Bulging disks/new symptoms/bladder

  I have had two bulging lumbar disks (L4/L5, L5/S1) for over a year.  This weekend, my pain medications have begun not to work at all.  Medication is Ultram.  I also am bent over and my pain level has shot up to about a 9 on a 1-10 scale. 10 being worst.
  The thing that concerns me most is that I am having problems with my bladder function for about the last week.  I have not lost control of my bladder, but I have trouble starting to urinate and have a very weak stream and cannot seem to empty my bladder.  I go about 15 times in an hour, only small amounts at a time.  Each time having extreme difficulty starting.
  Is this connected to my disk problem?  Can it be that the disks have ruptured?  Is it a medical emergency if I am not losing control of my bladder only having trouble with it's function?
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Dear patient:
Certainly the symptoms of increasing pain and possible bladder dysfunction you are describing could be due to worsening of your disc disease. I suggest that you consult with a Neurologist or Neurosurgeon ASAP.
Good luck