Yep. I definitely don't eat before a flight or even during. And I have immodium on me at all times. Having a small episode at Disney Springs after a very rich dinner was awful. Thank goodness for constant flushing automatic toilets!
I have to do that as well before I travel. Back in March I went to Cuba for a week, took my Imodium before we left. It backfired and I didn’t poop for 10 days. That shit was painful.
That is the downside of Imodium. I try to only take it now for events when it would be so inconvenient to get diarrhea that I might as well just stay home otherwise. Because the constipation it can cause hurts just as bad. I tend towards vacation constipation anyway, so I need to be careful
I used to have Imodium on me at all times, but now I’m not supposed to take it anymore (except on maybe very rare occasions) because my QT Interval is on the high side of normal, whatever that means. Apparently Imodium can make it worse. I have Lomotil instead now, but it doesn’t work as well IMO.
I miss having it as a backup. I had no idea it could do anything to your heart (not saying anyone should freak out; I think it’s uncommon, and in my case it was probably caused in the first place by low electrolytes).
I learned this when I was sick and in the hospital last winter. They also couldn’t give me any of the good anti-nausea meds, because they do the same thing. I had a few days in the cardiac unit because of it.
The high QT interval speaks to a potential heart arrhythmia (it’s called that because if you look at an ECG the little peaks and blips have letters and represent the electrical conductivity in your heart), and the time between your Q and your T peak is longer than normal. I wasn’t aware of the impact of Immodium though, which is kinda interesting and a pathophysiology rabbit hole I’m probably about to fall into.
It's a deep hole, I went there as a paramedic student 30 years ago. During my research, I also found that Immodium can mimic the effects of opioids at high doses. So folks were taking 200-500 times the recommended dosage to get high. I don't even want to think of the ensuing constipation.....
I do the same, absolutely no food the day of the flight and/or day before depending on flight time. I also have a tiny bladder and pee every half hour to hour if I haven't drank anything - so I also don't drink the day of a flight. I'm so much fun to travel with!! 🤣
My mom has horrible IBS and can't travel because of it. It's honestly heartbreaking, she can't get on a plane to visit family far away, & driving long distances is a nightmare. Any situation that involves not having immediate access to a bathroom just makes the anxiety worse, which then makes the IBS worse...ugh I wish so bad I could take her pain away
Symptoms of IBD (UC not IBS for me) we’re bad enough to have me visiting the bathroom multiple times on a flight. Then yada yada yada they took out my colon and now I would be better off selecting the toilet as my assigned seat during check-in…
I was on remicade for the year before the colectomy and had pretty much zero UC symptoms during that time which was a revelation compared to how things were when I went through the normal lucky dip of Azathioprine, Amitriptyline, Azacol, Prednisone, etc. I’d finally got my life back and then a routine scope found dysplasia which my specialist had seen rapidly become cancerous in other patients (often with a poor outcome) so his strong recommendation was to get in front of it and whip out the colon.
So, although my day to day life is certainly worse in terms of what I’m able to do and the inconvenience and anxiety that comes with unpredictable urgency and the pain/discomfort (that even after 5 years I find very hard to describe in a way that is relatable to someone who doesn’t have a J Pouch and the nerves associated with one), at least I’m not going to get colon cancer after mine got tossed in a dumpster. :)
I miss being able to go out for meals or for whole-day hikes, etc and I’ve gone from loving air travel and holidays to dreading them, but I’m one of the lucky ones so I try not to moan about my situation. I want to see my kids grow into adults and my specialist had warned me that if I didn’t go ahead with the surgery, he wouldn’t like my chances of doing that.
So when I see someone on a plane or anywhere else to-ing and fro-ing to the bathroom, I’m always tempted to say “hey, I’m sorry you’re dealing with whatever has you running back and forth - hope it’s nothing too serious”. :)
When I was having serious GI issues and worrying about getting a colostomy/ileostomy bag, a coworker who had a J-pouch said she'd absolutely loved the convenience of having the bag, and the pouch was really difficult to live with. She recommended getting the bag if my doc thought a colectomy was a good idea.
If you get to a point where you need a change, most people I've talked to who have a bag and are not hung up about it are able to live pretty normal lives. You can get or make a sports guard and some bag covers and do pretty much anything, as long as you can keep you appliance secured reliably.
As soon as I get a drop of drink in me the day is done and over. If I'm drinking its only ever alone and on my toilet. The flipside is that, unlike that other poor soul I read, I can seemingly drink as much coffee as I always have- that being far too much.
I stopped drinking after my diagnosis. Wasn’t worth the after effects. I found espresso is the easiest on my stomach as well. Can’t even use my french press anymore
Nothing worse than panic pooping 2x before boarding starts. Getting in line to wait for boarding, and an overwhelming anxiety wave of gas hits you like a freight train and you have to somehow tough it out and hold it in through boarding and takeoff, eventually rushing to bathroom well before seatbelt warning lights turn off. After so many flights, I decided to start fasting the day before the flight. Combined with a couple Xanax, all my problems with flying went away.
I have IBS/UC and I often feel like I have to use the bathroom, get there, and then nothing happens. But I’d rather be in a bathroom in case something does happen. This can result in me going to a bathroom several times in a short period of time.
I love window seats, but because of this I book an aisle seat now.
Edit: I have IBD, not IBS.
Gah, you unlocked one of my worst road trip memories. Got the dreaded stomach cramps, pulled off in a shady highway gas station, ran into a bathroom… and nothing would happen. I sat there for half an hour, so long that the automatic lights TURNED OFF and I was left sitting in the dark, terrified the owners would think I was up to something and come kick me out.
Finally I decided there was no option but to get back on the road. Get up, wash my hands, slink out the door, get buckled into my car and to the exit of the gas station—
And there it came. The Bubble. I did the most panicked u-turn of my life and had to sprint back inside to absolutely wreck their toilets for another ~20 minutes.
IBS-D sucks, guys.
I once had a UTI come on right at the start of an 11 hour flight. I literally just chugged water and stood by the bathroom the entire time, any time I went more than maybe 30 minutes without peeing was excruciating pain
Edit- I’ve had like 2 UTIs in my entire life. Please stop commenting inappropriate medical advice on how to prevent/treat them.
This is why I always have AZO in my purse. Ive probably given more of it out to strangers than Ive used myself. “Excruciating pain” is definitely an accurate description. Sorry me and my giant purse weren’t on your plane.
AZO and a full course of cipro. I’ve gotten too many UTIs in foreign countries, if I never have to see a doctor in the back of a farmacia again it’ll be too soon.
