Can Cyproheptadine Help With Better Controlling The Urinary Bladder?

yerrag

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I used to sleep not having to wake up to pee. Now that I wake up to pee about four times each night, I feel that I don't get the quality sleep I used to get. I also have the urge to pee more often during the day, and I have more difficulty now holding my bladder. When I'm headed to the restroom to pee, the urge seems to get the better of me and I end up with a stream of pee spilling before I pull down my zipper.

I don't know if this is a muscle strength issue that can be addressed by Kegel exercises, or if this is a neurological issue. Or none of the above, being that I've read about GABA affecting the brain such that it results in frequent urge to pee. But I'm not blaming GABA per se, as I do take it for restful sleep, but I'm also thinking it's possible that some supplements or food I'm taking is causing an urge to pee more. Or maybe it's just a simple matter of drinking too much.

What I'm sure of is that in the past my bladder can get really full, and I would pee less and when I do, the stream is pretty forceful and the duration is pretty long. Now I pee frequently and the volume I pee is not that much.

So it seems I'm really not holding as much pee anymore before the urge comes.

Will cyproheptadine be able to keep this urge in check? As I understand that peeing is part of the cholinergic control system.
 

InChristAlone

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As far as I know yes it can. I rarely have to get up to pee at night and can hold it for 12 hrs if need be! That's with a very low dose.
 

aguilaroja

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I used to sleep not having to wake up to pee. Now that I wake up to pee about four times each night, I feel that I don't get the quality sleep I used to get. I also have the urge to pee more often during the day, and I have more difficulty now holding my bladder. When I'm headed to the restroom to pee, the urge seems to get the better of me....Now I pee frequently and the volume I pee is not that much.
So it seems I'm really not holding as much pee anymore before the urge comes.
Will cyproheptadine be able to keep this urge in check? As I understand that peeing is part of the cholinergic control system.

Like most antihistamines, Cyproheptadine has potential anticholinergic side effects. One of those anticholinergic effects is a tendency toward urinary retention.

Anticholinergic effects of medication is an individual thing. That is, some people get one or a few of the (side) effects on the list, but others not very much. For instance, a person might get dry eyes while no change in bladder frequency.
Anticholinergic - Wikipedia
With my individual experiments with Cyproheptatidine, I have never noticed changes in bladder function, while getting pronounced anti-serotonin and anti-histamine effects. However, I know others who noticed this bladder changes while using Cyproheptatidine.

Since the anti-cholinergic effect is an “extra” effect with Cyproheptatidine, it would be a more useful choice if the primary effects of Cyproheptatidine were already a major concern. Problem-solving about the urinary urgency and frequency is likely more primary. One possible cause is low grade infection, which can be checked readily by a lab.
 
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yerrag

yerrag

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As far as I know yes it can. I rarely have to get up to pee at night and can hold it for 12 hrs if need be! That's with a very low dose.

Good to know that. I bought the cypro for my mom to see if it would help with her incontinence but didn't get the chance to use it, now I'm going to use it.

Since the anti-cholinergic effect is an “extra” effect with Cyproheptatidine, it would be a more useful choice if the primary effects of Cyproheptatidine were already a major concern. Problem-solving about the urinary urgency and frequency is likely more primary. One possible cause is low grade infection, which can be checked readily by a lab.

I'm having a hard time understanding. What do you mean when you said "it would be a more useful choice if the primary effects of Cyproheptadine were already a major concern." Do you mean that Cypro is better used if it were used to address concerns with high serotonin levels and histamine activity, by antagonizing them? And that it would be better to try to address other causes of poor bladder control before resorting to the use of Cypro?

Other than low grade infection, what other causes should I look into?

Can hypothyroidism cause the parasympathetic system to be dominant that if weakens the bladder's control system? Lately, I have been avoiding pro-metabolic substances in an effort to lower my blood pressre, as I noticed that pro-metabolic substances are causing my blood pressure to go up. I'm taking vitamin C and magnesium chloride as part of a protocol to chelate lead from my kidneys, and it has been successful in lowering my blood pressure. I didn't want the intake of pro-metabolic substances to counter the gains I've made in lowering blood pressure. But I'm afraid this is resulting in lower metabolism, as my heart rate has gone down.

I could stop the vitamin C and magnesium chloride protocol for a week or two, and resume taking pro-metabolic substances during that time, and see if there is a change in my bladder control.

I can have a urinalysis, but I don't see the likelihood that I have an infection in my urinary tract.
 

aguilaroja

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What do you mean when you said "it would be a more useful choice if the primary effects of Cyproheptadine were already a major concern." Do you mean that Cypro is better used if it were used to address concerns with high serotonin levels and histamine activity, by antagonizing them? And that it would be better to try to address other causes of poor bladder control before resorting to the use of Cypro?

Other than low grade infection, what other causes should I look into?

Can hypothyroidism cause the parasympathetic system to be dominant that if weakens the bladder's control system?...I'm taking vitamin C and magnesium chloride as part of a protocol to chelate lead from my kidneys, and it has been successful in lowering my blood pressure....
I could stop the vitamin C and magnesium chloride protocol for a week or two, and resume taking pro-metabolic substances during that time, and see if there is a change in my bladder control.
I can have a urinalysis, but I don't see the likelihood that I have an infection in my urinary tract.

