Artificial sweeteners and frequent urination

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    mph323 wrote: »
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    I do so love the detailed answers @aaron_k123 provides.

    Not a purposeful sugar substitute user, just eat it if it is in something I have chosen to eat, like my morning protein bar.

    However, I was peeing a lot during the day, also drinking about 2-3 litres of water (quite a bit on top of other liquids for my 100-105lbs). On top of the water consumption I dislike anything more than a trace of salt in my food.
    My carbs are an average 30-40% daily- so no problem there.

    What I found helper cut down on the frequent peeing was increasing my electrolytes, and strengthening my pelvic floor.

    I prefer Emergen-C for the electrolyte boost, there are plenty of other brands to choose from, including just raising ones salt intake.

    For the pelvic floor I just found a few ab exercises that focused on the pelvic floor, and included doing kegels daily.

    Oddly enough I rarely have to get up in the night.
    I put this down to a piece of probably erroneous information I read decades ago (I was very young) that said there was a 'switch' in your brain that stopped one peeing at night. I believed it at the time. Now, (at 65) even if I wake up and think I should go I just tell myself to go back to sleep and the 'switch' will work. Hahahaha, silly aside I know, but it works every time.

    Cheers, h.

    I am so stealing this for camping in cold weather...

    Talking to my bladder worked for me when I did winter camping 14 years ago.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    oat_bran wrote: »
    arobey11 wrote: »
    I was curious also so I looked it up and came across this site:

    https://www.babycenter.com/0_developmental-milestone-nighttime-dryness_67742.bc
    For your child to sleep through the night without urinating, his bladder must be able to hold the urine he makes during the night. To help this happen, his body needs to produce a hormone that slows down urine production. As a result, there's less urine, but it's more concentrated. Children who wet the bed may not yet be producing enough of this hormone.

    Upon looking up more about this hormone it looks like it's widely known as ADH (antidiuretic hormone) and there are treatments available to increase the levels of ADH.

    Sorry for nerding out, y'all :)

    Hmm, this is interesting. Waking up more than once to pee at night is actually considered as a condition called nocturia and from what I what I've read about it, it's not really treatable. It can only be slightly improved by drinking less in the evening and training the bladder to hold more urine by gradually extending the time between urinating. Low levels of ADH are not mention among the causes though. I wonder if it can actually still be a potential cause in adults?

    What time do you stop drinking at night? I'm likely to be up twice to pee if I have more than a half cup of fluid with dinner, and forget about drinking afterwards.

    I don't consume artificial sweeteners but I do have a small soccer ball-sized fibroid above my bladder.
  • ljmorgi
    ljmorgi Posts: 264 Member
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    oat_bran wrote: »
    arobey11 wrote: »
    I was curious also so I looked it up and came across this site:

    https://www.babycenter.com/0_developmental-milestone-nighttime-dryness_67742.bc
    For your child to sleep through the night without urinating, his bladder must be able to hold the urine he makes during the night. To help this happen, his body needs to produce a hormone that slows down urine production. As a result, there's less urine, but it's more concentrated. Children who wet the bed may not yet be producing enough of this hormone.

    Upon looking up more about this hormone it looks like it's widely known as ADH (antidiuretic hormone) and there are treatments available to increase the levels of ADH.

    Sorry for nerding out, y'all :)

    Hmm, this is interesting. Waking up more than once to pee at night is actually considered as a condition called nocturia and from what I what I've read about it, it's not really treatable. It can only be slightly improved by drinking less in the evening and training the bladder to hold more urine by gradually extending the time between urinating. Low levels of ADH are not mention among the causes though. I wonder if it can actually still be a potential cause in adults?

    I tend to pee a lot through the night because I don't sleep well; if I'm not sleeping deeply I'll wake up more easily. I know I've slept well through the night if I wake up in the morning and really have to go!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    This is getting to be quite an interesting conversation.

    The ADH hormone definitely will get some attention once I am back to normal after my cruise.

    I wonder if our production of it decreases as we age (peri/post menopausal?) as per @GottaBurnEmAll's observation. (Though I am quite old)

    I drink coffee and water right up to going to bed and usually have a half glass of water as I am filling my Sodastream on my way to bed. Don't always go to the bathroom before bed either.