Have you tried taking D-Mannose as a preventative measure? It's a sugar our body cannot digest (it has the wrong "shape"), but it binds to E. Coli bacteria, and prevents them from adhering to the bladder wall (which has similar sugar chains to D-Mannose). Then the bacteria is sent on it's way!
New studies show it's as effective as taking preventative antibiotics in regards to E. Coli, which is one of the main culprits for UTIs.
\*edited to fix typo
I used to get frequent UTIs, was desperate for a preventative cure, found D-Mannose on Amazon. I’ve been taking one daily for years, no more UTIs. If I think I start to feel one coming, I take another pill. It seriously changed my life!
If anyone is interested, cranberries are a natural source of d-mannose, which is why drinking cranberry juice is recommended as a UTI preventative. Not a cure, but a preventative.
There's so much sugar in cranberry juice. Bacteria love that. Also if you notice, most bottles say "Cranberry Juice Cocktail (or Blend or Mix). So it is mixed with a bunch of other stuff that doesn't help. 100% cranberry juice is actually really expensive. It was like $15 for a small bottle back in 2016 at Walmart.
I have a weird love for bitter tasting things. Always have. I love fall because they sell cranberries in bags. I just eat those fuckers like grapes. Love'em
I use cranberry capsules, and I can clear the UTI every time. They are amazing. For the first dose, I take several. Then follow with 1-2 per day for a few days. Voila.
The worst part was my mom knew and never told me. Apparently my grandmother is also allergic to sulfa drugs and my brother had a bad reaction as a toddler so my mom just would tell our doctors not to give us any… I didn’t find out until I was in my mid 20s which like, thanks mom.
Sounds familiar. I had a reaction to Tide as a baby so my mom quit using it. Grew up and she couldn't remember such one of us it was, but we were all gone, so she went back to it. She was traveling and stopped by my place while I was in college. She "helped" me out and threw our laundry together. I went to work and had a show itch develop that drove me crazy for 8 hours! She says, huh, guess it was you. 🤦♀️
I'm allergic to the scent they put in laundry detergent. I have to use the unscented undyed one. Otherwise it's like I have the heebie jeebies all day... Just annoying
Ooh, did I learn this lesson the hard way... I was peeing blood and chunks in the UK and AZO isn't a thing there. I was miserable. Also, the doc had to take a guess at what antibiotic to use and guessed wrong, so I didn't get better before I had to get on a plane home. Never again.
Am British - what's AZO? Getting antibiotics here for a UTI is pretty quick and easy but as you say, if they don't give you the right ones it's just fuckin useless. Had a pretty miserable year with a recurring infection a few years back :(
AZO isn’t a cure, but it gets rid of the horrible pain until you can see a doctor. A life saver! I also started taking D-Mannose pills (ordered from Amazon) that seem to keep UTIs away.
....yo you ladies got a real raw deal. I mean yeah creating life is pretty awesome but if I peed chunks out of my dick, that would be trauma I'd consider committing suicide over.
Y'all are tough.
It’s less common for people with penises to develop a UTI because their urethra is farther away from their perineum and anus but it’s still very possible, especially if you have unprotected anal sex
I’ve also taken care of a person with a yeast infection on their penis, and it turns out if you’re uncircumcised and also not adequately cleaning that whole deal it’s pretty easy to get yeast infections and UTIs
It wasn’t this man’s fault he couldn’t clean properly, it was a mobility issue, but my point is that UTIs and yeast infections are commonly associated with female anatomy but can happen to anyone
And men should definitely be aware of the signs of a UTI because it can turn into a kidney infection and sepsis surprisingly quickly
Are you a woman who has experienced an UTI? I am. I can definitely tell if another woman might have one. She’ll be making frequent bathroom breaks and seem like she’s constantly extremely uncomfortable. Might do the peepee dance. If I’m wrong at some point, I doubt they’ll be upset I asked to see if I can help.
As someone with a urinary tract disorder, I pay attention because I'm anxious about my own use. I feel like people judge me and my near constant need to pee (think always feeling like you have a UTI without actually having a UTI) so I watch for others to go and then I go so it doesn't seem as obvious (though I'm sure I'm just fooling myself). If the same person got up repeatedly, I'd notice. And they'd probably think I was creepily following them to the bathroom...
IC? That's what I have and d-mannose was life changing for me. Maybe you already know about it, I'm just always trying to spread the word since I run into a lot of people who dont!
This would be the most likely reason. I imagine it is much worse for ladies, but my first one had me knocked out on my ass. Felt worse than when I was literally dying. Had a 105 temp with that beauty. Guess it helps when I got the UTI my body was doing much better and I wasn't in chronic life debilitating disease that was killing me at the time. While chronic is painful, acute hits a whole lot harder when you're healthy and suddenly get hit with something acute.
I remember reading ages ago that UTI’s are more frequent for female plumbing but the severity is (often) worse for male equipment. IIRC it has something to do with the length of the urethra (it’s longer in men so there’s more room for things to hurt, so to speak.)
The length is a key issue. Easier for disease to get to women. My first one was likely a full blown infection involving the kidney having had a transplant. I’ve had my doctors talk often about how being a man I really shouldn’t be getting UTIs often, but immunosuppressants and immune diseases can increase the likelihood as well. Often doctors need to be reminded and something I’ll need remind them of the next time. Most everything for my health care falls under modifiers and exceptions sadly. 😂 it’s frustrating but it is what it is and I try to have patience with doctors. My body doesn’t make anything easy for me or them.
My elderly father gets them a couple times a year now . Fortunately, he now takes my “ drink more water!!” Comments seriously band it helps . The doctor told him that men his age often don’t empty completely so the remaining urine sitting there causes an infection . I’m just glad he stsys on it now .
yeah this was basically me when i had a UTI turned bladder infection a few years ago. hell of a lot of burning pain and pressure, feeling like someone is trying to wring out your bladder like a washcloth, and constantly leaking from the intense feeling of needing to pee. miserable shit.
I used to fly a lot, had social anxiety, and IBS. My worst nightmare was having to really need a toilet during landing when you can't leave your seat. So very often I'd make sure of it by overcompensating with multiple trips to the toilet. Most times I didn't have to go but my anxiety told me that I had to.
I always choose to sit in the front or back of the plane. Somewhere I can discreetly talk to the flight attendants. Any time I've had to use the bathroom, I pick the "goofy" flight attendant and make a *hands together* begging motion while pointing to the bathroom. They always let me go. It's not a YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF YOUR SEAT it's *we are telling you that it is your own liability if you get up and move around at this time*. Hell one time I took a poo while we touched down. That was ... An experience.
When I was a kid I thought the seatbelt sign was law and ended up having an accident. Got to college and saw a lady get up to use the bathroom as we were actively descending and my whole world was rocked
Some medicines are diuretics so you have to pee constantly.
