Peeing a lot at night??
Nocturia questions. Why does this happen? What is the mechanism that causes it?
A friend of my wife that thinks he knows everything said it was because every time I stop breathing it does not allow urea to be released through my lungs as a trash by product? So it builds up in the blood and the kidneys have to get rid of it. Urea being released by the lungs? Maybe water vapor but urea? And even in such a quantity that if you don't breath it out you have to pee every three hours at night? Really? Makes no sense to me. Im even having trouble thinking water vapor being released through the lungs would be this much. It has been years since I went through A&P 1 and 2, Human Anatomy in college but I thought it was due to something else that triggered the kidneys to produce urea. Are there any medical professionals that can better answer this? My wife believes this guy because he used to work for Lincare and set up cpap machines for people. So of course he must know what he is talking about right? pfff!!
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
Not a medical professional...
Neither the lungs nor the kidneys produce urea. Urea is a protein breakdown product created in the liver. Your kidneys are responsible for getting rid of it. Nocturia has many causes. In males, it can be due to retention from an enlarged prostate. Some people have excess fluid in the lower limbs; and when they lie down, it shifts back into the blood volume and is eliminated by the kidneys. Osmotic gradients in the nephron are created by high blood glucose levels; so diabetics urinate more frequently; and are often thirsty. Hypertension also pushes fluid across the nephron barrier. The kidney actually works in a way people do not realize -- it throws many things away, then selectively reabsorbs them. It does this with Potassium and Sodium for example.
They are the flow meters that are one of our blood pressure regulation mechanisms. They secrete vital hormones; and they react to other hormones. They are involved in the process of utilizing vitamin D.
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
Frequent nighttime urination is a very common symptom of sleep apnea. Not because you've got a lung full of pee, but rather because of apnea events your o2 level drops, and as a defense the kidneys go into overdrive to pull fluid out of the bloodstream so there is more room for air. Then you wake up and go to the bathroom, go back to sleep, and the whole cycle starts again.
One of the first things a patient will often notice when starting CPAP therapy is being able to sleep all night without getting up to go to the bathroom.
01-14-2015, 01:44 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-14-2015, 01:46 PM by Sleeprider.)
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
If you don't mind reading technical medical articles then you should read this:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Nocturia and Polyuria in Older Adults
If that is a bit heavy for you, then the short version is that nocturia may actually be a result of the diuretic hormone response to obstructive respiratory events. The hormonal response to this signal is increased ANP secretion and diminished AVP secretion. In other words OSA causes the body to increase urine production because a normal nighttime hormone balance is not present to suppress urine production...you're awake too much.
If you treat your sleep apnea effectively, you should reduce or eliminate this problem.
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
This states what is going on for the most part and why people would obstructive sleep apnea urinate a lot during sleep periods.
"OSA initiates a chain of events that stresses the cardiovascular system and increases the risk of hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, stroke, and premature death. Basically, the combination of disturbed sleep and oxygen starvation creates stress on the body. The hypoxemia associated with sleep apnea triggers the sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones, including adrenaline, which causes an increased heart rate and BP. In response to high BP, the heart secretes atrial natriuretic factor, a hormone that acts on the kidneys to increase urine output and lower BP. This phenomenon leads to another OSA symptom: frequent nighttime urination.
In a nut shell this is what I told the guy I was talking about. That adrenaline gets released and that intern is part of the chain that signals the kidneys to produce urine. I put it simple just like that because its what happens. I happened to find this website that said everything I was trying to say when I had the conversation. No where does it say the lungs can't excrete fluids and hence you end up peeing it all out. I mean with some people that is a lot of fluid the lungs would have to get rid of but can't so the kidneys take over and do the job for the lungs. Which is what he said happens and why people pee due to obstructive sleep apnea.
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
(01-14-2015, 01:41 PM)retired_guy Wrote: Frequent nighttime urination is a very common symptom of sleep apnea. Not because you've got a lung full of pee, but rather because of apnea events your o2 level drops, and as a defense the kidneys go into overdrive to pull fluid out of the bloodstream so there is more room for air. Then you wake up and go to the bathroom, go back to sleep, and the whole cycle starts again.
One of the first things a patient will often notice when starting CPAP therapy is being able to sleep all night without getting up to go to the bathroom.
Exactly my situation. Went from having to get up 3 times a night to 9 hours undisturbed the day I started CPAP.
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
Yep, that is the responsibility of the kidneys
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
Hi Ravenmocker,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hang in there for more responses to your post and much success to you.
trish6hundred
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
(01-14-2015, 01:41 PM)retired_guy Wrote: Frequent nighttime urination is a very common symptom of sleep apnea. Not because you've got a lung full of pee, but rather because of apnea events your o2 level drops, and as a defense the kidneys go into overdrive to pull fluid out of the bloodstream so there is more room for air. Then you wake up and go to the bathroom, go back to sleep, and the whole cycle starts again.
One of the first things a patient will often notice when starting CPAP therapy is being able to sleep all night without getting up to go to the bathroom.
Huh? The oxygen attaches to hemoglobin in the red blood cells.
(Must be a former Navy Corpsman)
RE: Peeing a lot at night??
Yeah, but I like my explanation better. It's kind of like when I have a serious shortage of breath because I ran across the house to through the miserable cats out before the puppies attacked. My o2 drops severely and I wet myself.
Darn those miserable cats.
