Cystitis-like symptoms

[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.