9 yr old having problems

[coco4cloth]

Was hoping someone could help me. My son who is almost 9 started using the bathroom A LOT today. Like every 10 minutes he'd get up to go. I asked him what was going on and he said the the tip hurts but feels better after he goes. I took him into the bathroom and had him retract himself. He had what looked like a little drop of urine so I grabbed some tp and soaked it up, but it had an odor to it. Ugh I hate worrying about this stuff. So I thought maybe it was separation, but why would he be feeling the need to go every 15 min? He is soaking in the tub right now! Any ideas? I hate hate hate the thought of taking him into the doctor.

[BlessedMommy2006]

Hopefully others more knowledgeable than me can chime in...but how about a baking soda bath? I've heard great things about that.

[Fellow Traveler]

That's sound odd to me. A few questions, you had him retract his foreskin, is he fully retractable? I only ask because you were thinking a separation thing. Second does the foreskin look abnormal in anyway? Does he feel sore when he touches it? Are there any other problems like is his urine cloudy or discolored? Is he running a fever? Is the pain localized on the tip or in the abdomen? I am also finding it hard to believe that he can urinate every 10 minutes is this really the case or is it a tiny amount thing (which even that I find surprising). Is he involved in something like swimming?

Sorry for the more questions and no answers but I think some of these will be helpful to myself and others.

[tutucrazy]

Tip hurting: it could be separation but sounds like he is already retractable.

Frequent urination: I'd have him drink a lot of cranberry juice and see if that helps. He might have a mild UTI.

Remember that UTI has NOTHING to do with foreskin.

The odor you smell is probably just some smegma or ejaculate. Nothing to worry about. Sometimes if it is there for a while it will smell a little.

[Dani&B]

: Has he been in wet clothes lately for a long period of time? Maybe swam and stayed in his wet bathing suit? The odor and frequent bathroom trips makes *me think* UTI. The symptoms can be different in every person and if it's a mild case, he may not ever have the fever, nausea, etc. Are his frequent bathroom trips just an URGENCY to go with little urination, or is he actually producing decent amounts every time? Cranberry juice and tablets help. I would say AZO (stuff works WONDERS to relieve the painful symptoms and urgency to go) but it's not recommended for children under 12 without doctor consultation. However, if you can find them, AZO makes at home UTI test strips. They're located right next to the urinary discomfort section of some pharmacies. That would at least give you an idea if it it infection or possible seperation discomfort. Good luck.

[eepster]

Sounds like a mild UTI to me. If he has no fever etc, I would just do cranberry juices and grapefruit juice and see if it clears up on it's own. If it doesn't clear up or he starts running a fever has severe pain, back pain, lower abdominal pain, etc then I would go to the Dr.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Frequent urination is a UTI symptom not a foreskin seperation one for the most part.

[perspective]

Originally Posted by coco4cloth

Was hoping someone could help me. My son who is almost 9 started using the bathroom A LOT today. Like every 10 minutes he'd get up to go. I asked him what was going on and he said the the tip hurts but feels better after he goes. I took him into the bathroom and had him retract himself. He had what looked like a little drop of urine so I grabbed some tp and soaked it up, but it had an odor to it. Ugh I hate worrying about this stuff. So I thought maybe it was separation, but why would he be feeling the need to go every 15 min? He is soaking in the tub right now! Any ideas? I hate hate hate the thought of taking him into the doctor.

Well I think your over reacting a little. I know he is peeing a lot, but I dont know why smelling his pee and putting a 9 year old in a bath in the middle of the day is the best step. Would you have done the same if it was a girl?

[thixle]

Originally Posted by perspective

Well I think your over reacting a little. I know he is peeing a lot, but I dont know why smelling his pee and putting a 9 year old in a bath in the middle of the day is the best step. Would you have done the same if it was a girl?

As the mom of 2 girls... yep! I've had a few UTIs and it does smell weird (onion-y?) and sitting in a warm bath helps everything relax and feel better. Adding baking soda or epsoms salts helps even more. Drinking cranberry juice works wonders, too.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by perspective

Well I think your over reacting a little. I know he is peeing a lot, but I dont know why smelling his pee and putting a 9 year old in a bath in the middle of the day is the best step. Would you have done the same if it was a girl?

