Cystitis

LegacyUser

I'm just wondering if any other girls have similar cystitis problems to me?
I've suffered from cystitis numerous times and have been to the doctor loads. I've been given antibiotics a few times, which generally work, but the last couple of times i was at the doctor he tested my urine and said it was clear. He just seemed to pass it off as a normal thing that happens to girls, and wasn't very helpful. This confused me because I was in agony, but I read that it could be just the acidity levels and not an actual infection. I found that drinking plenty of water and taking bicarbonate of soda really help, as well as other self help ideas. The problem is that now it's not just a case of the usual painful urination, I actually can't seem to hold it anymore. It's disturbing my whole life, the need to urinate is more and more urgent every time. I was just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience? Does this normally happen with cystitis?

Nevyn

I would suggest drinking a large glass of cranberry juice a day,
and have a look at doing kengel excerises and plevic floor excerises to help with your bladdder control.

DawnMc

I used to suffer a great deal from cystitis - cystopuren is very good... get it from the pharmacy as is cranberry juice.
Thing that worked for me best was when I stopped having sex, the cystitis went away!

LegacyUser

If its thats bad then I would suggest getting a second opinion. If your instinct tells you something is wrong, and you are in pain and your doctor says its normal .. then you should be seeing big flashing red lights and alarm bells. On Monday morning, ring another GP and get a second opinion. It is important that you do.

Nevyn

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/cystitis.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cystitis/DS00285/DSECTION=8

Prevention

You can take steps to reduce the risk of bladder infections. Women, in particular, may benefit from the following:

* Drink plenty of liquids, especially water. Cranberry juice may have infection-fighting properties. However, don't drink cranberry juice if you're taking the blood-thinning medication warfarin (Coumadin). Possible interactions between cranberry juice and warfarin can lead to bleeding.
* Urinate frequently. Avoid retaining your urine for a long time when you feel the urge to void.
* Wipe from front to back after a bowel movement. Doing so prevents bacteria in the anal region from spreading to the vagina and urethra.
* Take showers rather than tub baths. If you're susceptible to infections, doing so can help prevent infections.
* Gently wash the skin around the vagina and anus. Do this daily, but don't use harsh soaps or wash too vigorously. The delicate skin around these areas can become irritated.
* Empty your bladder as soon as possible after intercourse. Drink a full glass of water to help flush bacteria.
* Avoid using deodorant sprays or feminine products such as douches in the genital area. These products can irritate the urethra.

LegacyUser

Yes, all those are great, but none of us are medics and we certainly cannot say that the people who wrote those web pages are either.

Seriously, get thee to a different doctor on Monday. There has to be a reason for that. It sounds very uncomfortable (I know ) and the sooner you get to the bottom of it, the easier it will get.

Best of luck

UU

Hello!

I'm actually a male but know men and women who got cystitis. My auntie suffered from cytitis just before she got pregnant a number of years back and had a very hard time with it. She's into a lot of herbal and natural remedies and used essential oils to cure it. She firstly avoided all sugar, tea, coffee, alcohol, spices and other strong foods and took plently of water. Then she added 1 drop of Lavender oil to a 100ml of water in a bottle and after each visit to the toliet, she applied to lavender water to the areas with some cotton wool. She also took a drop of Juniper oil in some warm honey water 3 times a day. Essential oils work brilliant on urinary problems and are available in any good healthfood store. Alternatively, you could enquire at the healthfood store, if they have any suitable herbal products.

Good luck

LegacyUser

She must have had a massive handbag

UU

No, she just thinks she does!

Mina Loy

Do you use condoms? You could be allergic to the lube on it or the actual latex itself.You can get ones by durex for women who are sensitive (name escapes me right now) Cranberry juice really is yer only man, and yes as someone has said Cystopuren...but it tastes like cack lol :rolleyes:

LegacyUser

I am allergic to condoms actually, but I don't use them, i have the coil and am in a relationship. Thanks all of you for the advice. I do actually use many of those preventative techniques, and i've had to cope with cystitis for a long while so i'm used to caring for the area in general. I haven't tried the lavender, i might give that a go. The main problem is that it's different now, it's not like the cystitis i'm used to. I'm worried that i'm becoming almost incontinent, and find it almost impossible to hold in, even though it's usually only a few drops. I was wondering if anyone else experiences this, because i wonder if it's a normal symptom of cystitis to have little or no bladder control, or maybe i have another problem. I definitely do plan on going to the doctor on monday, i'd just feel better if i knew if anyone else had cystitis this extreme. Thanks again everyone.

