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Neurogenic bladder
Hi.I was in hospital in 2008 for investigations after getting a drop attack, this was before I got my CM & SM diagnoses. At the time Nurses who were routinely monitoring my fluid intake and urine output noted that I had an overactive bladder, I would get the urge to go to the bathroom but during my visit I would only pass a small amount, consequently I would need to go again soon after. I thought this was normal and so never really paid much notice.
I had some urological tests at the time but the doctors could find nothing abnormal with my bladder.
When I was DX't with CM & SM last year it was decided by my Doctors to do further investigating. Yesterday I met with my Urologist, he said my bladder was healthy but the mechanics were not. He Diagnosed me as having a Neurogenic bladder. He is confident that my problems are due to one or a combination of my Central Nervous System problems. He feels that the CNS problem need to be treated in the hope of resolving my bladder issues before he would preform any radical treatments. He has put me on medication to help with my bladder problem but this is not a longterm solution.
So now ball is back in the Neurosurgeons court.
Neurogenic bladder is a dysfunction of the urinary bladder caused by a problem of the Central Nervous System, Various nerves converge in the area of the bladder and serve to control the muscles of the urinary tract, which includes the sphincter muscles that normally form a tight ring around the urethra to hold urine back until it is voluntarily released.
I understand from talking with my urologist that excess urine can buildup and get into the kidneys causing kidney disease. It can also cause frequent UTI's
Ray
I had some urological tests at the time but the doctors could find nothing abnormal with my bladder.
When I was DX't with CM & SM last year it was decided by my Doctors to do further investigating. Yesterday I met with my Urologist, he said my bladder was healthy but the mechanics were not. He Diagnosed me as having a Neurogenic bladder. He is confident that my problems are due to one or a combination of my Central Nervous System problems. He feels that the CNS problem need to be treated in the hope of resolving my bladder issues before he would preform any radical treatments. He has put me on medication to help with my bladder problem but this is not a longterm solution.
So now ball is back in the Neurosurgeons court.
Neurogenic bladder is a dysfunction of the urinary bladder caused by a problem of the Central Nervous System, Various nerves converge in the area of the bladder and serve to control the muscles of the urinary tract, which includes the sphincter muscles that normally form a tight ring around the urethra to hold urine back until it is voluntarily released.
I understand from talking with my urologist that excess urine can buildup and get into the kidneys causing kidney disease. It can also cause frequent UTI's
Ray
No bother taylapj, it is hard to say if the medication are making a difference just yet as I only started one of them yesterday (Booths did not have em lol) but I did not need to get up last night to pee lol so they must be.
I think the best way to know if you have a bladder problem is urodynamic testing. this will show if your bladder is emptying fully. I was told that Unary Tract infections could reoccur because of this. I think you may need to get checked by a doctor if it is starting again and maybe suggest a urodynamic test, can be a bit unpleasant but the discomfort is only for a few seconds at the start the rest is OK, it takes about 20 minutes to do.....
My experience has been that pain is not involved when the bladder is not emptying fully until it backs up into the kidneys, I did have some discomfort but was not very worried about this as it usually did not last very long. I did not even know I had a problem until the Nurses noticed that my fluid input/output was not as it should be when I was an inpatient last year.
Ray
I think the best way to know if you have a bladder problem is urodynamic testing. this will show if your bladder is emptying fully. I was told that Unary Tract infections could reoccur because of this. I think you may need to get checked by a doctor if it is starting again and maybe suggest a urodynamic test, can be a bit unpleasant but the discomfort is only for a few seconds at the start the rest is OK, it takes about 20 minutes to do.....
My experience has been that pain is not involved when the bladder is not emptying fully until it backs up into the kidneys, I did have some discomfort but was not very worried about this as it usually did not last very long. I did not even know I had a problem until the Nurses noticed that my fluid input/output was not as it should be when I was an inpatient last year.
