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SergeantQueen's avatar

Is this something to be worried about, or just my anxiety?

Asked by SergeantQueen (12991points) March 2nd, 2024

I know yall are not doctors, but sometimes I need to make sure my anxiety isn’t being dumb.

I constantly have to pee, I wouldn’t say I’m thirsty all the time, but quite a lot. I usually have like 2–3 drinks I’m drinking at work. I am physically tired a lot too, even if all I’ve done is sit around. I had a coworker tell me how much I pee isn’t normal and that I should get checked for diabetes.

I do not have a primary care doctor, but I am seeing a APNP soon, I don’t know if she can check? I have gotten blood tests before but I am not sure if they were looking at blood sugar because I have never expressed concern.

Again, not looking for a diagnoses. I do not want to bring up something I am overthinking at an appointment.

Extra question: Let’s say it is what I am worried about, how bad is that really?

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

32 Answers

Dutchess_III's avatar

Bring it up.

elbanditoroso's avatar

If it’s worrying you, it’s worth checking into.

See the PNP and mention this. Likely they will refer you to a urologist, which the right person to see. Urologists can use a bladder ultrasound machine to see if you are retaining water, if the bladder is working OK, or if it’s all in your head.

It’s worth checking out.

chyna's avatar

Diabetes can be checked with a blood test. The symptoms you list could be a variety of issues. Yes, be sure to tell the person you will be seeing of your symptoms.
Some diabetes can be controlled by diet, some by medication.
Let us know how this turns out.

canidmajor's avatar

Better to overthink and ask the questions than risk missing stuff. Always better. Ask.

LadyMarissa's avatar

Many of the symptoms you’re exhibiting are early signs of diabetes. What do you have to lose. If you’re overthinking, the worst that will happen is that you’ll learn that you don’t have it & you can take 1 thing off the list of things that creates your anxiety. If you do have it, you can make suggested changes sooner than later & possibly stop some severe problems down the line.

Anytime I’m sitting around not doing much or any length of time, I automatically feel physically tired. I think it’s a byproduct of not stimulating your brain. Since you have an appointment already set up, I’d definitely ask this particular question!!! When in doubt, learn something new.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

Anxiety will make you pee more. So will coffee. Coffee + anxiety = peeing a lot. Coffee + anxiety + alcohol + water = peeing all the time. Sound like you? You can get tested for high sugar but AC1 is a better indication. Just have them run your blood work.

Jeruba's avatar

^^ Did you mean A1C?

@SergeantQueen, I’d say definitely bring it up. You have seven jellies in agreement here and no dissents.

gondwanalon's avatar

If you have had blood chemistry tests done (basic metabolic panel or comprehensive metabolic panel) then your blood glucose level is part of those panels. Do you have “My Chart”? Many medical facilities in the across the USA have that. Great feature where your test results are listed. Easy to start a My Chart account.

My family practice doctors have informed me that I have an “anxiety problem”. Yes I have the urge to pee often. When I pee it’s not large volumes (usually light yellow and clear). No diabetes. No prostrate problem. Just anxiety. My doctor prescribed “Lorazepam” but I refuse to take it. I manage my anxiety naturally through physical exercise. Works very well. I still pee often but that’s better than taking drugs.

Good health!

LifeQuestioner's avatar

I would say definitely asked to be checked for it. It’s a simple test to end it’s good to know at any rate as probably more people get diabetes nowadays. Even if you’re just pre-diabetic, you can start taking steps to watch your carbs, etc. Diabetes is no joke.

Do you drink a lot of soda? It could possibly be a UTI, although there are usually other signs. And I don’t know your age but as people get older, they have less of the more common signs for UTI. You don’t want to let that go unchecked either. I wish you well!

zenvelo's avatar

Given your self disclosed alcohol abuse, you may have an early stage of diabetes, or you may have kidney problems. Heavy alcohol use gets converted into sugar, so it exacerbates any predisposition towards diabetes.

But as everyone has said, the only way to know is to get a complete metabolic panel, which should include fasting 12 hours before the blood is drawn.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

Sounds like you are worried about your anxiety? Some concerns are expected, as an adult, because we are human. Being human is a chronic fatal condition.
For example once a day we lose consciousness for 8 hours. Sounds bad, but is normal. We fell asleep.

I would see if you can find a student psychologist for discount or on a sliding scale? You can ask them anything and they might be able to differentiate between mental stuff and what normal for an adult.

seawulf575's avatar

The simple answer is to get it checked out. That will put a pin in it as far as if it is something to worry about. As far as I know, if they have done routine blood panels before, they have checked your blood sugar. Checking for diabetes is one of the things they check routinely.

