Side Effect: Nocturia (voiding at night)

What is Nocturia (voiding at night)?

• Nocturia is a medical condition where an individual wakes up one or more times at night to urinate.
  • It is defined as voiding one or more times at night, which is usually more than the normal range of 0-1 times per night.
• Nocturia is a common complaint among older adults, but it can occur at any age.
• Nocturia can negatively impact an individual's quality of life, sleep, and overall health.

What does Nocturia (voiding at night) look like?

Nocturia may also be accompanied by other symptoms such as:

• urgency
• incontinence
• pain during urination

Nocturia can increase the risk of falling as a result fo getting up to go to the bathroom.

If you think you may get up at night to urinate, be sure to clear a path to the bathroom so that there is nothing to trip or stumble on as it may be dark and harder to see without a light.

Who gets Nocturia (voiding at night)?

• Nocturia is a common complaint among older adults, but it can occur at any age.
• Patients with cancer can develop nocturia as a side effect of cancer treatment or as a symptom of cancer progression. For example, prostate cancer or bladder cancer can cause nocturia by obstructing the urinary tract or damaging the bladder muscles.
• Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy can also cause urinary frequency and urgency.

How to prevent Nocturia (voiding at night)

• Things you can do to help prevent nocturia include decreasing caffeine and alcohol intake and limiting the amount of fluid you drink 2-3 hours before going to sleep.
• Treating underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease and adjusting medication dosages can also help in some cases.

How to treat Nocturia (voiding at night)

Treatment options for nocturia depend upon the underlying cause of the symptoms.

• Medications such as anticholinergics or alpha-blockers can help to reduce bladder overactivity or prostate enlargement.
• Lifestyle modifications such as pelvic floor exercises and timed voiding can also improve urinary symptoms.
• In some cases, patients may require more invasive treatments such as bladder botox injections or surgery.