Urine retention can be identified by a number of conditions. Some patients have difficulty urinating without strain or force. Some experience a weak or intermittent urine stream. Others feel the impulse to urinate with urgency or frequency, when only a small amount is produced. Urine retention, however, is not a symptom of IBS, but a side effect of certain conditions and treatments associated with IBS.
Types
IBS is categorized in three different forms: Diarrhea-predominant (D-IBS); Constipation-predominant (C-IBS) and Alternating, both constipation and diarrhea (A-IBS).
Associations
A number of patients with constipation-predominant IBS (C-IBS) also suffer from gastroparesis: a debilitating stomach condition with abdominal pain and vomiting. The medications used to treat gastroparesis can cause side effects like urine retention.
Theories/Speculation
Urinary complications are not associated with IBS conditions, but may be the result of several gastro-intestinal problems occurring in the body simultaneously.
Potential
Some IBS patients suffer from other medical conditions like GERD (Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease) and hernias. These maladies, when coupled with IBS, have the potential of creating abdominal muscle tightening and situations where urinating is difficult standing up (for males).
Warning
The use of antispasmodic medications, intended to relieve muscle tightening and painful intestinal spasms, can have several complications including urinary retention. If patients already suffer from urinary retention, due to a non-IBS condition or combination of conditions, they should not use antispasmodics.
Risks
Any IBS patients using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID: ibuprofen, naproxen, Celebrex) double their risk of developing abnormal urinary-holding conditions, including acute retention and bladder muscle failure.
Treatment
In cases of urinary retention, an urologist may conduct a series of uro-dynamics tests on the patient. As a result, the urologist may perform a urethra dilation or choose to drain the bladder by catheter.
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