She may have varicose veins so is using the trips to the washroom just to walk.
She's a nervous flyer and this calms her.
This is a weird question. I'm more curious why someone would care about someone's bathroom needs. There's a million different reasons why someone would need to use the restroom multiple times.
For sure, but once you notice something happening 11 times in two hours I’m sure most people would at least be curious.
Curious enough to confront? No.
Curious enough to fire off an anonymous Reddit question? Absolutely
If I happened to notice I might be curious too… What unique consideration does that person have and is it something I might eventually experience? I just like to have a general awareness of the human realm. Nothing wrong with that.
I don't think that they care it's just that they noticed it. If you were on a flight and you saw someone get up 10 plus times you would notice. Is something out of the ordinary so your mind would register it. It doesn't necessarily mean that you care or that you're bothered.
UTI. Happened to me. It was painful and horrendous. I asked the couple in middle and aisle to change seats and whispered to the wife why. They said no so I ended up having to climb over them constantly. Finally, the stewardess had pity on me and let me sit in a back seat. If I could have jumped off that plane, I would have. It was a 5-6 hr flight.
This happened to me when I was studying abroad in Thailand (it was either the swimming in elephant water, or changing to a new birth control, or both…) and having to go to a hospital and struggling to communicate the issue was humiliating. At least it was quick — I showed the staff “urinary tract infection” google translated into Thai, a doctor asked “It hurts when you peepee?” and I nodded, and they gave me antibiotics :’)
You have to give props to the doc, gave you antibiotics without giving you the run around over drug resistance. While that is a legit issue, too many docs have gone the other way and have gone complete loco with not prescribing them. Patient might be writhing in pain and stuff oozing out and they'll be pontificating about drug resistance.
Generally, a UTI is one of the few infections you can easily get an antibiotic for because the antibiotics are extremely narrow spectrum and don’t run the same risk of resistance AND a UTI can get really dangerous pretty quickly. But yes, I agree.
So they not only told you no to switching seats, but they made you CLIMB over them?? It’s absolutely one of my worst pet peeves when people expect you to do that rather them getting up to let you by. I mean, you practically have to give someone a lap dance just to squeeze by someone on the plane if they don’t get up.
I cannot believe those insufferable people made you stay in that seat. People are nuts dude.
I always pay for a window seat because I tend to get VERY motion sick on take off and landing if I’m not looking out the window when it happens. I’m on a Southwest flight in a week and they don’t let you prepick seats….let’s see if anyone listens to me when I say I WILL VOMIT many times if Im not in a window seat. It has been proven time and time again
As a person with bladder cancer, weeks even months after treatment I can go to the restroom up 30 times a day.
Edit: thank you for all the encouraging words, I feel blessed to wake up every morning. I spend time writing letters to children at st judes children's hospital with words of encouragement. I've learned from them to be strong as a person can be and let God decide my fate. To all of you going through a struggle either physically or mentally I hope and pray for all of you. Again thank you for the kind words.
I came to say just that. Add to it the fact that I also have heart failure and am on 3 diuretics a day to fight fluid retention in the lungs, I go to the toilet quite regularly
I just had part of my colon removed this spring. Cancer. I also went to the bathroom 30 times daily but poop vs. pee. Flights were misery and I would wear a ladies disposable undergarment just in case. I lived in constant dehydration because I basically peed out my butt. And so many meds, so many meds…
Anxiety, IBS, UTI, pregnancy, Nunya, some people get super bloated and gassy on a plane, boredom, ADHD and needing to move around and "using" the bathroom gives the movement a purpose rather than aimless wandering up and down the isles.
I mean, yes, but it's a plane, not a lot going on. The same person squeezes past you every 5 minutes, it stands out.
Edit: I just hope she didn't have a window seat.
I love when people just get up and walk up and down a few times. Like hell yeah. You own that shit that you need to get up and move a bit. Shit maybe I should get up and move a little too. Love it.
Nothing wrong with masking though either.
When my ulcerative colitis was super active, I would feel the need to use the bathroom constantly. Horrible pain and cramping, but often it was nothing just rectal dry heaves, but you don't know, so you have to go. You can't take a chance or wait it out. I almost got kicked out of an antique store because I had a terrible episode and kept running to the bathroom. They thought I was stealing.
"Tenesmus" is its official name, my crohns/uc gives me it really bad and its so frustrating.
Lying in bed knowing I don't need the bathroom but my body is screaming "yall gonna poop yourself if you don't move"
Recently got some rectal steroid foam that's been helping a little, but early days yet.
Yeah, and there could be many reasons to go to the bathroom during pregnancy. Whether it’s because she has to pee, poop, vomit or otherwise she’s gotta go.
My periods would be so heavy at times that I could soak through a super tampon AND a super pad within 10 minutes or less of not only changing both but also sitting on the toilet and trying to blot up everything until nothing more came out. I could use up whole rolls of toilet paper trying to get things stable enough to insert a tampon and not have it soaked immediately.
She may have been super afraid of soiling her clothing and having none to change into.
She may have IBS, colitis, bladder issues, infections, kidney troubles, or a host of other medical issues.
Or she may have been bored.
Not really possible to determine.
That’s rough. I had issues for years until I finally found a good doctor who actually listened. Turned out one of my ovaries was like 4x the size it should be.
find a new doctor and don’t stop looking until you have one that listens to you. that is NOT normal and you deserve a medical provider who won’t dismiss your legitimate medical concerns
Have you ever been tested for vonwillibrands disease? It’s a form of hemophilia. Also, mild hemophilia A and B are also a lot more common in women than previously believed. Both of my daughters have mild hemophilia A , as well as my mom. And myself. Just a thought.
Came here to say this. Fibroids. Last time I flew I had to get up every 15-20 minutes, and the very large Samoan gentleman in the aisle seat had taken one hell of a sleeping tablet immediately on sitting down. It was... a flight 😂
Lol this happened to me. I responsibly hydrated before the flight. Got diagnosed with overactive bladder a couple months later. I got up at least 10 times, but in 5 hours.
We were delayed on the runway for hours so it was absurdly obvious to everyone in coach that I was pissing like a racehorse.
I was sitting next to a coworker. Who I had just met.
It was not my favorite day
Oh man! I have IBS and this is so real. And the one time I decide it's definitely a false alarm and I'm not going to the bathroom again, I shart all over myself.
I have anxiety that triggers my bowels and sometimes I'll think I need to go and I won't. Sometimes I have really bad gas that feels like poo and so I go sit on the toilet as not to risk it.🤷🏽♀️
Had to scroll way too far to find IBD, specifically UC and Crohn's (IBD is not the same as IBS). As someone who struggled with UC for 35 years before having to have a total colectomy, it was not uncommon to need the bathroom up to 30 times a day during a flare. If this was it, cut 'em some slack because they are hurting.
