Can anxiety cause frequent urination?

Wow, this is amazing. I had no idea so many people had the same issues that I have. All my life I have kind of had to use the restroom a lot. I can remember going on long car rides and having to stop several times or being on a swim team and having to get out of the pool multiple times, or having to run to the restroom between every class while in school. But for the most part it was always manageable. For some reason, within the past four years, I started suffering from panic attacks. They were terrifying and very difficult to deal with. Fortunately those kinds of panic attacks have gone away and it has been a couple years since I have had one. The problem now is that for the past year my frequent need to go to the restroom has been amplified. At first I noticed that it was just having to go pee. But now I am noticing that I am often constipated as well. I have done some research and asked a doctor and constipation can have an effect on how much you urinate. I'm not sure exactly what the reason or why this has become a problem and I have tried several different things to try and fix the problem. I went to the health center at my school and saw a doctor who gave me medicine for over active bladder syndrome. I tried that for a month and it did not work. I got a second opinion from another doctor who gave me two different types of over active bladder each for two weeks worth and neither one work. I took two blood tests and found that nothing was wrong. Then I went to a urologist and had a cystoscopy where they put you to sleep and stick a thing up inside of you to see inside your bladder. They found nothing wrong but did say that my prostate was "slightly enlarged", but they said that the amount at which it was enlarged should not be enough to cause a problem. In the end, they were not able to fix my problem and I only ended up with a ton of doctors bills. It is really becoming a problem and it is effecting my social life as well as my school and work. Its interesting to see how many other people have this problem and that nobody seems to know what it is or how to fix it. I can't figure out if its all in my head or if is an actual physical problem or both. If anyone knows what I have and knows how to fix it please let me know.

Hi,
I suffered with panic attacks about 6 years ago, dropped out of uni etc., but have come to terms with them now.
For seemingly no reason I have recently started to need to urinate frequently when in "unescapable" situations.
I have been trying to deduce if this is a Physical or Psychological condition and think from your posts that it is psychological.
I can offer some of you some comfort by saying that having been ruled by panic attacks in the past, they feel like a memory now.
I may need the toilet often but have a good job, am studying and am in a relationship. These are things that seemed unobtainable 6 years ago.
You're not alone, or strange, try to take one step at a time and build on each success.

Hi everyone! there are some pretty miserable sounding people on here, so I thought I'd post to maybe lighten the mood and give some help! I've been having CBT for this problem for the past two months, and my life has changed completely. I've had this problem for a couple of years, and it really did rule my life until very recently. I'm a professional musician, and my lowest point was walking off stage because of it in the middle of a concert five months ago. I made a doctor's appointment the next day. I relied on incontinence pads, severely restricted my liquid intake and avoided anything I thought might make it worse. I couldn't go for walks in the countryside, anywhere with my family, long car journeys, shopping etc without having full-on panic attacks. I dreaded every concert and gig, my job where I have to stay in one place for long periods of time, and really avoided leaving the house. The past four days I haven't worn a pad at all, something that would have been impossible to me a month ago. I don't have to research where toilets are any more, and I don't stress so much about it. Part of it for me is finding it embarrassing when I have to go, or feeling that I'm inconveniencing or disturbing others. The biggest thing I've learnt is that no matter what situation you're in, you can go to the toilet if you really need to. People that make you feel bad about it are in the wrong, it's a normal biological function, and no-one has the right to put you through being desperate for the toilet. And in most situations, people hardly notice you have gone. And believe me, you all don't desperately need the toilet all the time, you DO have control over your bodies even if you don't think you do. It's just going to take some well-managed self-help or professional therapy. Just thought I'd post to make people feel better - you really can beat this! God bless everybody, my prayers are with you all x

After tons of internet searches over the past few years I think I have finally found some people here who suffer from what I have been suffering from for about 4 or 5 years now. I can't even remember how long it has been and when I was normal because this has taken over and is ruining my life. I am a 40 year old woman and I suffer from urgent, frequent urination. I have been to a urologist and go regularly for the past several years. I have had all kinds of tests, an ultrasound, etc. and there is no diagnosis for my problem. I have been on 2 or 3 different OAB prescription medications which honestly don't work most of the time. Sometimes they help a little, but they don't fix the problem. I am constantly worried about my daily schedule and have to plan where I can find a bathroom. It's a nightmare. I have had to stop wearing dresses, skirts, and loose clothing because it makes me have to go more and it helps me "hold it" when I need to go if I am wearing very tight pants or jeans. I have had to leave several places I am at and have cancelled several appointments where I would be in a "trapped" or "can't escape" situation. The anxiety of not being able to run to a bathroom completely panics me out. Such as going to the dentist and being in the dental chair having work done and suddenly I must go, having my hair cut, long car or bus rides, airplane trips where you must stay strapped in your seat on taxi and takeoff and can't get up, long (and even short) walks outdoors, sitting in a class, you name it. And if I need to go and find a line in the bathroom it is my worse nightmare. I have had to alter my life from what I wear to what I can do and where I can go. I was on a vacation and could not do so many things like a hike or a bus tour to a popular site because I can't be on a bus for 1 hour without a bathroom. I have always been a very outgoing person, lots of confidence, and never any anxiety or panic issues. Now, if I needed to be called on stage for an award or something or if I had to give a speech at a podium I could not do it because even if I went pee right before I would not be able to "hold it" while on stage and would panic and have to leave. All I do all day is think about it and figure out where I can go to the bathroom. I use all the techniques to try to stop the thoughts, wait a little while, etc. and nothing works for me. This is interferring with my job, my personal life, my whole life. I am miserable and can't imagine having to live like this my whole life. Don't know what triggered it and don't know how to stop it. Do I need to get psychological help? Any advice, tips, sharing is so much appreciated. I suffer alone and am super embarrassed by my disorder.

