Link between ibs and bladder problems

[Deniseki]

Hi. Just wondering whether anyone else has noticed a link between their ibs and urinary urgency/incontinence. I struggle with a lot of bloating/wind and also have issues with needing to rush for a wee urgently sometimes, and sometimes not making it in time. Also my ibs, which I have had for years was always ibsc. Now I'm getting diarrhoea. Can it suddenly change from one to the other? Thanks for listening

[CalRW]

Hi there. Yes I think I’ve read there is a link between IBS and urinary urgency - I certainly have both! I take Betamiga slow release tablets from my GP for the latter and they help a lot. I too have IBSC and once temporarily changed to IBSD during a period of stress and anxiety. Could that be the reason?

[Deniseki in reply to CalRW]

Thanks for reply. Yes I have had bit more stress/anxiety lately and also the worse the symptoms are the more anxiety I have so it's hard to break the cycle. Thanks for reassurance. Might try GP re your medication as that would be a great help

[Jackie1612 in reply to CalRW]

Thank you CalRW. I will look into the medication angle

[XDjames]

I experience that pressure of the wind both increases the urgency and makes it difficult to pee.

[Jackie1612]

hi Deniseki, yes, I have noticed a definite link. It feels as if the inflammation of the IBS causes a feeling of inflammation in the bladder. I have to pee a lot and urgently, particularly in the mornings.

I used to be C for many years, but changed to D many years ago, I think due to stress.

I hope that the medication helps you.

[Wallace-s]

for me too there is a link to urinary system - when my IBS flares up, I drink anything and I then visit the toilet within 5mins.

Very strange symptom, and quite annoying too…….

Your not alone- all the best

[Raneena]

hi. Yes that’s true bz winds put pressure on bladder so you feel you need to do wee wee many times during the day. Sometimes you need to go to toilet every an hour.

Their is no solution for ibs just to notice what you eat of course with taking painkiller. Ibs’s symptoms changes from time to time . I’m living with ibs more than 28s years now.

[Nerissa]

hi I had ibsd for most of my life but now has changed to Ibs c I think that’s worse don’t know how you all copied with it. With D I could take Imodium and off I went. But now I’m suffering with bowel Leaning on my bladder due to uterus removed have an appointment with gastric specialist next week will let you know if they say anything useful. But definitely connection for me.

[Ugly_kid_jo]

For me personally, absolutely 100% yes. I’ll come back to you later with a longer reply, but it’s interesting to see that several people have commented already to suggest that, for them at least, there is a definite link.

[Deniseki in reply to Ugly_kid_jo]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. I feel quite reassured by your comments but am so sorry that this condition affects everyone so badly. It's so difficult to get to see a GP at the moment so in the meantime I'm not so concerned that there might be something else going on with my bladder. Grateful for the advice and hope you all can find ways of dealing with this horrible condition. Any other advice welcome

[StrugglingAirHostess]

I'm constantly needing to wee and years ago was never like this. I do drink a lot of water however even when I don't I'm still constantly needing it. I can always get to the toilet and not incontinent but it's a real inconvenience at times.

I go through phases as well like I currently am where I'm having to strain and push my wee out and I don't feel like I've fully emptied my bladder. Very annoying!

[Deniseki in reply to StrugglingAirHostess]

So sorry to hear about your problem StrugglingAirhostess. It's a bit of a nightmare isnt it. Finding that I need to wear pads all the time for a bit of peace of mind

[StrugglingAirHostess in reply to Deniseki]

Sorry to hear that, sounds awful 😔 Thankfully I can hold it until I get to a toilet but it's so uncomfortable.

[Pinkpop21 in reply to StrugglingAirHostess]

Hi,

I know how you feel, I keep needing to wee very frequently even when I’ve not drunk much. I spoke to GP very briefly not sure if it’s my pelvic floor muscles, stress incontinence or ibs effecting it. She said about training you bladder and looking at a pelvic floor website. Not tried this yet. I said when I go it’s always a full amount too!

