frequent nighttime urination

    
      Re: frequent nighttime urination
    


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Posted by CCF Neuro MD on September 13, 1997 at 16:02:25:

In Reply to: frequent nighttime urination posted by Mrs. Janice J. Yarbrough on September 09, 1997 at 11:06:09:

: For a number of years now I have had to urinate 4 to 8 times a night (or whenever I am in a reclining position).  The volume at these times is always large.  When I am sitting or standing, I rarely go to the bathroom and when I do, it is always in small amounts.  I have a herniated disc in my lower back, rhumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, obesity, and several other conditions developed recently...I feel like a walking disaster area!  I have asked my family physician about this on numerous occasions, but he either ignores me or advises that I just loose weight.  My GYN DR. is alarmed by the situation, but he could find no physical cause, so he sent me to a urologist who ran all kinds of tests and found nothing, including diabetes.  My Rheumatologist also found nothing.  I think it may be nerve related.  When I am in an upright position, something keeps me from urinating, when I lay down, a "switch" is released and I go like mad.  Please, can you provide any answers?  The interrupted sleep has me tired all the time now and I'm about to go nuts.
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Hello, Janice,                                                                                            
  There are a lot of conditions that can cause increased urinary frequency, physiologically and pathologically.  What you are describing, however, is something called nocturnal polyuria, meaning increased urination at night.  Based on my literature search, not many medical conditions specifically trigger this.  The reported neurological conditions include long term steroid use, multiple sclerosis, stroke, certain types of neuropathy and spinal cord compression.  Each of these conditions have its own clinical characteristics.  In an otherwise healthy individual, it would be highly unlikely to have nocturnal polyuria as the only symptom for any of these conditions.  The best way to address this is to have a full neurological evaluation, paying special attention to lower back region in your case with a herniated disc.  If traveling to Cleveland is not a big deal to you, I highly recommend our department as the first step of your neuro checkup.  We will refer you to other departments if deemed to be necessary.  Please call tool free at [phone] asking for neurology appointment.  Good luck.
  This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.  Please consult your primary physician for the treatment and diagnostic options of your specific condition.