# 5 year old boy peeing every 15 minutes?



## KalamazooMom

For the last couple weeks my 5 yo DS has been going pee extraordinarily frequently. It started when we were on vacation and I thought he was just doing it for fun because we were in different places and he was with his cousins who usually took him to the bathroom when he said he had to go. But he's still doing it now that we're home. We were at the pool this weekend and he was having lots of fun playing and still he went pee about 4 times an hour, so I really do think he is feeling the need to pee. I've gone with him to the bathroom multiple times and he does pee every time but it's sometimes a really small amount, and sometimes not. I looked up UTI's and I don't know if it's that because he has no other symptoms and is not complaining of any pain or discomfort. If it was a kidney stone or some other blockage there's be pain, right? He is drinking and eating normally, and he is going all night without wetting the bed. No fever, no nausea. I am really stumped on this one. Any thoughts?


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## A&A

If it were me, I'd get him checked for diabetes, just to be on the safe side. (frequent peeing is a symptom.) It could also be a UTI.


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## moondiapers

UTIs don't cause pain for my dd at all. Do you know how to do a clean catch urine sample? It's pretty easy with boys. Just clean his penis off really well with a wipe, then catch some urine in a cup midstream. Then use an OTC UTI test kit. If it's negative take him to the doc to check for other probs, like diabetes. How's his breath? Give it a sniff several times a day. If it smells sweet and fruity when he's not been drinking or eating fruit, that can be an indicator of diabetes as well. It also could just be a habit, he's used to going often now because he did it on purpose during the trip, lol.


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## nalo

My initial reaction is diabetes. I would have him tested.


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## widemouthedfrog

yes, please do have him tested for diabetes and a uti. It is much better to know!


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## betterparent

better safe then sorry! get him to a doctor!


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## 4evermom

My ds has gone through this twice! Evidently it is pretty common and can be a hormone/growth spurt sort of thing. I think they lasted 2 or 3 months, fading out gradually. The two times were about 9 months apart, at 5 3/4 and 6 1/4. At first, I thought it may be an allergy because my brother and dad both got urinary frequency as a symptom of food allergies, especially wheat, rice, and oatmeal. So I tried eliminating those with no result. The first time also started on a trip. It made me glad he was a boy on the long car ride home with the frequent need when rest rooms were no where near!

ETA- Frequent thirst is a sign of diabetes which, of course, is related to frequent urinating. So if he isn't drinking more, just urinating more, diabetes may be less likely. I think the thirst thing is related particularly to a dry mouth feeling that diabetics get.


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## teachma

Google pollakiuria.
After ruling out infection and diabetes in my then 4 year old son, we came to this diagnosis. If that's what you think is going on with your son, it is totally nothing to worry about and will pass. And come back. And pass again...My son hasn't experienced it since he was about 5.5 years old, and that was more than 2 years ago.


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## fyoosh

Another possibility could be that your son's bladder is not keeping up with his growth. Did he have a big growth spurt recently? Sometimes this happens, and the bladder will "catch up" soon.


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## KalamazooMom

Thanks everyone. He really isn't drinking more, or even saying he's thirsty. So I am doubtful of diabetes. I did buy a UTI test kit on my way home tonight. We'll try that tomorrow. Thanks for the other suggestions.


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## Embee

Quote:


Originally Posted by *teachma* 
pollakiuria.

Thanks for posting this teachma. This is my DS and while I'm aware and relaxed about the symptoms/behavior, I didn't know I could put a name to it.

OP, indeed always rule out medical issues first. When DS started peeing frequently at about 4 1/2, I got right off to the doc for a culture. I was fairly sure it wasn't medical per se, not a UTI that is. It wasn't keeping him up nights, and DS had displayed a number of the typical stress behaviors in the past (sleeve chewing and such), and I just sort of knew this was something of that nature but... I knew it was safest to put medical issues to rest. The doc confirmed my suspicions and reassured me that it was actually fairly common for boys this age and would pass.

DS has been going in and out of frequent bouts of peeing since. He is 7 1/2 and just came through another one. *whew* For DS, there are stress factors, but only in the way of "emotional growth spurt." I imagine something probably triggers it, but it's not always clear what that is. In any case, when he emerges from such episodes, he's usually in a better emotional place, more relaxed and perhaps even has made a developmental leap of some type. Recently, he's been more independent and taking care of himself rather than depending on me so...









