to ask for your uti/sex tips!

[badger2005]

I thought about just putting 'sex tips' in the subject but that would be misleading.

I had a UTI, and got 3 days worth of antibiotics. The UTI seemed to go away. Then yesterday me and DH had sex and then today I felt like I had a much worse UTI that I really couldn't cope with! Went to doctor today, who confirmed infection and gave me 5 days of antibiotics. I didn't discuss the sex thing with this doctor (it was a walk in clinic and he had kind of solved the immediate problem I hope).

I am not going in to work because I don't feel well. I feel guilty though because I am feeling better by the moment...

But let me put the time to good use and get your help with this. Do I need to not have sex? Or do something differently? I already wash and wee straight after sex.

I would just give it some time. UTIs can be caused by sex pushing bacteria up the urethra. If the infection wasn't totally clear yet or the antibiotics weren't effective for the particularly strain of bacteria or you just get unlucky, then yes, having sex again right after treatment might cause a recurrence. I'd just give it a week or so after it clears. It's miserable and better just to get rid of it. That said, it's also possible to get irritation and inflammation in the urethra from a recent infection and it may be the pain is from that and not an ongoing infection. Either way a bit of time, especially in this heat, would probably help.

Go for a wee straight after sex or as soon as you can to flush bacteria out of the urethra. I used to have horrendous utis til my doctor told me to do this. Makes a massive difference.

Try a supplement called D Mannose. I used to suffer terribly with UTI's in new relationships and then have to suffer thrush from antibiotics it was so miserable. I'm from the UK and purchased from a website called sweetcures and it stopped me getting any UTI's and now if I feel the twinge of one coming on I dose back up on the mannose and it's gone in hours. I can not recommend this stuff enough!

Thanks mindutopia and vampirethriller. It is definitely an infection as the doctor did a dip test then and there, though he is also sending it off to check that the antibiotics will treat it. I do already wee straight after sex, which is a great tip, but I wonder if there is anything else I should do. I will definitely leave it a while. In fact, I had left it a while after the last infection and I thought that was clear but perhaps it wasn't. I have a slightly longer course this time so I hope that it clears up.
Can I also just ask because of my guilt: would you stay off work for a day with a UTI? I am not really ill but very distracted by feeling like I need to wee all the time and would struggle on the train and going to meetings (though will do some work from home)

I've definitely had to have time off work for a bad UTI - just getting to work would have needed me to stop for toilet breaks every few minutes! Don't feel bad! Hope it clears up soon :)

Thanks chipsandcurrysaucemonster, I just never miss anything at work usually so feel weird about it. I was going to head straight in this morning but it was so awful that I went to the doctor's sit and wait instead. Thing is I think I am already starting to feel better... can antibiotics work this fast?

I always wee before sex (and use a sensitive baby wipe) as well as after. I've heard other people say if you have utis triggered by sex to wash your bits and have your partner wash their bits and hands etc beforehand too. I know it might not seem very romantic, but you quickly get used to just nipping to the loo and I think utis are the devil's work and will do almost anything to avoid them. I also find that sometimes I get a mild feeling like the very beginnings of one and it's usually brought on by slight dehydration so if when I feel that I down as much water as possible (at least a pint, using a straw makes it quicker and easier) to fill my bladder up completely, when I next week I feel fine again.

*wee not week.

Thanks hamsterchump. I am determined to avoid UTIs now and will take your advice.

I have to shower straight after sex to wash everything out or wear a condom. Unfortunately I get a UTI if I don’t . I got a UTI before which I tried to let go away by itself but it started to affect my kidneys and had to go to A&E - lesson learnt . Having a quick shower or thorough wash will def help, although not the sexiest thing to do

Thanks LookAtThatCritter I do the thorough wash thing.

Okay so does anything think that how you have sex matters? I am not a doctor and only know how I feel, but I feel like I would be less likely to get a UTI if we had sex super gently. Not that it is rough or anything! But I sort of feel like at the time everything is good, but then afterwards I feel kind of irritated, and I am wondering if that is causing the UTI?

I had this for years (10) with my now dh before it spontaneously disappeared after our first baby.

