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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be sick to the back teeth of Urinary Tract Infections

78 replies

StrawberryTot · 03/12/2014 12:54

So basically that Sad

So I'm suffering what must be my 6th or 7th infection this year. I literally have no idea what is causing them. I drink plenty of water, no juice or fizzy pops, switched to decaf coffee, avoid spicy food, wear cotton knickers, don't wear knickers at bed time. You name it I have tried it. Yet I still get them!!!

AIBU to be fed up?

P.S. I'm completely and utterly feeling sorry for myself, I apologise.

OP posts:
bambinibop · 03/12/2014 12:59

I had this year's ago. I got sent to a specialist at hospital who did a scan to check all ok and then recommended Cranberry juice even day and a pro biotic yoghurt drink every day. I've never had one since.

He did also put me on some medication for about 6 months but then he said do the above to keep them at bay after that.

They are horrible so yanbu!

Do make sure you go to the GP as they should refer you if you've had that many

PumpkinPie2013 · 03/12/2014 13:01

YANBU - I have had a lot over the last few years and they are awful Sad

Thankfully I haven't had any for a while.

No advice really just sympathy! You could try pushing for a referal for further tests if you haven't already.

SarahAnnie1984 · 03/12/2014 13:05

YANBU, it's like weeing razor blades. What really helped me was going for a wee immediately after sex, up until then I was PLAGUED by them, but I haven't had one in about nine months, which I think is some sort of record. Cranberry tablets can also work well.

Girlwhowearsglasses · 03/12/2014 13:08

TMI here but you need to drink a load of water after sex, wee after sex, and have a shower. Not sexy but its a regime that helps with UTIs

nottheOP · 03/12/2014 13:09

The only thing that stopped it for me was going for a wee after sex.

VivaLeBeaver · 03/12/2014 13:10

You probably aren't on your 6th or 7th one but its the same one.

Symptoms die off with a short course of abx but the actual bacteria are still there. Build up over a month or so and the symptoms return. Over time the bacteria become resistant to short courses of abx.

I've had a uti for over 5 years now and have taken abx every day for 4 years. Still got it and am now been seen by a professor in London.

StarlingMurmuration · 03/12/2014 13:11

I had this a few years ago. They said they could either put me on antibiotics for six months, or I could try taking antibiotics prophylactically every time I had sex (as with me it did seem linked to sleeping with my boyfriend at the time). I did the latter and it did eventually work. Especially since I always had a full course on hand to take if I started with an infection, rather than having to wait until I managed to see a doctor.

Fingers crossed for you, OP. Recurrent UTIs are really demoralising.

StarlingMurmuration · 03/12/2014 13:12

Seconding the recommendation to take cranberry tablets too.

nottheOP · 03/12/2014 13:12

I knew someone who had this and they filled up her bladder with water or something and flushed it out and they stopped coming. I don't know the technical name for this procedure though

Piercy · 03/12/2014 13:14

every sympathy for you I was getting lots of UTI's and I asked for further tests I went for a ultra sound scan on my kidneys and they found kidney stones.

These were removed some years ago, and touch wood never had another UTI.

I also do support the having a wee after sex - hope you get to the bottom of it soon

MajesticWhine · 03/12/2014 13:15

Weeing after sex is the crucial thing for me.
Also, there is a link to haemorrhoids - I don't know if this is relevant for you.

Original poster
StrawberryTot · 03/12/2014 13:18

Thank you everyone.
Must admit I do seem to get them (or symptoms, sometimes not full blow infection) more after sex, I never thought to have a wee afterwards. I make DP wash beforehand which isn't overly sexy and kind of ruins the moment but needs must.

OP posts:
whois · 03/12/2014 13:21

Oh god yes you absolutely always have to go and have a wee after sex! I've not had a UTI since I started doing that.

Georgiepie17612 · 03/12/2014 13:24

I would agree with everyone suggesting going for a wee after sex.

I used to suffer with UTI's every couple of weeks and felt like I was always on antibiotics, I eventually got referred to the hospital who organised a rigid cystoscopy to investigate the bladder, urethra etc. under general aneasthetic. It turns out they had to widen the neck of the urethra where my bladder joined it, because it was too narrow the urine was collecting there and not draining properly when I peed (sorry if this is TMI) so was a breeding ground for infection. They widened it while I was under and I was none the wiser. Gone from having UTI's ever couple of weeks to maybe one a year.

