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Incontinence (Urinary) (Expert Forum)
urinary problems
Answered by
David A Burks, MD - Interstitial Cystitis, Urology
Henry Ford Health Systems
Detroit - MI
Questions in the Urinary Incontinence forum are answered by Dr. David A. Burks, MD from Henry Ford Health Systems.
urinary problems
by john695, Jun 20, 2009 10:27AM
I am a 24 year old male. I tend to urinate frequently, say at least every two hours. Last night, I had three drinks spaced out over two hours. I ended up puking when I consumed what I thought was a moderate amount of alcohol even for my body weight. The real reason I am posting is that I urinated in my sleep for the first time in at least 15 and probably 20 years. Due to concerns about the impact my medical records could have on future employment opportunities, I am extremely hesitant to go see a doctor about this.
Doctor's Answer
by David A Burks, MD, Jun 21, 2009 08:56PM
, Jun 21, 2009 08:56PMTo: john695
HI, It sounds like you had two problems that resulted in the bedwetting episode. First, it sounds like you have overactive bladder. Overactive bladder symptoms are urinary urgency, frequency and sometimes getting up at night to void. 5% of 25 yr olders have overactive bladder. You either have a structurally small bladder or its a functional problem where low volumes of urine in your bladder trigger the urge to void. Patients with overactive bladder "tend to urinate frequently". I assume this is not a urinary tract infection, poorly controlled diabetes or you have blood in the urine, all of which could point to other problems that need treatment. Secondly, you consumed a large volume of alcohol in a short period, based on the vomiting you had. Heavy alcohol consumption causes your body to wash out the alcohol with water causing a high urine output. If you are sleeping very heavily due to the alcohol sedation effect the urge to void may not wake you up. That, combined with the overactive bladder caused you to urinate in the bed. It's probably just a temporary problem related to the alcolol consumption. You don't need a doctor to tell you how to avoid this problem in the future. However if the bedwetting persists, you may need to see a doctor to rule out the other things noted above. By law your medical records are confidential and should not affect a job application. Good Luck
Member Comments (3)
by john695, Jun 21, 2009 09:55PM
To: David
There is no blood in the urine. Is the overactive bladder a stand alone problem? Or is it more likely that I had a uti as a contributing factor or am developing adult onset diabetes?
by David A Burks, MD, Jun 22, 2009 10:42PM
, Jun 22, 2009 10:42PMTo: john695
HI, It's unlikely a UTI has caused you to "tend to urinate frequently", which I assume has been going on for years. Usually a UTI is an acute problem that comes on suddenly. The only way you will know is to see your doctor, get your unine checked and your blood glucose checked to rule out the other possible problems. If they have been ruled out, then this is probably overactive bladder as a stand alone problem, that got suddenly worse after the drinking.