The_B_Man

its like them ads for OAB. you should check that out.

johnnyrotten

It must be a pain in the ____

kerrymaid

I read endless books/ columns about health and nutrition and this is what i reckon:
Contributors to cystitus - Rough or vigorous sex, wiping back to front rather than front to back (yuck i know), tampons, holding on to go to the loo, not drinking enough water etc
Drink lots of fluids, cranberry juice or supplements and cut down sugar which seems to contribute to alot of bacterial things

kerrymaid

For the urgent needs to go to the loo - pelvic floor exercises - no getting around it I think, everybody post pregnancy has to do 'em too so don't feel too silly

sceptre

Barley water in the old days. Of course we've moved on a bit since the middle ages so these days it's more common to use potassium citrate (that'd be cystopurin). Having said that, if you do the sensible things like peeing when you need to and drinking enough water as well as the other things mentioned by kerrymaid then you're doing most things that you can do. Not being a health care anything, I wouldn't suggest anything useful but if you've pain when urinating then it sounds like a UTI as opposed to the other causes of cystitis. Urinate after sex, stops bacteria sticking to walls and making a home there. It could be interstitial, apparently generally is when the urine tests are negative. Not nice if it is, vague causes, vague cures but that's a job for your doctor I'm afraid.

Mina Loy

I know how you feel anon girl! Any time I get it I can hardly walk because of the pain in my bladder it causes. It's probably a urinary infection more than cystitis though because the last few times I've got it and it was bad the doc said it was a UI not cystitis like usually. Drinking plenty of water helps. I know its gay and noone wants to do it but its really helpful

sceptre

Mina Loy wrote:

Drinking plenty of water helps. I know its gay

It isn't just gay people and crab people/metrosexuals that drink water you know. It's suggested as a good thing for most people of the alive persuasion, even non-desert dwellers.

the Guru

I would also suggest urinate before and after sex and make sure your partner fingers etc ... are clean,

If you take antibiotics your symptoms should go away after 48 hours , I would suggest going back to your GP to make sure the infection is gone.

DawnMc

DawnMc wrote:

Thing that worked for me best was when I stopped having sex, the cystitis went away!

:eek: :eek: celibacy ...not good

BC

I get cystitis fairly regularly too so i feel your pain!
Cranberry juice definately helps.
As a preventative measure, all the things in Thaedydal's post are what doctors have always told me. I find that not peeing after sex is usually the culprit!!!!

louloubella

Cantharis 30 is an amazing remedy for cystitis. Evergreen stock it. i suffer frequently from it- my aunts aswell, i know its mind-numbingly obvious but drink 3 litres of water per day, take cranberry capsules and take cantharis if it strikes.
im a total cynic and this works.
The sachets out there are nauseating.
If its a recurring issue get your doc to prescribe an extra set of antibiotics incase it strikes suddenly ( doesnt it always? ) and u save urself a trip to the doc.

Oryx

Use unsweetened cranberry juice, as the other has added sugar which youd be best avoiding.

Now, this is going to sound daft, and I know that. But I suffered chronic cystitis for years, and also had the symptoms as you mention with no infection present. Contrary to everyone else who mentions kegel exercises (which you should do also) I also learned relaxation exercises for the pelvic area. Ten years on, I havent had cystitis, even when I do things like get dehydrated, which would have caused it before, tho its probably because my system is now completely clear of whatever infection causes it.

sunny14a

You need to go to the toilet all the time. It hurts. You don't have an infection. You are not using condoms. Could you have an over active bladder?

Speak to your GP or consultant.

tinkerbell

OP, if you're like me and can't stand the taste of cranberry juice, then go to your local pharmacy and buy a tub of Sona cranberry capsules. They are in the supplements section next to zinc, etc. Since I started taking them I haven't gotten cystitis, they work wonders. Personally I wouldn't take cranberry juice because I hate the taste of it and some of them have loads of sugars in them which won't help your problem. Plus the cranberry capsules are concentrated so you will get way more out of them than the juice.

Ickle Magoo

Ok, the OP had this issue in January 2006 so I'm going to assume it's been cured at this stage and lock the thread.