Can Anxiety Create Urinary Problems?

Over the last year and a half my need to void has steadily increased to about one time an hour. However, on April 6th of this year, after masturbating to climax, I not only had the urge to void, but afterwards I still felt that I hadn't gone. I still felt full. I would go again in 15 minutes and actually void quite a bit. Yet, when I "finished" it still felt like I still needed to go. It was the most horrible feeling. After about a week I went to my GP who referred me to a urologist.

The urologist did a urine culture and it came back negative. I had two bladder ultrasounds and they came out normal. He then had me get a cup and measure my urine output. I was going about 15 to 20 times per day.

From April 6th until April 27th I refrained from any sexual activity since masturbating seemed to be the cause of the problem. On the 27th I had a followup appointment with my urologist and he assured me that masturbation to climax had absolutely nothing to do with my problem and he prescribed me Vesicare. At this point I was feeling much better although I had a very low-grade desire to void, but when I was distracted/busy it was fairly easy to forget the issue.

When I got home I had the urge to masturbate, which I did, and my problem came back with a vengence as it did after I masturbated on the 6th. I had the same urge to void, I would go into the restroom void normally and still feel like I hadn't gone. It lasted this time for about three day and then retreated to where I was feeling better. At this point I was petrified of masturbating again for fear it would come back so I kept myself busy. Even though I didn't not engage in anything sexual, five days later May 4th I began to have the same severe symptoms as I did on the 6th and 27th of April, but this time it was not precipitated by masturbation. Today is May 14th and I've spent the weekend just miserable not knowing what to do. I'm taking Visacare 10 mgs daily plus an anti-biotic Doxcyclicline 100 mg two times daily, but it isn't really improving the situation.

What's bizarre is that I feel absolutely no pain anywhere, whatsoever. I void normally. Nothing hurts or burns. I have no aches or pains. The only symptoms I have is this maddening urge to void all the time. I can void pretty much every 15 minutes, but I try to make myself wait for at least 30 to 45 minutes as uncomfortable as it is. I void when I go, but never feel like I empty bladder. I walk out of the restroom and still feel full with the urgency to void.

My doctor wants me to go see a psychologist because he thinks that I'm creating the problem in my head. Is that actually possible, based on my history, or is just that they can't figure out what is wrong with me?

Over the past month, I've had intermittent bouts of frequency/urgency (i.e. overactive bladder) coupled with weak stream/hesitancy due to BPH. I'm taking doxazosin to relax the urethra muscles to make voiding easier but this hasn't cured the frequency issues. I also was put on a course of Cipro despite testing negative for UTI (it was prescribed originally for prostatitis).

For me, the anxiety it creates does seem to make the frequency/urgency worse but at the same time, it also isn't something that is only being concocted in my head because if that were the case, little urine would be coming out. The worst was around 2 weeks ago when I would feel like going every five minutes and I'd be peeing out a few milliliters each time (mostly clear and odorless). My bladder and urethra would also have this "itchy" (for lack of a better description) feel on top of the constant urge which made having a good nights sleep impossible. This became so frustrating and annoying that I jokingly referred to myself as Sir Pee-A-Lot (laughing about it helped me urinate a bit easier due to the weak stream I intermittently have). Since then, I also bought one of those hospital style plastic containers to urinate into so that I don't have to constantly make the trip to the toilet. The container has measurement markers and the most I've peed out over a 4 hour period was 700ml.

Doctors who recommend seeing a psychologist are pretty much copping out of finding out the problem though and doing their patients a disservice since these kind of issues could have many possible causes (interstitial cystitis, atonic bladder, neurogenic bladder, diabetes, pelvic floor dysfunction, etc). Having read your posts, I seriously doubt your urinary issues are being created in your head.

Honestly I'm going through the exact same thing as you right now, and I can say pretty confidently that it is anxiety. I've been on anti-depressants now for a few days and it has almost stopped. I know your pain, this exact thing has almost destroyed my life.

Did the anti depressants help? and can you get off of them?

Okay. First off, know how you feel is absolutely REAL. You feel like using the restroom every 5 minutes because your bladder is experiencing anxiety that you haven't quite dealt with yet. I know this from firsthand experience. A small story:

About five years ago, my life changed dramatically with the selling of my home, quitting my career, moving out of state, starting graduate school, a death in my family and a new engagement. It was quite dramatic but nonetheless I stayed focused. After a few months of these changes, I noticed that one day I had to go to the bathroom about 3 times in one hour. I figured I might have a bit of a bladder infection, so I went to my ob/gyn, took medication, and with the craziness of school, totally forgot about my "issue".

