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Original poster

Please help - UTI advice - I’m desperate

83 replies

KatiesbigsisterSue · 25/06/2025 13:20

Hi all,

Since April I’ve had issues down below. Started to get a pinching pain around my vagina, urge to pee more. Took a 3 day course of antibiotics and they helped. But symptoms came back.

Mix of pain, aching, burning all over.

Examined internally by nurse, urine sample dipped, swabs taken and all ok.

Still persisted. Saw GP and was prescribed oestrogen cream. It’s been torture. I’ve had some pain free days which I think might be related to my cycle.

I suffer from health anxiety and at the moment with these ongoing symptoms it has spiralled. I’m back on anti anxiety meds, which I started last week.

At some points I’ve felt my bladder isn’t quite right, slight more urgency at times but not consistent. Sunday and Monday I had this but it was contacts for a few hours at a time. I did breathing exercises and managed to sleep well.

Saw GP yesterday and there is blood and protein in urine so they’ve sent it away to the lab and started me on antibiotics.

Since the GP I’ve not stopped needing to pee. And I mean not stopped. I constantly feel bursting. And very little comes out. I was up all night.

I took my first AB last night at 5.45pm. I assumed they would have started to work by now?

Im absolutely demented. Please any advice about how to stop this constant urge would be welcome, I don’t know what to do with myself.

OP posts:
Original poster
KatiesbigsisterSue · 25/06/2025 13:34

I’ve never had a UTI where the urge to pee has been constant. After I pee I stand up and literally still need the toilet. It’s awful.

OP posts:
Original poster
KatiesbigsisterSue · 25/06/2025 13:33

I don’t get them a lot - this is since April I’ve had all of these symptoms. Most of which have been around my vagina and vulva. Some urethral irritation.

Urine was dipped in April and May and was clear.

I have d mannose in the cupboard, should I be taking them too?

OP posts:
Nevergotdivorced · 25/06/2025 13:31

Try some bicarb of soda/baking powder dissolved in a little water, this will neutralise your urine and make it more comfortable when you pee.

Avoid all caffeine so no tea coffee unless it’s decaf, tomatoes, lemon, alcohol, spicy food and fizzy drinks, these are all bladder irritating and your bladder will be very sensitive now.

Finally get some D-Mannose tablets, these are completely natural and safe, take 3-6 a day when you have symptoms and 1 a day as a maintenance dose.

Cranberry juice is not good for UTI’s!

I have only 1 fully functioning kidney and have suffered massively in the past with UTI’s, the above has just about cured me.

Original poster
KatiesbigsisterSue · 25/06/2025 13:30

Yes was prescribed trimethoprim. But also have Nitrofuretoin (SP) as asked to be switched.

I don’t know what to do with myself, I constantly need to pee and it’s all I am thinking about.

OP posts:
sweetpeaorchestra · 25/06/2025 13:30

Hi there’s a lot more recognition about chronic UTIs - I have this and spent 6 months on antibiotics once. It’s when the infection becomes embedded in your bladder. Goes away and keeps coming back when off antibiotics. Have a Google - there are support groups on Facebook.

theres options for treatment. Generally you’ll just get a 3 day nitrofuratin course which is the go -to for a one-off acute infection. But if you’re getting them a lot you need to advocate for yourself and ask to look at different options/antibiotics/hiprex and maybe get a cystoscopy to check issues with your bladder.

EligibleTern · 25/06/2025 13:25

What antibiotics are you on? It could be that there's resistance - lots of people find trimethoprim is ineffective. I know they say cranberry juice won't help once the symptoms have started but I have found it soothing in the past. Sorry, it's such an awful illness.

MyCyanReader · 25/06/2025 13:25

There's something called interstitial cystitis or PBS (painful bladder syndrome).

IC

I used to have this and had very similar symptoms. I changed my diet massively (no caffeine, no alcohol, no acidic or spicy foods and plenty of fluid) and it took about 12 months to sort out). It was awful and I felt really isolated as it made me hate going out and always needing to know where the toilet was.

I also did LOTS of pelvic floor exercises.

Interstitial cystitis-Interstitial cystitis - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-cystitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354357

Original poster
KatiesbigsisterSue · 25/06/2025 13:21

To add - I had similar symptoms in 2021. Dip tests all came back normal though and it wasn’t like this for as long in terms of my bladder, thus is honestly horrendous.

OP posts:
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