uk Health & medical scares

What to do if…
you cannot pass urine and feel increasing discomfort

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: 9 May 2026 Last reviewed: 17 July 2026 Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

If you cannot pass urine at all and your discomfort is increasing, go to A&E now. Call 999 if you think it may be life-threatening, you feel too unwell to travel safely, or you cannot get to A&E safely. If you are unsure, contact NHS 111, but do not delay A&E if you cannot pee and your tummy is swollen or painful.

Do not do these things

Do not keep forcing or straining to pee.
Do not rapidly drink lots of water to try to flush it through.
Do not take someone else’s medicine, including leftover antibiotics or painkillers.
Do not insert anything into your urethra or try to catheterise yourself unless you have been specifically trained and told to do this for this situation.
Do not pull on a catheter if you already have one.
Do not drive yourself to A&E.
Do not ignore this or try to sleep it off.

What to do now

Go to A&E now if no urine is coming out and discomfort is building. This needs urgent assessment and may need the bladder to be drained safely.
Do not drive yourself. Ask someone to take you, or call 999 if there is no safe way to get to A&E.
Call 999 instead if travel is not safe, for example if you are collapsing, fainting, severely confused, in extreme pain, or too unwell to get to A&E without help.
Do not delay leaving. If it does not delay you, you may make one gentle attempt to pass urine without straining, then stop.
If you already have a urinary catheter and it has stopped draining, treat this as urgent. Do not pull on it. Go to A&E, or call your catheter care number if you have one and they can respond immediately.
Tell the urgent care team the key details clearly: when you last passed urine, whether none has come out or only drops, whether your lower belly feels swollen or painful, and whether there is blood in the urine.
Bring or photograph your medicines if you can do this without delay. Include recent changes, pain medicines, cold remedies, allergy medicines, bladder medicines, and prostate medicines.
Mention any high-risk context straight away: recent surgery or anaesthetic, recent catheter removal, pregnancy or recent birth, fever or shivering, back or flank pain, recent injury, or known prostate or bladder problems.
If you have new leg weakness, new numbness around the genitals, buttocks, or inner thighs, or symptoms after a back injury, call 999 or go to A&E immediately. Say that you cannot pass urine and have new back, leg, or saddle-area symptoms.

What can wait

You do not need to work out the cause right now.
You do not need to decide today about tests, referrals, long-term treatment, or whether this is prostate-related, infection-related, medicine-related, nerve-related, or stone-related.
You do not need to try home methods first.
You do not need to feel certain that it is “bad enough” before seeking urgent help.

Important reassurance

This can feel frightening and painful, but you are not overreacting. A sudden inability to pass urine with increasing discomfort is a recognised urgent problem, and getting prompt help is the right next step.

Scope note

These are first steps only, aimed at getting you safely assessed and relieving the immediate problem. Later decisions and prevention may need help from a clinician or specialist service.

Important note

This guide is general information only, not medical or professional advice. If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or you feel unsafe, use emergency services.

Additional Resources

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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