Some time back, I made some visits, with my band, to a guy’s house in order to back him up while he recorded a couple songs he’d written. Every single time I was in this guy’s house, I had to urinate almost twice as often as usual.
Mind you, I drink Mountain Dew from the time I get out of bed in the morning to the time I go back to bed at night. I know the meaning of frequent urination. Normally, I can “hold it” for a good long time. But, in that house, there was the urge to "go right now! My experience with this guy’s house and my bladder was just plain bizarre. I’ve never been able to explain it.
The only difference between this house and any other house I frequented was that it was brand new construction. It had that “new house smell”. I suppose the smell was mostly the scent of new carpet and new paint.
Could I have been inhaling something that triggered my urination urge? Some substance present in construction materials that normally dissipates over time? I should also mention that I seemed to be the only person affected, and that suggests a strange allergy. An allergy that triggers the need to urinate?
Increased nervousness or anxiety can cause increased urinary output.
You say you were there to do a recording session, did it make you stressful or anxious in any way? In the few times I have been involved in recording, I found it mildly stressful (performance anxiety, every mistake costing money, etc).
When my university built a new library, I liked to go in and wander around. Without fail, I would have to go to the bathroom within minutes, no matter the circumstance. It was kind of weird, and I’ve always wondered what that was about.
Nah, no nervousness. The songs were very simple, straightforward rock. We were recording in the guy’s home studio, so there were no “time is money” issues.
Additionally, I don’t drink alcohol, and three was no dope-smoking going on, so those things weren’t factors, either.
It may also be worth noting the fact that, like most new home construction in my area, this house was built on the site of an apple orchard. There are a lot of small orchardists around here selling their orchards to developers who tear out the trees and build houses. Maybe something in the soil - agricultural chemicals - causing a reaction?
Like dangermom, I always have to pee when browsing books. Conversely, I always have to pee when I sit in my desk chair. Sitting on the couch or in my other desk chair doesn’t make me have to go at all.
Are you standing or sitting in the studio? If you sit, is it always the same kind of chair?
Has it only happened when you’ve gone to the house to record? If so the cause COULD be the acoustics of the studio resulting in un ultrasonic frequencies which are known to mess with the body.
For what it’s worth, somebody who was the head of maintenance for a hotel told me back in the late 80’s that there is a chemical in water-based paint which is a renal irritant, and that is why you’re always thirsty when working with water-based paint. But what 90% posted seems to contradict this, so I’m back to ‘I dunno.’
Were you and he contending over a girl perhaps? Or for dominance in a band? Any mano-a-mano type issues? You may have been feeling an urge to mark his territory.
Perhaps it’s something subliminal in the music you’re playing?
Band: “…car wash, yeah…working at the car wash…”
Phase42: “Woah guys, just a sec, be right back” returns
Phase42: “ok, let’s hit it again”
Band: “…proud Mary keep on burning…rollin down the river…”
Phase42 : “Damn, just play through, I’ll be right back again…”
Could it be psychosomatic? Sitting down at my computer makes me have to urinate (or at leasts suddenly causes me to be much much more aware of my already full bladder.) I believe that this may be from the habit of always peeing before starting a bout of computer gaming or something.