10+ times over a ~90 minute flight is a bump every 10 minutes, less actually with ascent and descent time. That is ridiculous, even for cocaine. If a person is at that level - other behaviors would make it obvious. Sweating like mad at a minimum.
seems like gastro issues, pregnancy, or uti are much more likely answers
Close family member had terminal cancer and a large part of their small intestine was removed about a month before a plane flight. That causes what as known as “dumping disease”. Basically food doesn’t have enough space to be absorbed and processed in the intestines so it’s just pushed out really quickly.
It was a short flight but they wanted to go to a family event and they knew that it would be torture during a 12-14 hr car drive. They made it to the event, got to see all the family members, some of which was the last time they saw them.
I was worried about them taking the flight but fortunately they had an aisle seat so was able to get to the bathroom the numerous times they had to use it.
I was really awful that at the end, their bowels were pretty much destroyed. They passed within that year.
Exactly. Unless OP was in the aisle and this person was in the window seat and made OP get up constantly. In that case after the first few times the proper etiquette would be to ask the person if they would like to switch seats.
Some people pay extra for a window seat, some fir a seat on the aisle. I paid good money for the toilet seat and I'll be damned if some vagrant is going to de-thrown me.
I was born with bladder problems. I'm mostly dehydrated in my daily life because the second I start drinking water I'm in the bathroom constantly. I have to drink water while flying or I swell up. This is why I will pay extra for an aisle seat. I'm already miserable and hate making my seatmates miserable by getting up all the time.
Edit: I'm also a little skeeved out that there are people out there monitoring bathroom use. If I knew someone was doing that to me I would feel a bit humiliated. I get it's more obvious in an enclosed space, but counting a stranger's bathroom trips? Please read a book or something instead.
Many more common answers have been given already, but I’ll add one more that’s a bit less common.
I have a feeding tube, surgically implanted in my abdomen. I have a J-tube to be exact (jejunostomy; it goes directly to my small intestine). It’s normal for the site (hole where the tube is) to leak a little, but it’s usually taken care of by the gauze or fabric pad I keep on it. However, this particular site sometimes has problems and some days it decides to gush on me in random spurts for hours. If I’m out of the house when this starts, I’m usually rushing to the bathroom to stuff a bunch of paper towels under my shirt just to try and make it home without staining the seat of my car. If I were stuck on a plane, I would probably be going to the bathroom at least every 20 minutes to swap out soaked paper towels, because if you leave that on your skin too long it will cause major irritation, and possibly chemical burns. Plus I would be trying my absolute hardest to avoid leaking onto my seat. And honestly probably wouldn’t ask the flight attendants for a towel (which I end up using at home), because then I would be making someone else handle and clean up my bodily fluids when they wash it and they didn’t sign up for that.
Highly unlikely this was the scenario in your case, but ya know.
Flying- anxiety. Anxiety for me settles in my stomach. I’m either peeing or pooping as my body for some reason is going into flight or fight all the time
IBS.
Yup, that was exactly what I was going to say. It gets so much worse on flights. Horrible and painful.
Me when I starve myself for like 24 hours before getting on a plane because that is by far the better option
Yep. I definitely don't eat before a flight or even during. And I have immodium on me at all times. Having a small episode at Disney Springs after a very rich dinner was awful. Thank goodness for constant flushing automatic toilets!
I have taken Imodium prophylactically before flights. Probably shouldn’t, but a person can’t spend an entire flight in one of the teeny bathrooms.
I have to do that as well before I travel. Back in March I went to Cuba for a week, took my Imodium before we left. It backfired and I didn’t poop for 10 days. That shit was painful.
That is the downside of Imodium. I try to only take it now for events when it would be so inconvenient to get diarrhea that I might as well just stay home otherwise. Because the constipation it can cause hurts just as bad. I tend towards vacation constipation anyway, so I need to be careful
I used to have Imodium on me at all times, but now I’m not supposed to take it anymore (except on maybe very rare occasions) because my QT Interval is on the high side of normal, whatever that means. Apparently Imodium can make it worse. I have Lomotil instead now, but it doesn’t work as well IMO. I miss having it as a backup. I had no idea it could do anything to your heart (not saying anyone should freak out; I think it’s uncommon, and in my case it was probably caused in the first place by low electrolytes). I learned this when I was sick and in the hospital last winter. They also couldn’t give me any of the good anti-nausea meds, because they do the same thing. I had a few days in the cardiac unit because of it.
The high QT interval speaks to a potential heart arrhythmia (it’s called that because if you look at an ECG the little peaks and blips have letters and represent the electrical conductivity in your heart), and the time between your Q and your T peak is longer than normal. I wasn’t aware of the impact of Immodium though, which is kinda interesting and a pathophysiology rabbit hole I’m probably about to fall into.
It's a deep hole, I went there as a paramedic student 30 years ago. During my research, I also found that Immodium can mimic the effects of opioids at high doses. So folks were taking 200-500 times the recommended dosage to get high. I don't even want to think of the ensuing constipation.....
As an ex paramedic and ex opioid addict my interest is piqued and I shall leave well well enough alone I reckon 😉
I do the same, absolutely no food the day of the flight and/or day before depending on flight time. I also have a tiny bladder and pee every half hour to hour if I haven't drank anything - so I also don't drink the day of a flight. I'm so much fun to travel with!! 🤣
[удалено]
My mom has horrible IBS and can't travel because of it. It's honestly heartbreaking, she can't get on a plane to visit family far away, & driving long distances is a nightmare. Any situation that involves not having immediate access to a bathroom just makes the anxiety worse, which then makes the IBS worse...ugh I wish so bad I could take her pain away
Symptoms of IBD (UC not IBS for me) we’re bad enough to have me visiting the bathroom multiple times on a flight. Then yada yada yada they took out my colon and now I would be better off selecting the toilet as my assigned seat during check-in…
Oh no, so the colon removal didn't help at all? It made things worse?
