I’m a 71-year-old man who’s been facing the challenge of frequent urination. I recently had a prostate artery embolization for my enlarged prostate, which has completely taken care of my retention problems. However, I still have some really rough days where I find myself needing to use the bathroom four times in an hour, and the urine is as clear as drinking water. I’ve noticed this tends to happen if I lie down for a bit during the day. I brought it up with my urologist, but he doesn’t seem to have any idea what’s going on. I also deal with swelling in my feet and ankles—could that be linked to my situation?
I have acid reflux, so I try not to eat after 3 PM. I noticed that the longer I go into the night without eating my urine gets very clear. My theory about it is that when I lay flat on a bed the body has access to water that has been collecting in the legs, during the day, due to gravity. That water is pulled from tissues in the legs, not from food, so it is very clear. The effect is associated with edema and is sometimes called nocturia.