnosis. I tried electrical stimulation, Mirabegron, Solifenacin. Medication helped a bit, but after I stopped taking it, the symptoms got back to what had.
In November here were my complains:
* I went to a bathroom about 15 times a day (60ml - 130ml per one time)
* 2-3 times during night
* During mastrubation I had to make a break to pee
* If I wanted to go to a bathroom then I had to do it ASAP.

So in November another doctor recommended trying a Bladder training. As a main treatment. I adjusted it a bit my way and unbelievably I got my first results in 2 weeks: first time for maybe last 10 years I didn’t go to a bathroom at night. Then I started to go to the bathroom more rarely.

Here is what I got now:
* I go to a bathroom 5-7 times a day (200 - 300ml per one time)
* Haven’t gone to a bathroom at night last 1 month
* I can easily wait if I need

So for some reason doctors didn’t recommend trying bladder training and hence I thought it wouldn’t help, so didn’t bother.


Here is my modification of the bladder training which helped me to get cured from Overactive bladder which I suffered from for about 13 years:

With the help of pelvic floor physiotherapist learn how to achieve these things:
How to understand that your pelvic floor muscles are contracted. The doctor might use “biofeedback” device to help you with this
How to relax pelvic floor muscles

Keep a bladder diary. Record how many millilitres you urinate every time you go to a bathroom. While at home you can have a plastic bottle at the toilet with the volume marks. While not at home you can use a zip-bag which you also have to mark. Like 50 ml, 100 ml, 150 ml and so on.

Analyse the reason why you might want to urinate. Be aware that sometimes the reason is caused by some patterns. For example, here are some patterns that I have: when getting up from a chair/bed; when sitting with my legs bent underneath me; when coming back from outside to home; when feeling depressed; when taking shower; when pooping.

Then every time you want to urinate ask yourself: “Why do I want to urinate? Is it caused by a pattern? If so, what can I change? Can I wait a bit more?“. F.e. if the urge is caused by a body position like when sitting with my legs bent underneath me, then take a position when pelvic floor muscles are not contracted. If the urge is caused by a pattern like when you get up from a chair, then recognize that it’s just a pattern and try to ignore the urge for some time.

When you are already at the toilet and about to urinate. Do these steps:
Try to analyse how badly you want to urinate. Is it 10/10 or 5/10?
Do you feel that sometimes your stomach is a bit stretched when you want to urinate and sometimes the urge is just in the head?
If the urge is not that intense, can you try to not to urinate and postpone it a little bit? Like 15 minutes?

After you urinate, write down in the diary how many millilitres you urinated.
Next time you at the toilet play a game: Based on your feelings and urge evaluation, try to guess how many millilitres you are going to urinate. This was the key technique for me. After some time you’ll learn to understand by your feelings/sensations how many mls you’re going to urinate. Use this prediction skill and when you feel that the volume is going to be below 200 ml, try to relax the pelvic floor muscles and just ignore the urge. Go to the bathroom only when you think it’s going to be above 200 ml.

The only exception when you go to the bathroom to urinate and you feel it’s going to be less than 200 ml is before going to bed at night.
During the night try not to go to the bathroom right away. Try to resist as much as you can, but don’t torture yourself. Just make a bit of effort.

Don’t drink like 3 hours before bed. Try to see if reducing the coffee intake helps.

Don’t bother with how often you go to urinate. For me if I drink a litre of cola then at the very beginning of the training I can urinate within a 15 minutes interval. That doesn’t matter. What matters is to be above 200 ml.

The doctor advised me to try the bladder training for 1 month and if I don’t see any changes, then we can add the medication like Mirabegron to help following the training.

After 2 weeks of the training I didn’t go to urinate at night. Probably that was the first time in the last 10 years. Then later I went to urinate less and less at night. Last month I didn’t urinate at night at all. Wish you all luck!

[miag]

I’m 26 and I have this! It’s awful and interferes with my daily life

[rosec]

I have this. It's ruining my life.

[beautytipsandhealthylifest]

This video is good but it hasn't shown the remedy. I wish if they had shown.

[hamzamustafa]

Am going to watch this again if I get upset about having OAB and am 15

[samsongideon]

I have sacral neuromodulation surgery for overactive bladder in about a month. I really do feel like I'm the only one going thru the symptoms. Especially when people think I'm exaggerating how often I go. I stay home often because going out trying to have a fun is hard to do. I where adult diapers now so that I can do some things but I have to change those out a few times a day

[manyuyk]

I request you to kindly open hospital in India we need such good doctors and team

[natashatariro]

l have an overactive bladder for 3 years now a. The bad part is my lower abdomen has this pain that is always there and the pain is worse with some urine in my bladder.. Have done severaltests, scans, xrays etc but with no avail. L started from consulting a General Practitioner to a gyna to a specialist physician and right now l just had my consult with a urologist and hoping for the best results because lam literally living in pain

[nichelledestiny]

im 18 and got diagnosed w over active bladder and its soo painful and embarrassing its not even funny ive gone to the bathroom literally every 10 minutes at work ugh :(

[unknownperson]

I am 15 and go toilet 4 times an hour. How do I deal with this, I am very embarrased.

[youngmingo]

A lot of people and doctor’s get confused with overactive bladder and frequent urination. Two vastly different things.

Frequent urination is going to the bathroom cause you’re bladder is constantly full, your kidney is producing diluted urine and at times you can go 3 times in an hour.

OAB is when you feel you need to go even tho you hardly got urine in your systems.

OAB is easily treated, Frequent urination is not

[MeekeeKobellaDrNP]

I have the bladder that keeps on ticking.

[PeterBornAgain]

"im only getting up about 2 or 3 times at night" 2:00
That isn't normal at all, what kind of video are we watching here?
peeing once at night is normal but no more than once.

[charlessavoie]

0:12 woman in trousers enters restroom showing a skirt. These symbols are outdated and were never adequate intrinsically. Social forces cause clothing behavior---not gender.
I accepted the challenge of solving OAB for myself minus any MD and am having nice outcomes with TTFD thiamine, benfotiamine and modalities!

[TheLastOilersFan]

I'm using the urinal as I'd watch this clip. I hate it

[thunderflower]

What are the differential diagnosis criteria one has an overactive bladder?
A...B...C...etc?
How one knows his urologist isn't fooling prolonging or creating the overactive bladder?
Some would do and we hope some good angel doctors would make us wise to differentiate.
Thanks all good meant answers.

[PhilemonVic-oi]

Hall Linda Martin Mary Lewis Elizabeth