Honestly, I find this behavior completely annoying, BUT I resolve to bring little attention to it and on the surface, I'm patient, kind and taking it in stride. Not always easy! The few times I've allowed myself to make a comment ("DS, you just went honey, you can't possibly need to again."), they were at DS's expense and only served to intensify the peeing for a time. The peeing went from every 4 minutes to every 2! _Whoops!_









The good news is that the episodes have become less frequent and shorter in duration _over time._ I can see when he's winding up though and there really is no stopping it once it's revving up. I just rev up my patience in the meantime.

I hope this helps... and that you find answers and solutions soon.

The best,
Em


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## KalamazooMom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Embee* 
Thanks for posting this teachma. This is my DS and while I'm aware and relaxed about the symptoms/behavior, I didn't know I could put a name to it.


Thanks Embee. That makes me feel better. I've read a little but this morning and I really do think it's pollakiuria. We'll rule out the UTI's and diabetes, but I'm fairly certain this is a stress reaction-- he's had a couple pretty big stresses in his life in the last few weeks. And I think you're right about not getting too bent out of shape about it, it seems to make it worse as you said.


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## canadiangranola

I also went through this with my 4 1/2 yr old son. It appeared suddenly, when his dad went on a trip to Madagascar for three weeks in January, and then when it didn't taper off within about a month of dh's return, I took him to our homeopath. She gave him a remedy combo which slowed the frequency of his peeing down almost back to normal within a couple of days.

A week before our third child was born this June, the peeing stated again, and again I treated him with homeopathy and it slowed down again. I treated more for convenience I have to admit, as there is no associated health risk (diabetes would also probably have shown in weight loss as well as frequency of thirst and urination). For us it was really cutting into fun stuff (like when we went to see a movie DS wanted to see and had to take him to the bathroom no less than 9 times during the movie).

In any case, pretty common, especially in boys aged 4-7, and especially triggered by stress (your trip?). Too bad the first doctor I took him to didn't know that, it would have been helpful at the time to receive some information and compassion.

Anno


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## JillChristina

Quote:


Originally Posted by *teachma* 
Google pollakiuria.
After ruling out infection and diabetes in my then 4 year old son, we came to this diagnosis. If that's what you think is going on with your son, it is totally nothing to worry about and will pass. And come back. And pass again...My son hasn't experienced it since he was about 5.5 years old, and that was more than 2 years ago.


THANK YOU for posting this!! My dd, almost 6, has been dealing with this for the past 6 months or so. It's completely exasperating, as Embee mentioned. So glad to know it's "normal".

Jill


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## veganf

Quote:


Originally Posted by *4evermom* 
My ds has gone through this twice! Evidently it is pretty common and can be a hormone/growth spurt sort of thing. I think they lasted 2 or 3 months, fading out gradually.

Same here! And the first time I did take him in and they asked for a urine sample, but everything was normal. It definitely seems developmental. We've tried reminding him to try hard to get ALL the pee out when he goes, because I think he is often so impatient to pee and get back to what he is doing he isn't waiting until everything is out.


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## KalamazooMom

The UTI test result was negative as I expected. I'm very glad to hear that other people have experienced this too and that it will pass.


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## KalamazooMom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *canadiangranola* 
I also went through this with my 4 1/2 yr old son. It appeared suddenly, when his dad went on a trip to Madagascar for three weeks in January, and then when it didn't taper off within about a month of dh's return, I took him to our homeopath. She gave him a remedy combo which slowed the frequency of his peeing down almost back to normal within a couple of days.

CanadianGranola, do you have any more info you can share on the homeopathic remedy? I would appreciate it.


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## Fairy4tmama

This happened to my son last year, no pain but frequent frequent need to go now, like please pull over so I can pee. screen for uti and diabities was - ! turned out to be minor infection of his ureathra (can not remember the actual diagnosis) treated with ibprofen to reduce swelling and topical bactraban combined with zinc and aquaphor I think. Things were dramaticly better the next day.


