Toileting anxiety (pollakiuria?), DS needs to go all the time

[Marshmallow09er]

Hello wise MN SN board

DS (6, ASD) is currently really struggling with needing a wee all the time.
We've had his urine checked for infections a few times but came back clear each time.
I'm fairly sure it's stress related - I have noticed it more over the summer but not been a major issue as we're mostly at home so he can go when he wants to - it's def worse when access to toilets is limited (eg car journeys) where he feels he needs to go every 5/10 minutes.
He's managing to contain it to once or twice an hour at school (he wears a watch as v anxious about time as well), but at home he's far more frequent, especially in the evening.
NO night waking - once he's asleep he doesn't go until he wakes in the morning.

Has anyone had experience of this and the best way to support him? I try distracting him when I can, but not always working. His hands are getting very sore too from the constant hand washing (he's a bit paranoid about that too).

It all feels a bit anxiety / OCD-y if I'm honest, so maybe some anxiety workbooks?

Should I be seeking more help (ha I know who am I kidding! We all know that's probably not going to happen!) or maybe just wait it out a bit until we're further back into school and maybe he's less stressed (but - unlikely as school is the biggest source of stress in his life)

Ach poor little dude. Anxiety sucks, it's like a river and you can block it up for a while but it always finds a new way through / something new to focus on.

Thanks polter
Yes he only drinks water and he drinks a good quantity. He hasn't increased his water intake (often when he feels desperate for the loo, when he gets there it's just a tiny dribble. Hence why I suspected a water infection but nothing has shown up).

We have that workbook - I did try it once before but I think he was too young, maybe now is the time to give it another go. Actually today after school he hasn't been too bad, so maybe he's settling.
I forgot to mention above it has ramped up massively in the last week, so sure it's all linked to a return to school / anxiety / something in can control in the chaos of the return to school for him...

Just to check, as mum to a boy with autism and more recently also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, you have ruled out the latter? I think you said he isn't drinking more, so hopefully it's not that

Thanks sickofsocalledexperts

Yes they checked his urine for glucose and all was ok (Dr said I would have noticed him drinking lots and lots which I honestly haven't)

Thanks for checking though, it had crossed my mind too.

i know this is an old thread, but we’re going through similar with DS of same age. Was this a phase / how long did it last?? Thanks!

@Mysteriousflo Hi, my DD7 is similar. She has had it on and off since she was 4. It started when she went back to nursery after the first Covid lockdown when she just kept going to the toilet. Had her checked for infections, etc and all clear.

Got worse when she started reception, she would not leave the toilet for 30 mins before going to school, would go at every transition period at school, then we would be waiting in the playground for her after school for 20 mins whilst her teacher tried to coax her out of the toilet 😅

Tbh, it's been ebbs and flows since then. She is a bit better now, still has a particular routine in the mornings (I have to put her shoes on whilst she is sitting on the toilet so all she then has to do before leaving is wash her hands and go), if we're going out somewhere (no matter how far away), she has to go to the toilet when we get there. She does still get quite anxious, particularly if we're going somewhere new or somewhere she hasn't been for a while, and won't want to leave the toilet at home and takes a few meltdowns and a lot of coaxing to get her to leave.

School referred us to the school nursing team, but to the incontinence bit, who had us measuring intake and output, so not really very helpful as it is definitely an anxiety thing.

Sorry, not really very helpful, but solidarity.

DS is 6, no diagnosis but we’re pretty sure he has ADHD. He got like this over the summer (weeing several times an hour) and we were quite worried but long story short, he was constipated (while still pooing relatively regularly). Once we got the constipation sorted he stopped weeing constantly.