Sheryl I just searched some medical research sites and yes urinary retention is common with A L S, and Mrs. Pie is spot on with her advice to see a doctor ASAP.
Urinary disorders in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis subjects.
Lopes de Carvalho ML, Motta R, Battaglia MA, Brichetto G.
Source
Italian MS Society , AISM Rehabilitation Centre, Genova , Italy.
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (A LS ) related disorders are considered to be uncommon. We hypothesize that urinary dysfunction may occur in A L S patients in the context of spasticity of pelvic floor musculature. We recorded data on 54 subjects with A L S. All subjects were evaluated with A L S F R S and M-Ashworth Scale for lower limbs. Bladder scan procedure was performed to asses post void residual (PVR) in all subjects. Forty-one percent of subjects were symptomatic for urinary disorders and 35% of subjects had a PVR > 50 ml. Linear correlation was found between PVR and ALSFRS with a R(2) 0.95 and p = 0.025; a linear correlation was also noted between PVR and lower limbs Ashworth Scale. We conclude that urinary retention is common in A L S. Urological evaluation is indicated in ALS patients with prominent spasticity.