My son is 4 1/2 yrs old and about 6 months ago he started to go pee literally 10-20 x's in a hours time and of course nothing much is coming out after that many times. We took him to a Uriolgist a couple months ago who did a quick physical examination and said sometimes at this age they can have a temporary allergy to Wheat, Dyes, Chocolate and it should go away on it's own within a years time but we could try and take those things away from him now and see if the problem stops. We took the dyes and chocolate away but not so much the wheat because it almost seems impossible to find cracker/bread/cereals that don't hav wheat flour in it. After this he was doing really well but just in the last couple weeks the problem has come back full force. Before being able to fall asleep last night he probably went 20-30 times in a hour and of course nothing is coming out at the point but he can't seem to stop himself from trying to go. He would come back to bed and then start to whine & get straight back up and try and go again. He slept all night then woke up this morning doing it again. I'm extremely concerned that there is either a physical problem or some type of Obsession Compulsive problem. We have a appt. w/his Pedtrician and looking to get a second opinion but I was wondering if anyone else has had or seen this problem before.
I know it's been awhile but I wanted to let everyone know what we found out incase another mother has this problem. Our Pedatrician ended up sending us to a Pedatric Urologist and we chose to go to Riley's Childrens Hospital in Indianapolis(wonderful place). They did a Ultrasound to make sure the bladder, kidneys, uretha tube(which can be narrow & cause same symptoms) and all looked normal and a x-ray of his stomach & intestines to make sure he wasn't constipated and a Urine test. Everything came out normal thankfully and talked to us about food allergies similar to the other Urologist and gave us a list of foods to eliminate from his diet for 2 wks and then start introducing one by one back in so we can pin point the one causing the problem. She said if he still had problems after this they'd test him for a Overactive Bladder but from looking at the Ultrasound she didn't think that was the problem. The list included Caffeine/Chocolate, Artificial Colors especially(Red Dye Being the Worst), Only natural juicies like Juicy Juice no Koolaid, Haw. Punch or anything that has food coloring in it. No citric fruits, oranges, lemons, grapefruit. Cranberry, nectars, and apple is fine. Avoid Vitamins w/artificial colors and/or Vit. C. No milk after lunch time, I think this is just to avoid constipation. We think we have got it narrowed done to the Artificial Colors. I was giving him the Trix Yogurt that is really colored and once we took that away and other food/drinks w/dyes he has got back to normal. Thank you too all the moms who responded w/feedback I appreciate it and hope this information can help someone else down the road.
Make sure you get a urinanalysis done to check for a UTI (urinary tract infection)!!!! I get these quite often, and it sounds like that's what he may have. They are extremely uncomfortable and can spread to the kidneys if not properly treated.
find a health food store or go to whole foods. there is a gluten free product for EVERYTHING
My five year old daughter had the EXACT same problem about 6 months ago. After a week of her literally going 10x/hour, I brought her to the pediatrician who did several urine tests on her - one that was sent to a lab. They came back negative. One thing my husband and I noticed was that she wouldn't do this when we were out and about or at her daycare/school - it was only inside the house. The doctor gave me some information on how children at the ages of 4-7 have anxiety and it displays itself by them having to urinate constantly. She did eventually stop after about 6 weeks. My husband had been out of work for 9 months and had recently found a job. I had found a part-time job and had to put her in daycare for the first time ever and she also was starting preschool for the first time. We finally surmised that all this is what caused her anxiety. So, maybe take a look at what little mitigating factors that may make your son anxious and consider if that is what is causing it. I am sure your pediatrician will ask as well so they can get to the bottom of why he is peeing so much. Good luck to you - I know how frustrating it can be.
Any chance he could be constipated? I thought my 3 1/2 year old son had a UTI about a week ago, but it turns out he was just constipated.
My son did this too. We saw his regular pediatrician and a pediatric urologist. He trained himself to do this and yes, there was some anxiety involved. I wouldn't rule that out. If it was diabetes, there would be lots of urine when he went and he would have to get up at night to go. A simple urine test can rule out diabetes and a uti. I wouldn't make him get poked for blood just yet. My son outgrew it finally, arg! It's a pain, isn't it?!
Well.... it is either something medically based, or emotion based.
So, he could have a UTI or something... or, maybe stress/anxiety or something... or if anything in his life changed that is causing him some stress/pressure in his life etc.
