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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be fucking fed up of my bladder

66 replies

LostittoBostik · 15/08/2024 03:00

On holiday, lying awake with an irritable bladder AGAIN. On the loo every half hour.

It's not a uti - I'm now such an expert I can mostly tell the difference. But something has bothered me again.

I'm so sick of this. I lost most of my 20s to UTIs and IC. Then things got much better after pregnancy and birth.

Now I'm in my 40s and presumably due to hormones it's back to square one.

It makes me actually hate being away from home.

Young kids will be up by 6am and I've had 1 hour of sleep so far. Fuck it all.

OP posts:
MsCactus · 15/08/2024 21:31

I had severe IC for five years when I was younger. I cured it using really high quantities of D-Mannose, basically taking a heaped teaspoon every hour, every day. I don't know if you're meant to take that much, but it was the only thing that gave me relief so I went mad with it. I was on continuous antibiotics for years and they did nothing - saw lots of urologists.

When I was on the mend, after a few months of D-Mannose, I also saw a gynae physio and they were amazing - relieved quite a bit of urgency and pain for me.

ThePoshUns · 15/08/2024 21:28

I've stopped drinking caffeine as I found if I drink it after 3ish my bladder is so irritated I couldn't sleep

Bluebells81 · 15/08/2024 21:27

D Mannose has changed my life. I was in constant discomfort for about 15 years. Antibiotics from the GP did nothing.
Two D Mannose tablets a day for a couple of weeks (bought from a health food shop) sorted it out. I still take them occasionally when I feel 'the twinge' - sorts it out in a couple of hours.

Misthios · 15/08/2024 21:26

Ask the gynae to check for vaginal atrophy. If that's the cause, topical oestrogen cream can help a lot.

Physiologicalmalfunction · 15/08/2024 21:25

Try Optibac for Women.

It puts all your internal probiotics back in sync. It worked wonders for me and sorted me out for years after just one box.

soupfiend · 15/08/2024 21:24

Im going to look up prelief, never heard of it

soupfiend · 15/08/2024 21:24

Sympathies OP

I have fibroids, they're not bothered about these of course

I also am peri menopause and unfortunately I just dont remember to use the vaginal pessaries which is unbelievable given the amount of gip I get. YOu would think I would be motivated to use the things

Itsmyshadow · 15/08/2024 21:20

Fellow bladder sufferer here. Commiserations to you all!

I have IC but I’d honestly saying during pregnancy and breastfeeding it didn’t bother me at all. Finished breastfeeding my last 3 months ago and have been largely fine until the past couple of weeks and I can definitely feel the symptoms strengthening again. I think I’m
going to have to go back on an IC diet 😩.

I haven’t had any caffeine for years. That is my biggest flarer, but sweeteners, soy, acidic fruits and anything too salty or spicy are going to have to go again for me I think. And someone up thread mentioned Prelief. I’d forgotten about that. Amitriptyline does help with the urgency and knocks you out really well. Great for sleep but leaves me a massively grumpy arse the next day.

No advice really but just to say I share your pain.

Orangesandoranges · 15/08/2024 21:09

Solifenicin has helped my husband. It can cause constipation though so he has to be careful to keep every moving or his bladder reacts again.
He still gets up once in the night, but can manage a couple of hours through the day.

Hunglikeapolevaulter · 15/08/2024 21:05

OP this thread is sadly timely for me. I'm having the flare from hell after literally years of no issues. Coffee and hot weather, spent days feeling like I needed to wee all the time and felt like there was always a few drops more, then suddenly boom, huge pain flare and I feel ill and exhausted. I also know it's not an actual UTI as there's symptom differences for me.

startstopengine · 15/08/2024 20:31

Also avoid tomatoes and peppers.. they flare my IC so much and I second the HRT

Original poster
LostittoBostik · 15/08/2024 20:23

MereDintofPandiculation · 15/08/2024 15:58

I was told to do a trial for a fortnight of no coffee, no tea, no caffeine containing drinks, no alcohol and no hot chocolate. Unfortunately it took a week to work like a charm and was stuck with a permanent change to my diet. Also prescribed oestrogen cream. No only have I had no UTIs, no bladder irritations in the last 5 years, it stopped stress incontinence dead in its tracks. So I drink only decaff tea or coffee (spent time finding coffee I really like), only the occasional hot chocolate, and barely any wine, and I'm not having any cravings.

