I always have to pee

[murphomatic]

When I get nervous my kidney's seem to work overtime and I always have to pee in the middle of at least two MCAT sections. Any ideas on how to prevent this?

Also I saw the thread on the "stadiumpal" and think having a warm bag of urine straped to my calf would be a little too distracting

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[Scubadoc]

When I get nervous my kidney's seem to work overtime and I always have to pee in the middle of at least two MCAT sections. Any ideas on how to prevent this?

you could wear depends....

just kidding...on a realistic note...i have the same problem. short of not drinking *anything* at all saturday morning, i don't know what to do.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Learn to deal with thirst, and don't drink anything before the test. That's all I can think of. Being thristy is much better then having to pee.

 

[DW]

drink a moderate amount of water, just enough to make sure you're not parched, before the test starts.

don't drink any fruit juice, especially apple juice. it will run right through you. if you absolutely have to drink something flavored, a little gatorade is your best option.

unless you're a regular coffee drinker, obviously stay away from ANYTHING caffeinated, since caffeine is one of the most common diuretics in our daily consumption. Greens, celery, carrots, lemons, cucumbers, and other veggie produce all have moderate diuretic effects. Salty and processed foods (potato chips for example) cause water retention/anti diuresis.

and just imagine yourself lost in the desert with no canteen

 

[strangelight]

Haha, and I thought I was the only one w/this problem. I'm trying to find something to eat on Friday/Saturday that lacks salt so that I don't end up needing to drink a lot of water in the morning or throughout the day. But it's impossible to find food that doesn't make me thirsty when buying food from outside...geez.

Isn't gatorade supposed to take a while to go through your body? B/c that's my plan...not too sure about it though...

 

[DW]

Isn't gatorade supposed to take a while to go through your body? B/c that's my plan...not too sure about it though...

gatorade causes mild fluid retention by utilizing a certain concentration of sodium...it wont have the same effect as it would after running 5 miles...but its probably a better option than drinking a juice box or espresso at break...

 

[tae]

I was a little pissed (sorry) when I took the MCAT in April for the first time. I had to pee so bad during the first section (PS) that I just could not stand it..I couldn't concentrate at all. I know it costs me points. After waiting on line, going through the test information, bubbling in everything, then an hour and forty minutes of testing..it was unbearable. What really got to me was that at the beginning of the VR section, they announced that we could leave to go use the bathroom if we went one at a time. If they had told me that at the beginning of the test I would have been a lot happier!

Is it just up to the individual proctors to allow or dissallow bathroom breaks? Is there a policy on this?

For me, I swore to myself I'm only going to have the smalles of glasses of water..just enough to get my B-Complex mega dose in!

 

[Scandal]

I always have this problem when I'm nervous. I would get the urge to pee right before hockey games and right before I would go onstage for a performance - the problem then was there was no chance of being able to actually go. It usually goes away for me, so it must just be the nerves and not an actual need to pee. Lucky me!

 

[An Yong]

I had to pee really bad at the middle of my verbal section and rushed through it with 8 min to spare... but I ended up doing much better than I expected. So who knows, maybe having to pee will help you get a better score

 

[Scandal]

Yeah, less chance to second-guess yourself.

 

[MDtoBe777]

Sigh. I'm not the only one. I always need to use the restroom during important exams. I hate how it takes up time!

 

[Monkey12]

So the last chance you get to pee is right before you get in there at 8am? then you gotta wait till around 10:40?

 

[murphomatic]

Learn to deal with thirst, and don't drink anything before the test. That's all I can think of. Being thristy is much better then having to pee.

yea, thats my plan, I'm not gonna drink anything the morning of. thirst doesn't break the concentratoin as much.

 

[An Yong]

So the last chance you get to pee is right before you get in there at 8am? then you gotta wait till around 10:40?

No they let you use the bathroom during the exam, it just takes up time thats all.

 

[FutureDocDO]

Eat something salty. That will do it for me.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Learn to deal with thirst, and don't drink anything before the test. That's all I can think of. Being thristy is much better then having to pee.

true, suck on lozengers or something...sometimes that takes away the need to drink

 

[Psycho Doctor]

yea, thats my plan, I'm not gonna drink anything the morning of. thirst doesn't break the concentratoin as much.

not even coffee for that caffeine boost? i'm not sure i can do without the coffee or i'll get withdrawal headaches

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Salty and processed foods (potato chips for example) cause water retention/anti diuresis.

and just imagine yourself lost in the desert with no canteen

yea but thse same foods actually make you feel thirsty...so that really isn't the solution

 

[Psycho Doctor]

i've been asking this too and people gave me a hard time for being "obsessed" ..i'm clearly not. I just wanted to know if we were "allowed" to go.

what do you mean waiting on lines? there are lines to use the bathroom? Or ONLY if you wait until break time?

 

[Psycho Doctor]

doesn't that make you thirsty though?

 

[Raggaman]

No caffeine is the key as it limits ADH. I think it is better to dehydrate slightly then have to pee so badly that it messes up your exam.

 

[An Yong]

i've been asking this too and people gave me a hard time for being "obsessed" ..i'm clearly not. I just wanted to know if we were "allowed" to go.

what do you mean waiting on lines? there are lines to use the bathroom? Or ONLY if you wait until break time?

Yes, you are allowed to go. In fact, I went in the middle of both BS and Verbal section

They just ask that you give your test and answer sheet to a proctor to hold whie your gone.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

can more than one person go at a time or do you have to wait for the person to return? i can see how people could cheat that way or from other rooms to arrange to go at the same time and compare answers

 

[ExplodingBoy]

should also stay away from drinking alcohol saturday morning, as that is also a bad diuretic.....


... not to mention you might not do so well on the mcat from other side effects of alcohol as well.