nighttime bathroom stops...

[denalirat]

Is it typical (or at least normal) to be getting up during the night to go to the bathroom? I find that I'm getting up at least twice before it even hits 1 am usually...and I'll typically get up anywhere from 2-5 times per night. I don't know if this could be a side effect from any medication or something, but this has been going on for at least a handful of weeks. I am on Plaquenil, Prednisone, Keppra, Nortriptylene (only 10 mg) and Vitamin D.

I had a urinalysis done probably 5 weeks ago or something because there was blood in my urine, but they didn't find evidence of an infection or anything and the doc was thinking it was possibly menstrual cycle related. I don't drink a lot of water before bed or anything...I typically don't drink a ton of anything after 8 pm and will take my final pills around 9 pm and head off to bed somewhere between 9 and 10 most nights, so I really don't think it is a fluid intake thing, but I don't know.

Any ideas? I really haven't had any side effects from the medications so far (the only new ones are the Plaq and the Prednisone). I've only been on the Plaq for maybe 6 weeks and the Prednisone for 2 weeks. The only other thing I've noticed lately is that my gums are bleeding without fail when I brush my teeth. This has happened to me on and off in the past, so I'm thinking it isn't a huge deal. I know when they did my bloodwork 7 weeks ago, my platelets were a little low, so maybe it is that.

Anyway, thanks for any advice here! I'm sick of getting up during the night!!

-kit

[Marmalade]

The steroids do that to me but they also made me thirsty so I drank a lot and peed a lot. They also made my gums red and sore. If the gums are bleeding because of low platelets then it's likely that they are very low but you also ought to have other signs, like easy bruising and petechiae.

[acard]

Kit,
I can't remember when I didn't get up to go to the potty at night. I also have to go potty all day too.
I have and had chronic urinary tract issues and was recently diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. I can totally relate to how you feel.
So do you potty all day? Do you have any pain, fever and urgency when you void? A urine test 5 weeks ago is in my opinion too old. If you have these symptoms then call you dr. on Monday.

This too is also just my thought . Prednisone or any steroid for that fact act almost like a diurectic on me, but again this is my own personal observation. I would take it first thing in am though.

I hope you figure it out.
Take Care,
Becca

[denalirat]

Maybe it is just the prednisone then? I do not pee a lot during the day...just a usual amount like I always have. It's just the nighttime that has increased. No pain, urgency, etc. I have had a sore throat lately and my mom thought I felt like I had a fever, but then I took my temp and it was normal for me (something like 96.6), so I highly doubt I have one!! Although I do sometimes take Tylenol PM, so it could be masking a fever. But I doubt it.

No petichiae or purpura that is noticeable. I have gotten really, really tiny red pin prick spots on my upper arms, but I think I am the only person that would actually notice anything different because they really are THAT small. I am bruising easily, but that is typical for me -- my legs almost always have several bruises on them for no reason.

Thanks for the help!

-kit

[Mootie]

Hi Kit,

Sorry that you aren't getting the rest you need. It is very annoying having to get up and down at night. Sometimes I dream that I am on the loo and wake up just in time!!:lol:

My GP says if I get up once during the night that is ok but if more than once then I should be tested for a UTI. I usually have some Ural on hand and I sip water all day trying to train my bladder to hold more, I am getting better at this.

Hope you find the cause and get a good sleep soon.

Mootie

[acard]

Mootie- I have those dreams where I am trying to find a restroom:rotfl:
Kit-You should have your urine re-checked like I said 5 wks is a long time.
Hope you can get a good nights sleep.:)
Becca

[Maia]

At least in dogs, prednisone is well known for making them have to pee more often... I had to let my dog out in the middle of the night when she was on it for hot spots. So it could just be that, especially if this started about the time you started on prednisone.

However, there are many other possibilities as well. Most have been mentioned but one more possibility is itty bitty kidney stones irritating the bladder causing more frequent urination as the only symptom. If there is blood in the urine, this is also frequently caused by kidney stones.

I would go see a doc again though, and be tested for bladder infection among other things.

[mooks]

hello..i get up about 2-5 times a night aswell...its sooooo annoying! i don't know why i have to pee so much! ive been like it for months i dont think its an infection or anything although i havent been tested but i usually know when i have an infection! i would be interested in finding out why....maybe it is just a matter of habit? xxx

[denalirat]

Thanks for the input...

I'm going to ask my rheumy if it could be related to the Prednisone because I never used to get up during the night...I sleep like the dead and I like it that way! I got up 3 times last night and by 9 am I was already desperate to hit the bathroom again. I feel like I am peeing more during the day now as well (didn't notice this a couple weeks ago, so maybe it is just a coincidence), but I'm not drinking any extra fluids or anything.

