Help! 4 yo can't pee!

[eli janine]

I don't post here that often, and maybe this isn't the right forum, but...

My four year old son has been complaining on and off for the last five days about being unable to pee, feeling like he has to pee but then being unable to go. Last night he was up from 8:00 until 11:30. I was on the phone with a nurse, and I had just decided to go to the ER when he fell asleep, calm as can be. This morning he peed normally. I asked his day care provider, where he goes for four hours each morning, to watch/listen for his urination, and she did hear him pee once and try two other times without success.

This afternoon he has not gone at all. DH just took him to the ER for a bladder scan, but I'm not getting very much information on it online, at least nothing that makes sense to me. Could this be an emotional issue? An anxiety or something? His urine was tested on Monday when he first complained of the problem, and everything came out normal. He has never had any issues with this before, and he's been fully potty-learned since a year ago.

There's nothing new going on, no stress that I know of. I asked him several questions trying to determine if there was anything scary going on in his life, or if there was any kind of inappropriate touching going on, and he didn't communicate anything to me.

I just don't know what to do for my little guy! I'm so worried! Any ideas or experiences from you mamas?

Thx!
Elissa

[zeldamomma]

I would call his pediatrician. This is a troubling symptom, and you need professional medical advice.

What did the nurse say? MDC is a great place to ask for advice on many topics, but I wouldn't take the advice here over the advice of a nurse.

ZM

[eli janine]

He is at the ER right now with my husband. We also brought him into the family doc on Monday and had a urinalysis. I'm just looking for any ideas from the mothers here who may have experience with this. We're in between ped's right now, since his last one made a troubling comment about how we should have him circumsized (he just couldn't figure out why we wouldn't want to and was urging us to consider it "before he's old enough to remember the pain").

I'm definitely seeking medical attention for my son, just also asking around here for any clues.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

It sounds like a UTI to me honestly. Feeling of needing to pee and cant. Is he complaining about his penis hurting at all? or is it just the feeling of not being able to pee?

I am assuming you dh knows not to allow them to retract him at all to get a urine sample. Even if he is retractable it shouldnt be retracted at all by them. That will allow more bacteria in.

[mamabeca]

UTI or a bladder infection or even dehydration, although they should test for diabetes too. mama. I'm sure he'll be FINE no matter what. You are a great mama who loves and cares for her boy wonderfully. This is scary. Just hang in there - this will all be ok.

[eli janine]

Well, he came back from the ER with another clean urine test under his belt, a bladder scan which showed a normal amt. of urine and no noticeable blockages, and according to DH, he peed "like he's been doing it since he was born" into the sample cup so who knows what's going on.

He was ecstatically bouncing up and down when he got home, lining up all of his new stickers on the living room rug, practicing his counting, so I guess he's not in pain!

About the diabetes...they didn't specifically check blood sugar, but they did test his urine both times for glucose, protein, etc. Would they have to do a blood test to determine if that was an issue? Yikes!

Another friend with a son of her own suggested that maybe he's just had a few little boy erections and is having trouble figuring out the difference between that sensation and having to pee. ??? He was kind of uhhh...handling his penis a bit. Thought it was because he had to pee.... hmmm.

[mamaofthree]

Is he getting enough to drink.. water? I have noticed with my dd (who has had frequent urination for years) when she has not had enough to drink it is worse. Alot of her issue is anxiety too. Is the childcare new? Anything new happening in your life right now?

HTH

H

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

What your friend suggested could very well be it. Not being male I couldnt say how it feels but it has to be a unique sensation.

[eli janine]

Originally Posted by mamaofthree

Is he getting enough to drink.. water? I have noticed with my dd (who has had frequent urination for years) when she has not had enough to drink it is worse. Alot of her issue is anxiety too. Is the childcare new? Anything new happening in your life right now?

HTH

H

he seems to be well hydrated, although with the drier weather, maybe I should work on raising his intake. Childcare is the same, and I can't think of anything making him anxious, and he's not usually an anxious kid, either. He seems happy and excited about Christmas, except when he suddenly says he has to pee but can't get it out.

[beanma]

Lotsa guys and some women have "shy bladders" sometimes, especially in public. Maybe he's just feeling anxious that he won't be able to pee and that is making him not be able to.

[eli janine]

Originally Posted by beanma

Lotsa guys and some women have "shy bladders" sometimes, especially in public. Maybe he's just feeling anxious that he won't be able to pee and that is making him not be able to.

I'm starting to think this is the case, and that it's an anxiety building on anxiety thing. This weekend we went to IL's for Xmas, and I sort of took the angle of "Oh, you can't pee? No biggie, just get down and try again in a little bit." He still tried lots of times to pee without being able to, but he was WAY less distressed about it, and he just got down and played, sometimes for several hours, before eventually peeing. We also made sure he always had something to drink, and I think that helped too. He's still only peeing maybe twice a day, but I think he's okay.

Thanks for the responses!