Reasons for Decrease in Urination

People suffer from decreased urination if they pass less than 500 milliliters of urine daily, according to the website MedlinePlus. Problems with the kidney, prostate or bladder often cause people to have a decreased urine output.

Major Kidney Problems

• People suffering from kidney failure, a condition that results from the kidneys no longer being able to filter waste products properly, often produce little or no urine, according to MedinePlus. And one of the symptoms of kidney cancer is decreased urination, according to Healthopedia.com.

Other Kidney Problems

• Kidney stones, deposits of uric acid or calcium that develop in the kidneys, can interfere with the natural flow of urine, especially if they get stuck in the ureters when people pass them.

Bladder Problems

• A urinary tract infection, which often affects the bladder or urethra, can cause people to have a frequent need to urinate, but they only pass a small amount of urine when they go to the bathroom. Children with vesicoureteral reflux, a disorder that causes a backflow of urine towards the kidneys, experience an increased need to urinate but a decreased urine output.

Prostate Problems

• Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate, sometimes experience a frequent need to urinate and/or a diminished stream of urine, according to the website urologychannel. Prostate cancer can cause men to produce little or no urine, have difficulty when starting to urinate and/or have a decreased or interrupted urine stream.

Medications

• Methotrexate, diuretics and anticholinergics can cause people to have a decreased urine output, become dehydrated and/or develop low blood pressure, according to Healthopedia. Diuretics are often used to treat high blood pressure, glaucoma and edema; methotrexate, to treat breast cancer and psoriasis. Anticholinergics are used to treat high blood pressure.