Nottingham woman lives with unexplained urinary retention for five years

Kirstie Scothern, a 29-year-old mother from Nottingham, England, has been unable to urinate naturally for five years. The medical crisis began in April 2021 following a migraine, when Scothern realized she could no longer pass urine despite drinking fluids.

Upon being rushed to Queen’s Medical Centre, medics drained 2.5 liters of urine from her bladder. While an MRI ruled out the migraine as the cause, doctors have been unable to provide a definitive explanation for her condition. Scothern currently manages her condition through self-catheterization, using small tubes to empty her bladder every four hours.

Scothern believes she may be suffering from Fowler’s syndrome, a rare condition involving urinary retention in young women caused by muscle malfunction. While some patients use bladder pacemakers to manage the syndrome, Scothern notes that doctors have been reluctant to provide a diagnosis, suggesting the condition is not well known.