Should I see a doctor? Frequent bathroom trips

skump425
skump425 Posts: 166 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been drinking around 100oz of water for the past few months, since I started MFP. But recently I have been making NUMEROUS trips to the bathroom. I go atleast once an hour while at work, and even have been waking up 2-3 times at night to pee.
It is getting very irritating and I'm contemplating seeing a doctor. Any advice?

Replies

  • sandy2006
    sandy2006 Posts: 483 Member
    I personally think this is normal. I drink about 120 oz a day and I am in the bathroom all day and several times a night!
  • Zoe_UK_39
    Zoe_UK_39 Posts: 13
    I would try to cut down on your water intake slightly and make sure you dont consume any large amounts of liquids a hour before bed...Thats all I can suggest as that is what I would try :drinker:

    Zoe x
  • chiverly
    chiverly Posts: 14 Member
    Last time I did an unsuccessful diet (a milkshake based one) I was supposed to drink at least 3 litres of water a day and I couldn't stop visitiing. After about 4 weeks it calmed down and my bladder seemed to get used to it. Give it a few weeks to adjust and cut back a little bit.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    I personally think this is normal. I drink about 120 oz a day and I am in the bathroom all day and several times a night!

    Doesn't that tell you you're drinking too much water?!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    If it were me, I'd just drink less water. It seems pretty obvious that you are consuming more than your body needs or can use.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    I'd back off the water, particularly before bedtime.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    Good rule of thumb. Take your weight and multiply it by .50. This will give you about how many ounces of water you should drink a day.


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  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    The increased water intake is probably the explanation, but just to make sure it's not diabetes, sure you could ask your doc for a glucose test.

    It's totally painless - you just drink a glass of juice with a specifically measured amount of glucose in it, then you go sit in the waiting room. Every hour for a few hours they call you in and do a painless fingerprick test to take your blood glucose reading.

    Or, if you don't want to go to the docs, find a friend who has diabetes (chances are high you know someone since about 1 in 3 people have it now) and ask them if they will let you test with their meter (be sure they put in a fresh needle though!), do it 2 hours after a carby meal and see what the number is. Obviously this isn't as accurate as a test in the doctors office but it should at least let you see if you're having an unusually high reading. If you do, then you can set up the actual test with your doc.
  • ViSabbi
    ViSabbi Posts: 120 Member
    It's normal to go often to the bathroom when you increase your water-intake. I was told that with green tea it was even more crazy. However, try to drink only half your weight in ounces, and cut down 1 hour before bed. I drink between 2L and 3L a day, and never wake up at night to go pee. First 2 weeks were harsh on the bathroom trips but my bladder adapted and now I can drink nearly 1L of water before having to hit the bathroom.
  • Edphil2
    Edphil2 Posts: 21
    Same thing was happening to me. I would not cut down on the amount of water. Just try to get all the water in by dinner. Then you should have some time to clear it before bedtime. I still get up once or twice a night though.
  • Barbaralucas
    Barbaralucas Posts: 15
    I am the same way !! I go every hour and at least 3 times a night. I am sure for me at least it is all the water I am drinking. But seeing a doctor could not hurt if you are concerned!! Good luck !!!!:smile:
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    I still get up once or twice a night though.

    So by drinking too much water you're affecting your night sleep. That can't be a good thing, especially when you dont actually NEED to drink ANY neat water anyway! If you're getting enough fluid from other sources, neat water isn't some magical drink. Just make sure you stay adequately hydrated.
  • domsmom720
    domsmom720 Posts: 4
    as long as it is light in color you are fine. if i remember my anatomy class right... the bladder typically holds from 16-30 oz.. Most people get the urge to pee when it is half full. If you have the smaller capacity bladder it would be normal for you to have the urge to pee every hour.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    If it doesn't level out after a few weeks definitely get with your doctor to rule out any health issues... but otherwise your body can only handle so much water before just discarding the rest.. you may simply be drinking too much. You can always try cutting back a few cups and see if that helps
  • JaimeBrown5
    JaimeBrown5 Posts: 324
    Get all your liquids in before 8pm (earlier if you go to bed before 11). I once read that the average person has to urinate 8 times a day (include the night, and no more than 2 times of that at night). If it's significantly more than that I would talk to a doctor. That said, your body may need to go more often during different times of a woman's menstrual cycle.
  • mickn
    mickn Posts: 15
    Its very likely you are just plain drinking too much water. But to be sure its not diabetes go ask a doctor for advice. Please dont follow the advice posted before this about self testing for blood sugar, the result you will get will be entirely meaningless. The proper test for diabetes measures your average blood sugar levels over a period of about three months using a test called the HbA1C test its a simple blood test that deducts the average level from an analysis of the red blood cells...

