Excessive Urination on Pred.

[Attic]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone else has experienced Excessive Urination while on 15mg of Prednisolone please.Thank you, Jenny

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Is it frequency or volume you think is excessive? Is it getting you up at night or is it in the daytime too?

[Attic in reply to PMRpro]

All the time, day and night. Quite unpleasant really

Jenny

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Attic]

Any other symptoms? Pain in the lower abdomen, burning, leakage? Are you thirsty?

In some people pred can cause increased urination, often at night, and pred can raise blood sugar levels and the body them tries to get rid of it through the kidneys. Pred can also cause irritable bladder that makes you urinate more often.

Really, you need to speak to the GP to get a few tests done to rule out diabetes and a urinary tract infections.

[Attic in reply to PMRpro]

As luck would have it the Doctor is ringing me tomorrow because after they finally decided what was wrong with me after being pushed from pillar to post I only started Pred just under two weeks ago. This has been going on for about three days.My Husband is Diabetic so he has just done a Blood Test for me and it is well within the normal range, thank goodness.

In reply to SnazzyD, I haven't got pain anywhere and it smells ok as well.

Will see what Doctor says tomorrow and let you know what he says. Thank you both.

Jenny

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Attic]

Good - I suspect irritable bladder in that case. It can happen with pred - and with PMR>

[Predniso141 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you PMRpro. I am so glad to know it is called "irritable bladder". At one point you mentioned that the adrenal gland sits on top of the bladder. No wonder we all have urinary issues, since Prednisone affects the adrenal gland. I feel so fortunate to have found this forum. So informative and all of you sound like FUN people! I live in the USA in South Carolina and would love to visit "across the pond" one day. Stay well and thanks again.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Predniso141]

No - adrenals live on the kidneys themselves, Image here:

hopkinsmedicine.org/health/....

[Predniso141 in reply to PMRpro]

One more thing. I have been trying to strengthen pelvic muscles with yoga type exercises and also Kegels (which they told me to do after childbirth). It seems to be helping a little and doesn’t require much time. At 77 years if age and having been on Prednisone for PMR, i guess muscles in the pelvis deteriorate along with arm and leg muscles. But i don’t drink any liquid after 9 o’clock.

[Predniso141 in reply to Predniso141]

My mistake. I meant to say on top of the Kidney not bladder. Thanks

[SnazzyD in reply to Attic]

I had to keep my urine quite dilute or else I got irritation of the bladder and urethra. It was definitely not infection. Once I cut the calcium right down and the Pred dose got appreciably smaller it resolved.

[SnazzyD in reply to Attic]

When you pee, do you pass an amount that is a normal amount for the sensation that sent you to the toilet? Or is it a disappointing spoon-full? If you don’t go, can you hold it?

Does it look and smell ok?

Do you have any pain in the pipe or elsewhere?

There are a number of causes which is why detail is needed. Pred and can cause irritation that can mimic an infection, as can calcium supplements. Pred also makes one more susceptible to infections. High blood sugar can cause increased urination and without diet adjustments, Pred can cause this too. There are also unrelated causes.

[Twopies]

I had horrible irritable bladder with lots of red blood cells, too. When I got to the lower doses, it eased up. At one point I had a ct scan which showed thinning of the bladder wall which report said could be due to pred or pmr thinning of tissues.

[GrandmaPirate]

I had problems walking the dog, bladder seemed always full, during covid public restrooms closed, was really a nightmare. So happy that it ceased after my daily prednisolone dosage came down to 2 mg and since a year now 1 mg/day.

[Roxanne01]

Yep. I could pee for England, I was thinking of moving the tv in the loo I spend so much time in there. I see it as just one of those things with Steroids as before I couldn’t pee if my life depended on it. But then I do drink in excess of 4 - 5 litres of water a day, I’ve not drunk anything but water for nearly 10 years now.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Roxanne01]

Why do you drink so much? It really isn't necessary and too much can cause all sorts of problems.

[Roxanne01 in reply to PMRpro]

It’s what I choose to do and in ten years (probably more than that) I’ve never had a problem. In fact I was thinking about it and it’s probably more likely 6 litres a day. I don’t get up in the night and I can’t remember any bladder - or anything else problems related to the amount I drink.

[perceptual63 in reply to Roxanne01]

6 liters is a lot of water.