Also, do you have an IUD/Mirena coil? I've heard some people say that you've increased chance of UTI's with them.

violet1986 · 03/12/2014 13:24

taking waterfall d-mannose really worked for me... no side effects and after about a month of taking them every day that was it! no more UTI's. And I was getting about 2 a month, and being seen by a urologist.

I take them with a cup of tea every morning.. the heat seems to help them work. I don't understand it, I'm just grateful! worth a try!

Original poster
StrawberryTot · 03/12/2014 13:27

I don't have an IUD/ Mirena coil Georgie, I appreciate the sympathy of you all :)

Sorry everyone, I should have marked the thread as TMI when I posted it.

OP posts:
Becca19962014 · 03/12/2014 13:28

I suffer with UTIs a lot.

I've not found anything that can help. I know my bladder doesn't empty properly and I have incontience, none of which anyone can help with.

Cranberry juice I cannot have for other reasons.

castlesintheair · 03/12/2014 13:34

I used to get them a lot. They ruled my life. I was always in pain, drank gallons of water, tried avoiding drinking or eating various things that have been mentioned on this thread, took all sorts of supplements and probiotics that have also mentioned on this thread, was careful about weeing after sex, making sure I emptied my bladder properly etc etc. Nothing worked for me. I seemed to be permanently on antibiotics until I was referred (privately, saw the same consultant on the NHS and sadly he only did half the job) to a consultant urologist. Had an operation and have not had one UTI in nearly 20 years.

plecofjustice · 03/12/2014 13:46

Raw cranberries boiled down into a concentrated syrup (no sugar, just cranberry). Dilute a teaspoonful into a litre of water, squeeze of lemon and drink first thing every morning, before any other food or liquid. Continue for at least 6 weeks.

LurkingHusband · 03/12/2014 14:14

First thing is to make sure you're not retaining - that is that you are emptying your bladder completely. Get thee to your GP and a referral to a urologist.

Because of her MS, MrsLH retains, and - until 6 months ago - was plagued with UTIs. We'd been "self" catheterising at night for years, but discovered it needed to be done first thing in the morning. We started doing that, and it's been 4 months infection free.

Be careful with Carnberry juice - it can be quite calorific (even the sugar free). You can get Cranberry tablets (some urologists recommend them).

HereComesYourMam · 03/12/2014 14:25

If you try all the tips suggested above, and you still keep getting them, I'd definitely recommend asking to see a specialist. I kept getting UTIs years ago - it made me absolutely miserable - and it turned out I needed an operation to get my urethra stretched, as other PPs have mentioned. Bit of a pain but totally worth it to get it sorted.

DangerousBeanz · 03/12/2014 15:20

I used to have these a lot.I once ended up in hospital on a drip because of a UTI. I became allergic to 2 kinds of antibiotics and ended up having an op to try and cure them. The op did help a lot. However I do periodically get them and to be honest cranberry juice helps more than anything else, I was told it changes the ph in the bladder and kills off the bugs that live there. I have a big glass of the low sugar one every morning and tea time and it has really kept them at bay.

You have my sympathy OP there is nothing more miserable.

saltedcaramelicious · 03/12/2014 15:35

I had a UTI a couple of months ago and it went with antibiotics for 3 days.
Symptoms have come back on/off over last couple of weeks, I don't get the pain during wee but it feels funny afterwards and wee doesn't smell quite right.
I've started drinking cranberry juice but seems impossible to find pure cranberry juice anywhere, it's all from concenrate but it'll have to do!
May try the boiled cranberries idea as above and cranberry tablets.
I think mine is linked to sex as well, i had got lazy with going for a wee after sex and thats when my symptoms started again.

Nohootingchickenssleeping · 03/12/2014 15:41

I'm suffering with one at the moment. Nearly three weeks now. Had two courses of antibiotics and still in pain. Also heameroids!

Thought I was feeling okay and attempted sex with DP this morning. Oh my God, still can hardly walk. Don't do it!

LurkingHusband · 03/12/2014 15:49

Just a word of warning about Cranberry ... it does change (lower IIRC) pH. However, some bacteria actually like low pH, so would get worse if you take cranberry.

It's worth double checking what the infection is first.

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