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## daisymommy

My son went through this last year, starting when we were on vacation as well. It kept up after we returned home, so we took him the pediatrician's office. She was a very wise older grandmotherly type that set my mind at ease. She said, "I think I know exactly what is happening here, but we'll run the tests just to be sure everything is okay." They ran the test for a UTI, looked at other things as well, and everything was normal.

She said she sees this alot with little boys, and it usually begins when they are having fun, in a new environment, etc. They are in such a rush to "finish-up" in the bathroom, that they stop the flow of urine before their bladder is totally empty. Then they keep getting the urge to go just a little bit more each time because they were never really finished in the first place. That then trains their body to stop the flow of urine prematurely in the future--even without them thinking about. It becomes the body's automatic response. She said also, if they don't pull their underwear all the way down, and it is putting pressure on their "parts" from underneath, that blocks some of the sensation to tell them their bladder isn't empty yet.

So, her recommendation was a few things:
1) Talk to him about pulling his underwear/shorts all the way down.
2) Show him how to take a deep breath and let it out, to relax him.
3) Try having him sit down on the toilet, as sometimes that helps them to sloooow down long enough to finish.
4) Try having him sing something like the ABC son while he is urinating, and tell him he isn't finished until the end of the song.

After trying her suggestions, the problem totally resolved itself within a week. Good Luck!


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## Embee

Quote:


Originally Posted by *daisymommy* 
She said she sees this alot with little boys, and it usually begins when they are having fun, in a new environment, etc. They are in such a rush to "finish-up" in the bathroom, that they stop the flow of urine before their bladder is totally empty. Then they keep getting the urge to go just a little bit more each time because they were never really finished in the first place. That then trains their body to stop the flow of urine prematurely in the future--even without them thinking about. It becomes the body's automatic response. She said also, if they don't pull their underwear all the way down, and it is putting pressure on their "parts" from underneath, that blocks some of the sensation to tell them their bladder isn't empty yet.

Indeed, I think this plays a small role with DS, and the "not pulling the underwear all the way down" is something to think about as well as I believe DS does not do this consistently. Thanks for this information.









I'm finding this thread incredibly reassuring. As normal as the doc knew it to be, we're the only family I know (until now that is) that's experienced it. It's just nice to connect with some others who have been through/are going through this.

Thanks for posting Kalamazoomom.









The best,
Em


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## teachma

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Embee* 

I'm finding this thread incredibly reassuring. As normal as the doc knew it to be, we're the only family I know (until now that is) that's experienced it. It's just nice to connect with some others who have been through/are going through this.

I relate to that although we are years past the issue. When he was going through it, I didn't know anyone else who had experienced the same thing...it would have been really nice for me to connect, and be reassured, back then. Really though, speaking from the "other side" of this, as much as I know it probably drives you crazy, it will stop eventually.


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## One_Girl

Sometimes frequent peeing is the only symptom that comes with a UTI for young children.


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## *jeanine*

Add my ds to the list of boys who've had it. We tested him for a uti - which was negative, and the doctor said nothing else







: DH read on the internet that it can be stress-related, and that seems to be true for our ds. the first time it happened was when we were selling our house/packing/getting ready to move. he was 4 1/2. the second time was when we were moving from one rental to another - it was only like four months later. i wish i could remember how long each episode lasted, but i can't. he's seven now and it hasn't happened again.

nak


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## 4evermom

Funny that it is such a boy thing and mamas of girls immediately (and reasonably) think UTI.


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## newfiemomma

WOW!!! I am soooo glad to have found this thread! Pollakiuria is EXACTLY what my 4 yr old has been going through. We had him to a Pediatric Urologist and the best he could say was that my son was constipated and needed a circumcision!! Needless to say, I did not make another appointment with him, what a crock of s**t. Thanks so much for giving us a name this condition. My DS is a very sensitive kid, and I can totally understand about the stress factor.


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## Embee

Quote:


Originally Posted by *teachma* 
IReally though, speaking from the "other side" of this, as much as I know it probably drives you crazy, it will stop eventually.

I have every confidence. Yet, I appreciate your reassurance just the same.









We're currently enjoying a normal peeing period. We're about 3 weeks out. DS and I walked 3 miles today without one stop! What a nice change of pace. I admit, I'm hoping that last bout was "_the_ last."