    Cheers, h.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
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    I have always had to urinate frequently, even as a kid I was up at night, and we didn't use artificial sweeteners in our home then. It's not enough to need meds but enough to be annoying. The only drink I've ever noticed that exacerbates this (significantly) is Crystal Light which contains aspartame. But, other drinks with aspartame don't affect me that way so it's probably something else in the formula. Everything else I drink that's not water is artificially sweetened and no changes in frequency.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited October 2018
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    middlehaitch wrote: »
    This is getting to be quite an interesting conversation.

    The ADH hormone definitely will get some attention once I am back to normal after my cruise.

    I wonder if our production of it decreases as we age (peri/post menopausal?) as per @GottaBurnEmAll's observation. (Though I am quite old)

    I drink coffee and water right up to going to bed and usually have a half glass of water as I am filling my Sodastream on my way to bed. Don't always go to the bathroom before bed either.

    Cheers, h.

    I too drink right up until going to bed, though I always go to the bathroom before turning in. Not doing so feels like I've missed something, like not brushing or flossing. I also, oddly, drink when I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom since I'm always incredibly thirsty (medication side effect). I still only get up once. It's during the day when I have frequency issues.
  • jhilkene
    jhilkene Posts: 104 Member
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    I don't consume artificial sweeteners often. Yet on the rare occasion I do, I have noticed an urgency issue along with urination.
  • oat_bran
    oat_bran Posts: 370 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »

    What time do you stop drinking at night? I'm likely to be up twice to pee if I have more than a half cup of fluid with dinner, and forget about drinking afterwards.

    I don't consume artificial sweeteners but I do have a small soccer ball-sized fibroid above my bladder.

    I drink right up before going to bed. I drink quite a lot in general. It's a habit I developed in part while losing weight - every time I felt hungry I would drink something - carbonated water or tea etc. Also drinking a lot with meals helps to feel full faster. And now I'm so used to it that I feel thirsty if I don't. Plus, I'm still losing weight so hunger/cravings is still an issue. Also I have my last meal - which it itself often contains liquid - pretty close to bed because again if I don't I'd get too hungry to fall asleep.

    I realise of course that all of it contributes to my problem - but as others in this thread states not everybody who drink right up to bed time gets up as much as me, so I suspect there might be something else.

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
    edited October 2018
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    I'm throwing this link in just because it does include sweeteners as a problem.
    It also includes how to do Kegel exercises, and talks about how you can increase the time between going to the toilet.

    I'm not at all sure about herbal remedies, and realise this isn't a scientific research site, but thought it may help with a couple of options.

    Cheers, h.

    Oops, holiday brain, forgot the link.
    https://www.healthline.com/health/overactive-bladder/home-remedies#next-steps
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
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    I didn't read all of the replies, so maybe this was already mentioned....For several years I dealt with a condition called interstitial cystitis. Basically certain foods that went too far out from neutral on the pH scale would irritate my bladder and give me symptoms similar to a urinary tract infection. The condition was diagnosed by a urologist and they gave me a list of foods to avoid. What I found through experimentation was that certain things on the list (pineapple, chile, soda, tomatoes, alcohol, etc.) were consistent irritants while other things (strawberries, grapes, chocolate, etc.) were not for me. I also found that I could consume a high quantity of irritants in one day and be fine but consumption of a moderate amount several days in a row was a huge problem. I had to be much more thoughtful on meal planning each week. Based on internet research and reading a couple of scientific studies of the issue, I took glucosamine and chondroitin every day which provided a moderate amount of relief. I would drink water with a teaspoon of baking soda 1-2 a day for up to 3 days during flares. In the end, pregnancy actually cured the condition for me. Long story short, see a urologist.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    I do so love the detailed answers @aaron_k123 provides.

    Not a purposeful sugar substitute user, just eat it if it is in something I have chosen to eat, like my morning protein bar.

    However, I was peeing a lot during the day, also drinking about 2-3 litres of water (quite a bit on top of other liquids for my 100-105lbs). On top of the water consumption I dislike anything more than a trace of salt in my food.
    My carbs are an average 30-40% daily- so no problem there.

    What I found helper cut down on the frequent peeing was increasing my electrolytes, and strengthening my pelvic floor.

    I prefer Emergen-C for the electrolyte boost, there are plenty of other brands to choose from, including just raising ones salt intake.

