Question:
In the last year, that I have gained fifty pounds, I have to urinate very frequently.

So much so that I get up two to three times a night to use the bathroom. As soon as I get to work I'm urinating every hour and a half. And no, I don't drink a lot of liquids. From visiting this website for the past year I see people talk about stress incontinence. I went to the uroligist and he sent me to do a few different test and everything was normal. I asked if he thinks it could be weight related, and he said he didn't think so. I was trying to see if he would give me a diagnosis that it was related to the weight so that I can give the paperwork to my PCP so that she can write a medical necessity letter for me ( I have no comorbidities and my PCP doesn't want to write the letter even though she has for other people who do have comorbidities). Anyway, I want to know if anybody thinks that it IS probably related to the weight and I should find another opinion because I have the begining of stress incontinence. The uroligist sent me medication to slow down the urinating frequency. My BMI is 47. Please help! I want to haver this surgery!    — Jessica Hernandez (posted on July 23, 2002)

July 23, 2002
Wow - that sounds like high blood sugar to me! Stress incontinence isn't usually that severe! I'd say have your sugar checked immediately. Adult onset Type II Diabetes is very, very common in the morbidly obese. Oh - and if your PCP doesn't want to write you a letter of medical necessity you can always contact a local bariatric surgeon and ask his office to suggest a WLS friendly PCP and you can change. Best wishes and get that blood sugar checked soon - that's very important.
   — ronascott

July 23, 2002
I went through exactly the same problem you are experiencing. After I had my surgery and lost my first 35 pounds....I no longer suffer from the frequent potty visits. I can now sleep through the night without getting those wake up calls. It feels great. For me, it was a matter of the weight on my bladder.
   — bbjnay

July 23, 2002
Hi, I'm the question poster. I did have a diabetes test and nothing. Should I go to another uroligist?
   — Jessica Hernandez

July 23, 2002
Get the HC1A diabetes test. It shows blood sugars over 3 months. If I were you I would tell my PCP give me the referal or I will get a new PCP. Call you perspective surgeon to find out who is a wls FRIENDLY PCP. Dont let a uninformed doc make you wait. Its time to get healthy!
   — bob-haller

July 23, 2002
Do you have sleep apnea? One of the most annoying things that lead me to get tested for sleep apnea was that I was up every couple hours at night to pee. This only started after I had gained 75 pounds when I quit smoking. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea and since I have been using a cpap machine, and being able sleeping, I do not get up to pee any more. Maybe occasionally once.
   — Janet S.

July 23, 2002
Jessica, when it comes to the weight issue, doctors can be extremists (especially specialists). I have seen doctors who blame everything on weight, and some who don't want to "insult" you by blaming the weight. If you have ruled out diabetes with the A1C AND the glucose tolerance test, and you are not living on caffeine (a natural diuretic), then I would say stress incontinence is to blame. I would talk to my PCP about it before seeing another urologist, though. A PCP is qualified to make that call if the urologist has ruled everthing else out. Good Luck!
   — Tina B.

July 23, 2002
Frequency does not equal stress incontinence. They are two complete different things. Frequency often is NOT weight related, while stress incontinence often is. Also, frequency is not necessarily the beginning of stress incontinence. That's probably why the urologist could not say it was weight related.
   — [Deactivated Member]

July 24, 2002
Have they tested you for diabetes? Frequent urination is one of the primary early warning signs. Also, some insurance companies would approve you based on BMI alone, or at least United Healthcare will. And their basis is a BMI of 40 with no comoribidities and 35( lowest) with co-morbidities.
   — Wendy O.

July 24, 2002
Jessica, I have urinary incontinence (meaning leaks between urinating, during coughing, laughing, lifting) my doctor did contribute this to weight (bmi45) however, frequency is another story unless. However I was told that your weight can push on your bladder (making it smaller) or smash your urinary tract tube (both of these I have baddled with)However with the tube problem you will get frequent infections).I was told all were contributed to weight. i was tested also for diabetes and is negative. I would see an urologist instead of pcp.
   — sherry R.

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