Chen Yuxin, director of Hengxin Urology Clinic, reminded that the ingredients in some commercially available cold medicines may cause acute urinary retention. The medicine should be stopped immediately and emergency evaluation should be carried out as soon as possible; situational photos. (Picture taken from shutterstock)
The weather is hot and cold, and you may catch a cold accidentally. Taking medicine carefully may also cause urinary problems. Chen Yuxin, director of Hengxin Urology Clinic, shared that a man in his 50s accidentally caught a cold while traveling in Japan. He bought powerful comprehensive cold medicine and took it on his own. Although his symptoms improved, he unexpectedly developed urinary problems. He stood in front of the toilet for almost 20 minutes before he could barely urinate a few drops of urine. He was so frightened that he rushed to see a doctor after returning home. We are reminded that the ingredients in some commercially available cold medicines may cause acute urinary retention. You must stop taking the medicine immediately and conduct emergency evaluation as soon as possible; especially those with prostatic hypertrophy and other four groups, you must be more vigilant.
Two major culprits of cold medicine blocking the urethra
Chen Yuxin posted an article on her Facebook fan page explaining that most people think that cold medicine is only for the upper body, used to relieve nasal congestion, headaches, and runny noses, and has nothing to do with the lower body. In fact, the following two major culprits of urine locking are hidden in common cold medicines sold on the market:
●First-generation antihistamines (Antihistamines): often used to relieve respiratory and cold symptoms, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and relieve redness, swelling and itching of allergic diseases, such as urticaria, eczema, and atopic dermatitis. The reason for locking urine is that some first-generation antihistamines have "anticholinergic effects", which inhibit the parasympathetic nerves and temporarily weaken the detrusor muscle of the bladder, which is responsible for contraction and urination, resulting in the bladder not having enough strength to squeeze out urine.
●Pseudoephedrine: Commonly found in some nasal congestion medicines and comprehensive cold medicines, it reduces nasal mucosal swelling and improves nasal congestion by constricting nasal blood vessels. Locking urine is because pseudoephedrine has a sympathetic nerve stimulating effect. In addition to affecting the nasal cavity, it may also cause the smooth muscles around the bladder neck and prostate to contract, increasing urinary resistance, making it more difficult for people with original difficulty in urinating to urinate.
Four high-risk groups for "acute urinary retention"
Chen Yuxin warned that if you cannot urinate at all after taking cold medicine, or if your bladder is obviously very distended but you can only urinate a few drops, it may be "acute urinary retention". You must stop taking the medicine immediately and go to the emergency department for evaluation as soon as possible. If necessary, you need to catheterize your bladder to avoid delay and damage to the bladder or kidneys. He also reminded that the following four high-risk groups need special attention:
●Prostate hypertrophy: According to statistics, about half of men over 50 years old have prostate hypertrophy. The originally narrow urethra will cause the muscles and smooth muscles around the urethra to tighten even more after taking the medicine, and the detrusor muscle will also be unable to exert force, making urination more difficult and completely impossible to urinate.
●Middle-aged and elderly men: As age increases, the bladder detrusor muscle will gradually degenerate and lose elasticity. Coupled with taking cold medicine containing specific ingredients, the nerve signals are completely blocked, and the muscles related to urination will directly stop and a large amount of urine will be retained in the body.
●Persons with urinary-related diseases: People who usually have difficulty urinating, cannot urinate cleanly, or have the habit of holding urine for a long time. The health of their bladder and urinary system is relatively fragile, and they are easily affected by the side effects of cold medicine, making the already difficult problem worse.
●Affected by other diseases: Urination requires coordination between the brain and nerves. People with neuropathy, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, diabetic neuropathy, etc., often have damaged nerve conduction functions. Coupled with the influence of drugs, they cannot receive the correct instructions for urination.
Chen Yuxin pointed out that if you want to avoid the risk of urinary lock-in when taking cold medicine, you should master the following four key points: 1. Take the initiative to inform the doctor about your medical history; 2. Do not buy cold medicine on your own; 3. Pay attention to changes in urination; replenish water appropriately and do not overdo it. We remind you that if you have symptoms such as thin and intermittent urine flow, frequent nocturia, difficulty in urinating, and urgent and violent urge to urinate, you should seek medical examination as soon as possible to find out the root cause and receive early treatment, so as not to regret it when you have to have surgery again when you can't urinate again.