I'm glad i'm not the only one with this problem :/
I'm 17 and this sh*t sucks, I had my first panic attack at the beggining of last year, i didnt know what to do cause it had never happened before, It started of with me needing to pee, then i started to freak out. I discovered that it was caused by caffine, so i hav'nt had caffine for over a year now. After my first panic attack, it took me weeks to be able to go out again. i couldnt go anywhere cause i would freak out and would have to sit down so the feeling of needing to urinate would go away. I was stuck up town one day cause i couldnt get up to walk home and had to get a mate to pick me up. It was horrible. It took over half a year for me to stop having the anxous feelings of needing to urinate. It hasnt been until up to now that its been coming back again. I use to have a really strong bladder until this came along. I really wish there is something to cure this horrible c**p. I really dont want it ruining my life.

i have the same thing... went docs loads, prescribed me with anxiety tablets... but i got scared when on them and they caused me to HAVE panick attacks... so i stopped... tryed oxybutilin hydroxide thingy... that made me need to go more :s now ive got to have a tube down my penis and a probe up my butt in a few weeks.... But i dont get put to sleep for it! i wish i did :( your lucky

ive had it all my life (im 22,male) but has only got worse in past year, when i went on holiday with friends, and i kept needin it on the way to the destination, and felt really bad for making them pull over, but that seemed to make it worse.

i have started trying to train myself though, in comfortable situations (like at work and home, were i know i can go to the toilet whenever) and making myself hold it for an hour after i feel the urgency... then hour and half etc etc..... after going to the doctors i realised that im only urinating between 150-200 ml everytime, most people urinate about 450ml... and ive learnt you cant damage yourself by holding it in... so i just try and hold it for aslong as possible.... my next big test is goin abroad in a few months. im dreading it, but hopefully ill be ok :/

I cant believe I found this. After a series of really bad edvents in my life I started to suffer from anxiety(which I could control.)Then suddenly panic attacks started with feeling like i really needed to go to the toilet. It has been a year and a half at first I battled it then gave up, my life now is so limited, I have lost friends and freedom. Im trapped now and cant see my life without this.

Haven't heard of anxiety as a cause for frequent urination. I would first start kegel exercises which you can find on utube.com. Frequent urination can be caused by many things like diabetes, heart issues and some forms of cancer, so if it persists you should consult a doctor, but he'll first suggest kegels to rule out week bladder muscles. If you can't sleep well you should also try a protective underwear because the lack of sleep can also affect your health is a negative way.

Well its good to know I'm not the only one going through this. Same thing happens to me every time I feel "trapped" in a situation whether it be in the car, a plane or in a meeting and also in any situation where I just perceived that I'm trapped, such as watching TV with my friends where I know there is a bathroom int he next room but I've already gone once, if I go again they'll think something is wrong.

This problem can be solved with EFT (emotional freedom technique). The anaxiety behind it should be addressed. Medication will not help - because it does not affect the main cause of it. You should see what are the situations that are provoking the need to urinate- then to analyse what are the thougs and the fears in those situations and how they are connected with your past memories and experience. Then using the technique - it should be addressed. Aloso going back to memories that are connected with the issue.
I had a praruesis since i was 5 years old and now i'm 21 - this is unability to urinate in others presence due to fear. I also have this issue with frequent urination - but now i have helped my slef for the both - paruresis and frequent urination. I'm sure i;m on the right way and soon those problems will be behind me. I this will helo you :) You can do a research about EFT and find an eft practioner to help you :)

Did you ever find a cure to decreasing your anxiety when you're feeling trapped?
I had a panic attack on the airplane during take off because the seat belt sign was on and I felt trapped because by law I wasn't allowed to get up during that time! Even though I had peed before I got on my seat just the fact that the seatbelt sign was on made me need to pee even more!

Hey I just started cbt therapy for this issue. I had a panic attack on an airplane recently and feel as though I can never get back on one again. What techniques did you learn on cbt that you can pass along? And what kind of exposures did your therapist have you do? Any help would be appreciated!! I'm determined to tackle this thing.

It has made me feel so much better to hear everyone else's stories on the site. For the past year or so, I have had bad anxiety and every time I am in an academic space (I am a student) like a lecture, talk or seminar, I feel like I need to pee, even though I NEVER drink anything before/during and always go before. It has gotten worse recently though because now I am having these same feelings in social situations. It has come to the point that I am scared to go to the movies or concerts in case I am trapped and bother people getting up to go to the bathroom. It is funny because I know that if I got up and went, nobody would really care about it, but somehow I just feel paralysed by it and don't feel like I can do anything to stop it. Does anyone have any techniques that they use to stop the feeling?

I know I have the same and I did not want to take meds but the meds will help you just try it for a year and then wing yourself off and see your results, I tried doing it naturally but it did not work

Do you take meds