I think there’s specialist you can see if nothing helps that can check it out.

Hope you get some answers.

[StrugglingAirHostess in reply to Pinkpop21]

To be honest I've just learnt to live with it because I get sick of being fobbed off with the same old 'It's your IBS'. I've even seen gynaecology who blame IBS. I think it's just an easy answer for them

[Leo70 in reply to StrugglingAirHostess]

With regard to your bladder problems, it may be that the problem is that you are not emptying your bladder fully when you go, and would suggest you visit your GP to see whether further investigations are needed, i.e. an ultrasound of the bladder to see whether it is emptying fully.

[StrugglingAirHostess in reply to Leo70]

Honestly I'm through with GPs. They blame everything on IBS. I've been numerous times about it. I even thought it was endometriosis at one point because of numerous symptoms but again, referred to gynaecology who said 'IBS' 🙄 If I could afford to go private I would push for more but unfortunately can't and trying to get an appointment these days is a major task in itself. Years now I've been fobbed off.

[RButus]

Before you plunge wholeheartedly for the IBS link (which I don't discount but...) consider this angle if your are anywhere near, in or past menopause: genito-urinary syndrome of menopause, or GSM. Very few GPs are aware of it as so little of their training is devoted to menopause. For almost a year I suffered incontinence, frequency and urgency and was treated by GPs for cystitis (infection was present but they were unaware why) with no benefit whatsoever other than ghastly antibiotic side effects. GSM affects up to 50% of women, even those on HRT, and is caused by the lack of oestrogen which the bladder, urethra and ladyparts all require to remain healthy and fight off bacteria. Within 2 weeks of topical oestrogen twice weekly I was sorted. Have a google. Best of luck.

[Deniseki in reply to RButus]

That's very interesting RButus. Hadnt even considered that. I am 68 so well past menopause but take oestrogen suppressing drug related to previous breast cancer so guess it may be linked to that. It's so difficult to work out what's causing what really. Will certainly look into it. Thanks for that. Yes it is good to know I'm not going mad😂. Thanks all

[RButus in reply to Deniseki]

My symptoms didn't present until I was 69, out of the blue and well past menopause. GPs get maybe one lecture on menopause in their training (according to an article written by a GP in my health magazine) so are in general, entirely ignorant. Don't suffer this condition, as, believe me, it gets worse quite quickly, left untreated. All the best x

[BabblingBrooks]

Yes this is what I experience especially since the menopause.

I have urine testing strips so I don’t end up on antibiotics for a UTI that doesn’t exist.

[JT1992]

I find that especially when I have had a bad spell of IBS D I can go for a wee 10 times in half an hour.. and it's a lot of urine even if I haven't drunk much that day. I thought I had a UTI at one point, but it didnt burn and so I made the link to the IBS. Good to know I am not alone in this!

[Bralorne]

Hi yes I have been aware of that but don’t know the cause. A few times the urinary urgency (same pattern as you) happens first then the IBS kicks in. I completed the low Fodmap diet and found both IBS and urinary problems better controlled so I guessed it had something to do with my reaction to certain foods. Unfortunately haven’t yet worked out which one. Hope it clears up soon. It makes life so miserable.

[Deniseki in reply to Bralorne]

Thanks for that Bralorne. Havent tried Fodmap but am trying to cut out lactose and gluten at moment to see if it makes any difference. Yes it is a daily battle

[Ugly_kid_jo]

Hi Deniseki.

I’ve a bit more time now and I said I’d come back to you on this in a bit more detail.

Firstly I’m sorry to hear about your problem… it’s a very difficult and frustrating condition to live with as I’m sure you know… and not everyone will experience either the same symptoms or even those symptoms to a similar severity (and even whether those symptoms will affect their lives to the same extent!)

