Trouble starting to urinate (adult woman)

[AWeeTrouble]

I'm a regular but NC.

I've Googled this but can't find anything much to explain it.

I'm mid/late 40s.
2 healthy adult DCs, neither was a CS.

Despite needing to urinate at normal, regular intervals I sit there...and I sit there...for up to 45 minutes before urination starters, even when I'm 'busting'.
I've never had urinary incontinence and don't have this now.
No UTI symptoms.
When I do go my bladder does empty.
No other signs of infection though I do have IBS so some abdominal pain.

This has been happening for weeks, possibly months.

One night a while back I went for my go-to-the-loo-before-bed wee and to the amusement of DH was there for so long I fell asleep.

What could be causing this?

[AWeeTrouble]

A long overdue update.
By far the most helpful tip I've ever read on MN is not the one about feeding a family of 5 for 12 weeks with one chicken.
Nope, the most helpful suggestion I've read is to sit backwards on the loo if you are struggling to wee. It's saved me significant time and pain.
So thank you

TL/DR no complete answer yet but it would seem to be a gynae related problem.

The longer version:
Had a thorough appointment with a urologist, then went back for a bladder scan.
Nothing to see.
All urine samples have been clear.

Around the same time that I first saw the urologist I started to get BV, all month, every month.

I've tried everything for it, oral and topical metronidazole and plenty of other things besides, including nothing.

Following the blank bladder scan I saw a gynae yesterday.
She scanned me internally ovaries and all else fine and took swabs. No prolapse or anything else obvious.
She said there was some odd cervical discharge but nothing else to report.

An hour or two after the scan and swabs I was in agony internally, I couldn't walk.
For context I've delivered more than one healthy large! babies vaginally and relatively easily (are they ever easy?) so my cervix has been stretched plenty.

I'm going to call my GP & the gynae's secretary about the severe pain.
In addition, the inability to urinate was significantly worse, despite plenty of cranberry juice and clear fluids.

So no answers yet but there does appear to be a gynae link.

I'll keep updating when I have news in case it helps anyone.

[AWeeTrouble]

It might do MollysLips, in which case I'll go to the appointment.

When I had my previous ovarian cyst problems I was batted around between gastroenterology and urology before they finally hit on gynaecology. Even when I was referred to gynaecology it took a while before the large cyst was found. The whole process took nearly a year, I was in pain the whole time. During that time I felt disbelieved, stupid and like I was going mad.

I would rather not have to go through all of that again.

[MollysLips]

Would the urology appointment include a scan? It sounds to me no medical training whatsoever like that's what you need.

[AWeeTrouble]

bonzo77 I've had ovarian cysts before, drained laparoscopically. I'm fairly sure I still get them. I'll see what the Dr says about it.

[AWeeTrouble]

sighrollseyes I did have a GP phone call on the day, he said I needed an appointment.

I went to the appointment, I took a urine sample with me because I knew that would be the first thing they asked for and it would take me ages to do it at the surgery. The GP I saw dipped my sample and found nothing, wasn't sure what it was and referred me to urology. He also examined me to check for a prolapse, I was already fairly sure there wasn't a prolapse and the GP couldn't find one either.

Having thought about it I'm not sure it is a urology thing, for the reasons I have already stated on this thread. So I've made another GP appointment to discuss it again.

[sighrollseyes]

Inability to wee is a medical emergency you should get a GP apt on the day.

[bonzo77]

Abdominal pain radiating to back, unexplained weight loss, difficulty urinating. I would definitely want an pelvic mass eliminated as a cause. Could just be an ovarian cyst.

[princessTiasmum]

Good luck, hope all is ok, and good results,i sometimes have to force it out, even if i am bursting, and sometimes the longer i wait the harder it is to go

[AWeeTrouble]

I've only just seen your message princessTiasmum.

Am I menopausal? My GP says no.

It used to be that my periods were regular enough to almost be able to set a clock by them, a 27 day cycle every month aside from pregnancy & breastfeeding, obviously.

Then I had mirena coils and no periods for over 10 years, so from age 30ish - 42ish.
Since I had my mirena removed my periods have never been regular, not like they were but I'm still having them. I track them on an app which tells me the average length of my cycle is 28.5 days but there are some variations within that - my longest cycle has been 35 days and it's rarely regular from month to month.
All this would suggest I'm peri.

My GP ran an FSH test but it came back as within normal parameters.

I do get a feeling of burning up then freezing but then again I've had 5 infections needing antibiotics pretty much one a month since December.

I don't get night sweats unless I have a fever or trouble sleeping, no loss of libido sorry for tmi, I've lost weight without dieting not gained it and despite the time it takes me to start to go to the loo I don't suffer with UTIs.

I do have a lot of aches and pains and sometimes swollen joints but there again I'm in my mid-late 40s and I've got a job that means I work long hours.

Thing is that sometimes it only takes a few minutes to start to urinate but it still takes a while every time.

I'm going back to the GP on Monday because although I've been referred to urology - and I understand why that's a good place to start - I don't have any symptoms of UTIs, STIs, gallstones or other urological problems. My bladder empties when it does finally get going.