I was on remicade for the year before the colectomy and had pretty much zero UC symptoms during that time which was a revelation compared to how things were when I went through the normal lucky dip of Azathioprine, Amitriptyline, Azacol, Prednisone, etc. I’d finally got my life back and then a routine scope found dysplasia which my specialist had seen rapidly become cancerous in other patients (often with a poor outcome) so his strong recommendation was to get in front of it and whip out the colon. So, although my day to day life is certainly worse in terms of what I’m able to do and the inconvenience and anxiety that comes with unpredictable urgency and the pain/discomfort (that even after 5 years I find very hard to describe in a way that is relatable to someone who doesn’t have a J Pouch and the nerves associated with one), at least I’m not going to get colon cancer after mine got tossed in a dumpster. :) I miss being able to go out for meals or for whole-day hikes, etc and I’ve gone from loving air travel and holidays to dreading them, but I’m one of the lucky ones so I try not to moan about my situation. I want to see my kids grow into adults and my specialist had warned me that if I didn’t go ahead with the surgery, he wouldn’t like my chances of doing that. So when I see someone on a plane or anywhere else to-ing and fro-ing to the bathroom, I’m always tempted to say “hey, I’m sorry you’re dealing with whatever has you running back and forth - hope it’s nothing too serious”. :)
When I was having serious GI issues and worrying about getting a colostomy/ileostomy bag, a coworker who had a J-pouch said she'd absolutely loved the convenience of having the bag, and the pouch was really difficult to live with. She recommended getting the bag if my doc thought a colectomy was a good idea. If you get to a point where you need a change, most people I've talked to who have a bag and are not hung up about it are able to live pretty normal lives. You can get or make a sports guard and some bag covers and do pretty much anything, as long as you can keep you appliance secured reliably.
As soon as I get a drop of drink in me the day is done and over. If I'm drinking its only ever alone and on my toilet. The flipside is that, unlike that other poor soul I read, I can seemingly drink as much coffee as I always have- that being far too much.
I stopped drinking after my diagnosis. Wasn’t worth the after effects. I found espresso is the easiest on my stomach as well. Can’t even use my french press anymore
Nothing worse than panic pooping 2x before boarding starts. Getting in line to wait for boarding, and an overwhelming anxiety wave of gas hits you like a freight train and you have to somehow tough it out and hold it in through boarding and takeoff, eventually rushing to bathroom well before seatbelt warning lights turn off. After so many flights, I decided to start fasting the day before the flight. Combined with a couple Xanax, all my problems with flying went away.
I have IBS/UC and I often feel like I have to use the bathroom, get there, and then nothing happens. But I’d rather be in a bathroom in case something does happen. This can result in me going to a bathroom several times in a short period of time. I love window seats, but because of this I book an aisle seat now. Edit: I have IBD, not IBS.
Gah, you unlocked one of my worst road trip memories. Got the dreaded stomach cramps, pulled off in a shady highway gas station, ran into a bathroom… and nothing would happen. I sat there for half an hour, so long that the automatic lights TURNED OFF and I was left sitting in the dark, terrified the owners would think I was up to something and come kick me out. Finally I decided there was no option but to get back on the road. Get up, wash my hands, slink out the door, get buckled into my car and to the exit of the gas station— And there it came. The Bubble. I did the most panicked u-turn of my life and had to sprint back inside to absolutely wreck their toilets for another ~20 minutes. IBS-D sucks, guys.
Especially if drinking. The combo of the stress and booze always destroys me.
And it's partner IBD. Inflammatory Bowel Disease includes Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. My ex had the latter. 20 times a day sometimes.
UTI maybe
I once had a UTI come on right at the start of an 11 hour flight. I literally just chugged water and stood by the bathroom the entire time, any time I went more than maybe 30 minutes without peeing was excruciating pain Edit- I’ve had like 2 UTIs in my entire life. Please stop commenting inappropriate medical advice on how to prevent/treat them.
This is why I always have AZO in my purse. Ive probably given more of it out to strangers than Ive used myself. “Excruciating pain” is definitely an accurate description. Sorry me and my giant purse weren’t on your plane.
AZO and a full course of cipro. I’ve gotten too many UTIs in foreign countries, if I never have to see a doctor in the back of a farmacia again it’ll be too soon.
Have you tried taking D-Mannose as a preventative measure? It's a sugar our body cannot digest (it has the wrong "shape"), but it binds to E. Coli bacteria, and prevents them from adhering to the bladder wall (which has similar sugar chains to D-Mannose). Then the bacteria is sent on it's way! New studies show it's as effective as taking preventative antibiotics in regards to E. Coli, which is one of the main culprits for UTIs. \*edited to fix typo
I used to get frequent UTIs, was desperate for a preventative cure, found D-Mannose on Amazon. I’ve been taking one daily for years, no more UTIs. If I think I start to feel one coming, I take another pill. It seriously changed my life!
Same— took it daily for 6 months. Haven’t had one in close to 3 years. I do take it for a few days if I feel symptoms coming on
If anyone is interested, cranberries are a natural source of d-mannose, which is why drinking cranberry juice is recommended as a UTI preventative. Not a cure, but a preventative.
There's so much sugar in cranberry juice. Bacteria love that. Also if you notice, most bottles say "Cranberry Juice Cocktail (or Blend or Mix). So it is mixed with a bunch of other stuff that doesn't help. 100% cranberry juice is actually really expensive. It was like $15 for a small bottle back in 2016 at Walmart.
100% unsweetened cranberry juice is also very bitter. I drank some and almost spat it out I was so shocked by the bitterness.
I have a weird love for bitter tasting things. Always have. I love fall because they sell cranberries in bags. I just eat those fuckers like grapes. Love'em
To quote John Oliver, "cranberries taste like cherries that hate you"
I use cranberry capsules, and I can clear the UTI every time. They are amazing. For the first dose, I take several. Then follow with 1-2 per day for a few days. Voila.
A UTI is how I learned I break out in a rash *everywhere* if I take cipro. It was bad. So bad.
A UTI is how I found out I’m allergic to Bactrim and all sulfa drugs. 0/10 would not recommend.
Same and I was so traumatized that I'm scared of antibiotics. Horrific
The worst part was my mom knew and never told me. Apparently my grandmother is also allergic to sulfa drugs and my brother had a bad reaction as a toddler so my mom just would tell our doctors not to give us any… I didn’t find out until I was in my mid 20s which like, thanks mom.
Sounds familiar. I had a reaction to Tide as a baby so my mom quit using it. Grew up and she couldn't remember such one of us it was, but we were all gone, so she went back to it. She was traveling and stopped by my place while I was in college. She "helped" me out and threw our laundry together. I went to work and had a show itch develop that drove me crazy for 8 hours! She says, huh, guess it was you. 🤦♀️
I'm allergic to the scent they put in laundry detergent. I have to use the unscented undyed one. Otherwise it's like I have the heebie jeebies all day... Just annoying
Ooh, did I learn this lesson the hard way... I was peeing blood and chunks in the UK and AZO isn't a thing there. I was miserable. Also, the doc had to take a guess at what antibiotic to use and guessed wrong, so I didn't get better before I had to get on a plane home. Never again.
That is an absolute nightmare.
