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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you experience signs and symptoms of overactive bladder, you're likely to start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, you may be referred 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. Here's some information to help you get ready, 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 can help get the most out of your appointment. 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 long lasting?
- What treatments are available and which do you recommend?
- What types of side effects can I expect from treatment?
- Are there any dietary restrictions that could help?
- Are there any steps I can take myself that might help?
- Do I need to see a specialist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend.
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 talk about your symptoms may reserve time to go over points you want to cover later on. Your doctor may ask:
- Do you unexpectedly leak urine? How often?
- When coughing, laughing or sneezing, do you ever leak urine?
- Do you leak urine while you are on your way to the bathroom? How often?
- Do you need to use pads or extra cloth in your underwear to catch urine?
- When did you begin experiencing symptoms?
- What work or social activities do your symptoms keep you from doing?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Cartwright R, et al. Current management of overactive bladder. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2008;20:489.
- Carr RJ. Urinary incontinence. In: South-Paul JE, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3036304. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- Tanagho EA, et al. Urinary incontinence. In: Tanagho EA, et al. Smith's General Urology. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3129492. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- Overactive bladder. American Urological Association. http://www.urologyhealth.org/adult/index.cfm?cat=03&topic=450. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- What I need to know about Bladder Control for Women. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/bcw_ez/. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- Ellsworth PI, et al. Frequently asked questions in the evaluation and management of overactive bladder. Journal of Family Practice. 2009;58supp:1.
- Hartmann KE, et al. Treatment of overactive bladder in women. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/bladder/bladder.pdf. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- DuBeau CE. Clinical presentation and diagnosis of urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- Urodynamic testing. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/urodynamic/. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- DuBeau CE. Treatment of urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- Anger JT, et al. Outcomes of intravesical botulinum toxin for idiopathic overactive bladder symptoms: A systematic review of the literature. The Journal of Urology. 2010;183:2258.
- Lightner DJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 4, 2010.
- Subak LL, et al. Weight loss to treat urinary incontinence in overweight and obese women. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:481.
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