I’m beginning to notice a new side effect from the Botox. It’s not a huge deal, but it is mildly annoying; I’m beginning to need to pee more often, and the need is more urgent. I’m probably going twice as often as I did before the Botox, even though I’m not drinking any more than I used to.
I suppose this makes sense; now that the PC muscles are frozen, the ones that clench to hold the bladder in place, and keep it from relaxing/leaking, aren’t able to perform that function as well. And like I said above, it’s really just a minor inconvenience; I haven’t had any actual incontinence yet.
It does make me a little sad though; I used to pride myself on my Iron Bladder. When I was in high school, I could hold it through the entire day, 7am to 3pm, without needing to go. And when I worked in retail up to a few months ago, my shifts were often up to 6 hours long and I never needed to use the restroom there. (Unless I drank a Frappucino on my shift. Nothing holds those in.)
But yes, now I’m probably going every 3-4 hours, maybe. So definitely a change from before. But as long as it stays this way, that’s still under the realm of “normal.” In fact, maybe it’s more normal than before; I bet the reason I could get through a shift without using the restroom was BECAUSE all those PC muscles were always tense.
I wonder… Are there other vaginismus sufferers out there who’ve noticed something similar? Who are able to avoid the restroom for 7-8 hours at a time? Everything is connected, and I wonder if these two things (vaginismus and bladder control) are connected as well.
If you’ve got any thoughts on this, comment below and let me know!
The Defective Woman 
YES! I definitely have extreme bladder control! I would do the same thing at school as you did… I’ve also had really stressful jobs over the past few years where I would forget to go to the bathroom and sometimes not go again till after 6pm…
And the incontinence thing was one of my main deterrents in getting the botox treatment.. However, if you’re not actually leaking and it’s just making you go more than twice a day, it’s probably just bringing your frequency to an average/normal level…!?
How are you going with your dilators 2 weeks on? Is it getting noticeably easier?
Congratulations on your gradual progress, its really great to hear!
Thanks for the input, TY! (Can I call you TY? It just seems convenient with your sign-off name. 😉 And I’m glad to see it’s not just me who had “extreme bladder control” pre-Botox!
As for the incontinence thing, I was really freaked out about that potential side effect too. But I haven’t had any incontinence at all, and the Botox should be pretty much at full strength by now. If you were to see a female pelvic medicine specialist for the treatment, the specialist should have enough knowledge and dexterity to inject the right muscles. (My sister-in-law, who is a medical resident, warned me against having an internal medicine doctor do it, but was very supportive of the treatment in general.) Are you currently seeing a gyno or specialist and considering the treatment?
As for the dilators, I’ll update on that in the next day or two, but for a quick teaser: it’s (mostly) going really well! 😀
–DW
Of course you can call me TY 🙂 Such a strange coincidence, I’d be lying if I hadn’t considered this as a potential reason for the old superhuman strength down there.. I really do wonder if they are related? It’d be interesting to know if anyone else out there experienced the same thing.
So relieved to hear you haven’t experienced incontinence! DW:1, Post-botox vaginismus: 0.
I’ve recently moved country’s and had been to specialists back home who didn’t seem to have a great understanding of the issue. I’ve since moved to a bigger city and am researching specialists here, specifically those who have performed the Botox procedure you have had and have an appointment with a specialist this Friday… I’ll let you know how I go.
PS. Feel free to email me directly, it’d be great to swap more stories!
I get the feeling that vaginismus and bladder control *must* be related; after all, it’s the same group of muscles (the PC, or pubococcygeous muscles) that hold one’s bladder in place and spasm with vaginismus. I still haven’t had incontinence, but the need to pee is much more urgent now, even though I’m not peeing any more than I used to. But I guess that’s just what being a “normal” woman is like, so I’d better get used to it!
That’s so great that you are seeing a specialist! Mine has been very knowledgeable and helpful so far. I am surprised how few gynecologists understand vaginismus and related disorders, given that they are so common… But if you’re seeing someone who has done Botox procedures before, that’s a great first step! Let me know how the appointment goes!
I’ve always wondered why I’ve had to pee less during the day than my classmates and coworkers – I can go the whole workday without a trip to the ladies room. I was just diagnosed with vaginismus in the past year. Interesting… (Thanks for this blog, it’s inspiring to find out I’m not the only one with these problems because it certainly feels that way most of the time)