Has anyone experienced the inability to urinate when constipated?

Hello, @reillyg1013, your post is interesting to me because to my mind almost anything is 'possible', and I'm always curious to wonder about why things are the way they are, even when they are out of the ordinary. May I ask, do you mean restless leg syndrome when you wrote RLS? Also, I'd imagine that you have tried various methods to ameliorate the constipation-- do you mind sharing what you've tried and what you've found to be more helpful, or less so?

I have no scientific evidence to offer, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible?

As someone with pelvic floor issues, I know that the pelvic floor can affect both bowel and bladder issues. And so can stress. It seems reasonable to me that hypothetically if pelvic floor issues (spasms/tight muscles, dyssynergia—the muscles not working on a well-coordinated way, etc.) were contributing to constipation, it could also affect urination. It’s also reasonable to me that being constipated is really unpleasant and stressful and that could make it hard to urinate?

And maybe TMI, but I have occasional hours of constipation and during those times I also notice I tend to have more difficulty with urinary hesitancy (which is one of my challenges with pelvic floor dysfunction). It hasn’t been as severe as you’ve described.

I’m sorry if your doctor(s) we’re dismissive. That never feels good.

I hope that you are able to resolve or prevent both situations from happening again.

Validation always helps-so thank you.
I just started seeing someone for digestive issues, she also didn’t believe me. I was sent for CT scan with contrast. Even though I had a bowel movement every day that week, plus 3 the day of, my test results came back that I was constipated.
I have gone weeks without a bowel movement- that’s what I consider as constipated😩 .
I did mention the issue to my GYN , whom I have only seen twice, her words were “ that makes no sense “. She then told me to go see a digestive person.

Hello @scolio
Yes to your RLS question- I have had it since childhood ( so I am going to assume genetics are to blame) . I was on pramipexole for almost 3 years, but it wasn’t working so well anymore and some of my behaviors finally made me do a deep dive into the med. I just stopped it cold turkey 3 days ago. I wish I had found this site sooner, I never would have taken it at all.
As far as the constipation goes, I tried all the usual things doctors suggest, I was even a participant in one of the drug trials for a very popular drug often recommended. First of all, let me state that a high fiber diet is one of the worst things for me, it binds me up terribly. I have relied on certain foods that seem to help my system- Australian black licorice-, & low fat ice cream with fake sugar. I used to wait up to 2 weeks of constipation before I would resort to these, but now I don’t wait any longer than 5 days. I started eating 1 cup of a cold oats (Brekki) every night, so far my body has been responding well. Last week I added a probiotic capsule with 60 billion CFU.
I am scheduled for a colonoscopy in a few weeks, but they are making me start the protocol a week before- no vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, plus miralax every day, then the usual pre day prep.

It actually makes sense to me; since the bladder and rectum are packed so closely together, you may have an issue where one is holding up the other. For me, it's the opposite; emptying my bladder opens up my bowels! I'm not an expert in physiology, just speaking from personal experience. There may be a nervous system connection, but all I know is what I can read from reputable sources. Have you tried Mirilax (PEG 3350)? It can do a great job of keeping the constipation at bay. Good luck, hope this helps! 🙂

Thank you @marco789 -
I have to take the mirilax every day the week before my colonoscopy- but I don’t use it in a regular basis because I’m so afraid my body will get used to it and stop functioning on its own. Australian black licorice really helps me, but that too, I only use it when I’m desperate.

You should also check urgently that you didn't develop a UTI- urinary tract infection, which could cause that symptom.

Daily Miralax won’t cause any type of dependency issues. Most gi’s recommend using as much and as often as you need. Pelvic floor dysfunction can be a factor in both constipation and bladder issues. One test to determine if you have it is a defography. Not pleasant, but not as awful as it sounds. Pelvic floor therapy is generally recommended and can help with both issues. Any gi should be able to order.

Also, if you are drinking a normal amount of fluids and not urinating at all, that to me, again I’m not a health professional, sounds serious enough for a ER visit. It happened to me once after a surgery and I couldn’t make it past 12 hrs the pain and pressure were so intense. The fluid in your bladder could back up into your kidneys.

This could be related to pelvic floor muscle dysfunction or spasm, pressing on both bladder and rectum.
I have the opposite, I suffer from excessive gas that is often trapped and painful, and at times I have drops of urine drippling on passing gas. This is very uncomfortable and disturbing for me. It is called stress incontinence and is known to occur in older women who had multiple vaginal births, however I am relatively young and have never been pregnant.