To just want to have sex without getting terrible cystitis?!

[yellowbelliedcreature]

DH and I TTC #2 so every month we’re going at it like rabbits at the right time. For the last four months I’ve ended up with awful, agonising cystitis every single month and only antibiotics will shift it (and then I get thrush). Just woke up with that horrible stinging sensation and I’m so fucking FED UP.

Have always been prone to it and a urologist years and years ago told me to take an antibiotic every time I had sex. This, along with lifestyle changes detailed below, really reduced the number I got. However can’t find a GP who will prescribe this for me now as they’re all worried about antibiotic resistance, plus I worry about the wisdom of taking an antibiotic seven days in a row. Don’t know why I worry when I’m having to take a full course monthly anyway . Urine samples never seem to show any bacterial growth but I’ll drop one in to GP today anyway.

I also
*Take D Mannose - hoped this would be a miracle this month but no
*Wash before and after sex, DH showers immediately before, and always wee afterwards (prob not helping TTC )
*Avoid thongs and tight jeans etc
*Cranberry does nothing
*Drink loads of water
*Take probiotics
*Never use perfumed body wash and don’t use any soap around my vulva, just hot water

I know there are much worse things in the world at the moment so don’t want to sound self pitying but just can’t go through this every month, I feel so sad.

Going to call GP when they open and beg for help.

Off to sit on loo and cry

Sympathies. Cystitis is awful - hope this eases for you. I have heard that running water over you while you pee can help ease it, but can’t for the life of me recall whether I ever tried it.

This sucks OP but there’s nothing else I can suggest, just one of those things.

When I was pregnant I was the same but with thrush. Had it constantly for no apparent reason despite taking every preventative measure!

I have the same issue, have been to see a urologist who advised the same as yours re taking a low level antibiotic after sex, also I always have a spare set of 5 day antibiotics for when it kicks on so I don’t have to wait to see a doctor.

For short term relief, baking soda in water can help slightly.

Bless you lot. Didn’t really expect any answers at this time of night! Thanks for the sympathy.

I’m going to ask again if I can be referred as the urologist appointment was literally a decade ago. GP always reluctant as samples never seem to show growth but only antibiotics work! When I try to shift it with loads of water and home remedies it just gets worse and worse, was weeing blood once.

Thanks for the advice. As if TTC for ages wasn’t soul destroying enough!!

What about using a sperm friendly lube like preseed to maybe have less irritation?

Sorry to be so personal but it could be the position so from behind could irritate less?
I do sympathise it's horrible.

Don’t mind personal questions at all! Can be helpful advice so thanks

We used Pre-Seed this month (I didn’t actually like it - found it really sticky and not very, erm, lubricating, won’t buy again) and have tried it from behind quite a bit .

Oh wow - I could have written this. I actually checked the user name to make sure I hadn't !

I've been through exactly the same as you. Spent years and years taking 1 5mg antibio after sex. Eventually became resistant and back to the cycle of developing cystitis every. single. time.

Before that had an op under general where they blow the bladder up with liquid to stretch it to it's full extent. Didn't work.

Few years ago went back to doc for referral to a specialist urinary clinic.

Underwent six months of treatment, first weekly, then fortnightly, then monthly appointments.

Basically at each appt they put a catheter in, pump something (antibio I think) into your bladder. You then have to keep it in for two hours.

It's worked. I haven't had cystitis since. And I truly believed I would have it every time I had sex for the rest of my life. It's transformative.

Do go back to your doc and ask for a referral to a specialist. It might work for you too - I sincerely hope so.

Okay - just looked up more technical terms for you!

First op was Bladder distention - helped for a bit but didn't really last.

Second treatment was bladder instillation, and this has literally been the magic cure I was looking for.

I don't know if you can have while ttc, but hopefully it gives you hope for the future.

I feel for you with every fibre - it's the most horrible pain in the world. Good luck.

