Caffeine & Urinary Retention

The University of Rochester reports that approximately 90 percent of people worldwide consume caffeine in some form, most commonly in beverages. Although a natural substance found in cocoa beans, tea leaves and kola nuts, doctors classify caffeine as a drug because it stimulates the central nervous system similar to other drugs such as amphetamines and heroin. Caffeine induces the production of stress hormones and stimulates nerves in the brain. The changes in nerve signals traveling from the brain to the bladder may contribute to urinary retention.

Caffeine and Stress Hormone

Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system and increases the amount of dopamine – a chemical that helps carry electrical impulses – in the brain. The increased level of dopamine increases your brain activity, which stimulates your pituitary gland to signal the adrenal glands to produce and secrete more adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, and noradrenaline, also called norepinephrine. These stress hormones cause your heart to beat faster, which increases the flow of blood to the brain and makes you more aware and alert. In addition to this wanted effect, excessive amounts of the stress hormone adrenaline can also cause urinary retention.

Urinary Retention

Urinary retention describes a medical condition characterized by the inability to empty the bladder. If you suffer from urinary retention, you may experience trouble starting a urine stream or feel like you still need to go after you finish urinating. Urinary retention can occur due to an obstruction in the urinary tract or when something interferes with the nerve signals between the brain and the bladder. Because caffeine affects the levels of dopamine in the brain, which increases the rate at which neurons in the brain fire, it may affect nerve impulses going to and from the brain. Disruption of nerve impulses from the bladder can lead to urinary retention.

Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence, another type of urinary dysfunction, causes a strong and sudden urge to urinate that may cause uncontrolled release of urine. Doctors encourage patients who suffer from urinary incontinence to refrain from excessive caffeine intake because caffeine may exacerbate the symptoms. Like urinary retention, urinary incontinence can occur as a result of faulty nerve signaling.

Diuretic Myth

Despite popular belief, caffeine when consumed in moderation does not function as a diuretic. A diuretic is a substance that promotes the production of urine and in the past researchers believed that drinking caffeinated beverages contributed to an increased loss of fluids therefore causing dehydration. The increased amount of urine in the bladder could increase the urinary retention effects, but recent information provided by doctors at the Mayo Clinic confirms that caffeine only acts as a diuretic when consumed in large amounts, more than 500 to 600 milligram per day.