Forgive my indelicacy!

[Hangus]

As I previously mentioned in an earlier post my dry eye has recently returned. Over the last couple of years, including now, one of the recurring side effects which seem to herald the onset of sore eyes is the need to pee more frequently! I know it sounds strange but it is definitely connected. Just to get it straight this is definitely a side effect of the dry eye not the other way round i.e. not the effects of dehydration. I am a firefighter so have a good understanding of when I am dehydrated and this is not the case when these episodes occur. Just wondered if anyone else had noticed this?

Barry

[rhad]

I don't know about frequent urination as being a side-effect of dry eye, It could be one of the causes. you know the kidney's are what clean the blood, and pull the waste out of the blood stream, the kidneys also maintain fluid and electrolyte balance(minerals and vitamins).

maybe their is a connection.

good luck

rhad

[brd888]

Diabetes?

Isn't an early sign of Diabetes peeing a lot? Diabetes can also affect the eyes.

[NYer]

Diuretics, Diabetics

Hi Hangus,

Nice to see you again but sorry to see you back here. Brd is absolutely right. Urinating a lot is definately a symptom of diabetes, so if you haven't already done so, get a blood test and, hopefully, rule that out.

In my case, I have type-2 diabetes (non insulin-dependent) completely under control with diet, however controlling the diabetes has not helped my dry eye...that's not the cause of my dry eye. But we're all different and in your case, if you do have diabetes, it could be related. Are you also thirsty a lot? Usually, with diabetes,in addition to peeing a lot, you are also thirsty a lot. By the way, if you do have it, once you get it under control, the peeing and the thirstiness go away.

Alternatively, are you on any new medications for any other part of your body or are you drinking a lot of coffee or tea? Many meds (and coffee and tea) are diuretics, thereby "sucking" all the fluids out of your body. They don't differentiate which fluids they pull out...so that includes saliva, tears, and all kinds of things. Hence, dry mouth, dry eyes, and lots of peeing.
If that is the case, it's good news because it means that the dry eyes are merely a side effect of the diuretic.
Best,
NYer

[Plat]

Barry, can you please elaborate on peeing more frequently? Ever since i got dry eye, I also have noticed peeing more frequently. Meaning, At about 4-5 am I wake up from the sense that I need to urinate and I notice a dull pain on my right kidney, the pain is there until I go pee and then the pain is gone. I would not agree that this is a side affect of dry eye, but the other way around. I am 36 male.

[Hangus]

Hi everyone
Thanks for your replies. I have been given the all clear for diabetes because I thought it might be that.
In terms of peeing frequency it seems to be every half hour and in the middle of the night. However as we speak I can sense that this cycle is now at an end; I slept right through and my eyes definitely feel better and the headache has gone. It really is a definable episode when this happens. The kidney infection aspect is interesting but i take no meds and it goes after 5 or 6 days. Can that happen? And can such infections recurr like that?
This brings me back to an earlier point I made. I have had so many different symptoms associated with dry eye over the last 3 years that now whenever I feel off colour I blame dry eye and dont bother the doctor with it. My fear is that one day it might be something serious and I ignore it due to self diagnosis. Its a great life in the dry eye army is'nt it!?
I do drink too much coffee but not I think to the point ofaffecting my hydration.
Just a small point, I came home from work yesterday feeling fairly desperate and rifling through my vast array of treatments I found Nutra tears which i got with Dakrina and Dwelle but had never used. I decided to give it a go and got almost instant relief. Might be a coincidence but nevertheless a happy one,

Take care chums
Barry

[brd888]

Barry,
Stephen Fry on QI said that coffee causing dehdration is a complete myth! Caffeine is a diuretic but this is outweighed by the water in the coffee!

Your point about other illnesses is pertinent too. I admit I probably am the same and neglect other areas of health. The dry eye also impacts mental health, diet and exercise. Not to mention what supplements, doxycycline and other meds may do to my body.

Any ideas on how to combat this?

Bruce.

[odydnas]

Hangus, have you checked for enlarged prostate for your peeing frequency?

[Hangus]

To be honest I have not been checked for an enlarged prostate and I will probably do that soon as a general health thing anyway but from what I gather that tends to be a constant thing with reduced flow etc. and this is definitely cyclical associated with headaches and dry eyes.
Bruce, I too have heard that the coffee thing is a bit of a fallacy and I do try to drink plenty of fluids anyway
Its tea and toast time here in England so apologies for discussing my prostate checks whilst people may be having their breakfast! I just had to choose the thumbs up icon as well!

Barry

[rubyslippers]

For a male, frequent night time urination is a sign of a prostate problem. Because prostate cancer is so common, I would get right to a doctor. We have 2 friends with this cancer right now. Both said urinating 3 or more times in the night for a male is a red flag of a serious nature.

[suneetk1]

Hey Barry,
Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't say I'm glad to see your post! I was really pleased to read your post a few months back as I know you had really been suffering.
Anyhoo, I know you havent had much of a summer in the UK, so have you guys had the heating on alot? Drying out the air... What about your alcohol consumption? Did you relax cos you were feeling better and drink a little more than normal?
Sorry for my random questions, just trying to guess a cause for the rebound.
Hope you feel better soon.

Suneet.

[lboogie]

So your eyes are feeling better again? Well that's a releif! I had started to loose all hope for post-lasik healing.

[NYer]

Manly men things

Um, myth shmyth. If I have one cup of coffee or tea, I pee about 4 cups-worth out. That is a diuretic. What the current buzz is about is not whether coffee is a diuretic or not but whether you should include coffee and tea in your "8 glasses of water per day" when you measure how much liquid you take in. And they have changed from "no you shouldn't include it" to "yes you should." But that doesn't change the fact that it makes you pee a lot and is a diuretic .

Also, regarding prostates...lots of men, in fact MOST men, develop enlarged prostates as they age. But the age varies and so does the amount of enlargement. The typical symptom, as Ruby said, is waking up to pee numerous times throughout the night. An enlarged prostate must be addressed but it is quite treatable. And although it can, indeed, be a symptom of prostate cancer, in most cases it is not - but it can still cause other serious problems. So, Barry, yes, you should get that checked out.

{{{Barry, every time you show up, we seem to get on the subject of your manliness, LOL! }}}

[Hangus]

Thanks for that NYer,
I guess I am going to have bite the bullet (probably for real!) and get it checked out. Unfortunately a Doctor advancing towards me with rubber gloves on is not one of my top 5 fantasies but we have a current advertisement running in the UK which says "Dont die of Embarrassment" so I should heed the warning.
By the way, love the photo, bit of a Kim Cattrell/Kim Basinger vibe going on there?

Barry

[NYer]

I was going to suggest that you go to a female urologist but that could raise other issues ....
Probably best to go to an ugly man, LOL

By the way, they do a blood test that measures for something called PSA and those numbers should be low (in the single digits, preferably). But, yes, they'll do a "digital" exam. But if the doctor is good, it'll be quick and easy.