I have cystitis - I know because I've had it before. I have had a bath, taken painkillers & drunk 2 pints in 1.5hrs....what next?

[KatyMac]

cystitis - before DD I got it all the time & I always had emergency pack of stuff in & anti-biotics if it lasted for longer than 48hrs

But tbh I don't know how I survived - the pain is beyond words

So with no stuff & no a-bs what can I do?

[Janni]

Any all night pharamacies near you?

I remember sending DH out one night years ago to get me some rememdies.

Sympathies - it is excrutiating!

[KatyMac]

no - nothing open after midnight

[KatyMac]

No - I just emptied the drink cupboard to see if there was any in the back

Hang on I used to have cranberry tablets - I wonder if I have any left - ff to climb a chair

[Niecie]

Keep drinking - I think a glass every half hour or something is recommended.

Fill a hot water bottle and put it on your tummy or back.

Do you have cranberry juice or lemon barley water? Both help with cystitis. Apart from that stick to water - I think tea and coffee make it worse and so do certain juices.

Its horrible. Hope you feel better soon.

[Janni]

I was thinking hot water bottle on the abdomen too. Are there are herbal teas that are any good? Camomile? I know about cranberry juice, but it's not something many people keep on a regular basis.

You're doing the right thing with drinking water/having a bath...This WILL pass.

[ThatBigGermanPrison]

Spoonful of bicarb in a glass of warm water. One smallish glass of water every half hour. Take some Ibuprofen.

[ThatBigGermanPrison]

And take a potty to bed because4 you will need to piddle every 10 minutes and it's tiresome to keep getting up to the loo.

[KatyMac]

I found some stuff (out-of-date by about 3 yrs.....who cares)

Plus I found some cranberry extract - 1 to 4 to be taken once a day....so how many do yu think I should take?

[KatyMac]

Stuff is taken

Cranberry tablets are also out-of-date

I took 4 on the basis that if I go to bed & get up I can have another 4

[1wish]

I know this sounds silly and painful, but when you next have a pee after you've finished keep pushing like your still going, the pain will subside and you'll feel some relief.

My dr when i was in hospital with a U.T.I said to do this as it helps push the bacteria down or something and you'll get rid of the infection quicker. HTH.

[KatyMac]

& another pint drunk

I feel so miserable

[zookeeper]

Hi Katymac

Greetings from a fellow sufferer - I am up with it too!! I have had it since last Sunday and am on my second lot of antibiotics as the first lot did't even touch it. I hate hate hate it

Definitely go for antibiotics asap - bring a urine sample with you to the doctors so they can identify what bug is causing it.

[zookeeper]

have you got an out of hours doctor - I got my first lot of antibiotics at 5am on sunday morning

[KatyMac]

Thanks Zookeeper - I woke up with no symptoms

So I'm on a pint an hour, I've taken another sachet & another 4 cranberry tablets

By lunchtime it will either have gone or be worse & if it's worse I'll be off to the GP

Hope you feel better soon

[fifflegumps]

I got it for a year once a month before pregnant with latest son. Used to have antibiotics from docs each time to rid me of it. So run down and in such pain - awful - sympathies. I don't have it any more - no idea why but very thankful. One huge tip which I think must help a lot - I noticed I used to hold on too long to go to toilet and this probably caused bladder to inflame. Also - rushing around with one child already - never seemed to finish my wee properly. Big hint - sit on the loo for anonther 40 seconds each time you wee, you'll be surprised what there is still left in there - the two things combined - I think these caused the infections. (PS don't force it just let it flow!!!)

[Lazycow]

I'm sure those of you who have suffered from this have heard of this but I'll post it just in case. I used to suffer from this a lot and it was miserable. My low point was one time before ds. I was working for a company and had an important meeting set up with a big client in Paris the next day. I was going with my boss but I was taking
the bulk of the meeting.

I left the office the evening before and that night I started getting cystitis symptoms. It was excruciating by the morning (I was up all night with it) and I was forced to get a train to Waterloo from my house to meet my boss at the Eurostar terminal. I had some really important papers for the meeting and I was supposed to be doing a presentation too. I had to hand over the work to my boss and tell him I jusrt couldn't go. It was incredibly embarassing and by the time I go home I was sobbing with pain and had to wait hours for a GP appointment to boot.

Around that time I read a self-help book about it as I was getting desperate for help as I seemed to keep getting infections.

It offered the following advice about washing and hygiene following sex which I have taken ever since and haven't had a bout since then.

Washing
Was after EVERY bowel movement. Also the way to was is to use some soapy water actually on your bottom and then to pour warm water from a cup from the front to the back as you sit on the loo. Do this a couple of times to rinse.

I keep a cup in the bathroom specifically for this. Also do this in the morniing and before bedtime.

After sex
Always get up to pee afterwards (and I mean always). Then also do the washing technique above.

This all helps to ensure you reduce the chances of getting any bacteria in your urethra.

Also if ever get any vague symptoms. I can usually tell by the vague desire to keep weeing after after going to the loo or by that pressing sensation you sometimes get. Then I start to drink water like there is no tomorrow (1 large glass every half an hour for at least 3-4 hours). I have even stayed up during the night to do this if I had even an inkling that I might be getting a bout Also I take the stuff from the chemist. This works IF you catch it early enough.

However the single thing that helped most was the washing technique described and the weeing after sex.