Em


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## Embee

Ok, I'm incredibly grateful for this thread because.... DS is gearing up for another "episode."







It was nice to know I could come here and vent.

What's more, I know the exact trigger of this one. DS has been enjoying a "pee NOT often period" for some weeks now. Last Sunday, he had a friend over and they were having such a good time that he didn't go as often as he should have an "nearly" had an accident. It was enough to get the ball rolling. This is definitely a stress thing for him, but more "I need to take care of myself" before I can move on, start a project, continue a project, go on a walk, read a book, watch a program, etc. This is VERY much ME. I'm the kind of person who needs the house tidied and all things put away at the end of the night if I'm fully able to enjoy my "me time." I sometimes release this way of thinking and it's oh so liberating but for the most part, I must have things in place to "relax" and this is in other parts of my life as well. I'm an obsessive planner, want all things taken care of before *enter event here.* Man, you should have seen me before DS was born. I was a maniac!







In the case of peeing however, DS takes it to a whole new level.









I don't know if anyone will chime in again on the thread, but it was nice to know it was here to talk things through with myself as we step into another few weeks (or months?) of "I pee freely." And as luck would have it, we're going on vacation next week--a week in a house with two other families. Well, at least this time I can offer the condition name!









The best to all, hope you're all fairing well!

Em


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## 4evermom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *newfiemomma* 
We had him to a Pediatric Urologist and the best he could say was that my son was constipated and needed a circumcision!!

Egads! RUN AWAY!









Embee, good luck with the vacation.


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## KalamazooMom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Embee* 

I don't know if anyone will chime in again on the thread, but it was nice to know it was here to talk things through with myself as we step into another few weeks (or months?) of "I pee freely." And as luck would have it, we're going on vacation next week--a week in a house with two other families. Well, at least this time I can offer the condition name!









The best to all, hope you're all fairing well!

Em

Well we seem to be on the improvement on this issue. We were at the children's museum for about 3 hours yesterday and DS only had to go pee twice-- actually *I* had to pee more than he did since my coffee consumption has been going up.







:


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## Embee

Glad to hear things are going better!


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## daisymama12

My ds had this too, when he was 5 and a half. I took him to the doctor, and she tested his urine. It was fine. She said that the urge to pee is real, it will pass, and let him pee as often as he wants too.

It did pass.


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## Embee

Quote:


Originally Posted by *4evermom* 
Egads! RUN AWAY!









Embee, good luck with the vacation.









LOL. Thanks.









So far, it's hasn't reached obsessive proportions, just a little more frequency than normal. In any case, we're heading out on vacation with confidence. DH and I are resolve not to make a big deal of it as usual. And, if we need to vent only when DH and I are alone, "OMG, if he runs for the bathroom one more time during this movie, I'm gonna lose it!"







Seriously, an 80 minute movie can take 2 1/4 hours around here!









The best,
Em


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## sungod

Been through this before....!!! Someone may have already responded to your question but if it's not a medical condition, then it's most likely what the call Extraordinary Daytime Urinary Frequency. At one point, my son was going every 5 minutes for hours. Sometimes every minute! Luckily, his preschool teacher said it was not happening in school. Apparently, it's common in 5-6 year olds and is often brought on by a traumatic experience(however, very rarely is the traumatic experience ever found). In your case, it may have been the vacation. Maybe he seemed happy to be there but inside he was freaking out about the new experience or the airplane? Maybe he thought he was never going home? Our first time around with this lasted about 3-4 weeks with a peak in the middle. The second and third times were only for a few days at a time.

ETA: after reading through this thread I see many have suggested Pollakiuria. It's the same thing that I mentioned, just a funnier yet easier name


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## Enid

I am glad to know that this might be normal in a boy. With my son the only difference is that he is a bit older he is 9yo. I noticed the frequency after a trip to Florida. In the airport alone he used the boys room about 4 time in a period of 1/2 hour. While in the plane he got up about another 5 times and this was a 3 hour trip. The information I have read has comfort me a bit but I will take him to see his Doctor just to make sure.


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## The Harpy

Has he been tested for diabetes? Is he drinking excessive amounts?

My DSS was diagnose diabetic at 2.5 yr and that was a major sign.


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