This classic thread, My Bladder Knows Im Home, seems apropos.
As far as why both bladder control and restraining bowel movements become more urgent and painful as you near the bathroom, I’m no doctor but here’s the explanation I’ve heard (no cite, sorry). People supposedly actually have two sets of reflexes & muscles for controlling waste disposal, one of which is consciously controlled and the other unconsciously controlled. The unconscious set is what prevents you from messing your pants while you are asleep or aren’t paying attention. However, when you are near a place where you can eliminate waste, the unconscious reflex set can decide to let go early on its own, leaving you with only the conscious reflex & muscle set to control matters.
It feels harder because it really is harder; you have fewer muscles to do the job. And it hurts because the consciously controlled muscles are under strain, since they are doing the work of both sets of muscles.
This makes sense, and it was harder to hold it the other night at Sears.
And that was a classic post by Attrayant / Patty. Thanks for the laughs.
Sounds like urine trouble either way.
For what it’s worth, I’ve sometimes had a “I sort of have to pee” feeling quickly turn into a “I really have to pee!” feeling just by standing up. But never so bad that I couldn’t wait two minutes to get to the bathroom.
It’s perfectly normal,but gets more pronounced as you get older or if you have been holding steady in a car or sitting down in a chair needing to pee then as you approach the bathroom the need to pee goes from level 7 to level 10 in a flash and if you do not get to the toilet in a few seconds you will piss your pants. I’ve only noticed this impulse literally seconds from the bathroom, not a few minutes per the OP.
It’s a completely different thing than incontinence. I have no problem holding my water for as long as necessary under non-bathroom access circumstances.
It’s most pronounced coming home in a car in cold weather and coming into the warm environment of a house or a place where you know you have leave to get to a bathroom immediately. The aspect of anticipating the bathroom in few seconds is key to this effect (for me).