When I Feel Like I Have to Urinate But I Don't Have To?

Hello,

What does it mean when I feel like I have to urinate but I don't have to? I have no problems urinating when I have to (when the bladder has urine in it), but sometimes I feel like I have to urinate when there's no urine in my bladder. The only times this really bothers me is when I'm trying to go to sleep, but can't, because of an urge to urinate. I usually sit on the toilet for a while, like 15 minutes, no urine ever comes out, the feeling goes away, and I can go to sleep comfortably. Something seems to be causing the urge itself. I drink about 3 cups of coffee a day, in case that has to do with it. So what's causing my bladder/whatever to feel that way?

Thank you

[KidneyDave]

Sometimes kidney stones will sit on the floor of the bladder and give this sensation, Ive passed a few kidney stones, and occasionally they give this same symptom, extremely annoying, all i can say is to drink plenty of fluids, and if this is the problem, the stone will eventually pass.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

'Not everyone with a UTI develops recognizable signs and symptoms, but most people have some. These can include: A strong, persistent urge to urinate, A burning sensation when urinating, Passing frequent, small amounts of urine, Blood in the urine (hematuria) or cloudy, strong-smelling urine'

'UTIs can be painful, but you can take steps to ease your discomfort until antibiotics clear the infection. Follow these tips: Drink plenty of fluids. Drinking plenty of water dilutes your urine and may help flush out bacteria. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks containing citrus juices and caffeine until your infection has cleared. They can
irritate your bladder and tend to aggravate your frequent or urgent need to urinate.
Use a heating pad. Sometimes a heating pad placed over the abdomen can help minimize feelings of bladder pressure or pain.'

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/urinary-tract-infection/DS00286/DSECTION=5

'If you have recurrent UTIs, your doctor may recommend a longer course of antibiotic treatment or a self-treatment program with short courses of antibiotics at the outset of your urinary symptoms.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinary_tract_infection

If you have symptoms of a urinary infection, contact your doctor promptly. If your doctor suspects you have a UTI, he or she may ask you to turn in a urine sample to determine if pus, red blood cells or bacteria are present in your urine.

Let us know if you need any other information.

Regards.