Okay, to preface this I used to have NO problems with urination and defecation. I did both a lot every day, including number two! I'me female by the way and 37.

For about four months everything has changed. I drink a lot during the day and pee some but it seems like at night as soon as I lie down to sleep; it starts. Up and down the stairs to pee 3, 4, 5 times within a small amount of time.

I try to limit my liquids in the p.m. and I don't drink soda or coffee or anything with caffeine. It's just water and some skim milk, mainly.

I try to sit there and lean forward and see if there's anything left, if you know what I mean! But then I still seem to have to go back downstairs and go again in a little bit.

Number two has been maddening. I feel backed up. My weight goes up and down by pounds and I feel heavier.

The neuro's NP said to start Metamucil which I have been doing for about two months now. I am taking it once a day and trying to work up to two times a day.

It's hard to plan when to take it because the label says to ingest it when you don't have meds for 2 hours before or 2 hours after as the meds could get absorbed in all the Metamucil material in your stomach. I'm working on it though.

I still feel all bound up even though I am taking in extra water to help flush all the fiber stuff out. I'm going some but it's not all coming out on a regular basis, again if you know what I mean.

I feel bloated in every way, ugh.

Does anyone have any advice for foods that may help with a diuretic effect or may help to get things moving faster and easier? I am trying to get in some more fiber through shredded wheat and fiber bars. They make me gassy but I am giving it a go!

Thanks for your advice,
Weebs

hi weeb. sorry this is happening to you.
for starters i think you need a urology consult, maybe even an MS urologist.
call your dr and tell them you want it.

i'm on detrol LA and i take it at night. odd i know. but what was happening to me was i was peeing in the bed at night and also when i got up to go i couldn't make it to the BR. switching to taking it at night from in the am really solved the problem. the urologist's nurse suggested it.

i have spinal cord lesions and they think that's why the signals aren't getting thru.

for me, i drink about 2 quarts of water a day. i stop drinking at 7pm.

i also take metamucil at night and good luck with it.
but sometimes trying another product will work better for some people.
you might also try a stool softner. NOT A LAXATIVE, but a stool softner.
ask your pharmacist. you can get the store product that has the same ingredient for much less $$$.

i think you should press your dr to address this issue. if something's not working make another appt. you might even need a GI consult altho most internists should be able to help you. there are also prescription products to help with constipation. eating fiber would be my first suggestion, and fluids like you said.

i hope you get a handle on this soon.

Go to the National MS Society's main site and use their search engine about bladder problems, urologists, MS medications, constipation, etc.

I have extreme constipation... I drink Citrucel daily (doesn't cause gas--cheapest found at Wal-Mart), Miralax at night (cheapest found at Wal-Mart if you cannot get it by prescription), generic softeners (cheapest I've found are at Wal-Mart) and too must now take softeners w/stimulants (again, Wal-Mart).

I drink plenty of water, eat a high fiber diet (prunes do wonders), salad for lunch, Cascadian Farm cinnamon raisin granola for breakfast (tastes wonderful). At night I eat 9 sticks black licorice (made in the USA; bought at Giant Eagle grocery store--doesn't increase your bp). Plenty of fruits...veggies in my dinner meal.

I wasn't getting hungry and my family doctor order a gastric emptying study test; you go in early and eat scrambled eggs and a half piece of toast if memory serves me correctly and they take pictures of how fast your stomach empties. I digest food slowly and was put on 10 mg Reglan 4 x daily to help my stomach and intestinal muscles work properly; stimulates them. Too helps some with constipation.

Now that I have my constipation 'somewhat' under control I could cancel my urologist's appointment

Too, I used to take twice yearly a gallon jug of colonoscopy solution to clean out. You cannot do it more often than that because it can affect your potassium levels. But last time I did that it was disasterous...

Years ago I saw a proctologist who found sometimes my intestinal muscles work in reverse and too I have little sphincter muscles.

Wishing you the best...take care.

I have to get into a urologist too, since this "bladder infection" doesn't seem to be resolving completely.

As for the bowels, I've had this trouble since I was little, but also now have both Ulcerative Colitis and MS spinal lesions. If it's not one problem, it's the other.

I tried metamucil, exlax, fruit, diet, water, medications . . . you name it. Nothing has worked and I have gone as long as 5 weeks without a bowel movement. "Normal" is 2 - 3 weeks for me, but I go beyond that quite often too.