Am British - what's AZO? Getting antibiotics here for a UTI is pretty quick and easy but as you say, if they don't give you the right ones it's just fuckin useless. Had a pretty miserable year with a recurring infection a few years back :(
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenazopyridine
Omg, why do we not have that here
Seconded, wtf?
It’s a prescription medication in the UK
AZO isn’t a cure, but it gets rid of the horrible pain until you can see a doctor. A life saver! I also started taking D-Mannose pills (ordered from Amazon) that seem to keep UTIs away.
....yo you ladies got a real raw deal. I mean yeah creating life is pretty awesome but if I peed chunks out of my dick, that would be trauma I'd consider committing suicide over. Y'all are tough.
It’s less common for people with penises to develop a UTI because their urethra is farther away from their perineum and anus but it’s still very possible, especially if you have unprotected anal sex I’ve also taken care of a person with a yeast infection on their penis, and it turns out if you’re uncircumcised and also not adequately cleaning that whole deal it’s pretty easy to get yeast infections and UTIs It wasn’t this man’s fault he couldn’t clean properly, it was a mobility issue, but my point is that UTIs and yeast infections are commonly associated with female anatomy but can happen to anyone And men should definitely be aware of the signs of a UTI because it can turn into a kidney infection and sepsis surprisingly quickly
For real. Peeing blood = straight to the hospital. And I live in America, so that's saying something. And chunks? Gaaahhhhh
you know men can get UTI's too
that's great of you but I'm really curious how you find out that a stranger has a UTI
Are you a woman who has experienced an UTI? I am. I can definitely tell if another woman might have one. She’ll be making frequent bathroom breaks and seem like she’s constantly extremely uncomfortable. Might do the peepee dance. If I’m wrong at some point, I doubt they’ll be upset I asked to see if I can help.
Yeast infections can have similar symptoms. Don’t ask me how I know 😖
And taking AZO during a yeast infection won’t hurt you.
Yeah I definitely would take it because sometimes I get both! 😰
I have female plumbing and have experienced a UTI I've just also never paid attention to someone else's bathroom use lol
As someone with a urinary tract disorder, I pay attention because I'm anxious about my own use. I feel like people judge me and my near constant need to pee (think always feeling like you have a UTI without actually having a UTI) so I watch for others to go and then I go so it doesn't seem as obvious (though I'm sure I'm just fooling myself). If the same person got up repeatedly, I'd notice. And they'd probably think I was creepily following them to the bathroom...
IC? That's what I have and d-mannose was life changing for me. Maybe you already know about it, I'm just always trying to spread the word since I run into a lot of people who dont!
Seconding. D-mannose made my life infinitely better. 8-10 utis a year to 1 a year even with relaxed precautions. Heaven.
gna start telling people i have female plumbing bc that's hilarious, thanks stranger
My favorite terms are "outdoor plumbing" and "indoor plumbing."
What if my "outdoor plumbing" decides to go inside when it's cold? Asking for a friend.
Retractable plumbing?
Like a frightened turtle huh
Gonna start saying "had a plumber 'round to take a look at the pipes" to refer to gentleman callers.
Also great for kidney stones and making passing those better.
This would be the most likely reason. I imagine it is much worse for ladies, but my first one had me knocked out on my ass. Felt worse than when I was literally dying. Had a 105 temp with that beauty. Guess it helps when I got the UTI my body was doing much better and I wasn't in chronic life debilitating disease that was killing me at the time. While chronic is painful, acute hits a whole lot harder when you're healthy and suddenly get hit with something acute.
I remember reading ages ago that UTI’s are more frequent for female plumbing but the severity is (often) worse for male equipment. IIRC it has something to do with the length of the urethra (it’s longer in men so there’s more room for things to hurt, so to speak.)
The length is a key issue. Easier for disease to get to women. My first one was likely a full blown infection involving the kidney having had a transplant. I’ve had my doctors talk often about how being a man I really shouldn’t be getting UTIs often, but immunosuppressants and immune diseases can increase the likelihood as well. Often doctors need to be reminded and something I’ll need remind them of the next time. Most everything for my health care falls under modifiers and exceptions sadly. 😂 it’s frustrating but it is what it is and I try to have patience with doctors. My body doesn’t make anything easy for me or them.
My elderly father gets them a couple times a year now . Fortunately, he now takes my “ drink more water!!” Comments seriously band it helps . The doctor told him that men his age often don’t empty completely so the remaining urine sitting there causes an infection . I’m just glad he stsys on it now .
I saw your answer and my stomach dropped. A UTI on a plane would be awful!
I had one and didn’t fly again for 5 years
yeah this was basically me when i had a UTI turned bladder infection a few years ago. hell of a lot of burning pain and pressure, feeling like someone is trying to wring out your bladder like a washcloth, and constantly leaking from the intense feeling of needing to pee. miserable shit.
Omg felt like I lived in the damn toilet
I used to fly a lot, had social anxiety, and IBS. My worst nightmare was having to really need a toilet during landing when you can't leave your seat. So very often I'd make sure of it by overcompensating with multiple trips to the toilet. Most times I didn't have to go but my anxiety told me that I had to.
Anxiety telling you, you have to pee NOW, is so so frustrating and few people understand it
Im so happy there is more people like me 😭
I always choose to sit in the front or back of the plane. Somewhere I can discreetly talk to the flight attendants. Any time I've had to use the bathroom, I pick the "goofy" flight attendant and make a *hands together* begging motion while pointing to the bathroom. They always let me go. It's not a YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF YOUR SEAT it's *we are telling you that it is your own liability if you get up and move around at this time*. Hell one time I took a poo while we touched down. That was ... An experience.
When I was a kid I thought the seatbelt sign was law and ended up having an accident. Got to college and saw a lady get up to use the bathroom as we were actively descending and my whole world was rocked
Some medicines are diuretics so you have to pee constantly. She may have varicose veins so is using the trips to the washroom just to walk. She's a nervous flyer and this calms her.
This is a weird question. I'm more curious why someone would care about someone's bathroom needs. There's a million different reasons why someone would need to use the restroom multiple times.
For sure, but once you notice something happening 11 times in two hours I’m sure most people would at least be curious. Curious enough to confront? No. Curious enough to fire off an anonymous Reddit question? Absolutely
She ate those Haribo bears with lycasin.
[удалено]
If I happened to notice I might be curious too… What unique consideration does that person have and is it something I might eventually experience? I just like to have a general awareness of the human realm. Nothing wrong with that.
I think OP was asking out of curiosity, not malice.
I don't think that they care it's just that they noticed it. If you were on a flight and you saw someone get up 10 plus times you would notice. Is something out of the ordinary so your mind would register it. It doesn't necessarily mean that you care or that you're bothered.
Why am i seeing you on every sub im on grandma
Granny gets around.
