Bladder Training

PURPOSE:

To gradually increase your bladder capacity and decrease the frequency of urination.

After an extended period of time of frequent urination the bladder “thermostat" is set at a very low volume. This "thermostat" needs to be reset at a higher volume.

Concentrated urine is "irritating" to your bladder and makes you feel like you need to urinate at lower volumes than dilute urine. Certain dietary factors can also be irritating to your bladder and make you feel like you need to pass urine frequently.

In order to encourage your bladder to hold larger volumes, the urine going into your bladder should be dilute and as "non-irritating as possible.

When you first start drinking more water, you may find that the frequent urination seems worse until your bladder starts to gradually enlarge.

The best way to monitor your progress is to keep a bladder diary one or two days per week. Keep track of how much urine you pass and how often you pass it. Gradually you will see the volumes of urine that you pass increase. We have forms to help you keep track of this.

How to start:

1. Eliminate bladder irritants:
   • Coffee (even decaffeinated)
   • Tea
   • Carbonation
   • Alcohol
   • Chocolate
   • Tomatoes
   • Acidic fruits and juices (cranberry, orange, grapefruits, lemon, apple)
2. Drink at least one quart of water per day, gradually increasing to two quarts of water per day.
3. When you get the urge to go, try to hold it for five extra minutes before going to the bathroom. Each week, add five minutes to the length of time you hold the urine after you have the urge.
4. The goal is to hold 300cc-400cc in your bladder and urinate every 2-4 hours during the day. Once you have your bladder capacity at a larger volume, you can gradually decrease your fluid intake to decrease the frequency or urination. Half of your fluid intake should always be water.
5. You should see improvement within 2-3 months.

Diary