Cystitis-like symptoms

[Diva]

I have never posted before but am relieved to have found that so many people suffer HA like me.
I am 47 and single. Two months ago I had a bout of cystitis after sex. I must admit I was preoccupied during and wasn't suprised to get the cystitis (I don't have sex that often!)
I got rid of the cystitis just by drinking the sachet things but it came back after a few days so I got some antibiotics from Lloyds pharmacy online.
Again it seemed to go but I'm now left with what I'd call mild symptoms, a sort of urethral sensitivity that comes on mid-morning 'till mid-evening and I'm convinced I've got bladder cancer because I smoke!
I've been to a walk-in private GP and had urine tested, she said there were signs of blood from the immediate dip test but no infection from lab tests. She said come back in a few weeks if symptoms persist.
The symptoms are less frequent now but seem to increase when I feel stressed. I have been under alot of stress lately as my best friend has just had a hysterectomy because of pre-cancerous cells, my mum is starting to suffer from dementia (she's a widow and I'm an only child) and my sexual partner of eight years is being very distant.
I started councilling two weeks ago to help but I am too scared to have any further medical checks (not that the GP has advised any yet) and the more I worry the worse the symptoms get. I feel such a baby just so scared of cancer and it seems to be everywhere you look. I've even stopped watching Holby!
How can I stop being so silly and get the courage to deal with my problem?

[Rennie1989]

Bladder cancer is a very rare cancer. Symptoms are blood in the urine. Thing is, you have had sex, which causes trauma in the urinary system, and a long infection. They both will cause symptoms likes painful urination, cramping or discomfort, blood in urine, cloudy, and even foul smellging urine. You will still get symptoms because your body is recovering from the trauma, and the antibiotics have probably got rid of most of the infection that the labs can't trace it.

I'm in the same boat as you, ive had a uti now for three weeks and it's getting on my nerves, and that's from sex too. Just make sure that before and after you have sex that you urinate, wipe front to back and drink plenty of non acid drinks, like water and cranberry juice. Hopefully you won't notice any symptoms in a few days.

[JaneC]

Hi Diva, sometimes stress can cause a condition called overactive or irritable bladder - it's not serious, just very annoying, but can be treated with medication. Rennie's advice is good. You can take cranberry capsules as well as the juice and homemade barley water is excellent. Hope you find a fix x

[Hazel B]

Hi Diva, my GP told me that adrenalin can make you "frequent" so maybe it's a combination of the infection going away and nerves.
Hope it eases soon, it can be a misery.

[Girl_Interrupted]

Hi there sorry to hear what ur going through. I suffer from Over active bladder had it now for over 2 years!! The symptoms are like having cystitis, ( but without having any infection) just that you get it all the time. However mine seems to come and go depending on how I feel at the time, at high stress it really bugs me. I had to change my diet a little, no tea/coffee or anything with caffeine, chocolate as well (but i'm not ever giving that up ;)) no orange juice or tomatoes!! be careful with cranberry juice, it is acidic and even though it helps alot with an infection it doesnt when u have OAB!! it can in fact irritant the bladder.

Hope it settles down and u feel better : )

[Diva]

Thank you so much for your kind replies. It is so nice just to be able to share.
I was going to see my mum today, which makes me stressed even 'though I love her v much. Just reading your replies and 'phoning my mum to say I would see her tommorow instead has made me feel a whole lot better and my symptoms have gone for now (it comes and goes).
It makes me think stress is making it worse.

[Rennie1989]

I'm glad that you feel much better :) just remember to relax and drink plenty. Have a day of R&R

[JaneC]

be careful with cranberry juice, it is acidic and even though it helps alot with an infection it doesnt when u have OAB!! it can in fact irritant the bladder.



Fraid I don't really agree with that. If I miss a few days of capsules my symptoms tend to come back with a vengeance.

This is what the NHS website says:

Cranberry products

Although cranberry products are not effective at treating cystitis, they may help to prevent recurrent attacks. High-strength capsules, which contain 200mg of cranberry extract, are available in shops (but not on the NHS).
Cranberry capsules may be more effective than drinking cranberry juice, as you need to drink a lot of juice for it to benefit you, and not everyone likes the taste. Cranberry capsules are not recommended if you are taking warfarin (blood-thinning medication).

[Diva]

Hi to Rennie
Do you really think the trauma could last this long (2 months)? I've stopped using perfumed molton brown even 'though I've used it for years. The GP I saw, when she rang with the negative for infection results said I could have become de-sensitised down there??

[Hazel B]

It could last a while if you have been under a lot of stress. There are other things you can do to help:

Wear cotton underwear
Stop using all perfumed products in the bath/shower
Wipe front to back after using the loo
Use sensitive/allergy tested washing powder
Drink plenty of alkaline liquid, preferably water
I'm sure that if the GP thought you had anything really serious they would refer you ASAP. Hope it has eased off.

