Can someone explain why OSA patients "pee" more?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:50 pm

I am a newly diagnosed OSA patient. While waiting for the paperwork to make its rounds to Ins companies, Dr's offices and DME's I have been trying to educate myself on the benefits.

As a little background, my sleep study didn't go so well Physiologically. I felt I was suffocating, very uncomfortable etc That was my introduction to this forum.

Now that I am close to the next phase of treatment I have been looking for all the positive ways CPAP treatment will help my quality of life. reference previous paragraph.

One of the things I notices is excessive night trips to the bathroom. This has been a long time issue for me, and now I see it may be due to the OSA. I have done a few searches trying to find out why. Nothing seems apparent. Or I haven't searched properly.

But WHY!!! do we pee more then non OSA people?

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:58 pm

My PCP doc told me of the hypertension/kidney connection before I was diagnosed with OSA and my sleep doc told me of the OSA/hypertension relationship after I was diagnosed with OSA.

I'm not completely sure but I think OSA causes you to have high blood pressure which in turn makes your kidneys work harder and therefore fill your bladder more frequently.

I too would be interested to know the true cause/effect if my hypothesis is incorrect.

RestlessRoper · Post by **RestlessRoper** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:02 pm

You may have a postate problem. I used to have the same problem. Looking back mine may have been a sleep problem along with the postate problem. I ended up having surgery. Still got up frequently durning the night. After I went on strong high blood pressure med, the night trips were cut to one or two per night. Since I have been on CPAP 30 days, I do not get up at all and the doctor has cut some of the med.

tater pie · Post by **tater pie** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:03 pm

A lot of people like me with OSA also have hypertension and are on diuretics (pardon the spelling--I mean fluid retention pills) and that makes you go a lot more but I sure would like some relief from all of the night time bathroom trips. The only thing my doctors ever said was that it was just part of getting older. I don't know if I buy that but I remember my parents having to make a lot of night time bathroom trips and my dad didn't have high blood pressure but I'm sure he had severe obstructive sleep apnea although he was never diagnosed. Nobody even talked about it back in those days and it ws the 90's then. I too would be interested in what others have discovered or been told.

northernlights · Post by **northernlights** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:07 pm

Hi:

I've been on CPAP since May/06, and I have to say that one of the most pleasant surprises from the treatment was the cessation of my usual night time trips to the loo. Before treatment, I probably averaged about 2 trips a night. After, it has completely stopped. I believe it has something to do with your heart not being put under strain anymore from the breathing interruptions, and the subsequent effects on your kidneys. This surely also adds to a more restful nights sleep. Please persevere with your treatment, it is one of the most important things you'll ever do for yourself! I can't imagine ever stopping the use of the machine, it has made such a profound effect on my life ( and wife - LOL - my snoring doesn't wake her up anymore!)
Best of luck!!

Steve.

Bamalady · Post by **Bamalady** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:08 pm

Hi-

I had looked for info on this before and found a couple of interesting articles.

http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/noct.html

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep-dis ... nation.htm

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:08 pm

Here are a couple of articles on the subject, with links:

Nocturia, or nocturnal urination, is sometimes a symptom of sleep apnea. In fact, nocturia among younger individuals--who are less likely to have other medical causes of nocturia--is a strong indicator of sleep apnea. While the precise relationship has not been thoroughly studied, it appears that the most likely reason patients with untreated sleep apnea have more frequent urination at night is related to the increased pressure in the right side of the heart. This increased pressure is usually the result of low oxygen levels in the bloodstream caused by the apnea events: when oxygen levels fall, the heart works harder to get oxygen to the brain.

An increased pressure in the heart is a sign that there is too much liquid in the body: when the heart receives the stimulus of the increased pressure, higher levels of a hormone called atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) are secreted. ANP is a diuretic that is associated with the increased need to urinate.

When sleep apnea is effectively treated, nighttime urination is also reduced. Studies have shown that ANP levels in patients with untreated sleep apnea are increased and levels reduced in patients using CPAP effectively. Remember, not all causes of frequent urination are related to untreated sleep apnea; prostrate problems, for example, may cause increased need for urination. Discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor.

Click here for article

Another article describes this as a hormone-like protein that tells the body to get rid of sodium and water.
Click here for another article on topic

Linda

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:13 pm

Looks like Bamalady beat me to the punch before I knew she did it!
You're fast!!

Bamalady · Post by **Bamalady** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:16 pm

Hi Linda-

It looks as if we posted links to the same articles at the same time!!

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:33 pm

We sure did, Bamalady!

Actually, there may be another reason why we wake frequently and head to the bathroom.

I did so alot too, before knowing about apnea and being treated. But I noticed I was waking quite frequently, and always I figured it was a need to pee. So always I would head off to the bathroom. But it seemed excessively frequent, even for pee. I got a little confused why on the umpteenth trip, I wasn't peeing. I eventually realized (in my apnea-induced fog stupor) that many of my awakenings were more than just the need to pee. I was waking because my body was trying to save my life! I was alone, so I had noone to typically notice my breathing patterns. But I would wake frequently, and after realizing it wasn't always to pee, I wondered why. I eventually stopped bothering to go to the bathroom, but would sit up at the edge of my bed, stare at my pillow and wonder why I didn't want to lie down even though I was exhausted and needed sleep!! I am pretty sure many of those awakenings weren't due to my bladder, but due to my body trying to keep me from lying down and not breathing. Sounds odd, but I'm certain that's what some of it was.

Linda

Liam1965 · Post by **Liam1965** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:43 pm

I researched this a while back, and at that time, the prevailing wisdom seemed to be that it had to do with the awakenings and not the other way around.

That is to say, if you think you're waking having to pee a lot in the night it's probably the other way around.

That is to say, something about waking up seems to trigger a signal to your body "Hey, since you're up anyway, you ought to void before going back to sleep".

So at least according to what I learned, it wasn't that my bladder being full was waking me, it was that I was waking frequently and when that happened, my body decided to send me to the bathroom "while I was up".

Liam, who apparently knows way more about urine than he's comfortable with.

Bamalady · Post by **Bamalady** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:46 pm

Sounds odd, but I'm certain that's what some of it was.

You are probably correct. I have mild apnea, and never woke with the need to go pee...but I still came awake at times with my heart pounding and feeling hot. The explanation was hot flashes. Not so as I have found out since getting my CPAP! I now think it was from the need to breath, just as you suggested.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:49 pm

I agree with those above who say that you are likely awakening due to osa then you think you must need to pee, and therefore go.

I was doing this 3 or 4 times a night pre-osa, and I was not on any drugs for high blood pressure etc.

As soon as I started sleeping more soundly (first night on CPAP) I didn't get up once. Now 8 months later, I can count the times on my hand that I have disrupted a good nights sleep to go to the bathroom. Usually I had an abnormally high amount to drink on those few occasions.

In the old days I took the trip to the bathroom, and while I went, it was no great volume that should have woken up someone for that alone.

Just my non-medical 2 cents

Bamalady · Post by **Bamalady** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:53 pm

Liam, who apparently knows way more about urine than he's comfortable with.

I love to read your posts, Liam!

Sleepless in St. Louis · Post by **Sleepless in St. Louis** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:53 pm

My sleep doc told me about the hormone side of it as has been described. But he also mentioned that normal nighttime respiration is another way the body rids inself of toxins other than the renal and disgestive systems. If a person is not breathing normally the body cannot take advantage of this natural cleansing method. Hence the other waste elimination systems have to work harder than they would in a normal person. All of your systems are strained when you have OSA. That's why it is so important to get the condition under control.

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