"This medicine is not to be used by men or children"

Have to take these small pleasures where and when you can find them.

Hope you're feeling better soon. xx

Ooh, is that Bayer? How refreshing! We will take them off the shit list feel better!

Ouch... Hope you get well soon.

What do you do with bicarb for cystitis? (Asking for a relative).

What do you do with bicarb for cystitis? (Asking for a relative).

Teaspoon in a glass of water is what I do. Immense relief soon after.

Doesn't cure anything, but stops it stinging so much, so you can drink more and flush it all through.

I don't get cystitis often (perhaps 5 times in my life, and I'm 40), but if you don't have the sachets, it's a good backup plan.

What happens if men take it?

I just googled (having never heard any male I know mention cystitis) - and it seems that if men get cystitis (and it's more unusual for them to) it's something to go to the doctor about, because it's more likely to be a symptom of something bigger (prostate infection and the like), rather than take sachets and wait it out like women do.

Women have short urethras so it’s fairly easy for bacteria to get up there and into the bladder. Men have much longer urinary tracts, meaning infections are much less common (and much more serious when they do happen).

My doctors' surgery did an in house study on cystitis and found that ordinary ibuprofen clears it up quicker than antibiotics. I had it recently and ibuprofen did the trick within 24 hours.

@JessicaLangoustine that's really interesting- definitely my experience (regular cystitis sufferer here).

Bicarb in water tastes foul - I find it marginally more drinkable with squash.