Ray
Thanks for posting this, im so sorry to hear about all this, sounds like your really going thought it all at the moment. Is the new medication helping at all?
Interesting post because ive been admitted twice to hospital this year with extreme abdominal pain,urine tests all fine, bloods fine on 1 occasssion my right kidney was very diolated even after emptying something to do with stagnent stuff not emptying.... i wasn't given anything for this but a repeat Xray in 12 weeks, so i went back did the repeat xray fine. now im starting to get that tender/ bruised feeling again around my lower back, like what it feels like to have an infection.
Nikki - Lol a pee chart?!!! thats genius!!
Interesting post because ive been admitted twice to hospital this year with extreme abdominal pain,urine tests all fine, bloods fine on 1 occasssion my right kidney was very diolated even after emptying something to do with stagnent stuff not emptying.... i wasn't given anything for this but a repeat Xray in 12 weeks, so i went back did the repeat xray fine. now im starting to get that tender/ bruised feeling again around my lower back, like what it feels like to have an infection.
Nikki - Lol a pee chart?!!! thats genius!!
COMMUNITY LEADER
I have to agree with Ray I believe we r saying the same think Carolyn...we feel the need often, but have to push small amounts out...and like u there r times I do not feel the urge to go....sometimes I just get pains up my spine or lower back...or I can get hot ...
It is all very strange....
Yrs ago when I went to a urologist I was told it was fine just some scar tissue, it was dilated and I was told to have it done every so often....
But one can tell the difference when in a public rest room.....others sound like they turn on a faucet and mine can barely be heard by myself.....and I sit so long ....waiting to get each little bit out and others come and go and leave way more behind if u know what I mean....lol....I remember teachers coming into the rest room in grade school to check on me...I always said I was ok, just not done...lol.....
SO if the bladder looks fine....it has to be a neuro issue....what else could this be?
It is all very strange....
Yrs ago when I went to a urologist I was told it was fine just some scar tissue, it was dilated and I was told to have it done every so often....
But one can tell the difference when in a public rest room.....others sound like they turn on a faucet and mine can barely be heard by myself.....and I sit so long ....waiting to get each little bit out and others come and go and leave way more behind if u know what I mean....lol....I remember teachers coming into the rest room in grade school to check on me...I always said I was ok, just not done...lol.....
SO if the bladder looks fine....it has to be a neuro issue....what else could this be?
Jennyfoo: I asked my urologist if he could tell me if it was the CM, SM or another Cyst I have at T1, he could not give me an answer but he did say that the problem was more than likely due to the disruption of messages in the nerve pathways of my spinal cord and not degenerative disc problems in my lumber spine. He feels the urology problem has been going on from childhood where as the DD problem is more recent. The CM etc is congenital. I think you should get a second opinion about your problems as they can be serious.
Carolyn one of my problem is that I need to strain to go, my bladder is overactive and I have been put on meds for this however the reason it is classed as overactive is because of the frequency but I go frequently because when I go only a small amount passes despite straining so I have to go again after 20 minutes or so..
I agree we are all affected differently, anyone with bowel or bladder needs to see a doctor as it can lead to permanent damage.....
Ray
Ray
Carolyn one of my problem is that I need to strain to go, my bladder is overactive and I have been put on meds for this however the reason it is classed as overactive is because of the frequency but I go frequently because when I go only a small amount passes despite straining so I have to go again after 20 minutes or so..
I agree we are all affected differently, anyone with bowel or bladder needs to see a doctor as it can lead to permanent damage.....
Ray
Ray
Sorry Ray..to hear that you keep having to go round and round in circles...I am glad to hear from you though and I hope that you are doing a little better..
Every time I see a Dr for anything related to my gait they always ask me about bladder issues. It seems though that my problems are more the other way, sometimes I am feeling like I have to push it out. Also, I don't feel the sensation nearly as early as I should. I guess we are all different but I am 100% convinced that all our bladder issues are related to having CM.
