Kind of a strange question and I feel a little awkward asking it, but maybe someone can provide some insight.

So I noticed this almost a year ago. I think that's the earliest. I used to be able to go the entire school day or equivalent and never use the bathroom. I may have to go, but it would pass and I'd be fine. Last summer I realized I needed to go a little more often, but it wasn't too bad.

Then I got what I suspect was a UTI. It didn't hurt, but I had to go A LOT and it wasn't very much. Pure torture and it made paying attention in class very difficult for me. I'm not overly fond of doctors though, and I am the type of person that deals with things on their own, so I avoided medical attention. It was a week or two before I finally told my mom (when I became fearful of an accident and frustrated with constantly having to leave class-I hate to draw attention to myself). Anyway, I made a deal that I could try cranberry pills and see if they worked before involving a doctor. I did, and they greatly improved, but I ended up seeing a doctor anyhow out of paranoia (after Christmas break). They found a trace amount of blood, but no other indication of an infection.

The UTI, if that's what it was, is gone to my knowledge. However, I still use the bathroom more than I used to-more than I'd like. I'm on a schedule now, basically, of two-three times a school day (so more than that a day). Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night or early morning once or twice now too. I used to love long car rides, but now I worry about when I will need to go and how/when I should ask so I can space it out enough that it isn't overly obvious. Going out with friends is a chore too. I wouldn't go rollerblading because I feared having to take skates off and find a bathroom. If I go to the movies, I usually end up leaving at some point during to use the bathroom (this was one of my first indications something was off last summer). I'm tired of having to worry about it. I have a couple of upcoming exams and I fear having to get up in front of all the other students to use the bathroom, maybe multiple times, or having to rush to the bathroom on break so I can get in before the bathroom is full.

I can't decide if it's all in my head-lingering fears from my UTI-or if I genuinely have a problem. Is it normal/healthy that I use the bathroom more these days, as I am getting older? Any theories? Not a fun question, but I really want this resolved..


Before you ask, I'm seventeen, a girl, and a virgin. Thanks in advance.

You may want to see a urologest and ask to be tested for I.C. I have it and it is how it started on me let me know if you need a good doc or where you live I live in yakima and there is a great one here

What is I.C.

You may need to be tested for diabetes. This is one of the first indications that you may have diabetes. Does it run in your family?

Go a Google search for diabetes symptoms, but going to the bathroom more often is one of the number one symptoms.

Infections are more probabable and wounds take a little longer to heal.

If you had this for a while, try this test: Take one hand's fingernail and push on one of the fingernails of the other. If the blood doesn't return instantaneously get checked for diabetes pronto. I'm going out on a limb here with this test, but I believe it may be an indicator.

No, diabetes does not run in my family. At least not to my knowledge.

I searched the symptoms of diabetes, and it doesn't really seem like a match..

Frequent urination
Excessive thirst
Extreme hunger
Unusual weight loss
Increased fatigue
Irritability
Blurry vision

I definitely don't have extreme hunger. Any extra irritability I would chalk up to stress. My vision is no better or worse than it has always been. I'm not losing weight (I'm a good weight). I've always been more tired than my peers or have become tired easier. At least as long as I can remember. Sometimes I may become really thirsty, but most people do on occasion. The symptoms don't really jump out at it me, and it's a stretch to make them fit.

I'm not even sure you can call it frequent urination. It's not twice an hour or anything. It's just more than what used to be normal for me, and what seems to be normal for everyone else. Sometimes I go when I do not even have to go that badly because I'm afraid that if I do not go when I have the opportunity, I'll find myself in a situation where I really need to and the whole process is that much harder. I don't think about it when I'm at home, and sometimes I think I'm fine. The schedule is annoying, but I've gotten used to it. It's situations where I will have to sit for long periods or not have easy access to a bathroom that are difficult. If I'm distracted or up and moving a lot, I seem to last longer. Certain positions are better too. Crossing my legs may actually make it worse, but having my feet up on the back of a chair or something seems to help. Having my feet flat on the floor is the worst. It also seems the most prevalent in the mornings.

It's confusing, that's why I wonder if it's not just in my head. I'm afraid to break with my schedule though, in case it is a substantial concern. If it was all in my head though, then why would it have started of nowhere, before the UTI? Then there are times where I really do need to, and it's not just precautionary. It's frustrating to need to go again when my friends haven't gone in hours. I've started to call it my old lady bladder.

It seemed fine today, but there have been times where I missed my "schedule" and found myself really uncomfortable. Like I go at the end of first bell usually. Even though I went before school and the bells are 80 minutes, not going first bell was problamatic. I had to leave in the middle of second, which is much less convenient, and it was hard to concentrate until I did. I could say it's fine now, but just last week I rode a bus for four hours and had to get up in the middle and use the nasty bus bathroom. Whether I'ts in my head or not, I want to stop this. I'm still young. I don't want to constantly be worrying about this and planning around it..