    I still think you are just drinking too much water though :)
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    You do not need that much water. More is not always better. In this case, more won't really hurt you (unless you drink it all at once, in which case you CAN experience water toxicity), but it's just not necessary to drink that much and it's obviously becoming an inconvenience.

    Cut back on how much you're drinking. Drink enough that your pee is light yellow but not clear. See how you feel. If you stop needing to pee every hour, you are good-to-go. Otherwise, go see a doctor.

    If you are experiencing any other symptoms at all- frequent headache, dizziness, increased thirst, increased hunger, decreased hunger, etc... then you should go to the doctor now instead of waiting to see if you can resolve the issue by drinking less.
  • seehawkmomma
    seehawkmomma Posts: 815
    I have been drinking around 100oz of water for the past few months, since I started MFP. But recently I have been making NUMEROUS trips to the bathroom. I go atleast once an hour while at work, and even have been waking up 2-3 times at night to pee.
    It is getting very irritating and I'm contemplating seeing a doctor. Any advice?

    I wouldnt go in to the doctors, I would call the nurse line on your insurance card and speak to a nurse. Or use webmd.com

    I have the same issue. I wake up like a pregnant lady to go in the middle of the night, which really upsets me because I love to sleep.

    Stop drinking water about 1 to 2 hours before you go to bed. Try adding one cup of cranberry juice (i mix mine with water) to help if by chance you do have a UTI which is causing the frequentness.
  • sandy2006
    sandy2006 Posts: 483 Member
    I personally think this is normal. I drink about 120 oz a day and I am in the bathroom all day and several times a night!

    Doesn't that tell you you're drinking too much water?!
    NOPE, dont think so. I feel great when I drink that much especially when I work out and sweat my butt off. Its good to be hydrated!:wink:
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    I personally think this is normal. I drink about 120 oz a day and I am in the bathroom all day and several times a night!

    Doesn't that tell you you're drinking too much water?!
    NOPE, dont think so. I feel great when I drink that much especially when I work out and sweat my butt off. Its good to be hydrated!:wink:

    Sleep is good too. If you're waking up during the night, you're not getting a full night of adequate sleep and that can be harmful to your weight loss efforts. You don't need 120 oz of water a day.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    I personally think this is normal. I drink about 120 oz a day and I am in the bathroom all day and several times a night!

    Doesn't that tell you you're drinking too much water?!
    NOPE, dont think so. I feel great when I drink that much especially when I work out and sweat my butt off. Its good to be hydrated!:wink:

    There's hydrated, and then there's saturated....if you getting broken sleep due to it, it cant be good...
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    I personally think this is normal. I drink about 120 oz a day and I am in the bathroom all day and several times a night!

    Doesn't that tell you you're drinking too much water?!
    NOPE, dont think so. I feel great when I drink that much especially when I work out and sweat my butt off. Its good to be hydrated!:wink:

    I know this is going to come across snarky, but I am genuinely curious. What do you think water does for you that you're willing to sacrifice sleep for it?
  • ItsJustK
    ItsJustK Posts: 159 Member
    Maybe you're knocked up.
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
    I drink 100-125 oz. of water a day and the same thing happens to me. Once an hour isn't really a big deal. Try not to drink 2-3 hours before bed and that should help you keep from getting up so often at night.
  • caretheaton
    caretheaton Posts: 90 Member
    Same sort of thing happened to me a couple of months ago! I had to pee like a race-horse practically every hour for 3 days straight. Went to the doctor and luckily everything checked out fine, but he did ask if I had been eating or drinking anything different. Turns out, the night before it all happened, I started drinking this "Sleepytime Extra" tea. Must have acted as a really strong diuretic.

    Long story short, yes, check your diet for anything different you may have been consuming. But definitely go the the doctor just to be sure it isn't a kidney stone or something more serious. You want to catch it early if it is some sort of infection.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Please dont follow the advice posted before this about self testing for blood sugar, the result you will get will be entirely meaningless.

    Not meaningless at all. If she tests on a friends meter and her fasting is above 100 or her 2 hour post prandial is above 140 then it's a solid indicator that she should visit the doctor for the more accurate tests.

    It's exactly how I found out I was diabetic. I was peeing like a racehorse and so my wife (also diabetic) popped a new needle on her pen, pricked my finger, and up popped a 220 - waaayy too high for a regular joe. So I immediately booked in at the docs and took the glucose tolerance and HbA1C tests for confirmation and to set up a medicinal maintenance.

    Without that initial "home" test, I'd probably have gone undiagnosed much longer.

    I only gave that advice as a precursor to a full doctors visit. I didn't say she should diagnose or clear herself of diabetes based on the results of the meter. If you're having symptoms of diabetes, it's a perfectly valid thing to do.

    (And I also think it's just because of the extra water drinking) :wink:
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