[Diva]

Symptoms are back with a vengence tonight, don't know what to do with myself... just sitting here drinking water imagining it must be something really bad. Should I go back to the Dr??? Can't imagine having the courage to get referred somewhere and have scans & things! I've been reading that foods containing E621/MSG can really make the symptoms worse and I've had gravy with worcester sauce two nights running and chinese food with soy sauce the night before that. Hoping it's just that I'm paying for that??
Can't seem to think of anything else, had to leave work at 4pm as got too hot in that area. Cool seems to help?

[JaneC]

Diva, try not to worry (I know). I've had bladder probs for 10-12 years off and on and I'm still here! Msg can definitely make it worse. No reason not to see your doc if that's what you want to do. I was on medication (detrusitol) for years before my GP sent me for a scan, which was clear. I still recommend making barley water, although I'm not sure that would help if you have another UTI - if you don't, why not have a go? x

[Diva]

Thanks JaneC
Nice to know someone's there - I have barley water and will have some now. I drink loads of coca cola but have done all my life, I'm addicted! Don't suppose that helps matters. I'm even thinking I might have an STD - my long-term love buddy has been acting real strange lately, adding to stress, but I don't have any other symptoms at all, just a sort of cystitis discomfort??
God I sound like a pathetic teenager!

[JaneC]

Again that's something you might want to speak to your doc about, Diva. Mine gave me tests for something years ago (pelvic inflammatory disease? I can't remember) but it or possibly they were negative.

Fizzy drinks are baaddd. I've not managed to give up drinking Coke while at work though. Hope you feel better today x

[Girl_Interrupted]

Hi there, sorry to hear ur still going through this crap, its not fun :( i guess u could try not drinking coke for a few days and see how u get on, the caffeine might be upsetting ur bladder. We can become sensitive to certain foods, and our body cannot tolerate it anymore. I had symptoms like this, it bugged the hell out of me, until i went to the doctors and eventually was told i had over active bladder. Are you peeing more these days, or is it just burning/stinging when u pee? It might be worth if the symptoms persist to go to the doctors and ask for some tests. I was scared at first about this, but i'm glad i did it :)

Let me know how u get on :) x

[Diva]

Thanks loads for your response.
The strange thing is, when I am distracted, like a two hour meeting at work today, the symptoms disappear. They also go when I get into a conversation when I laugh!
I think my flare up last night was due to the three day over-indulgence of E162 (chinese food, soy and worcester sauce!)
Am attempting to get an appointment with a really nice BUPA GP that my friend recently saw and talking to her about my anxiety (I've never told a doctor about it before, don't have a GP just go to medicentres (if I really need to, on average about once every two years) and hoping she'll be sympathetic as I am trying not to google, watch Holby or read articles about cancer etc. Plus I've started counselling (3rd session tomorrow).
Can I just ask how you OAB was diagnosed? Did you have to have awful tests, I don't think I could without a valium!
I'm not peeing any more than usual, just the stinging when I do but not all the time, it comes and goes. I'm not feeling too bad tonight and am on the barley water.
Thanks again for you support it is much appreciated. x

[Girl_Interrupted]

Hi, I think drinking barley water is great, keeping ur fluids up :) also try keeping ur anxiety and stress levels low, we all know how this can cause chaos in our bodies!!

For me it all started with peeing alot!! around 10 times a day, where i was going 3-4 times. I felt sensitive down below and felt pretty crap!! so went to the doctors had routine urine tests, they came back negative, then had a urine culture sent to the lab, that came back clear! I had an internal (lovely) nothing there! i had a pelvic scan on my bladder, that was fine, just detected residual urine (the fact i wasnt emptying my bladder fully, but only a small amount was in there, nothing to cause alarm) just awful holding ur bladder when its full!! i was then referred to see a urologist, who looked inside my bladder, (done under GA) just to see what was going on!! that was all fine. His conclusion was OAB, as i had no other symptoms leading to anything else. 2 years on, i get flare ups, but its managable :)

How long have u had ur symptoms for?

[Diva]

Hi there
Had my symptoms for 10 wks which started immediately after the last time I had sex as normal cystitis which initally went by just using the sachet-things within a few days.
I then had a chinese meal on Day 3 and it came back but not as severe and has pretty much been around on and off ever since.
Lab culture came back clear 2 wks ago.
I have been feeling v stressed throughout the whole period due to many things: Mum starting to suffer dementia-type symptoms, going to loads of consultant appointments with best friend who had a hysterctomy on Monday due to pre-cancerous cells, love buddy gone a bit quiet on me and redundancies due to be announced at work !
It's nice to have someone to talk to but the thought of having to go thru' the tests you had to have fills me with panic - you are so brave!
Thanks so much for listening - it really helps. x

[dodo]

You're supposed to have all of the sachets in he packet, That is why it won't have gone away. Yes they do make you feel better have one sachet but you have to complete the course!

[Kristalee]

You can have something called intestinal cystitis. I actually had the same symptoms as you for well over a year.... I had a bad case of vaginitis and thought that caused the bladder problems. I went to a urlogist and he said it was more than likley IC. You can get flares up pretty often, but anything acidic can cause bladder pain, so stay away from cranberry juice.

