What are FLARES?

[Monika76]

Yes, some days are worse than others but my urgency is pretty constant. I find that I have to pee right after I drink something and it takes me a couple of times to pee it out but what's a flare? Do I get them and just don't know?

[Katrina]

A flare is when your symptoms are worse than your norm. My symptoms fluctuate from time of day and day to day....but the bigger changes are what I call a flare.

• Flares may be because of: stress, food, food allergies, nasal allergies, over working yourself, sex, gas, hormones, yeast infections, bacterial infections, smoking, car rides, viruses or being sick, being over tired, treatments affecting you badly, test affecting you badly, and many other things.

Does drinking water make you have to pee?

[Monika76]

Yes! H2O makes me pee! Is this weird or what?

[massagedoula]

Me too. My uro said, after I completed my voiding diary, that I don't drink nearly enough water. Now I force myself to do it, and I have to pee more, but get less urgency! it is very strange.

[Katrina]

No it isn't strange....it just that water normally helps a bit...but many of us find that water only makes us have to go more. Great for burning and pain but not all that great for frequency for all of us.

[Monika76]

Well, I have been drinking water only for a week now, which is such a long time for me, because I hate "straight" water without any juice or taste in it. I'm not sure how much of it I should really be drinking (a gallon?) but I agree that it makes me go more often but I also pee more. Is this good?

You know, all this fluid talk makes me think about how before my diagnosis I drank Starbucks coffee everyday and very acidy juices and I felt the same. I won't even mention wine with dinner... so I'm just a little confused about it all.

I watched the coverage about Pope all day today and I forgot about my bladder for two whole hours!