frequent nighttime urination

[connieg]

What can I do to avoid getting up so much to go to the bathroom?
connieg

[LSAT]

Has it increased since you started CPAP or is it the same as before? Have you discussed it with your MD?

[connieg]

Not talked to my physician.
It's about the same. I've only been using the CPAP for about two weeks.

[Pugsy]

To fix a problem we first have to try to identify the cause of the problem.

While OSA is a common cause for nocturia it is but one cause on a very long list of potential culprits.
So we make sure our cpap therapy is optimal and we also do some detective to work to see if there are any other potential culprits for the nocturia when it doesn't resolve once therapy is optimized.

Are you waking up with a painfully full bladder in the middle of the night or is it more out of habit meaning you wake up and say "I am awake I might as well go pee while I am awake"?

Do you have to go pee very often during the day?

Take any meds with a diuretic in them?

[connieg]

Dear Pugsy,
I have always believed that my full bladder woke me up. All my life I have gotten up once or twice to go to the bathroom. But since I slept so badly, it didn't take much to wake me up.

I have only been using the CPAP for two weeks, but I am having good success. I just thought that if I didn't have to get up to urinate, I could get a REALLY good night's sleep. Two weeks is not long - perhaps I should wait a bit to see how things settle out.

I am not on diuretics. And, yes, I go during the day much more than everybody else.
Thanks,
connieg

[Pugsy]

Once I got my therapy half way optimized my nocturia essentially stopped overnight and it didn't take very long and it wasn't some sort of cumulative thing.
Your AHI is 1 or less...if your nocturia was related to your OSA then I think you should have seen some rather marked improvement rather quickly.

You can give it more time but I think I would be using that time to do some investigation into other potential culprits for the nocturia.

Overactive bladder comes to my mind as a potential culprit especially since you report needing to go often during the day as well.

[rdalby69]

I have been treated for prostate cancer for a long time and nocturia has been my unwanted partner for the same amount of time (5-6 times a night is not unusual).

Before I had my sleep test, I did mention this to my sleep specialist and added that the volume produced was waaay out of proportion to the urgency to go. Because of that he said it's more than likely OSA is a major contributor to the nightly trips.

So far I've been using a CPAP machine for two weeks and trips are down to 1 or 2 a night. Keeping my fingers crossed this will get even better.

[zorki1c]

Getting up at night to go to the bathroom is part of a disease called Getting Older.

[Pugsy]

Getting up at night to go to the bathroom is part of a disease called Getting Older.

It can be part of that disorder but not always a given.
OP is female and I don't think all that old and she has pretty much had this problem all her life and it isn't just when she sleeps that she has to go pee more often than she would like or what she sees others doing even during the day.

OSA is but one culprit on the long list for "why we pee so often".
Her nocturia has been probably cut in half from what it was prior to cpap starting...but it's still present and there's no rule that says we can't have more than one problem at a time.

[chartle]

Since night 2, night 1 doesn't count because I got my machine at the height of a really bad coughing cold, i have not gotten up once expect maybe if I was sleeping in and wanted an extra hour of sleep.

Before I started therapy I was about to have "the talk" with my PCP since I'm male and close to 60 and that when things like that happen.

[palerider]

Getting up at night to go to the bathroom is part of a disease called Getting Older.

It'll cure itself given time.

[bristolman]

3 months into therapy and I've have improved on how many bathroom trips . I've stated in few other posts I actually made it 4 nights without having to get up at all . 75/prostate cancer / diabetic . prior to starting cpap therapy 5 times a night not unusual to have to get up so really happy how things are improving so keep up the therapy and hopefully good things (less bathroom trips ) will come .
mike

[RobertS975]

Physician here, recently retired, OSA under treatment for 5 1/2 years. A very common cause of nocturia is peripheral edema, swelling of one's lower legs, ankles and feet as we stand upright much of the day. Contributing to peripheral edema are excessive salt intake and some degree of venous insufficiency. A quick test to check is to press a finger into the skin around your ankle and see if this leaves an impression or depression in the skin....pitting edema.

Then, as we lay recumbent in bed, that fluid works it's way back into the vascular system and is correctly perceived by the kidneys as excess fluid...and it attempts to regulate by producing urine. This is why some people can go for many hours without urination during the day, but get up every two to three hours at night.

Pugsy is right on as usual. There are many possibilities, but this is a common one