Hi, everyone

I have had urodynamics and ultrasound scans of my bladder and am retaining up to 300mls of urine even after going to the toilet.

I have symptoms of frequency and urge feelings.

I have seen a urogynaecologist who is going to do a procedure of urethral dilatation including a cystoscopy under general anaesthetic as he is not sure if I may have a narrow urethra which could be causing the retention. He said he cannot guarantee if this will work and if it doesn't he has suggested treating the retention with drugs.

I am not keen on taking drugs for this problem as last time I took one (anticholinergic) it made the symptoms worse and I ended up not being able to go to the toilet and empty at all until I had stopped them for a day. I have not gone back on them due to this. I have also heard that they seem to have many side effects.

I have heard that there is such a thing as an antidepressent that makes the bladder capacity larger which is one of the drugs he is going to have me try but I feel that this is not the answer as it only does bladder capacity not retention. Also these antidepressents from what I've researched seem to have many side effects too and quite serious ones, such as psychosis, etc. I don't want to end up with something worse than I already have! He also said that he cannot guarantee that any of these drugs will work.

I am very skeptical to be honest due to the fact that I have never seen other people being treated only by drugs for chronic urinary retention or heard many positive things about them. In fact I didn't think urinary retention was something that is treated just by drugs. It is incontinence that I know of that can be treated by drugs.

Have any of you had experience of taking drugs for urinary retention and have they made any difference?

I know that the usual methods are catheterisation or the newer method of the sacral neurostimulator implant.

He is desperately trying to put me off catheterisation and sent me back home without anything to help me get at least a wink's sleep. I am suffering badly due to lack of sleep which isn't helping my day-to-day functioning and is making me very frustrated and emotional due to the fact I feel helpless and so tired every day as I have to wake up 4 to 6 times a night to go to the toilet. I'm trying to study and it is interfering as my brain is just so frazzled. My consultant just doesn't seem to understand just how bad it is right now.

I am considering going to A E to get a catheter fitted without his permission due to my distress and pain of this chronic retention.

Sorry for the long post. I felt I needed to vent as I feel so alone right now.

Many thanks and kind regards

DS