Fast forward about 7 months to about 4 days after my wedding. My husband and I were getting ready to go on our honeymoon and those frequent urges to urinate came back. I figured that it was an infection, went to the doctor, took my antibiotics with me and thought that would be the end of that. No such luck.

While on my honeymoon, these urges became worse and worse and before you know it, I felt like I had to urinate every 5 minutes. It was absolutely horrifying. We returned home and I immediately went to my doctor. I was checked for everything under the sun, diabetes, etc. I was told to stay away from certain foods (didn't help), told to only drink water with a certain amount of alkaline in it (didn't help), drink marshmallow tea (didn't help), etc. etc. I then began to think incessantly and non-stop about this issue. Going online and reading stories about interstitial cystitis (which I had convinced myself I had) were terrifying me. I then began to experience anxiety (which I never had) and was absolutely scared. At that point, my husband and I realized that we were entering a pretty scary phase and so I went to a psychologist to discuss this.

After a lengthy conversation about all the changes that I had experienced (and alot of crying about other stuff I never realized that I was feeling), my doctor prescribed Lexapro for depression. At that point I was pretty stunned to be told that I was suffering from depression, but in my case, anxiety was the first tell-tale sign of what was to come. As soon as I began to deal (for lack of a better phrase) with my anxiety and depression, the bladder urges completely went away.

All in all, I spent about a solid 6 weeks being extremely depressed (anxiety dissipated as soon as depression set in) but thereafter the medication kicked in and my depression symptoms were relieved. With alot of talk therapy, a good physician, supportive family and friends, I've been able to become a much happier and healthier person. It was as if my own body was telling me, "Look you! You haven't paid attention to me! So i'm going to make the bladder move a million times an hour until you deal with some stuff!" As soon as I did, the bladder was healed.

All I can say is that you're going to get better. Please, do talk to someone and don't be scared. It will be okay.

All the best.

I have a story too,

I had a lot of change in my life too, I had met a great man and we decided to get married, we did! I had a child frm another relationship, he adopted her. We moved in together, we started our new life. With-in three month of getting married, we got pregnant! We had our second child. My Mother got very sick, and needed surgery. Then my Father took ill. Then my step-Father became ill with very bad depression. Then my daughter started having behavorial problems, which was only about 3. My son came along with was the worst crying baby I think ALIVE, I love him with all my HEART, but man could that child CRY! Then my husband and I started having marital problems, because of his parent's, who started becoming unbelievable. His Father was out there totally, and we finally cut all ties. Then we got the call that his Mother had Parkison's disease. Then his Father had a nervous break-down. Then this year his Uncle killed himself! In the time of four years passing we had so much disaster it wasn't time enough for us to enjoy anything. Then the BIG one came my Father was taken to the hospital heart attack they thought, nope was medication and bad reaction. Then everything seem to calm, and suddenly I started to calm,
BANG, I started to get depressed! I also tend to have ocd worrisome problems too. This ties in though, because I seem to worry about everything. We purchased my dream vehicle and spent a lot of money on it, then about six months after we got it, I started to think of all the reasons I shouldn't have it. Until I actually started to think it was bad-luck, not very logical here I know, but there is where the OCD comes in.
My point is this, suddently I started to have this constant need to urinate, however I did have a UTI. However, afterwards it was gone, but I still had this awful worrisome feeling about it and I thought and thought and thought about it, I was thinking I was peeing to much. I had sugar, I had bladder something other, I drove myself almost nuts. Then it came to me, I need something to worry about! I get some sorta relief in worry about something. I believe that you can worry yourself into a illness.
I agree too, with the lady who said her stresses caught up to her, yes your body can talk to you for sure! Also there is such a thing as anxiety causing your nervous sytem to over-react, which in return for you could be your bladder. It could be picking up on a tense bladder muscle, which you could be doing yourself! Hence this, if you think about peeing you will have to pee, try this
Go to a party and say I have to pee, you will notice many other peopel will suddenly think they have to as well.
I mean it could be medical don't get me wrong, but don't for one minute think if all medical tests come back it ALRIGHT, then lean maybe towards the anxiety thing.
There is this medical theory or practical possibly, something about worring and the pelvic floor muscles contracting and signaling you have to urinate, hence going out on to stage in front of a 1000 people you get nervous and have to pee! So talking is another good thing to. I actually enjoy talking my problems out, it helps you out totally! You are playing it smart you are ruling out any possible medical, FIRST! Take care, the best to you.

