Side Effect: Trouble Urinating (urinary retention)

What is Trouble Urinating (urinary retention)?

Trouble urinating, also known as urinary retention or difficulty passing urine, refers to a condition where an individual has trouble starting or maintaining the flow of urine from the bladder.

What does Trouble Urinating (urinary retention) look like?

Urinary retention often presents as the need to urinate frequently, but only being able to produce a small amount of urine when you try to void.

• Patients might also notice:
  • a slow urine stream
  • straining to pass urine
  • feeling like the bladder is not completely empty
  • pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic area

Who has Trouble Urinating?

Patients with cancer may be at increased risk of developing urinary retention, particularly if the cancer is located in or near the urinary tract. For example, patients with prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and cervical cancer, as well as those being treated for these types of cancer, can all experience trouble with urination.

How to prevent Trouble Urinating (urinary retention)

Things you can do to manage and prevent urinary retention include:

• emptying your bladder on a set schedule, such as every 4 hours, even if you don’t have the urge to go
• exercising regularly
• drinking plenty of water

Importantly, it may also help to avoid things that might irritate the bladder such as caffeine, alcohol, and smoking

How to treat Trouble Urinating (urinary retention)

Treatment for urinary retention will depend on the underlying cause of the symptoms. Common treatments include:

• surgery
• draining urine using a catheter
• use of stents to widen the urethra (the duct that urine flows through when emptied)
• medications to help relax the bladder muscles