Sleep Apnea and Night Urination/Leaking

Hey everyone. I am a 35 year old male who suspects he might have sleep apnea. I am around 35 pounds overweight which I think has attributed to my snoring and perceived apnea. My wife says that I snore loudly now and sometimes stop breathing at times.

What really has made me take notice of the issue is about 2 months ago when i was sick with a horrible sinus issue and cough and leaked in my sleep a bit. Around the side of a silver dollar one night and then the size of a quarter the other night. Both times I think I was on my back when I awoke and was like what just happened. I told my GP who dismissed it as harmless after a urine test but then it happened again a week ago. Small amount, size of a quarter before I awoke to catch it.

I then googled it and found that some pretty bad stuff can cause leaking like diabetes, kidney issues, MS, and APNEA. I also learned about something called Primary Nocturia. I do tend to have to get up at least once a night to urinate, sometimes two times. I do feel like my amount at night is more so than in the day. Last night I urinated, went to sleep and 1.5 hours later had a full bladder.

My question is.....did anyone else who has apnea leak slightly at night and have to get up nightly to pee?

Thanks

Most of us - leaking tiny amts is nothing compared to having had to get up and go various times overnight. That should all go away once you're on Cpap!

No leaking, but before starting CPAP I would get up multiple times a night to pee. Since starting CPAP, I sleep through the night.

Pre cpap therapy I also had the nocturia...about once every hour with a full bladder each time despite restricting fluid intake for several hours before bedtime.
It's a common symptom and the first to go once I got my cpap therapy dialed in.
And yes, I have heard of a few others with the "leaking".

Of course there are always other possible causes but sleep apnea certainly rises to the top of the list.
Since wife reports a couple of the other prime symptoms of sleep apnea...snoring and stopping breathing...push your doctor to do whatever is needed for you to get a sleep study done.
The weight may or may not be that big of a factor. Lots of skinny people have OSA too.

I just started on cpap a couple of weeks ago and I usually get up at least 1x night to pee. Sometimes up to 3x. I don't drink a lot before I go to bed, and I always go before heading to bed. Since starting on the cpap I've had less nights where I needed to get up.

Getting up at night to pee is a response to an apneac event that wakes you up.
Your wonderful mind then has to generate a reason for being awake in the middle of the night and it goes "Aha! My bladder is full" and off you go.

When you feel your bladder is full, it really is at less than half capacity. The fullness feeling helps keep the pressure from backing up and harming your kidneys.

So snoring, stopping breathing for short intervals, getting up for bathroom breaks are all symptoms of sleep apnea.

Call your doctor and ask for a referral for a sleep study.

Pingman,
From my own personal experience, a low O2 level can trigger a need to urinate by relaxing the urinary sphincter. If it's getting bad enough to where you are experiencing nocturia...(edit: read enuresis), then either you are having serious O2 desaturations and need cpap asap OR you are having bladder spasms from some urinary problem...prostatitis, bladder infection (rare in young men) and so on. So when you go to the Doc for sleep referral...be sure he does a prostate exam and a urinalysis too.
Jamis

I thought nocturia was caused by a heart enzyme produced by the stress of repeated apneas. The enzyme is a signal to the kidneys to dump fluid because the heart thinks there's a build up. Or something like that. In any case, I had it bad before being diagnosed and it disappeared immediately as soon as I strapped on my mask. Very dramatic demonstration of the effectiveness of CPAP therapy.

SleepyBobR wrote:I thought nocturia was caused by a heart enzyme produced by the stress of repeated apneas. The enzyme is a signal to the kidneys to dump fluid because the heart thinks there's a build up. Or something like that. In any case, I had it bad before being diagnosed and it disappeared immediately as soon as I strapped on my mask. Very dramatic demonstration of the effectiveness of CPAP therapy.

Bob,
If you were referring to my post, I should have used the word enuresis. instead of nocturia. You may be correct regarding nocturia...I haven't really researched it.

But I know in waking life that a drop in oxygen level gives me an urge to urinate. I have a lung issue and run 90-92PO2 and if I exert myself too much for too long...my O2 gets pretty low. Claro?
J

I'm approx. 3 weeks full timer on bipap

I used to get up multiple times at night, my sleep was appalling but I thought it was because I was getting old (In 30's) and this is why I had to get up, and that I had to deal with it because that's what I get for not being in my 20's!

then I got tonsils out, my sleep improved, but not enough for me to do well awake. However night time visit went down to once a night, without fail, once a night - no more no less, and it was always 1am if I went to bed at 10.

as at 3 weeks ago, I've got up once in three weeks. Turns out with me it's about apnoea not toilets - so ok I need to go in the morning now, but it's absolute joy for me to rush down those stairs, because what it means is, I didn't wake up once!!!

I am shocked by the sudden virtual elimination of nocturnea with my CPAP. I am now completely annoyed at my primary care for assuming my high blood pressure was solely from being out of shape and my nocturnea from a slightly enlarged thyroid. It's now clear that both are largely the results of apnea. (Sure I need to lose 30-40 lbs, but how can I exercise and diet when I haven't gotten a good nights's sleep in ten years)

Guest207 wrote:I am shocked by the sudden virtual elimination of nocturnea with my CPAP. I am now completely annoyed at my primary care for assuming my high blood pressure was solely from being out of shape and my nocturnea from a slightly enlarged thyroid. It's now clear that both are largely the results of apnea. (Sure I need to lose 30-40 lbs, but how can I exercise and diet when I haven't gotten a good nights's sleep in ten years)

Meant prostate. Thyroid's another issue and reason for missing the apnea.

My 4 year old's bedwetting has completely stopped when wearing his cpap. He only has accidents when he takes it off in his sleep.