Jenny- I as dx'd with a "slow-moving" digestion probably about 15 years before I had any other problems. I've had stomach aches and pain for as long as I can remember ever since I was a child. Then there is IBS which also seems to be related. There is just so much that can be affected by this disorder.
Carolyn
Every time I see a Dr for anything related to my gait they always ask me about bladder issues. It seems though that my problems are more the other way, sometimes I am feeling like I have to push it out. Also, I don't feel the sensation nearly as early as I should. I guess we are all different but I am 100% convinced that all our bladder issues are related to having CM.
Jenny- I as dx'd with a "slow-moving" digestion probably about 15 years before I had any other problems. I've had stomach aches and pain for as long as I can remember ever since I was a child. Then there is IBS which also seems to be related. There is just so much that can be affected by this disorder.
Carolyn
I have wondered if I may have this or something similar. I have the same issue; urge, but not much pee, then have to go again in 1/2 hr. I seriously go 10 times a day. I thought it was my herniated disc causing it, but since the Chiari dx, I'm not sure. The disc is too high to cause bladder issues. My slip-and -fall accident, whiplash, and minor concussion happened only 2-3 months after my disc injury. I know that I have gastroparesis. Slow gastric emptying. It was blamed on my pain meds. I was dx in march. Funny thing though. I got off my pain meds for awhile and it didn't get better. I was on a higher dose of meds and it didn't get worse. It also tends to flare up with neurological symptoms. I'm pretty sure my gastroparesis is caused by a neuro disorder. The vagus nerve isn't getting the right impulses. I wonder if my bladder issues are similar?
Thanks Elizabeth, I will keep that in mind, Anne would love the idea of going over lol.....
Selma you pretty much summed up what happens, the pain in the lower back could be kidney related although I have Disk Degeneration in my lumber spine as well (going for a CT of lumber spine) so it is hard to say what is causing the pain. An ultrasound of your bladder before & after you pass urine will show if your bladder is emptying after you pass urine. It is also important to remember that this apply's to bowel as well. Bowel & Bladder problems are common in CM & SM.
Niki, you are wise to do this, it will give your doctors a full picture of your health. Give a copy of it to your GP as well. I know just how frustrating it can be, good luck with the NL :)
Ray
Selma you pretty much summed up what happens, the pain in the lower back could be kidney related although I have Disk Degeneration in my lumber spine as well (going for a CT of lumber spine) so it is hard to say what is causing the pain. An ultrasound of your bladder before & after you pass urine will show if your bladder is emptying after you pass urine. It is also important to remember that this apply's to bowel as well. Bowel & Bladder problems are common in CM & SM.
Niki, you are wise to do this, it will give your doctors a full picture of your health. Give a copy of it to your GP as well. I know just how frustrating it can be, good luck with the NL :)
Ray
Thanks for posting this Ray it really makes interesting reading and really confirms a link with cm dont you think.
Im currently doing a tally chart in my bathroom of how many times I pee a day, its ridiculous that we have to do these things to take to our Nl for them to hear us and listen to us,
So off I go to nl on Monday armed with my list of symptoms, pee tally chart, and ready for world war 3 after 3yrs of testing,knock backs and being given english nhs system runaround!!!!
Niki x x x
Im currently doing a tally chart in my bathroom of how many times I pee a day, its ridiculous that we have to do these things to take to our Nl for them to hear us and listen to us,
So off I go to nl on Monday armed with my list of symptoms, pee tally chart, and ready for world war 3 after 3yrs of testing,knock backs and being given english nhs system runaround!!!!
Niki x x x
COMMUNITY LEADER
HI Ray...I believe this is what I was said to have...I had many UTI's when I was younger...haven't had one in yrs.....but I get that have to go feeling all the time and very little if nething is released....and if I choose to ignore it, I get pain up my spine or I get hot all over....the NS at TCI said it was due to the neuro issues....do u get that as well???
"selma"
"selma"
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