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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, he or she may refer you to a urologist or a urogynecologist for diagnosis and treatment. When you make your appointment, ask your doctor if you should keep a bladder diary for a few days. You record when, how much and what kind of fluids you consume; when you urinate; whether you feel an urge to urinate; and whether you experience incontinence. Your diary may reveal patterns that help your doctor understand your symptoms and identify contributing factors.
Because appointments can be brief and there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Make a list of all the medications you take, as well as any vitamins or supplements.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For overactive bladder, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
- Are there any other possible causes for my symptoms?
- What kinds of tests do I need? Do I need to do any special preparation for these tests?
- Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
- What treatments are available?
- Which do you recommend?
- Are there any dietary restrictions that I need to follow?
- Do I need to see a specialist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor may use an overactive bladder screening questionnaire to make a preliminary assessment of your symptoms. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- Do you ever unexpectedly leak urine?
- Do you ever leak urine when you cough, laugh or sneeze?
- Do you ever leak urine on your way to the bathroom?
- Do you need to use pads or extra cloth in your underwear to catch urine?
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your symptoms been continuous, or occasional?
- What activities do your symptoms keep you from doing?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
Your doctor will also want to know if your bladder symptoms are causing problems in your daily life, such as interfering with work or social interactions.