How did the Doc examine him? You said it was quick and the Doc ascertained it 'may' be an allergy to stuff. I wonder how they know that, from a 'quick' exam? Next, how about his kidneys? those function in urine processing too... not just the bladder... for example.
I doubt it is OCD.
all the best,
Susan
My son does this too!!, but he drinks a lot of water, (sensory thing with water) but it is normal, check the color of his pee thats important, if it is too clear, thats a concern, or if it is too dark is a concern also
Wait to see what the dr. says and also ask for a second opinion. UTI or maybe even diabetes, we had our son tested for it because he was drinking way too much water. Or maybe its just a habit, whatever it is, just make sure you test him. Good Luck
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I think you are making a good choice, making an appointment with the pediatrician and getting a second opinion. It is possible your son has a UTI, or it could be an allergy as mentioned by the urologist, or something else entirely. Not much help, I know :)
In relation to the allergy aspect, is there anything you introduced or reintroduce a few weeks ago that may have a componant in it you were not initially aware of?
Also, on the wheat front. Try finding items made of oat flour. I went on a no wheat kick for a few months and it did wonders for me, unrelated to urology. My naturalpath at the time said sprouted wheat products were ok...they tasted like textured cardboard to me, so I just stuck with other products. For a snack, you might consider rice cakes. They come in all sorts of flavours now, and in mini sizes...just watch out for dyes.
Also, consider making quesadillas with corn tortillas, and having fresh fruit and natural cheese (nothing with dye) as snacks and avoid the crackers et al.
Good luck, hope all goes well. Keep us posted.
definitely get a second opinion and go back to the pedatrician. it is definitely more... good for you for listening to yoru instincts!
My almost 5yr old has done this for the last 6mos or so too. I think its just habit, as when we arent at home, he doesn't do it. we went camping for 5 days in June and he peed maybe twice a day. So I know now that its habit, something he's in the habit of doing at home.
We did take him in to the ped who did a urine sample and exam, didn't find anything wrong. Its best to get him checked out, but I'm guessing its just habit, alot of my friends' 3/4yr olds have done this too.
its possible he has a uti causing him to have the feeling that he has to pee.
If it is anxiety based and not medical. Tell him not to fight it but just accept it as something he might be doing for a while, but will get better with time. If he can accept it as just something temporary and just go along with it rather than tense up and "fight" it...it will resolve sooner. If he tries to "fight" off the feelings as that just tenses up the body and can make it worse. Tension and stress build the more you fight the impulse...let him relax and flow or float along with the feeling and try and accept that with time it will pass.
Of course if it is medical then the doctors will find a cause and fix it...but if it is dealing with anxiety...tell him to relax and not fight it.
Hoping you've had some resolution by now, if not here is my 2 cents - when my son (now 6) had this issue a couple years ago it was actually a pooping problem, not a peeing problem. The pediatrician told us when he was more backed up (he wasn't pooping everyday) the pressure in his bowel was actually making him feel like he had to pee so of course he tried to pee every 10 minutes. When he got on a more regular schedule the constant urge to pee went away.
I would def take him back to the ped , it could be a urine infection , but I would think after this length of time he would be in some discomfort , also have they checked for diabetes? This can cause them to pee very frequently.
I would make sure to get him checked for a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI- they test his urine for bacteria) first, and diabetes (blood test- a Hemoglobin A1C) too. Both of those are simple tests and you can get the results fairly quickly. If those are negative, I think taking him to an allergy doctor to check to see which specific allergies he has (or doesn't have) would be the next step. Allergies are very common, and if it is allergies, then you would know exactly what he can and can't eat. Definitely continue to pursue it- it must be awful for him to not be able to play or try to sleep with all of those interruptions. I wouldn't worry too much about obsessive compulsive disorder unless you see other signs of it (ie. constantly having to wash his hands, things around him "having" to be in a particular place at all times, serious difficulty with change). I hope you find the answer quickly. Don't give up!
Have him tested for strep. I know this sounds crazy but strep can settle in their kidneys / urinary tract system and cause these symptoms. All without fever or throat hurting. I know this because it happened to my son. They put him on antibiotics and it cleared up really quick.
If he's physically uncomfortable, and it sounds like he is, then there is a medical problem. Sounds a lot like a urinary track infection. They can be pretty miserable.
