www.incontinentsupport.org

When I started having incontinence issues over a year ago I was sometimes using a little plastic "male urinal" in the car when I would have an urge. My urge voids were usually 15oz (443ml) to a max of 20oz (591ml). That falls in line with the medical sites that say 400-600ml is average max bladder size. I took that to mean that my bladder was filling up but I just couldn't tell until it was full, at which point my bladder was saying enough is enough.

Over time since then I have noticed my maximum void size getting bigger (it has grown longer between urges too). I wanted to know how much bigger so I decided to figure it out. I no longer have the urinal so after a single large void I grabbed a postal scale. I set a fresh diaper on it and hit the tare button to zero it out. Then I removed the fresh diaper and put the used diaper on it. It measured a whopping 2lb 3oz. This is after only one void. I converted that dry weight to liquid ounces and it is about 34oz (1005ml) of water!!

Is this an insane amount? Am I missing something in my math? I feel like my bladder is stretching over time and increasing my urine capacity. Is this going to be a problem medically? Has this happened to anyone else? My voids aren't always that large but it's getting to where a single "BetterDry Day" diaper is overwhelmed sometimes after one void. I have found an upgraded diaper that works for me but what happens if this trend continues? I'm honestly a bit freaked out. Should I start doing timed voids instead of letting my bladder fill to "immediate evacuation" status in hopes that it will slowly shrink back down?

--Nick

If your bladder (detrusor) is becoming flaccid, your urologist needs to know, ASAP. When you have scheduled an exam, report back to let us know. Good luck.

I googled flaccid bladder and I see mention of it losing muscle tone and needing to be emptied with a catheter. I don't think it is becoming flaccid. It voids quite forcefully when it finally decides to. It will also void just fine if I am sitting on the toilet or standing at a urinal. It is acting the same as when I saw a urologist last, but with larger capacity. Do you think this is still something I need to see a urologist for? My previous one is no longer in network for my insurance so I would have to find a new one. I'm sure I will need to find a new one anyway, eventually. But the idea of going through that process again is not pleasant for me.

I trust Patrick's instincts that, from the medical perspective, it's at the very least a marked change, and they would probably want to know about it.

I also assume it's possible it could be benign, too. When I was in my 20s, several of my friends got very big bladders just by playing video games for long periods. I wasn't able to follow their example, obviously. But it definitely made an impression on me. As far as I knew, culturally, that was what you were supposed to do if you were male and American and growing up at the same time I did. My inability to do that was... I'm not sure if "devastating" is the right word, but it was definitely something I tried hard to do many times, and failed at many times.

I'm wondering what I would do if I were suddenly able to hold that much urine. I'm not sure if maybe I would consider skipping the diapers, and doing timed voids + penile clamp for emergencies. I guess when I think about "what if my bladder could hold 34 ounces" then my thought process is, ok, go to the bathroom at 17, and then I have a factor of 2 of safety margin. But that's just me. And it might not work out that way in practice, anyway.

I assume that "ok, now what, does this change anything for me?" can be part of the conversation with the urologist. And yes, please keep us posted.

Ok. Thanks for the advice. I see your point about it being a marked change. It doesn't really matter if it's a slow change does it? I guess I'll go find a new urologist sooner rather than later.

What is your liquid intake? Has that changed? I sometimes things I have polydypthia as I a
Always Thirsty, not diabetic. More liquid in will lead to more liquid out. Add oab and the surges are large.

nomoore wrote:Ok. Thanks for the advice. I see your point about it being a marked change. It doesn't really matter if it's a slow change does it? I guess I'll go find a new urologist sooner rather than later.

I always keep a bladder diary as this is my early warning system when something is going wrong and I can seek early intervention.