My nephrologist recommended that I just drink 2 liters of water a day after I went into Stage 3 kidney disease from NOT drinking enough water.

Brought my GFR right up.

[Leafsong66]

Hi Attic! Yep volume of wee is high! Frequency is high, some irritation of the bladder. Using Ural sachets to help. Currently 20 mg of pred. Dr said that it is due to Pred.

[Attic in reply to Leafsong66]

Hi Ladies, thank you so much for your replies, it is much appreciated. Doctor ringing later to see how I am getting on. I hope he doesn't tell me to reduce already as I don't feel ready yet.Here we go again, I had PMR for six years last time from 2014 to 2020. Hope it won't be so long this time. Fingers crossed.

Jenny

[Bramble2000]

Yes, I remember that when I was taking it!

[Frewen1]

Hi Jenny, interested to read your post … I started on 60 mgs Pred exactly 3 years ago, and within a fortnight I had a horrendous urinary situation that I wrote about on here and no one else seemed to know what I was talking about. This is nothing to do with needing a pee and rushing to the loo … it seems to be a completely separate operation within the body. I’m talking about involuntary flooding with no sensation that it’s happening; but it’s also connected to being vertical… no protection needed in bed. I had tests to check pelvic floor and bladder ( all in good shape, as I knew they would be ) … no one wanted to accept it was connected to the steroids.

Suffice to say, now on 3mgs pred, down to one maxi Tena liner a day instead of three, and I’m no longer boosting the good Tena ‘s profits as much as a year ago.

I’d be happy to take part in any research on this connection if anyone knows of any - meanwhile, I hope your situation is not as dramatic ( and at times distressing) as mine was.

Karen x

[Stellamavis in reply to Frewen1]

Hi Frewen..I think i had same involuntary flooding..it used to happen out of the blue..I was on 1mg pred for almost 5months when inflammation started to return I started to stiffen up more and more and could barely get up off the chair when sometimes it would start to flow with no warning..even if I did feel the urge to go I was so stiff and slow to get to the downstairs loo quick enough...have relied on Tena ever since..it very rarely happened after upping my pred to 5 to stop the stiffness.. there are some days now i hardly have to go..I drink about 3 pints of water throughout the day and night..i dont need the tena at night only in the day just in case..I mentioned it to my rhuemy when i was being checked for GCA symptoms yrs later..he made a note of it and said "sorry to hear that"..l did pelvic floor exercises but that didnt last long..its under control on higher doses..on 7 now and still all ok..

[Hunter134]

I've had bladder issues the last year.Chronic infections and my urologist put it down to prednisone.Been on it for 3 years and struggling to taper.Hope you get answers and would love to hear how you made out!

[Bibberty in reply to Hunter134]

I had frequent infections and was then diagnosed with diabetes (steroid induced)Since taking Metformin I have been infection free.

Worth a blood test.

[Hunter134 in reply to Bibberty]

I had one and it was good.Iam a type 2 diabetic.Lost weight and it helped.

[bbugsyyy]

I feel like I need to pee maybe 3x as much as pre-prednisone. It's really an issue when on the road, shopping, and trying to sleep at night. I have no issues causing the problem other than prednisone, the need to drink more wile taking the tablets and also while taking the calcium supplements I need now that I am on prednisone, and all the other anti-inflammation supplements, plus the need to stay hydrated.

[HeartMe]

Yes, I also get frequent urination when on Prednisone.

[micpenn222]

Yes, at the higher doses it was scary how many times I would have to go, till I found out frequent urination was a side effect of pred that some experience.

[Darkchocolate1]

After 2 and 1/2 years on prednisone for PMR I began leaking urine and going every two hours day and night. Urologist diagnosed overactive bladder. I am taking Myrbetriq for a few days now and still leaking. It can take 8 weeks they say to help.

[Pr0jection]

Yes, I have to visit the bathroom often but mostly during the night (up to 4/5 times) since being on prednisolone. I've had the tests and all is normal, no pain, no leakage, not thirsty. The pee is often whiffy but I take quite a few B vitamins and apparently this can contribute to it. Living in Cyprus I try to keep hydrated so I'm drinking a lot of water, particularly at the moment as it's high summer. I seem to be reasonably normal when I'm standing or sitting, but lying down seems to bring on the urge to urinate.