Unfortunate bladder problem

SadCyclist
SadCyclist Posts: 4
edited May 2017 in Training, fitness and health
Hi,

Apologies in advance for some of the following details...

Basically, I've been cycling for about 18 months and for the last 6 months or so have been having an increasing problem controlling my bladder. The best way I can describe it is having a sudden urgency to pee without any warning. This happens on and off the bike - quite often when I've been cycling and then get off the saddle, but also on non-cycling days.

I've been to the doctor and they've run ultrasound, blood tests and a very ... interesting ... procedure with a flexible camera and can't find anything wrong (which is good I guess). I've tried getting one of those saddles with cut out middle and even resorted to taking the last 3 weeks off the bike entirely but still have the problem. When I was cycling I didn't have any pain/numbness or other symptoms I've read about online. 'Everything else' seems to work ok.

Was wondering if anyone else had had these symptoms? It may not even be cycling related (fingers crossed) but does broadly coincide with getting into cycling and increasing my mileage (I'm not a very long distance rider though - about 100 miles a week).

Thanks,
SC

Comments

  • trekvet
    trekvet Posts: 223
    Sounds like I had a few months ago. I'm a cyclist, and then started running, then got hamstring problems. Never saw a proffessional. Started doing Google assisted pelvic and leg strenthening and stretching exercises, and would think that the amount of core work I been doing (eg. Plank now over 4mins) has sorted it . Could be you a bit weak and some in-house exercises would may help.
    The Wife complained for months about the empty pot of bike oil on the hall stand; so I replaced it with a full one.
  • SadCyclist
    SadCyclist Posts: 4
    Thanks, I will try those too. Out of interest how long were you off the bike for?
  • andcp
    andcp Posts: 644
    Sorry if this sounds daft, but since you started cycling are you drinking more, specifically coffee? Also, how old are you?
    "It must be true, it's on the internet" - Winston Churchill
  • SadCyclist
    SadCyclist Posts: 4
    No, not drinking any more and have been caffeine free the last couple of weeks to see if that helps, but no joy... I'm 40 - was hoping to have a little while longer before getting this type of problem
  • Tiesetrotter
    Tiesetrotter Posts: 432
    One thing to try is pelvic floor exercises. When I remember to do then it improves time to piss and urgent piss needs considerably.
  • saprkzz
    saprkzz Posts: 592
    I apologise now if I am way off, but it could be stress related.. That might sound totally daft and you may think, "I am not stressed", but when I was in the fire service, as soon as I was in the role call at the beginning of the shift I desperately needed the toilet even though a minute before role call I would go to the toilet.
    This then became a problem when I was in a traffic jam in the car etc...

    A few years on, since starting cycling, sometimes I still get this problem, when I meet up for the chain gang, while we are waiting for the others to turn up, I really need to go, even though I go about a million times before leaving home and especially when there isn't a convenient place to go (i.e. bushes), however if we are waiting for a club ride next to public toilets or a pub for instance, and I know I can go, the need to go for a wee doesn't happen.

    I am only suggesting it as a possibility, but I have experienced anxiety since I was 25 due to some horrible events in my life that I still haven't recovered from.

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