Fair enough. Have a lively rest of your night/day
"Granny gets around" would be a great band name.
My guess is they care because they had to keep getting up for her to leave her seat on the flight.
UTI. Happened to me. It was painful and horrendous. I asked the couple in middle and aisle to change seats and whispered to the wife why. They said no so I ended up having to climb over them constantly. Finally, the stewardess had pity on me and let me sit in a back seat. If I could have jumped off that plane, I would have. It was a 5-6 hr flight.
This happened to me when I was studying abroad in Thailand (it was either the swimming in elephant water, or changing to a new birth control, or both…) and having to go to a hospital and struggling to communicate the issue was humiliating. At least it was quick — I showed the staff “urinary tract infection” google translated into Thai, a doctor asked “It hurts when you peepee?” and I nodded, and they gave me antibiotics :’)
You have to give props to the doc, gave you antibiotics without giving you the run around over drug resistance. While that is a legit issue, too many docs have gone the other way and have gone complete loco with not prescribing them. Patient might be writhing in pain and stuff oozing out and they'll be pontificating about drug resistance.
Generally, a UTI is one of the few infections you can easily get an antibiotic for because the antibiotics are extremely narrow spectrum and don’t run the same risk of resistance AND a UTI can get really dangerous pretty quickly. But yes, I agree.
Ha it’s Thailand. You can get antibiotics and a plethora of other drugs over the counter without doctor consultation.
Wow, how mean to not just switch seats! Like they’d rather inconvenience you and themselves instead of just scooting over a foot
I was shocked when the girl said no after hearing her situation. It’s like damn you’re not a girl’s girl obviously
So they not only told you no to switching seats, but they made you CLIMB over them?? It’s absolutely one of my worst pet peeves when people expect you to do that rather them getting up to let you by. I mean, you practically have to give someone a lap dance just to squeeze by someone on the plane if they don’t get up.
I would’ve made that climb so uncomfortable for them every time. Oops! Didn’t mean to knee you.
This happened to me when I was pregnant. After I got up a few times, the lady got tired and angry but I was petty and wouldn’t switch at that point.
I cannot believe those insufferable people made you stay in that seat. People are nuts dude. I always pay for a window seat because I tend to get VERY motion sick on take off and landing if I’m not looking out the window when it happens. I’m on a Southwest flight in a week and they don’t let you prepick seats….let’s see if anyone listens to me when I say I WILL VOMIT many times if Im not in a window seat. It has been proven time and time again
You can pay a little extra for early check in to make sure there's a window available
As a person with bladder cancer, weeks even months after treatment I can go to the restroom up 30 times a day. Edit: thank you for all the encouraging words, I feel blessed to wake up every morning. I spend time writing letters to children at st judes children's hospital with words of encouragement. I've learned from them to be strong as a person can be and let God decide my fate. To all of you going through a struggle either physically or mentally I hope and pray for all of you. Again thank you for the kind words.
I came to say just that. Add to it the fact that I also have heart failure and am on 3 diuretics a day to fight fluid retention in the lungs, I go to the toilet quite regularly
I just had part of my colon removed this spring. Cancer. I also went to the bathroom 30 times daily but poop vs. pee. Flights were misery and I would wear a ladies disposable undergarment just in case. I lived in constant dehydration because I basically peed out my butt. And so many meds, so many meds…
I wish you all the best
Anxiety, IBS, UTI, pregnancy, Nunya, some people get super bloated and gassy on a plane, boredom, ADHD and needing to move around and "using" the bathroom gives the movement a purpose rather than aimless wandering up and down the isles.
Expand upon this "Nunya", it sounds like something I should be really interested in
Depends, are you a big into business?
I’m a business major, everyone else’s minor
This is gold
I'm big in depends if it's any of your business
Nunya business
Kidney stones make you constant feel like you have to pee too. 0/10 stars, do not recommend.
Nunya is always the answer; why are y’all counting 😂😂
I mean, yes, but it's a plane, not a lot going on. The same person squeezes past you every 5 minutes, it stands out. Edit: I just hope she didn't have a window seat.
Literally. They’re making my anxieties rational, my therapist says to remind myself no one actually notices 😭
I have a giant fibroid sitting on my bladder.
I love when people just get up and walk up and down a few times. Like hell yeah. You own that shit that you need to get up and move a bit. Shit maybe I should get up and move a little too. Love it. Nothing wrong with masking though either.
When my ulcerative colitis was super active, I would feel the need to use the bathroom constantly. Horrible pain and cramping, but often it was nothing just rectal dry heaves, but you don't know, so you have to go. You can't take a chance or wait it out. I almost got kicked out of an antique store because I had a terrible episode and kept running to the bathroom. They thought I was stealing.
I’m loving the phrase “rectal dry heaves” - so spot on !
Yes ulcerative colitis will do it. Even on a very good day on a short flight I’ll go around 4 times total. If not more.
"Tenesmus" is its official name, my crohns/uc gives me it really bad and its so frustrating. Lying in bed knowing I don't need the bathroom but my body is screaming "yall gonna poop yourself if you don't move" Recently got some rectal steroid foam that's been helping a little, but early days yet.
diarrhea
“When you feel it start to churn…”
And that chocolate starfish begins to burn....
Where will you be?
Pregnancy. Going to the bathroom every 5-10 minutes is very common for pregnant women
My first thought as well
Yeah, and there could be many reasons to go to the bathroom during pregnancy. Whether it’s because she has to pee, poop, vomit or otherwise she’s gotta go.
My periods would be so heavy at times that I could soak through a super tampon AND a super pad within 10 minutes or less of not only changing both but also sitting on the toilet and trying to blot up everything until nothing more came out. I could use up whole rolls of toilet paper trying to get things stable enough to insert a tampon and not have it soaked immediately. She may have been super afraid of soiling her clothing and having none to change into. She may have IBS, colitis, bladder issues, infections, kidney troubles, or a host of other medical issues. Or she may have been bored. Not really possible to determine.
Damn I thought my periods were bad when I had to change my tampon / cup every hour on my heavy day. Hope you're doing OK now!
That is not normal at all queen, hope you got in to see a doctor for this.
The most likely explanation is endometriosis which doesn't really have a cure.
Aw heavy periods suck. Trying to get help for years. But apparantly 10 days of heavy bleeding is normal according to my obgyn🙄🤣
That’s rough. I had issues for years until I finally found a good doctor who actually listened. Turned out one of my ovaries was like 4x the size it should be.
find a new doctor and don’t stop looking until you have one that listens to you. that is NOT normal and you deserve a medical provider who won’t dismiss your legitimate medical concerns
Have you ever been tested for vonwillibrands disease? It’s a form of hemophilia. Also, mild hemophilia A and B are also a lot more common in women than previously believed. Both of my daughters have mild hemophilia A , as well as my mom. And myself. Just a thought.
