A 30-year-old woman within the U.K., who was unable to urinate normally for greater than a yr, has revealed her ordeal on social media, saying it took her 14 months to get a diagnosis about her rare condition.

The condition that affected Elle Adams from east London left her unable to pee regardless that she drank loads of fluids and felt the urge to urinate.

“I used to be extremely healthy. I had no other problems. I woke up sooner or later and I wasn’t capable of pee,” Adams said on her page. “I used to be very concerned. I used to be at a breaking point – my life had completely modified. I wasn’t capable of complete a sure bet like going to the bathroom,” she added.

Although the doctors couldn’t initially diagnose her condition, almost 14 months later, she was told she had Fowler’s syndrome. The doctors also warned her the rare condition might require her to make use of a catheter for the remaining of her life.

“I’m considered one of the 1000’s of girls whose lives have been torn apart by Fowlers Syndrome,” Adams said, adding that many persons are still unaware of the condition.

What’s Fowler’s Syndrome?

Fowler’s Syndrome affects young women between 20 and 30 years of age. The condition normally presents itself with no other symptoms except the shortcoming to empty the bladder. Nevertheless, some women might experience back pain, suprapubic pain, and discomfort on account of urinary infections.

It’s caused when the external urethral sphincter fails to loosen up, allowing urine to be passed normally.

The urethral sphincter is a muscular structure that regulates the outflow of urine from the bladder into the urethra. While the inner urethral sphincter controls the involuntary urine flow from the bladder to the urethra, and the external urethral sphincter regulates the voluntary control of urine from the bladder to the urethra.

The rare condition is estimated to be present in 0.2 cases in 100,000 people per yr.

Although the precise reason for sphincter failure is unknown, it is often seen in women spontaneously or after a surgical treatment, childbirth, opiate use, or other medical condition.

The severity of the condition varies in each patient. Some patients might give you the option to pass urine with difficulty, while retaining significant amounts, while others suffer complete retention. Those that shouldn’t have complete retention may notice recurrent bladder infections and even kidney infections.

What are the treatment options?

The treatment options are based on the severity of the condition and the residual volume of urine left after urination. No intervention is vital for patients who’ve very low levels of residual volumes, while, those with high residual volumes need regular intermittent catheterization.

In severe cases, patients who’ve complete retention might need Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS) therapy, which involves providing gentle electrical impulses through a probe that’s placed near the sacral nerve.

“It just isn’t life-changing, but it will probably help. I catheterize so much less, around 50% less. It has made my life easier, after two years of hell it’s all I can ask for,” Adams, who underwent the therapy in January 2023 said.

Published by Medicaldaily.com