Neurogenic Bladder

Your bladder is where urine is stored until you're ready to urinate (pee).

The Ureters, Bladder, and Uret...

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Neurogenic bladder is lack of bladder control caused by problems with the nerves that go to your bladder.

• Your bladder may fill up and overflow so that urine dribbles out

• You may feel the urge to urinate even when your bladder isn't full

• Doctors often have you empty your bladder with a catheter several times a day

• Sometimes medicine helps

• Getting treatment right away helps prevent kidney damage

Some nerve problems keep your bladder muscles from contracting normally. Then your bladder fills up with urine and you leak urine. When you urinate, your bladder doesn't empty all the way.

Other nerve problems make your bladder muscles contract too much or at the wrong time. Then you may urinate too often and sometimes urinate when you don't want to.

Causes include:

• Stroke

• Spinal cord damage or injury

• ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often called Lou Gehrig disease)

• Parkinson disease

• Multiple sclerosis

• Diabetic neuropathy (damage to your nerves caused by diabetes)

• Nerve damage caused by pelvic surgery

The main symptom is not being able to control when you urinate (incontinence). With neurogenic bladder you may constantly pass small amounts of urine.

Other symptoms include:

• Needing to urinate often and urgently, including at night

• In men, erectile dysfunction

Neurogenic bladder increases your risk of:

• Urinary tract infection

• Stones in your urinary tract

• Kidney problems from urine backing up into your kidneys

Doctors suspect neurogenic bladder if you're having problems controlling urination. They'll use ultrasound or a catheter to measure how much urine is still in your bladder after you urinate. Doctors also do tests such as:

• Ultrasound of your urinary tract to look for kidney damage

• Blood tests to check kidney function

If it looks like you have neurogenic bladder, doctors may then do more specialized bladder tests.

If your bladder fills up and won't empty properly, doctors will have you:

• Use a catheter to empty your bladder several times a day

The catheter lets urine drain all the way. You use the catheter before your bladder fills up so much that you leak urine. Doctors prefer not to leave a catheter in all the time. It's better to put it in and then take it right out after the urine drains.

If your bladder contracts at the wrong times, doctors may use:

• Medicine

• Bladder training and relaxation techniques

Doctors will have you drink plenty of fluids during the day, so you don't get kidney stones.

They'll check to make sure your kidneys are working well.