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The 3-Hour Urination Schedule: Is It Absolutely Necessary? Why You Should Be Cautious If You Have Interstitial Cystitis
Why do we do potty training?
Many people have been told by their doctors to “try bladder training” or “try extending the time between urinations to about three hours.”
Bladder training can be used to gradually increase the time between urination and regulate bladder capacity and urination habits for people who have a habit of going to the bathroom as soon as they feel even a slight urge to urinate.
However, there is one thing you must remember here.
The key point about bladder training is that it doesn’t mean everyone has to hold it for three hours without exception.
In particular, for conditions where bladder pain is a primary symptom—such as interstitial cystitis—or those accompanied by irritation of the nerves around the pelvis—such as pudendal neuralgia—it is necessary to take a more cautious approach, taking into account current symptoms and urinary patterns.
Potty Training in 3 Hours: Why Shouldn’t You Just Follow It Blindly?
For example, let’s imagine someone who usually goes to the bathroom every hour.
If this person suddenly sets a goal like, “I’ll have to hold out for the next three hours,” it could be quite a burden.
In addition to the urge to urinate, you may experience increased pressure or pain in the bladder, and you may feel more anxious about holding your urine.
In particular, for people whose pain worsens as their bladder fills, it is important to first assess the nature of their current symptoms rather than simply extending the time between urination.
Therefore, when it comes to potty training, it’s better to focus on making small adjustments to the current intervals between urinationsrather than setting a specific number as a goal.
What if you’re currently urinating every hour?
If you currently go to the bathroom every hour, rather than aiming for three hours right from the start, you can try gradually increasing the interval to about an hour and a half.
If your body adjusts to it, you can try increasing the amount a little more later on.
For example,
- 1 hour → 1 hour and 30 minutes
- 1 hour 30 minutes → 2 hours
- 2 hours → Adjust slightly while monitoring how your body feels
This is how we take a step-by-step approach.
Of course, this is not a one-size-fits-all treatment that applies to every patient. The appropriate approach may vary depending on current symptoms, such as frequency of urination, pain, urinary urgency, and a sensation of incomplete emptying.
Interstitial cystitis shouldn’t be diagnosed based solely on “urination frequency”
When considering interstitial cystitis, it’s not just about how often you urinate.
It is important to assess whether pain or a feeling of pressure occurs as the bladder fills, whether the discomfort subsides after urinating, and whether a sensation of incomplete emptying or pain persists after urination.
Therefore, if you suspect you have interstitial cystitis or have been diagnosed with it and are undergoing bladder training, it is a good idea to monitor for the following changes.
How does pain change when the interval between urination is extended?
Is the urge to go to the bathroom getting even stronger?
Does the discomfort subside after you urinate?
Keeping a record of these reactions can help you understand how the current bladder training is affecting your body.
Caution is also required in cases of pudendal neuralgia.
Pudendal neuralgia is a condition that can cause pain or abnormal sensations associated with nerve irritation in the pelvic area.
In such cases, frequent urination or discomfort during urination may also occur, making it difficult to attribute the symptoms solely to a bladder problem.
Therefore, if you experience frequent urination along with perineal pain, a burning sensation, a stinging sensation, or discomfort that worsens when sitting , you should examine the symptoms in the pelvic area as well, rather than focusing solely on reducing the frequency of urination.
What if the pain worsens during bladder training?
I’d like you to be sure to keep this in mind.
Just because you’re potty training doesn’t mean it’s always best to hold it in for a long time.
In particular, if you experience a noticeable increase in bladder pain, worsening urinary urgency, or increased discomfort in the pelvic area after extending the time between urination, you should reassess whether your current training method is appropriate.
Potty training is not a process that tests a child’s “ability to hold it in.”
It’s more like a process of gradually adjusting my urination habits within the limits of what my body can handle.
What’s more important than three hours is “gradual change.”
When you start potty training, thinking that you “must hold it for up to three hours no matter what” can actually make the pressure worse.
The starting point cannot be the same for someone who goes to the bathroom every 30 minutes and someone who goes every two hours.
Therefore, it is important to check your current urination intervals and adjust them gradually, within the limits allowed by your symptoms.
Furthermore, for people experiencing pain, simply increasing the interval between urination may not be sufficient.
It is necessary to consider various factors together, such as whether it is interstitial cystitis, whether there are accompanying problems with the nerves or muscles around the pelvis, and whether there is discomfort around the urethra.
Potty Training: Here’s How to Remember It
The most important thing about potty training isn’t the number “3 hours.”
It is important to understand your current urination intervals and adjust them gradually within the limits your body can handle.
In particular, if you experience pain or symptoms in the pelvic area—such as interstitial cystitis or pudendal neuralgia—it is important to monitor the nature of your symptoms rather than forcing yourself to hold your urine.
If the pain gets worse the longer you hold your urine, holding it longer isn’t necessarily the best solution.
Start by determining whether the frequent urination you’re currently experiencing is simply due to a sensitive bladder or if it’s accompanied by pain or nerve irritation.
If you experience any of these symptoms, make a note of them.
It might be a good idea to keep a simple journal for a few days starting today.
① How often do you urinate?
② Do you experience pain when you feel the urge to urinate?
③ Do you still feel discomfort after urinating?
④ Are there times when you have to rush to the restroom?
⑤ Do your symptoms worsen when you sit for long periods or in certain situations?
Keeping such a record helps you identify your own pattern of symptoms.
Furthermore, if your symptoms persist or cause significant discomfort in your daily life, rather than simply thinking, “I’ll just have to put up with it a little longer,” itmay be necessary to identify the cause of these urinary patterns.
Remember!
“Potty training takes three hours.”
Rather than taking this statement as an absolute rule , it is important to understand it as meaning “gradually adjust the intervals between urination to suit your body.”
In particular, in cases where pain and neurological symptoms occur together—such as with interstitial cystitis or pudendal neuralgia—it is necessary to examine the cause and nature of the current symptoms rather than simply reducing the frequency of urination.
If, while practicing bladder training, you find that the longer you hold it in, the more your bladder hurts, orif you actually feel an even more urgent need to urinate,don’t just ignore it and push through.
It may be more important to start by carefully determining what type of urinary problem you have.