My open personal experience, having suffered with anxiety and IBS for many years - and I do stress that this just my own experiences and beliefs - is that there is a definite link between having a “bad IBS day” - which can take many forms, but if I’m feeling particularly bloated and haven’t been to the toilet for a “number 2” for a day or so, is that this will often mean that I don’t go for a wee very much that day either. I tend to find that if I’m weeing regularly throughout the day then this often corresponds with me having a “good IBS day”, where I’m going to the loo regularly etc. - I can vary between hardly urinating much one day to pissing like a proverbial race horse the next!

I put this down almost entirely to how tense / anxious I am. I have developed a very bad habit over many years of holding myself tense (to stop the unpleasant/embarrassing symptoms… farting/shitting/wetting myself in public etc) and this directly affects how bad my IBS will be that day.

I’d be interested to know how many other people can relate to this, because I do believe that if none of us had to conform to societal norms - ie. not being bothered about making bad smells, urinating and defecating whenever and wherever we liked… most people wouldn’t have IBS. That’s just my opinion, and I’m sure plenty of people on here will disagree with me, but having been a sufferer and an interested observer of other people’s struggles over the years - it’s the only conclusion that really makes any sense.

I’m not sure if that’s of any help to you, but hopefully a better answer than just “yes!”

Best of luck with managing your symptoms, anyway - and I hope that this has been a useful response to your question.

Atb,

K

[Deniseki in reply to Ugly_kid_jo]

Thank you for message Uglykidjo. That all seems very familiar. I do find,oddly, that if I am busy at home during the day my symptoms are less severe. I guess that's due to me not being so anxious. It's a viscous circle isnt it? I am always a bit concerned when I go out ie. I go to the loo just before I go out the door whether I need to or not and find myself checking out where public loos are if I am going somewhere new. It's all very difficult but I guess there are people much worse off than me. Thanks for listening. I find this forum very helpful

[Ugly_kid_jo]

You’re very welcome… it’s interesting to hear that it sounds familiar!

Certainly if I’m suitably distracted from my anxiety - for example being absorbed in something interesting (but low stress!) at work, or walking (one of the few exercises that doesn’t crucify me at the moment!) - then I’ll generally have a much better day in terms of managing my IBS.

It is as you say very much a vicious circle, and one that’s not always easy to break.

Good luck with your journey though, it sounds as if you are being quite positive and pragmatic about things… two very important things, I think.

Atb,

K

[yorkshire_lass]

I’m having an IBS flare-up since I started on Metformin, with a chronic constipation/diarrhoea cycle, and this has been associated with days when as soon as I get out of bed in the morning, I’m unable to get to the toilet without wetting myself. It’s got to the stage where I don’t know where to start talking to a doctor! Last time I spoke to a GP about urge incontinence, I was given the inevitable print-out about pelvic floor exercises, which didn’t help at all.

[Luisa22]

I never get UTI's but one thing I have noticed creeping up on me is urgency when I need a wee. I get troubled by that much more than bm urgency which is not bad. It's like I suddenly need a wee, and in the morning when I wake up I have to make a dash for the toilet (waterworks only and lots of gas first thing.) The "second episode" (no. 2) fortunately seems to mostly wait for me to wake up and get a hot drink even though that is not often fun either.

I don't know if it is or why it should be -a part of IBS? But it's only happened since IBS lingers on. I always imagined if there's more water than usual coming out via kidneys then why isn't enough water being absorbed in my gut?

[angelwings52]

When I get a flare up I can get what my GP called Irritable Bladder, which was an almost constant need to urinate along with some incontinence. It's also called Interstitial Cystitis and your GP can prescribe medication for it. Keeping your fluid intake up can help when this starts. I can recommend hypnotherapy to deal with stress as it really works.

[Deniseki in reply to angelwings52]

Thanks for that. Think a trip to GP is in order armed with some of everyones helpful info

[Clare-]

I have the same issues and now use disposable pants every day to keep me free of accidents. It’s very debilitating having both Ibs d and urinary leakage. . Waiting for a referral to a gastroenterologist and have tried many pelvic floor exercises without a great deal of success