One more thing. A few years ago, we had a mandatory school physical and there was a urinalysis. Apparentally my protein levels were high, and they wanted me to get tested again the next morning. I could have just been dehydrated, but they wanted to check, and if the levels were still high they wanted to do a 24 hour urinalysis. I never went back because I don't really get along with them and I assumed if there was something wrong with me, I would know. Also, I figured it was likely I was dehydrated as I did not, and do not, drink anything during the school day or before. Do you think that has any bearing in this?

What about the fingernail test?

Diabetes "screening" just takes a finger prick. I you know someone with diabetes, they may be able to test you. It's not under optimum conditions, but a random test will tell you something. Fasting and 2 hours after a meal are good times to test.

Sometimes diabetes screening is done for free. There is also a good chance that your school nurse can do it.

The "high protein" generally means the kidneys are not functioning correctly. High blood sugar damages the kidneys.

I'll give you this list:

The Classic Symptoms

* Polyphagia (frequently hungry)
* Polyuria (frequently urinating)
* Polydipsia (frequently thirsty)

Other Symptoms Might Include

* Blurred vision
* Fatigue
* Weight loss
* Poor wound healing (cuts, scrapes, etc.)
* Dry mouth
* Dry or itchy skin
* Impotence (male)
* Recurrent infections such as vaginal yeast infections, groin rash, or external ear infections (swimmers ear)

The symptoms are not written in stone. Some people have some and others have more.

I'm still urgeing you to get tested. Whether it be a screen (finger prick), a blood test where they draw blood (hA1c and glucose).

The symptoms are gradual and it's sometimes hard to place a finger on them. It's not like cutting your finger.

Frequent urination and high protein are symptoms of kidney disease. You really don't want to be on dyalisis, do you?

What is IC/PBS?
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a condition that results in recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region. The symptoms vary from case to case and even in the same individual. People may experience mild discomfort, pressure, tenderness, or intense pain in the bladder and pelvic area. Symptoms may include an urgent need to urinate, a frequent need to urinate, or a combination of these symptoms. Pain may change in intensity as the bladder fills with urine or as it empties. Women’s symptoms often get worse during menstruation.

It sounds like you might have developed an irritable bladder following the episode of urinary infection you had at the outset, about a year ago.

Perhaps the infection has lingered on, you would need to get your urine checked for pus cells, if you haven't done that already.
If it turns out that your urine is clear and there is no infection at present, there are specific herbs which may help relieve your symptoms and reduce the need for frequent urination.

But before we talk more about herbs, you really must find out whether your urine is clear or not.

A condition called bladder diverticulitis can also mimic these symptoms, but that's a rather rare condition.
Vaginal infection can cause a similar problem, but you would be aware of any problem like that, as there would be a lot of vaginal discharge, too.

Urethritis / Cystitis can sometimes be the result of a small stone (calculus), which results in crystals or amorphous material in the urine.

So you see, a routine urine microscopy really is a must and you should get it done as early as possible.

The conditions I've listed can all produce urgency and burning while passing urine and you need to see if you have any of those first.
If these conditions are ruled out, I would be happy to tell you about the herbs which I have in mind.

No, I don't want to be on dialysis. I'm a little smarter these days, but I really cannot stand those doctors. I need to find one I like.

Anyway, that was a few years ago and I'm not yellow or anything. To be serious, when they did the test, all they found was that trace of blood that "shouldn't be there". He never really said/did anymore about it though, so I guess it wasn't that big of a deal. The test didn't reveal and pus or anything, so if it was an infection, it had cleared up. It never burned or hurt, it's just too much.

If I did the fingernail test correctly (I tried it a few different ways), then the blood returned pretty quickly.

I do have this one cut on my toe nail. I dropped a fork on it and didn't even realize I had cut it until I felt the blood run down. That was about a month ago (I think), and it is still there. Is that normal healing time?

This is amazing to me. I have been like this all my life. Often have to go 2-3 times an hour in the mornings especially. Doctors seem uninterested and unconcerned. I figured it was just the way I'm made. It's very limiting and frustrating, but I've been living with it for 58 years, so I guess it's not going away.

I went to my gyno and she said something to the effect that it could be a lack of estrogen... I am 35 and she said my vaginal walls were thin, thus indicating a decreasing amount of estrogen... this can be problematic somehow in regards to the bladder... but I don't know why... she prescribed progesterin ointment to be used up inside me... unfortunately I didn't continue treatment cause it got kind of messy and I didn't like it.. it could be this though.. I'm going to research a little more on it now.

Yes it does

You could be pregnant
Just saying