UTI or bladder cancer?

[Emc]

I could have written exactly this myself. I’m now a week in to constantly needing to pee with the most horrible pressure feeling but not being able to pass much. Blood and white cells on urine dip - finished antibiotics this evening but symptoms ongoing if not worse today. I’m terrified I have bladder cancer or a gynae cancer causing my symptoms. I keep thinking I have urinary retention.
This all started after I started worrying about spinal cord problems & realised urinary symptoms were part of it. It’s absolutely horrendous & i feel like i’m Going completely mad

[cattia]

Emc, I'm so sorry that you are also going through this. Did you get your urine sent away for analysis? I finish antibiotics tomorrow and I also feel no improvement in my symptoms. I have no idea what's real and what's in my mind. I am having stabbing pains and sharp urethra pain at the end of urinating. Sometimes when I feel like I need to go it takes me ages to start. I can honestly go and before I've even left the bathroom I feel like I need to go again, but when I try there is obviously nothing there. It's driving me completely insane, I'm not even sure I'm going to make work tomorrow as I have a couple of meetings and I just don't know if I can sit through them. I have another doctor appointment booked for Saturday morning. I really want to be referred to a urologist but I'm sure they will make me send off another sample first and it's been almost a week since I sent the last one and I still don't have the results back. Mine started when I started obsessing over cervical cancer. I think I ruled out ovarian cancer as I had a clear blood test and transvaginal ultrasound before Christmas.

[cattia]

I went to the out of hours to get another urine sample tested today as I feel like my symptoms are getting worse. It came back with no infection but trace blood. Now I am obviously completely freaking out that it is bladder cancer or interstitial cystitis. I'm going to book an emergency appointment with the doctor tomorrow.

[swajj]

Trace blood could simply be because the infection you had has left your bladder inflammed. I went through the same thing last year. Every sample I gave came back with a report from the lab that it had trace blood. I ended up having a renal CT scan and a cystoscopy. The 2 gold standard tests for bladder cancer according to my urologist. Nothing was found and the urologist concluded the blood was a result of the inflammation caused by the infection. This was weeks after the infection cleared.

[cattia]

Thanks swajj, I don't know if I ever had an infection. I'm going to the Dr today so hopefully I can finally find out the results of my culture. My symptoms have subsided somewhat today with the arrival of my period which of course I have read is very typical of interstitial cystitis so now I'm more scared than ever. I just can't imagine living like this long term, I don't know how I'll ever do anything or go anywhere.

---------- Post added at 12:05 ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 ----------

Apparently they never sent off my original sample to be cultured so now I will never know if there was an infection there or not. I have to wait two weeks then do another sample and see if it still has blood in it. I'm really worried that this is the start of interstitial cystitis because the feeling of pressure is pretty much constant.

[cattia]

Having another terrible day today. I am starting to get more and more bladder pain every time I run, jump or sometimes even walk. It's like a kind of intense pressure or 'soreness' in my bladder area. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage the next couple of weeks with this level of anxiety. There is absolutely nothing I can do until I've finished with my period as there would be blood in the urine sample no matter what until that point. I googled bladder pain when moving because I basically seem to want to inflict even more misery on my sorry self, and pretty much the only things that came up were my two worse fears, bladder cancer and interstitial cystitis. My symptoms are a perfect fit for interstitial cystitis, with the sudden onset of pain mimicking a bladder infection and my age is when most people get diagnosed. Obviously this would be better than bladder cancer, but in my mind only marginally because I really can't deal with being stuck with this level of discomfort for the rest of my life. My anxiety is out of control. I just feel like all I want to do it sit and google all day long because I am desperate for reassurance. I know this goes against everything that we should do to support ourselves so I'm trying not to but I feel so agitated with the worry and stress of it all. Usually once I get myself into this state the only thing that will get me out of it is getting tests done, but I know how long that would take as it will mean referral to a specialist. Dumping the contents of my brain on here helps a bit though so I'm just going to keep adding to this thread of woe.

[jojo2316]

Hi Cattia- I bought Phantom Illness on your recommendation and it’s wonderful - I’m reading it instead of googling and feeling so much calmer. Maybe do the same thing?
This too shall pass
Xxx

[cattia]

Thank you jojo, I'd forgotten I had it, I'll dig it out and start reading it again. It's an amazing book isn't it?

[whatisthis]

I had exactly the same symptoms until the doctor told me I didn't have IC for the 3rd time... Thinking back now those symptoms of pain and intense pressure came on after first reading about it.

I did though find out through family that there is people I we know that have IC and manage it perfectly fine. I guess we just read the horror stories online.

I had to wait like yourself and it is torture. I couldn't imagine life like that but I pushed myself back to work and socializing and it has started coming and going now.

I hope you can get the answer soon on your fears and then start to relax.

[cattia]

Thank you whatisthis. I admire the fact that you are managing to make progress with this. I really wish I hadn't had the positive test for blood in my urine because it's holding me back from accepting that this could be a psychological thing. I'm convinced I'm either dying or going to be stuck like this forever. I'm totally losing the plot over it.