[Diva]

Hi me again!

Although my symptoms have lessened I am still getting a kind of discomfort down below. Sometimes a spasm-type pain, sometimes a burning.

I went to a Marie Stopes clinic for further tests (of the STI-type) and hope to have results on Monday/Tuesday but dip test showed no blood anymore which was a relief plus the nurse practitioner said my symptoms were not linked to bladder 'C', my main concern.

Now I don't seem to be peeing much at all and this is starting to worry me - I don't seem to have any visible signs of fluid retention (no swollen, ankles of fingers) but what could this be? My counsellor thinks my symptoms are anxiety-related but I am trying to resist Dr google.

Can anyone relate to this latest symptom and not peeing enough and a general discomfort down below? Am going to try and drink a load of water now to see if it helps. Have mostly been just sleeping today, so I haven't drunk much but if I'm honest it's been going on for a few days now.

Would welcome some support - Sat nights are always so depressing and my anxiety seems to get the better of me - my mind is currently working overtime on other types of the C disease.

xx

[trolleydolly]

hi diva
just letting you know that even while on antibotics i still had one flare up of cystitis symptoms that lasted most of the day
but i have been taking one cranberry tablet each day for the last ten days and have had no cystitis symptons at all

[Ambers]

Hi Diva, I may be late it answering your posts...but I wanted to share my experience with you. I have suffered my long-term cystitis for over 6 years. All the symptons you shared are normal for cystitis. I literally go from one bout, recover with the aid of antiB's which causes thrush to the next bout. So I was always burning, it actually made me very depressed. Now I take AntiB's regulary to control it rather than it controlling my life! I take one tablet as required (on doctors orders ofc). I have been free of it now for just over a year. But your story does sound normal for cystitis...it does hang around and causes lots of discomf.

Hope you ok tonight x

[Diva]

Thanks for your support - it just seems to me that the symptoms have changed so much since they started. It does now kind of feel like thrush but without the itch or discharge????

I'm almost hoping it is an STI just so I know - never thought I'd say that!

xx

[Ambers]

Have you tried to take a thrush treatment? Sometimes thrush is silent as you cannot see it. If you drink lots does your symptons ease? Do they get worse after bath/shower?

[Diva]

Hi there

I haven't tried a thrush treatment.

Symptoms no longer seem to be relieved by drinking lots.

They are worse after a bath - I've switched to non-perfumed, non soap products but that doesn't seem to help.

Didn't know thrush could be silent, so thanks for the info. I had a swab test on Weds, would that pick it up?

Have had loads of AB's over the last three months which do usually give me thrush but have taken a probiotic every day which seems to have stopped any itching/discharge symptoms. I just have this uncomfortable feeling with an occasional spasm-type pain!!!


xx

[Ambers]

Mine are a lot worse after a bath too, and this is usually a good sign that I have thrush (even if I have no external signs). It my be worth taking a pessary to see if it relieves your symptoms? It usually takes about a day to work, although I have to take usually three or four times before mine gets better - I have found the oral tablets work much better than the pessaries. I suspect that that will pick up thrush if you have it - but I would ask them if they checked to make sure. AntiB's are notorious for giving thrush. Good luck, I am quite sure it will be something quite simple but I do know how worrying these symptoms are - I have had every test going for the big C in that area! Hope your Saturday night wasn't so bad :)

[JaneC]

Been in absolute agony for the last few days :emot-crying:

[Diva]

Sorry to hear that Jane - you have been very supportive to me so I'm sending you a big hug and hope that this episode doesn't last too long.

I'm waiting for my results from the cl*p clinic (well Marie Stopes anyway) that's a position I didn't think I'd ever find myself in at 40+ but we live and learn!!!

xx

[JaneC]

Thanks Diva, pain was so bad I had to go to docs. More antibiotics, which I'm not too happy about, but they do seem to be working. Good luck with your results - please let us know how you get on xx

[daybyday]

Try switching to showers instead of baths.
Soaking bathwater can invite soap residue to enter that short 1 inch span to a female's bladder and may cause irritation.
Worth a try.

[Diva]

That's what the doctor said but I don't have a shower! Have been using non-perfumed shower gel 'though.

xx

[Luna night]

I’ve got the same issues. Treated for UTI but still got symptoms. Tests come back clear, still get the urge to pee every hour, My GP told me to reduce liquid to 1 litre a day. I’m use to drinking 2 litres.

[molly15]

Did you finally get relief from this ? I've been suffering for 4 weeks now . Antibiotics worked even though showed no infection but 2 weeks later the urge to pee came back going every 20 min soon as I pee I need straight away. I'm on day 4 of trimethoprim but no relief yet it's a 7 day course as last one was 3 days but it worked then but obviously came back . I really feel I'm wasting my time taking them as surely by day 4 I would feel some relief. .. I've managed to convince myself I have bladder cancer .

Please help any advice would be great

Xx