Bladder Symptoms & Nocturia
Can heart failure or swollen legs cause nighttime urination?
Bottom line
Yes.
Fluid in your legs moves back into circulation when you lie down, so the kidneys make more urine at night.
When a visit makes sense
Get checked if you wake twice or more a night.
Visiting us from Lilburn
Lilburn families are welcome at our Snellville Clinic & Surgery Center (1557 Janmar Rd, Snellville, GA 30078) and our Lawrenceville Clinic & Surgery Center (501 Crown Pointe Way, Lawrenceville, GA 30046). Our team will help you book at either one.
How we look at it
Waking up to urinate isn’t always a bladder problem. Our urologists look at the whole day: how much you drink and when, the medicines you take, leg swelling and sleep. When fluid that builds up in the legs is part of the picture, we work alongside your primary care doctor or cardiologist. We also check for bladder and prostate causes, so nothing gets missed.
Your first visit
A frequency-volume chart, where you note when you urinate and how much over a day or two, is one of the most useful things you can bring. We’ll also go over your heart medicines and water pills and what time you take them, and we’ll check your urine.
Preparing to see us
For a day or two before your visit, note what you drink and when you urinate, and bring your medicine list with the times you take each one.
When to give us a call
Call us if you’re getting up more and more each night or notice new leg swelling. If you’re short of breath, call 911.
Questions Lilburn families ask
Why does lying down make me urinate more?
Fluid that collects in the legs during the day moves back into circulation when you lie down, so the kidneys make more urine at night.
Should I stop drinking in the evening?
Cutting back in the hours before bed can help, but don’t change heart medicines or water pills without your doctor.
Video
This Advanced Urology video covers options for people who feel they’re always heading to the bathroom.
Elsewhere on advancedurology.com
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