Instead, I think there's a bigger picture. I get a lot of bacterial infections, usually ENT type. I have raging IBS with nausea and some sickness and abdominal pain radiating into my back. The IBS is every single day for nearly 3 years. I wonder whether there's something else going on.

I know that was an epic post but mostly I'm just musing on what I'll say to the Dr on Monday.

[princessTiasmum]

Are you menopausal, ? it can happen then,my daughter has this at the moment,i have it sometimes usually just before bed,when i have been going normally during the day
A urinary nurse once told me to roll your stomach around in circles if you know what i mean. as she said the bladder is round and it sometimes needs a kind of swirling action, hope this helps,its usually nothing serious

[AWeeTrouble]

Lougle I was lying down but she did a very bloody thorough examination both with and without a speculum and found nothing.

It's not an allergic reaction to sanitary towels because I use washable sanitary towels, the environmentally friendly ones. A bit like old fashioned nappies MuddlePuddle!

With apologies if the thought of my environmentally friendly sanitary towels has grossed anyone out.

That's one of the odd things Polkadotdelight I don't get any pain during urination.

[Polkadotdelight]

I had a large ovarian tumour and the only real symptom I had beforehand was very similar - difficulty to 'let go' or to start a wee but also a stabbing pain when I did wee. Hopefully urology will arrange an ultrasound to look into all pelvic structures if the GP hasn't.

[MuddlePuddle]

My friend had trouble urinating after she used scented sanitary towels. She had an allergic reaction that caused swelling of her urethra. Just thought I would mention this in case it is relevant.

[Voulezvous]

I had this when I had a very large ovarian cyst.

My mum had it when she had large fibroids. Eventually she couldn't wee at all and had to go to A&E to be catherised.

Basically any large growth in the lower abdomen can press against the bladder cause problems weeing.

We both had other symptoms though.

Urology will be able to rule out problems with bladder/kidneys if nothing else, so it's a good starting point.

[Lougle]

Were you lying down or sitting up when you were examined? I have a prolapse, I know I do. I can feel the weakened area and I have trouble with bowel motions, as well as delayed urination because the bowel contents bulge in front of the bladder, blocking it. When I clear the blockage, I can urinate again, even if I thought I had already 'been'.

However, when I went to the DRs, she examined me lying down. As gravity is effective, the bulge wasn't evident to her gaze, and she didn't feel inside for a weakening.

So, it's not always so that going to the doctor will reveal it.

[bonzo77]

I had this. It was one of the symptoms of what turned out to be a severe pelvic infection and the associated swelling in one of my ovaries and the tube on that side. My understanding is that it can be a symptom of a mass in the pelvis. Not necessarily cancer (mine was not).

[AWeeTrouble]

No pun intended SallyWD?

After todays examination I'm even more sure than I already was that it's not a prolapse.
In fact, so thorough was the examination that I think I can say with some confidence that none of my internal organs have prolapsed. Been temporarily dislodged maybe, but not prolapsed.

To be serious for a moment I've had ovarian cysts before so I wouldn't be shocked if it was the same again.

Or something else.
Oh heck, I don't know.
I just know I'm at that age when other women seem to cough and some wee drips out for which I have nothing but sympathy while I'm heading in the other direction.

[SallyWD]

I had something similar (turned out to be prolapse) but they did suggest I might have an ovarian cyst pushing on the bladder. Also kidney problems can cause difficulty urinating. I'm sure they'll get to the bottom of it.

[AWeeTrouble]

Warm your hands folks, I have an update...

Saw the GP today, I took in a preemptive wee sample.
As I suspected, no UTI.

Dr asked about a prolapse, I said I didn't think so.
Dr looked, no prolapse.

We went through my medication, Dr said it wasn't that I didn't think it was.

I'm being referred to urology, I don't know how long that will take but I'm not entirely convinced it's urology either tbh. 🤷🏼‍♀️

The obvious things have been ruled out.
Any other suggestions welcome.

[WhatNow40]

I have this, but not all the time. Also a pregabalin user. It depends what you take this for as to whether it could be related to you medical condition. I also struggle to swallow food sometimes. We've found that I'm struggling to engage the basic muscle movements that happen without conscious thought normally. I use a visualisation technique to pee when needed.

I picture a canal and the lock gate. Then imagine undoing the gate and picture the water slowly coming through until it's a big gush of water! Hey presto, pee!

Good luck!

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Good luck AWee (and excellent taste!)

[gamerchick]

I'll report back if anyone is interested when I know more but that could be a while if I need a routine appointment

Yes absolutely report back. Good luck.

[KingIrving]

My friend has MS and inability to empty bladder was one of her first symptom, along with a funny feeling in her foot, trouble doing basic calculation.

So definitely worth a GP visit .

[AWeeTrouble]

Ok. Message received loud and clear, I'll try to break the Crystal Maze style code to an urgent appointment.

I'll report back if anyone is interested when I know more but that could be a while if I need a routine appointment.

FWIW I don't have any other symptoms of a prolapse but from Dr Google kidney stones would seem to be a possibility.

LeslieKnope Parks and Rec was one of my favourites.

Thank you everyone for giving me the push I needed

[MollyHuaCha]

GP for you please, OP. Hope you get it sorted soon.