Damn it.

I do think this works and may be the reason I was so much better during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

OP posts:
DelilahBucket · 15/08/2024 16:05

Might not be relevant to you, but worth throwing in the mix. I've seen an almost instant difference in my overactive bladder by cutting out sweeteners. I hardly get up for a wee in the middle of the night now, whereas I was going 2-3 times a night every night, even when I was stopping drinking fluids early.

MereDintofPandiculation · 15/08/2024 15:58

I was told to do a trial for a fortnight of no coffee, no tea, no caffeine containing drinks, no alcohol and no hot chocolate. Unfortunately it took a week to work like a charm and was stuck with a permanent change to my diet. Also prescribed oestrogen cream. No only have I had no UTIs, no bladder irritations in the last 5 years, it stopped stress incontinence dead in its tracks. So I drink only decaff tea or coffee (spent time finding coffee I really like), only the occasional hot chocolate, and barely any wine, and I'm not having any cravings.

TheShellBeach · 15/08/2024 15:31

My GP put me on mirabegron tablets for this.
Complete game-changer.

spikeandbuffy24 · 15/08/2024 15:29

Same, mine is endo on my bladder
Started amitryptiline to see if that helps

butterfly0404 · 15/08/2024 14:58

Do you drink wine ? Really irritates the bladder for some people, me Included. Have you tried taking Mannose-D tablets ?

ilovesushi · 15/08/2024 14:55

You have my sympathy. I suffer from UTIs on and off and recognise your symptoms. I don't drink alcohol any more. I take daily vitamins and d-mannose and I don't push myself - if I am tired or run down I rest.

Knittedfairies2 · 15/08/2024 14:54

Do you drink decaffeinated coffee? Caffeine can irritate the bladder.

Original poster
LostittoBostik · 15/08/2024 14:53

WomanFromTheNorth · 15/08/2024 06:13

I think it's probably an embedded, chronic infection that flares up when you are on holiday due to the heat and getting dehydrated, irritation from swimming pool/ sitting about in a wet swimsuit, drinking more alcohol maybe? I always get flare ups when I go on holiday.

Look at Dr Catriona Anderson's talks (radio4 ) on the Internet. She talks about biofilm that the bacteria hides in. The whole concept of IC had been dismissed by many experts; they believe its bacteria. There is also a drug, Hipprex, that many women have found useful as a preventative measure. I haven't had much joy with it but many women have. And it's available over the counter. Again if you look upt Dr Anderson she talks about the new use of this drug that had very few side effects.

No it's not... not this time. I've had this before and was on antibiotics for six months and it did eventually clear.

This time it's irritability post uti. So fucking annoying.

OP posts:
Original poster
LostittoBostik · 15/08/2024 14:52

Greategret · 15/08/2024 05:58

Mine reacts if I eat or drink a lot of acidic food including too much coffee. Water and bland miky drinks plus antacids help amazingly. If I feel twinges are starting I take Prelief which is an antacid specially for bladder problems but the indigestion ones would work too. I had a lot of UTIs in my twenties and it seemed to sensitise me to acidic food.

Same. I definitely had too many coffees yesterday ... 🫠

OP posts:
Droolylabradors · 15/08/2024 14:51

LostittoBostik · 15/08/2024 14:50

I had this in my 20s but haven't been represcribed it lately. I will ask the gynae.
Thank you.

Show quote history

Oh yes do. My gynae told my GP I needed unlimited tubes so it isn't rationed which was v helpful!

Original poster
LostittoBostik · 15/08/2024 14:51

blubberball · 15/08/2024 04:19

I have this. I think that I might as well just move in and live on the toilet some days. I'm going to get myself tested for type 2 diabetes. My dad has it

I have an hba1c every year due to previous gestational diabetes... luckily no signs so far but must remembered to get checked for 2024

OP posts:
Original poster
LostittoBostik · 15/08/2024 14:50

Droolylabradors · 15/08/2024 04:11

Hi OP i hope you have also started using estriol (oestrogen) cream. Slather it on your vulva and stick some up your vagina, it thickens the wall of your bladder/vagina and will reduce need to pee, plus can help some women who get too many UTIs.

It's not HRT, the hormone stays local.

I had this in my 20s but haven't been represcribed it lately. I will ask the gynae.
Thank you.

OP posts:
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