Thank you so much @Luckingfovely - will definitely look into that. Sounds quite unpleasant but if it works I’ll do anything! Even considering paying privately to see a urologist if the GP won’t refer...

I have the same problem! I've learned to drink lots of water and pee just before sex and again right after. Peeing apparently flushes bacteria away from the urethra, lessening the chance of a UTI. Also, washing the area with warm soapy water (mild soap) also helps.

Sorry if you’ve already answered this, I didn’t see it but I’m so tired!

Are you weeing after sex and making sure you’re double-voiding? That’s where you finish weeing then wait then relax and try to do a bit more. There will always be a little bit more. This has solved my recurrent wee infections, it was a little bit of inadvertent retention.

• during which bacteria from sec that had got into the urethra could spread. They say to wee beforehand too but I find I’m a bit one or the other and the after wee is so important.

Going for a wee before and straight away afterwards, has really helped.

Another thought - the last time I had an infection, I was told by a gp that the advice now is to wee before sex - which I queried as I've been told for twenty years to wee after! I guess both can't hurt?!

Thank you all! Sorry so many of us are sufferers.

Yes I always wee before and after sex (Straight away) and try to do the double voiding.

Hope you got some sleep @Winterwoollies x

I could have written this too. I did everything ‘right’ but ended up with debilitating bouts of cystitis (the last 3 were all within weeks of each other and I was on antibiotics each time) to the point where the doctor said that I may have to go on a low dose antibiotic long term-which he was reluctant to do but said it was all he could think of.

I then read about Bio-Kult Pro-Cyan capsules for unitary tract on here and I take one a day and haven’t had cystitis since, which is now just over a year since I started taking them.

You can get them on Amazon. They might be worth a try-maybe not for everyone but for me they have been a game changer.

Hello.
I have this too and it is awful.
One thing my urologist advised was to take 2 vitamin C tablets before going to bed. He said that the acidic urine sits in the bladder over night and make it a less favourable environment for bacteria.
This did work for me for ages and then I ran out o
f vitamin C and the infections started happening again.
I meed to buy more tablets!
This may also work for you?

You absolutely have my sympathies, it's so rubbish.

Use lots of baby oil so there's less friction and soreness. This works for me as used to get lots of cystitis.

I used to have this, constant UTIs after sex. It was awful, I really do sympathise. That overwhelming feeling of needing a wee and the drop in your gut when you realise “it’s back”

This is probably going to sound quite leftfield, but about 3 years ago I changed my diet and cut out all sugar, junk, processed and refined carbohydrate.

I did it for health and weight reasons and at the time just thought UTIs were just part of my life. Anyway, I’ve now not had a UTI for 3 years. Not one.

That is totally unheard of for me.

It seems there is some logic in it. Processed junk and refined carbohydrate inflame your body. Cutting them out reduces inflammation. The science says that bit.

I can only think one of my inflammation areas was my urinary tract and that was why I kept getting them. I didn’t go on the diet for this specific reason but my god, it’s been a welcome result. I really feel for you, it’s hard to describe how shitty they make you feel and I hated the constant antibiotics, which like you say, were the only thing that worked.

Cranberry tablets?

Are you allergic to semen? Obviously not helpful if ttc but at least it would mean using (latex free?) condoms the rest of the time would help

I used to suffer from this horribly as well. I was put on a course of antibiotics every day for 6 months - that did seem to knock it on the head, but now after sex I drink at least a pint of water, so that I know I’ll have to go to the toilet at least twice in the night. I don’t like getting up so often but I assume the bacteria are less likely to breed if they’re being flushed through more often.

This was literally my life! I've had 2 bladder distensions and honestly it has changed my life. I was at a point where I'd be on antibiotics every 2 weeks and now it was absolute agony. Google interstitial cystitis, that's what I was diagnosed with. I was put on a low dose of antibiotics while trying to conceive and through pregnancy and that helped. My advice would be to see your doctor and ask for a referral to a urologist and in the interim as for a low dose of antibiotics.