It is great that you explore creative health supports, and that the blood pressure response has been good. Reducing tissue lead burden is a worthy concern.

I would not choose cyproheptadine as an intermediate or long term answer for bladder control. The anti-cholinergic effect of cyproheptadine is maybe a third effect, less major than its anti-histamine and anti-serotonin effects. Forum comments in other topics have suggested Dr. Peat mentions cyproheptadine as a short term instead of long term thing.

Fully sorting out bladder control issues seems beyond the scope of the forum. A few thoughts to explore through experience and if needed with health care providers:

Did the urinary frequency/urgency start in time with some of the protocols/substances you added? If so, ceasing individual substances, even briefly, may give a clue.

Is the supplementary GABA overly “relaxing” things at night, leading to less bladder control? Is frequency/urgency also an issue during the day? Are there other sleep aids or GABA-function supports that could be substituted?

Is the Vitamin C, magnesium, or other protocol ingredient causing diuresis that is a main factor in more bladder frequency/urgency? Vitamin C, for instance, has well known diuretic properties.
Diuresis - Wikipedia
Even changing the timing during the day, as well as briefly stopping ingredients, might give a clue.

Is the blood pressure lowering largely through diuresis, with tissue lead burden less of a short term factor? You might review @haidut’s posts about thiamine as a Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor.

While “blood pressure” itself has become a medical topic, the end concern with elevated blood pressure is risks to organs like heart and brain. Aspirin, even short of Dr. Peat’s insights, offers protection against heart attack and stroke (unless there is an individual risk for aspirin).

I have known people with “interstitial cystitis” type bladder issues were remedied by boosting metabolism or thyroid function. They had other low thyroid symptoms.

Yes, bladder infections often has other symptoms that make infection causing urinary frequency obvious and may be unlikely in this case. It is something that could be checked quickly, say, with OTC urine strips. Infection is usually quickly remedied.
 
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yerrag

yerrag

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Last night, I used some cypro and I woke up once to urinate, instead of the four times I was experiencing. So, Cypro is working. However, as aguilaroja has reminded, this should not be a long-term solution. Which led me to think about how I ended up having my sleep interrupted with frequent urination.

I'll take a break from vitamin C therapy for 2 weeks and take only 1 gram of Vitamin C daily, and in the morning. This is a reduction from the 6.75 gram daily intake. I'll continue on with my magnesium chloride intake though, which is the other substance I use to chelate lead.

I really need to get my bladder control back to where it was when I didn't have to wake up at night to urinate. That gives me better sleep, and better sleep gives me better immunity as well as allow my glycogen stores to build up for the next day. I have neglected the sleep part out of my pursuit of lead chelation and lower blood pressure, and it has actually led me back to being allergic once again to MSG and to pollen. Our of Peating, I have started to brag about having overcome my allergies, but I'm now brought back to earth with my current allergic rhinitis condition. It was a perfect storm of sorts I guess. Lack of sleep, and my relapse to close to a hypthyroid state (by avoiding pro-metabolic substances in my singular focus on lowering my blood pressure), and my recent restaurant meals in which MSG cannot be avoided (Vietnamese and Chinese), and it being pollen season, all made my succumb to allergies.

So, I need to address my lack of sleep and my backsliding close to a hypothyroid state as a long-term solution instead of just using Cypro as a solution. It may be a short-term solution though, as my bladder gets back to being normal.

Thanis for your inputs. I can use Cypro temporarily, but not become dependent on it but really try to find the cause of my bladder problem. I hope reducing my daily vitamin C intake would do it.
 
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yerrag

yerrag

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After getting better sleep this past week without Cypro, I realize this had to do with my constant daily use of ascorbic acid. Over a 5-month period, the acidity was adding up in my system (blood and gut) that the kidney and the lungs had to compensate. I may be breathing a lot more to breathe out carbonic acid into CO2, and the water produced, if not exhaled, was diluting my blood's osmolarity such that it had to be excreted through the urine. Also, the pH buffering system involving ammonia and phosphates may be generating bicarbonate in the kidneys, and leaving some phosphates and ammonium salts needing to be excreted. This may be triggering an urge to urinate even when the bladder isn't full. I'm just guessing about the mechanism though.

I now realize why some people recommend using sodium ascorbate over ascorbic acid. Most people just say it's because it's gentler on the gut, but not only that. I take ascorbic acid just fine with no issues with my gut. But with daily use, the effect of acidity on the system is cumlative, and a point is reached where the body will give signs. Frequent urination is a major one, but I was burpring and I was frequently giving gas, though it's odorless, mostly CO2.

I was glad Cypro was helpful, but I'm even more happy I need not depend on it.

Now I'm going to use sodium ascorbate. By available ascorbic acid mixed with baking soda in a 2:1 volume ratio and mixed in water will do the trick.
 

vulture

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I'm not an expert, but if you are peeing too much because of stress-anxiety, it might help, but you will feel decreased motor capacity/coordination (slight to moderate) and sleepiness. Kinda not giving too much F***s
 

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