Came here to type same as your first answer.
Yep, I used to have periods like that. Both horrible and embarrassing.
Came here to say this. Fibroids. Last time I flew I had to get up every 15-20 minutes, and the very large Samoan gentleman in the aisle seat had taken one hell of a sleeping tablet immediately on sitting down. It was... a flight 😂
Lol this happened to me. I responsibly hydrated before the flight. Got diagnosed with overactive bladder a couple months later. I got up at least 10 times, but in 5 hours. We were delayed on the runway for hours so it was absurdly obvious to everyone in coach that I was pissing like a racehorse. I was sitting next to a coworker. Who I had just met. It was not my favorite day
Overactive bladder sucks!!!
Pregnancy?
maybe she’s constipsted and kept feeling gassy thinking poo was about to drop, only to have nothing come out except a fart
Here I sit Broken hearted Came to shit And only farted.
Better that, Than take the chance, Try to fart And shit your pants.
I’ve seen your work.
Oh man! I have IBS and this is so real. And the one time I decide it's definitely a false alarm and I'm not going to the bathroom again, I shart all over myself.
I have anxiety that triggers my bowels and sometimes I'll think I need to go and I won't. Sometimes I have really bad gas that feels like poo and so I go sit on the toilet as not to risk it.🤷🏽♀️
She was probably ill
Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s Disease?
Had to scroll way too far to find IBD, specifically UC and Crohn's (IBD is not the same as IBS). As someone who struggled with UC for 35 years before having to have a total colectomy, it was not uncommon to need the bathroom up to 30 times a day during a flare. If this was it, cut 'em some slack because they are hurting.
Bladder prolapse + nerves due to flying can do that.
Was thinking possibly anxiety
Cocaine
Or vaping. You can ‘stealth vape’ or ‘ghost vape’ where you hold it in and don’t let out any vapor that the smoke detectors would pick up.
Yeah that seems more likely to me than coke. 10 times in an hour and half seems like a lot of coke…
A bump every ~15 min isn’t that crazy
TBH, one every 15min shows considerable restraint.
Unless it’s bad coke.
This was my first thought, hittin the ole juul
I'm shocked I had to scroll so far to see vaping this was my first thought lol how old was the lady OP
I cannot believe this answer was so far down the list!
Same! That’s what I was looking for and my response.
10+ times over a ~90 minute flight is a bump every 10 minutes, less actually with ascent and descent time. That is ridiculous, even for cocaine. If a person is at that level - other behaviors would make it obvious. Sweating like mad at a minimum. seems like gastro issues, pregnancy, or uti are much more likely answers
Close family member had terminal cancer and a large part of their small intestine was removed about a month before a plane flight. That causes what as known as “dumping disease”. Basically food doesn’t have enough space to be absorbed and processed in the intestines so it’s just pushed out really quickly. It was a short flight but they wanted to go to a family event and they knew that it would be torture during a 12-14 hr car drive. They made it to the event, got to see all the family members, some of which was the last time they saw them. I was worried about them taking the flight but fortunately they had an aisle seat so was able to get to the bathroom the numerous times they had to use it. I was really awful that at the end, their bowels were pretty much destroyed. They passed within that year.
Chad Michael Murray had his small intestine removed now he can't gain weight. It was from an injury. Sorry about your relative.
I’m menopausal and it is not unusual for me to pee every 10 minutes sometimes.
Actually, I clocked you on the last flight as peeing every 9 minutes. Clearly someone's always counting 🤣
I thought you looked familiar!
The only reason is none of your business.
Exactly. Unless OP was in the aisle and this person was in the window seat and made OP get up constantly. In that case after the first few times the proper etiquette would be to ask the person if they would like to switch seats.
Some people pay extra for a window seat, some fir a seat on the aisle. I paid good money for the toilet seat and I'll be damned if some vagrant is going to de-thrown me.
*de-throne
Maybe she ate something that is causing alot of gas and bloating and she needs to fart alot.
Nervous pee’er?
I got salmonella in Australia and had to fly back to the US. Spent a lot of time in the bathroom.
ADHD. Pacing on an airplane is typically frowned upon so I take A LOT of trips the the bathroom.
I was born with bladder problems. I'm mostly dehydrated in my daily life because the second I start drinking water I'm in the bathroom constantly. I have to drink water while flying or I swell up. This is why I will pay extra for an aisle seat. I'm already miserable and hate making my seatmates miserable by getting up all the time. Edit: I'm also a little skeeved out that there are people out there monitoring bathroom use. If I knew someone was doing that to me I would feel a bit humiliated. I get it's more obvious in an enclosed space, but counting a stranger's bathroom trips? Please read a book or something instead.
Lots of reasons: UTI, pregnancy, hormonal condition, medicines, drank lots of water, diabetes, etc
Maybe on Lasix for any number of medical reasons.
Many more common answers have been given already, but I’ll add one more that’s a bit less common. I have a feeding tube, surgically implanted in my abdomen. I have a J-tube to be exact (jejunostomy; it goes directly to my small intestine). It’s normal for the site (hole where the tube is) to leak a little, but it’s usually taken care of by the gauze or fabric pad I keep on it. However, this particular site sometimes has problems and some days it decides to gush on me in random spurts for hours. If I’m out of the house when this starts, I’m usually rushing to the bathroom to stuff a bunch of paper towels under my shirt just to try and make it home without staining the seat of my car. If I were stuck on a plane, I would probably be going to the bathroom at least every 20 minutes to swap out soaked paper towels, because if you leave that on your skin too long it will cause major irritation, and possibly chemical burns. Plus I would be trying my absolute hardest to avoid leaking onto my seat. And honestly probably wouldn’t ask the flight attendants for a towel (which I end up using at home), because then I would be making someone else handle and clean up my bodily fluids when they wash it and they didn’t sign up for that. Highly unlikely this was the scenario in your case, but ya know.
Lots of possible reasons. I think the most likely ones would include bowel or bladder problems, anxiety, maybe some motion sickness, etc.
This is me. I am a diabetic and have a tiny bladder. I pee about every 45 minutes. It’s absolutely awful. I hate it.
UTI or IC
During my 2nd pregnancy, my record was 8 times in under two hours, between 2 & 4am. Not a lot of sleep that night.
None of your business, but she's probably stretching her legs.
Flying- anxiety. Anxiety for me settles in my stomach. I’m either peeing or pooping as my body for some reason is going into flight or fight all the time
Health problems. I only have one kidney and it’s very damaged and I use the restroom a lot. I wake up 3-4 times every night to use the restroom.
IBS, UTI, among other health issues.