What worked: Wash hands and bits (you and partner) before sex. Pee before and after sex. Try positions that don't rub your urethra.

Get pregnant and have a baby. Solved the problem, but it's a bit extreme as a solution.

Thanks youmeandconchitawurst - I have got pregnant and had a baby a couple of times and they are 10 and 12 and still I have this UTI (not the same one!). It is a bit late for me to try that again I think.

I do the washing and peeing, but what are the positions that don't rub your urethra?

Take a crandberry tablet daily. Works wonders.

Condoms have drastically cut down my episodes of UTIs.

Oh yeah we use condoms as our contraception too so maybe that's helping and I didn't realise.

Yep same advice as all the above. I'm a long term sufferer of UTI's - the main problem for me was that when they were giving me antibiotics they were only giving me 3 days worth which just wasnt enough so it would die down and come back up again.

I now do the following - both wash before sex, i drink a pint of water before hand (not very helpful for spontaneity but needs must!) pee straight after, wash straight after and i also take an antibiotic afterwards aswell but if you just follow all the advice given you shouldn't hopefully ever be in a position where you would need to take an antibiotic afterwards :-)

Apparently the best position is doggy style as it doesn't rub your urethra as much! Thats what my consultant told me anyway don't know if it makes any difference to be honest!

Thank you everyone. Can you explain why condoms help?

My worries about sex are that maybe it should be more gentle (not to emphasise again that it is rough), and that there is lots of foreplay and I guess bacteria could be transferred just as much in that way and then condoms would not help? I did not know about different positions making a difference -thanks.

I will try all your suggetsions - the farmerwantsawife. I haven't got antibiotics to take straight after so will try everything else.

Wee after sex and I have a glass (or tablet if travelling but I hate tablets) of cranberry juice after sex. Every time. And often shower. Before that I got utis all the time. Never with cranberry. I’d forget in the early days and bam have a uti.

So a couple of people have said about cranberry juice/tablets. I thought this was shown not to work? If it works then I will happily try it...

I wouldn’t bother with cranberry but do stay well hydrated. This helps massively.

Pee after sex but my GP suggested a “double void” where you pee, stay on the toilet then try and pee again. Worked pretty well for me.

Condoms used to really not help, for me. Or make sure DPs willy is clean.

Another here who suffers horrendous uti’s/ kidney infections, I am very lucky to still be alive after ending up hospitalised due to an awful kidney infection causing septicaemia.

Sex is definitely a trigger unfortunately, I am long term catheterised due to a neurogenic bladder (thanks to a neurological condition). I am awaiting surgery to be fitted with a suprapubic catheter. But in the mean time the advice I have been given and have found helpful is as follows..

I wash as does dh wash with dettol sensitive antibacterial soap before sex. Then dh puts a condom on, I hate using condoms but I hate not having sex more so condoms it is! Afterwards I wash again with the dettol antibacterial sensitive soap. This has helped dramatically reduce my infections. Unfortunately we were stupid and fed up with condoms, so in the heat of the moment had sex without using condoms. By the next day I had a raging uti which quickly travelled to my kidneys! Lesson learned!

I would also go to the bathroom before and after on top of the washing if I didn’t have a catheter. Unfortunately it takes the spur of the moment sex out of the question but the alternative here was no sex as dh was terrified after I ended up with septicaemia.

Poor man had the snip to avoid contraception! I really love him, he never complains!

Seconding everyone who said condoms. Haven’t had a UTI since I started using them and also enjoy sex so much more. I find theres a different kind of friction, which is pleasant to me, and I don’t have to worry anymore about, um, leaking afterwards. I would never go back!

CaledonianQueen that all sounds very hard for you - I hope things get sorted! I will get some antibacterial soap, and we will try using condoms. I have the mirena coil so they are unnecessary for contraception, but maybe they would be useful for avoiding UTIs.

Don't think I've seen anybody mention it, but do you use lube? It reduces the friction so everything is less irritated afterwards and there's less broken skin for bacteria to take hold in. You want to choose a high quality water based lube. If you do a quick google search you can find a list of brands and how much sugar etc they have in them. You want one with the least amount possible because that's what the bacteria feeds off. And then obviously straight to the bathroom afterwards to give it a good rinse anyway.