Hey Dr., Am I Peeing Too Much?
There is such a thing as too much pee.
By Kristen Heinzinger
Some people pee every hour, some awake in a panic by the sudden urge to go, and others pee only a couple times a day. So, who is the perfect pee-er?
How much pee is too much pee? “Normally, someone should be [peeing] about every three to four hours during the day, provided they’re drinking a normal daily amount, which is about 2 liters,” explains Dr. Suzette Sutherland, director of female urology at the University of Washington.
The urination experts, like the International Continence Society, consider overactive bladder (called OAB in pee-expert circles) as going over nine times in a 24-hour period. And, if you’re peeing that often, you should weigh some of the legit health risks. “Maybe you’re drinking so much water that you’re diluting your natural electrolytes: sodium, potassium and magnesium,” Dr. Sutherland says. “If you’re depleted in sodium, you’re tired all the time; if you’re diluted in potassium, you’re getting cramps in your legs and restless leg syndrome.”
Besides that, peeing all the time affects your quality of life—no one wants to spend half the day running to and from the bathroom. Plus, if you’re experiencing leakage or wetting, Dr. Sutherland explains, that can lead to an unpleasant smell, skin irritation and an increase in the risk of UTIs and vaginal infections—generally, things we want to avoid.
What is causing me to pee too much? If it’s not too much water, it might be diet or medication. Anything that’s a stimulant, like caffeine or alcohol, or certain meds like those for blood pressure, act as diuretics (which cause the kidneys to make more urine more quickly). Some of the urge to pee is psychological, too—if you’re under a lot of stress, that can be sensed by the bladder, which is made to feel like it has to go when it’s not full.
Am I obsessed with peeing? If you’re really having trouble peeing, leaving your bladder three-quarters of the way full, that will lead to a UTI. But if you’re leaving an ounce behind, that’s nothing to worry about, Dr. Sutherland says. Actually, if you’re obsessing over trying to push out every last drop, you’ll make things worse from straining. “I see that more commonly in young, newly sexually active young women who did get a UTI and were told they have to be careful about emptying their bladder,” she says. Somewhere along the line this idea came about that women were incapable of emptying their bladder all the way, Dr. Sutherland says, and often they’re told as kids that if they hold it in at school, they’re going to get a urinary tract infection—feeding the stigma that women need to squeeze out all their pee every time they go to the bathroom.
What do I do if I pee too much? If it’s a behavioral issue, it’s time to train your bladder, forcing it to hold more and more before you release. Kegel exercises (squeezing the pelvic muscles in the vaginal and rectal areas) can help too, Dr. Sutherland says. If that’s not doing it for you, there are medications that block the receptors that cause the urge to pee, though that’s a band-aid and not a solution. Other options include an acupuncture-like treatment that tells the pesky bladder nerves to calm down, a bladder pacemaker, and the fix-all for everything: Botox!
All this brings us to the realization that the bladder, though important, is not the brightest organ in the human body. It’s merely a holding tank, and when it gets full, it tells you. If it fills up quickly, it’s telling you more often. Which means however much you’re peeing is probably perfectly fine, and if you do need to get it under control…you’ve got this.