Wow, this really relates to what I am going through, re: depression, anxiety and urinary incontinence. I'm a male and I'm in my early 20s...

So, I am recovering from a severe injury to a tendon in my knee. I required surgery to repair the tendon, and it's been about a year now (still recovering, though mostly better from that). I was unable to bear weight on my injured leg for 3 months (then suffered an ankle injury which stretched this to about 4.5 months), Walked with a cane through a very icy winter, forced myself to stay in school and endure hell, and was pretty immobile as far as things go.

Now, for the first 2 months post-op, I was holding my urine more than normal, though not exactly realizing it so much. It became WORSE. Much much worse. It started with some dribbling of urine, but my symptoms have gradually evolved. I have, at periods of time, experienced urinary retention, overactive bladder, incomplete voiding, dribbling (every time I urinate for quite a while now), embarrassment, anxiety, etc. A typical day of school has been: wake up, urinate first thing, shower, go to school. The urge to urinate usually kicked in 30 mins into my first class of the day. Some days I'd go for many hours straight, and I'd always be too embarrassed to urinate, because I would have to go through the extra measures to make sure the dribbling has stopped, which often takes several minutes.

Another annoying symptom was what I call "phantom urge", which is different from incomplete voiding. Sometimes I know I have completely emptied my bladder, but regardless of this, the physiological act of "holding" just seems to happen, and I am unable to stop it once it has reached a certain point. I've spent hours of class just clenching my teeth through abdominal pain from this problem. Funny enough, I've found that alcohol gets rid of this symptom, but aggravates urinary frequency (so when I drink it's only ever one...)

So I talked to my urologist about this, and he told me that I am probably just experiencing flow problems becuase of excess coffee (I rarely drink more than 1 a day, though I've now cut that to 1 every few days). Which is normal. He also told me to push up and forward on the perineum to drain excess urine. Now, I do this and it does drain excess urine, but more urine ALWAYS pushes its way out of my urethra. From everything I've read on the internet this is stress incontinence due to weakened pelvic muscles (from excess holding).

Now, one problem I frequently experience is a delay in starting urination. Sometimes I cannot urinate at all, but generally if I focus enough in the minutes prior to urinating on relaxation, I can save myself wasted trips. I've noticed that this delay is DIRECTLY connected to the anxiety of my situation and that my attempts to reduce the anxiety actually reduce symptoms significantly. Now, I had a horribly nightmarish episode recently when I went camping with a few hundred people.

I had been having trouble sleeping due to insomnia, and so my muscles were really bugging me. My knee for one, which made it hard to find a suitable location away from people to go, and my pelvic floor muscles. Basically, for about 48 hours I could not sleep, and I could urinate in about 1 and 3 attempts, usually having to walk half a kilometre to get to my destination, sometimes just wandering around the woods waiting for the urge to be strong enough that I can go. This made it harder to sleep, and not sleeping made my bladder worse, and to top it off, I was constipated, putting excess pressure on my pelvis. The anxiety of this situation pushed me into a REALLY bizarre delirium. I remember at one point I didn't drink fluids for a couple of hours because of the constant urge to go, and an inability to go. I tried urinating, and a few drops of really concentrated yellow came out. In response I drank a ton of water and about 30 mins later my urine was clear and my flow was very strong.

This experience also reinforced my sheer willpower to make this problem go away. It's a mixture of physiological and psychological factors. The day after getting back from the woods I had virtually no symptoms. They're coming back, but I think I've stumbled upon the solution to my problems, which is reducing the anxiety feedback loop which turns the harmless symptom of dribbling into a nightmare.

I am not sure if anyone will read this because the post was so old, but its all about going to pelvic floor specialist, or therapist... With all the new research everyone is starting to realize the pelvic floor problems are just not in women, but in men...If you are in the Chicago land area i recommend seeing judy florendo she is a great pelvic floor specialist, she helped me out beyond belief and i am about 90% healed right now.....