I typically know when I have an infection too. I've been having issues with hematuria (my last few urinalyses found this), but my GP says maybe its just a menstrual girl thing. I know they checked for protein about a month or two ago and I had some, but it was mild (estimated 24 hour amount would have been 150-250 or something like that...not very much, I don't think).

Anyway...this all is probably nothing more than a huuuge annoyance...I'm just so sick of getting up multiple times every night!! I feel completely lucky if I only get up once or twice now...this coming from the girl that typically can sleep 14+ hours without getting up! Eeek.


Thanks again for the help and opinions...
kit

[Lily]

Hi Kit,

150mg protein in 24hrs is probably ok, any higher they should really investigate further:

http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/URINE/URINE.html


Protein

Dipstick screening for protein is done on whole urine, but semi-quantitative tests for urine protein should be performed on the supernatant of centrifuged urine since the cells suspended in normal urine can produce a falsely high estimation of protein. Normally, only small plasma proteins filtered at the glomerulus are reabsorbed by the renal tubule. However, a small amount of filtered plasma proteins and protein secreted by the nephron (Tamm-Horsfall protein) can be found in normal urine. Normal total protein excretion does not usually exceed 150 mg/24 hours or 10 mg/100 ml in any single specimen. More than 150 mg/day is defined as proteinuria. Proteinuria > 3.5 gm/24 hours is severe and known as nephrotic syndrome.

love
Lily

[denalirat]

I haven't done a 24 hour protein check...they only predicted a range based on a ratio of some stuff, I think. I know that the max they predicted was around 250...I'm thinking the minimum was lower than 150 though...maybe it was actually 50 so it was closer to a 200 mg range? Gosh, I don't know anymore.

Is fluid intake supposed to equal urine output? I've been keeping track of input vs. output today and they are definitely not matching up. I'm pretty much peeing twice as much as I'm taking in and this isn't even counting all the peeing I'll do during the night tonight (with no fluid intake!!).

Phone call to rheumy tomorrow...thanks Lily!

-kit

[Maia]

All I know for sure is that normally you pee more during the day than at night because at night normally some kind of anti-diuretic hormone "helps" the body to not produce as much urine while you sleep. So this would certainly make it appear that during the day you are peeing out a lot more than you are taking in...

However, it does seem sensible that they should be approximately equal, and quite likely you pee out a little less than you take in since you lose some moisture in other ways. Let me know what you find out - or maybe someone else will come along and answer the question for sure. :P

[shelly21]

yes, you are right that you do lose moisture in other ways, but remember that many foods contain water, especially vegetables, and therefore if i remember correctly from my biology days, unless it is a hot day, the amount of water that goes in from drinking, is normally the amount that comes out. this is for an average person, however because many of us sweat excessively, due to hot/cold flushes, none of this will add up. you cannot work out how much you are peeing versus drinking, every day is a different story!!!!

and yes, when i am in a flare up i also live in the bathroom-a very sorry state of affairs for someone who has an absolute phobia of toilets, and will never ever ever go to a public bathroom, not at work, not in a shop, and not even in my own sisters house-i dont even go to the downstairs toilet in my own house, because that is where visitors go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im a wierdo, i know

good luck with it all, and you should speak to dr about this, because you may be losing vital nutrients by peeing too much

[ICU_Nurse]

Could be the steroids but you should discuss w/ your doc. Steroids can cause you to have high blood sugars (Diabetes); so you may need to see if you are now also diabetic due to the steroids. This can cease when your steroids are stopped, but so many w/ Lupus are on them indefinitely. Good luck! Lori

[denalirat]

Just an update to say that I did check with my rheumy and he believes it is related to the steroids. I have another appointment with him in about a week to discuss where we're going from here in regards to the Plaquenil and Prednisone (if it is time to start tapering the pred or not).

Did you guys notice all of the effects of Plaquenil at the same time? My facial rash has now cleared up and I assume that maybe its because the Plaq kicked in, but I don't know if it is helping my joints or not since I'm on the Pred also. I still have some bad joint pains, but they have gotten a lot better since starting the Prednisone...I feel like I could actually play piano (and I did play an hour-long gig at a local venue about ten days ago!), so it has been helping a LOT and the only side effect I've noticed is all the peeing. I guess it's a trade off! I'm nervous about bringing the Prednisone down too soon -- I have only been on Plaquenil for about 7 weeks now. My rheumy says it should start working by the 2 month mark, but a lot of what I've read here suggests that in real life it can take a bit longer than that. I'm just worried about my symptoms coming back a lot worse if the Prednisone is stopped since I feel a lot more human on it. Is this normal?

kit