My pharmacy (practices naturopathic med as well) got me to try Benefibre a few months back, and it WORKS!!! I take the low end of the dosage (1 tsp) every few days, and the next day the plumbing is working perfectly.

Try it . . . it's really inexpensive @ about $10 for a jar that will last all year probably.

Cherie

A urologist is in order. No fun testing, but important. I have found baclofen to help somewhat with my hesitancy (doc's term). Too much baclofen and I have to rush to make it. I take 1/2 -2xday and a whole one at night.

I drink a half gal (64 oz) of water everyday, sometimes more, plus too much decaf coffee in the morning. I still get up at night, sometimes, and it seems to come and go randomly. I like to drink most of my water before 7pm. I have a 1/2 glass as I take bedtime meds.

My bowels are getting more unresponsive. I mostly have spinal leisons, also. I take Miralax (no bloating or cramping). I take a 1/2 capful (dose) daily. Any more and it's too watery. Typically I go every other day.

You are your best guinea pig and trial and error and doctors opinions will hopefully get you in a better routine, soon. Wishing you luck on your quest.

's

I have found LACTULOSE to be a good solution for me.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...r/a682338.html

I empty my bowls every night by taking the LACTULOSE around 7 pm and if necessary a fleet type enema about 2/3 hrs later. I drink plenty of fluids after taking the LACTULOSE. This always include orange juice and pomegrante juice and coffee/tea during the next two to three hours.

jackD

I know this sounds weird but bagels, do you eat bagels? I used to eat them everyday and my girlfriend said no wonder why I could never go to the bathroom. So reluctantly I cut them out of my diet. Wouldn't you know I was able to go daily after that! I don't know if it was a coincidence or not but it worked for me. I had 2 bagels this week and I have been having a little trouble. Who knows??

As for the bladder, I use detrol LA also when I have problems. It does the trick.

Good luck to you!

How are you doing Weeble?

These issues are not fun!!! I try the most natural route possible as I don't want to add any more meds to my daily routine. While meds can be great, they can cause other issues as well. As an example, I have a small amount of urinary retention. The urologist did say that I could take some med for it if I wanted to. However, it creates bowel issues as well as some other not so pleasant side effects. Since I really am not having too much trouble and have not had any infections, I opted not to take the meds. Why create new problems, right?

I was eating oatmeal every morning and that was just not doing it. I then added prune juice slightly warmed in the micro and things started to improved. Then another MSer reminded me of All Bran cereal or something similar. It works! All Bran cereal & my warmed prune juice have worked wonders. Plus, I get the added benefit of the other nutrients in the cereal and prune juice.

As for the urinary frequency . . . Although, this may not be the case, but sometimes being constipated causes urinary frequency.

Either way, you should discuss both the constipation and the urinary frequency with your dr. Together you can come up with a neurogenic bowel and bladder management program which I have found to be extremely helpful thus far.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

hey!

not fun issues, but they must be dealt with - no matter your age!

Number 1- as has been said by everyone else - see a urologist.

Number 2 - tell your doc exactly what is going on with you - your neuro and your regular doc!

FOR ME:

I was given a straight cath by my urologist, as he didn't want to see me on any more meds....I used it only at night until something clicked back on! I still pee 500 times a day, but I try to totally empty out twice a day with a 10 minute sit (and no don't gripe, I'm young too! you do what you have to!) Anyway, I rarely use the cath anymore (knock on wood)

As far as constipation.... I had a severe bout of that with the exacerbation from you know where....All Bran cereal and ONLY All Bran worked....every morning! Cranberry juice in the cereal and away it went!!! (well, you have to have SOME humor in all of this!) Oh yeah, the nurse had me use a stool softener first, but I didn't get too much results with that - once I started All Bran, I was "cured"!!!

Good luck to you and Do talk to your docs!

The person above who said it is all trial and error based on you is right!

About four months ago i started having the same (or very similar) urinary issues you are having. . .was getting quite annoying. Went to the urologist and she did some tests and says I have spastic bladder - essentially, the signals of when it is full get confused. . .so, when there is very little in there it thinks it is full and/or when full it doesn't always send the right signal.

She prescribed Sanctura RX and it has worked great. Most of the time my bladder functions like it used and when it doesn't it is much more milder than before.