I like to do a little sleuthing for myself before I head to the doctor. I think about when I feel symptoms, if they coincide with eating, drinking, work, play, etc. I think about anything in my routine that changed before the symptoms started showing up. I think about my stress level. I think about every little thing that happened before the symptoms showed up and since. The more information I can give the doctor going into a meeting, the better his/her diagnosis can be.

jca2's avatar

Having the urge to urinate could be a few things, but having the urge to urinate and being thirsty often would make me think maybe it’s diabetes. The only way to find out is to make a doctor appointment and he or she will probably do bloodwork to check your glucose level and some other things.

The last time someone asked for our opinion about medical symptoms, someone here (who has not responded here yet) came back to say “you’re scaring the person.” If you’re asking for our opinion, and you know we’re not doctors, then we should answer as we have. It’s not to scare you, it’s legit ideas about what it could be, and of course it could be something totally different, which is why the best answers include “go to the doctor.”

Dutchess_III's avatar

BTW, one of us IS a doctor, but he hasn’t chimed in so I shall chime for him: [As Caravanfan] “Go see a doctor.”

canidmajor's avatar

@SergeantQueen, please let us know that you’re OK, or if we can do anything to help if it turns out you have some stuff going on. <3

MrGrimm888's avatar

As a “catastrophic thinker,” I would certainly be concerned about pancreatic issues. Given some history with alcohol.

Hopefully it’s just a sign you have a good kidney system.

Smashley's avatar

@zenvelo gets the most GAs here because everybody wanted to say “whatever it is, it’s probably your fault for drinking” but only the Z man actually had the guts.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Well? You see a doctor?

SergeantQueen's avatar

@Smashley Are you okay? Not sure why you would need to say something so rude. “It’s my fault for drinking”. You know nothing of me or anything that I have done or been through. You are commenting on stuff you have no business talking to me about. Blaming it on me like that is beyond disrespectful. I asked nobody to speculate why it’s happening to me, I was asking if those things are important enough to talk to a doctor.

I don’t give a fuck about the reason. It’s been more than a couple months since I last drank, so you can mind your damn business. I literally ignored @zenvolo answer because of that same reason.

Caravanfan's avatar

OK, I wasn’t going to get involved.
Here are some reasonably common causes for peeing a lot:

UTI
Stress incontinence
Bladder hyperactivity
Drinking lots of fluids (doesn’t have to be alcohol)
Medications
Diabetes (mellitus or insipidus)
Psychogenic (getting at the anxiety issue)

I will not answer any follow up questions.

Smashley's avatar

@SergeantQueen – don’t be mean. I was defending you, since everyone was being a jerk and trying to make this about drinking. I find it endlessly frustrating that every time you have a question, everyone makes it about drinking. It’s like the collective will never forgive you for being honest.

But apparently I need to tone down the sarcasm.

zenvelo's avatar

@SergeantQueen Good on you for stopping drinking. The health effects may continue despite your sobriety, so still get checked with a full metabolic panel blood test.

chyna's avatar

@Smashley “Everyone”?
Out of 23 answers 16 did not mention alcohol. So not everyone.

jca2's avatar

To put it mathmatically, over 69% (69.56%) did not mention alcohol.

smudges's avatar

<3 Rockin’ it girl!

Smashley's avatar

@chyna – yeah, that’s what I was saying. No one has the guts to say what they were thinking, but clearly they were thinking it or the answer I commented on wouldn’t have had so many upvotes. (At the time, it’s 10 GAs were far above any other answers total, and is still the highest on this thread.)

Smashley's avatar

@chyna – yes, I misworded my statement. In general, people pile on the queen for having mentioned some drinking in the past, it offends me, and I perhaps see it more than it exists. Anyway, I knew the subject was about to come up, given that it was a health related question, and then it did, and it got 10 GAs immediately and I was reacting to that.

MrGrimm888's avatar

Shifting gears, are you doing any better SQ?
I peed like 3 times overnight yesterday, and don’t take this the wrong way, but I was wondering about you…

SergeantQueen's avatar

I am fine. I am sorry I got defensive. My drinking was my way of coping with severe trauma and I get irritated when it gets brought up for no reason like I am being judged. I am doing my best to not drink, and it helps I am medicated now because I cannot mix the two.

Haven’t seen a doc yet, the 21st though I will.

canidmajor's avatar

I am glad you’re OK, and going to see a medico on Thursday. Anxiety can be exhausting. I wish well for you.
And it’s OK to be defensive when you feel you are being attacked, some here wade in with hammers and judgement when it’s not even remotely called for. <3

MrGrimm888's avatar

Not for nothing. Some drugs increase desire for water input.
Resulting in higher urine output.
And honestly. Going, is better than not being able to go.

Good luck SQ. We’re all on the “Struggle Bus.”

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