Almost all the advice given in this thread is identical to the advice we would give for a girl with a mild UTI. From my expirience having been a little girl and babysitting for little girls, yes a bath is an excellent quick way to sooth that burning sensation. As moms, we go around smelling all kinds of things you wouldn't believe .

[myfamilyandi]

Originally Posted by coco4cloth

Was hoping someone could help me. My son who is almost 9 started using the bathroom A LOT today. Like every 10 minutes he'd get up to go. I asked him what was going on and he said the the tip hurts but feels better after he goes. I took him into the bathroom and had him retract himself. He had what looked like a little drop of urine so I grabbed some tp and soaked it up, but it had an odor to it. Ugh I hate worrying about this stuff. So I thought maybe it was separation, but why would he be feeling the need to go every 15 min? He is soaking in the tub right now! Any ideas? I hate hate hate the thought of taking him into the doctor.

Could it be a urinary tract infection? That makes you feel like you have to go ALL the time and burns when you do. Drinking lots of water and cranberry juice might help but I've never been able to get over it without antibiotics. It's not as common in boys as it is in girls but they can get it.

[thixle]

Originally Posted by eepster

As moms, we go around smelling all kinds of things you wouldn't believe .

So very, very true! That's one of the things they leave out of the baby books, eh?

[Dani&B]

Originally Posted by perspective

Well I think your over reacting a little. I know he is peeing a lot, but I dont know why smelling his pee and putting a 9 year old in a bath in the middle of the day is the best step. Would you have done the same if it was a girl?

That's what I do when I have one. I personally don't see it as over reacting; a UTI can lead to a kidney infection and MAJOR problems if it's not treated in a timely manner.

[coco4cloth]

Originally Posted by perspective

Well I think your over reacting a little. I know he is peeing a lot, but I dont know why smelling his pee and putting a 9 year old in a bath in the middle of the day is the best step. Would you have done the same if it was a girl?

I have girls and yes I would do the same thing. I wasn't smelling his pee when he retracted himself a little he had stuff of the tip of his penis that he was wiping off, that was what had an odor! Oh and my son bathes all the time so this was nothing crazy.


So he ended up feeling better the next day. We have been swimming A LOT! So I don't know if the wet suit had something to do with it. He can not fully retract yet, so who knows. Hopefully, it was and is nothing. Thanks for the help!

[coco4cloth]

Originally Posted by thixle

So very, very true! That's one of the things they leave out of the baby books, eh?

Oh my isn't that the truth!

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by coco4cloth

So he ended up feeling better the next day. We have been swimming A LOT! So I don't know if the wet suit had something to do with it. He can not fully retract yet, so who knows. Hopefully, it was and is nothing. Thanks for the help!

Chlorine and other chemicals in a pool can of course affect different people in different ways. I've never had a problem with it either down there or say in my eyes, I can swim without goggles and eyes opened and it doesn't bother me. But I've heard that some boys can get irritated from that. If he isn't already doing it I would make sure he changes out of the suit as soon as he's done swimming and shower (if it's possible in the facility you use). That would reduce the chances of problems.

[robertandenith]

Originally Posted by coco4cloth

We have been swimming A LOT!

nak

I agree w what previous poster said. Chlorine is killing the friendly bacteria and altering PH balance. I suggest to rub plain yogurt and also baking soda baths after the pool. Baking soda will balance PH.

[InAStrangeLand]

Agreed - I had an untreated UTI as a kid and I still remember 20+ years later what that felt like when it turned into a kidney infection. OW! *cringe*

UTIs are easily treatable and tested.... just a few days of antibiotics and the problem vanishes. Zero relation to do with foreskin or lack thereof... it makes just as much sense as how the decreasing # of pirates has to do with the corresponding increase in global warming over the last 100 years.

Originally Posted by Dani&B

That's what I do when I have one. I personally don't see it as over reacting; a UTI can lead to a kidney infection and MAJOR problems if it's not treated in a timely manner.

[KaylaBeanie]

I'd also guess early UTI...I literally pee every ten minutes when I have one. It's not that I HAVE to pee, I just never have that satisfied, empty feeling, you know? I usually take cranberry pills and drink water like it's going out of style.