    For the pelvic floor I just found a few ab exercises that focused on the pelvic floor, and included doing kegels daily.

    Oddly enough I rarely have to get up in the night.
    I put this down to a piece of probably erroneous information I read decades ago (I was very young) that said there was a 'switch' in your brain that stopped one peeing at night. I believed it at the time. Now, (at 65) even if I wake up and think I should go I just tell myself to go back to sleep and the 'switch' will work. Hahahaha, silly aside I know, but it works every time.

    Cheers, h.

    I am so stealing this for camping in cold weather...

    Talking to my bladder worked for me when I did winter camping 14 years ago.

    My decision was always made depending on what facilities were available. If there was a port-a-potty close by or trees were the facilities, I would get up. If I had to walk a ways to a toilet, I would talk myself into falling back asleep and hope at least one stall was open first thing.
  • momto3tolose10
    momto3tolose10 Posts: 33 Member
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    I used to use chewing gum with artificial sweetners whenever we went long drives and it used to make me pee a lot. It took me a while to get the connection .I used to think the travel stress made me pee more . i stopped chewing gum and I can easily go 4 hrs without needing to go to the bathroom. So yes I have see this happen quite a bit.
  • Xerogs
    Xerogs Posts: 328 Member
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    I stopped drinking sodas with Aspartame I noticed a decrease in getting up in the middle of the night to have to pee (2-4 times in my 30s). Now I get up maybe one time a night depending on the amount of liquid I drink before bedtime. I also noticed that when I start some medications I pee more but that is to be expected until you normalize to some extent. Low carb does make you urinate more for a variety of reasons and that is why you need to pay attention to your electrolytes so you don't get the "keto flu". I live in an arid climate so I hydrate year round throughout the daytime. If your hydration is good throughout the day I would say it is OK to taper off liquids as you near bedtime. I also always make sure to go to the bathroom one more time before I fall asleep, especially now that I am older (40s). It all seems to work for the better, in my opinion.

    I once read an article that said Aspartame makes your bladder spasm and which makes you feel like you have to urinate more often. I tend to believe it from my own experience but it could be different for everyone depending on how they metabolize artificial sweeteners.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    I have been having to pee more than usual during both the day and night since losing weight. I assumed it was a case of drinking more and being perimenopausal.
  • Nubiannews
    Nubiannews Posts: 1 Member
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    Yes artificial sweeteners make me pee! Yes they do. I measured and studied them over and over again for almost ten years.
    At first I noticed that aspartame (nutrasweet) made me go often, about every 25 minutes for 4 to 5 hours, then reduced to every hour for the rest of the day. Then when I went to sleep every hour the first 3 to 5 hours then it would slow down to 2 hour intervals for the rest of the night.
    The next day back to hourly intervals - this goes on for about 48 hours, getting better over time.
    So I stopped using aspartame.
    Then in 2015 I started going to a weight control doctor who put me on a protein supplement shake. I started peeing all the time. Being on a weight loss regimen I was drinking diet drinks and other 'sugar free' foods all the time. I was peeing so much I went to a urologist.
    Making a long story short; I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, went through the treatments, and all the anti-pee medications (myribetric etc), on the other side I was still peeing a lot. Finally noticed things I drank with artificial sweeteners had the same reaction as aspartame.
    I cut them all out, sucrose, dextrose, sucrolose, fructose, the pink one, the blue, the yellow one, all of them I could identity.
    The peeing stopped!
    Every now and then it would return and every time i'd go back and read the ingredients and an artificial sweetener would be there. They are everywhere. I eat very few unknown things without first reading the ingredients. But they show up in the most unexpected placed. Just about all anti-acids have them. Many over the counter medicines have them. I just had a CATScan with contrast and something they put in my vein made me pee.
    Now a days I can go up to 5 hours without peeing (though I make myself go every two hours) and sleep through the night.
    But if I inadvertently ingest an artificial sweetener there is no escaping the next 48 hours of pee.
    Hope this helps someone. My doctors are very sceptical of my claims but I've had sweeteners listed on my medical charts as an allergic reaction. Had an operation and had to have fluids, they gave me a dextrose drip, I peed so much. Now they can give me a drop but it is either saline or glucose, which is a natural sugar.

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