Please help - UTI advice - I’m desperate

[KatiesbigsisterSue]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

I’d request cephalexin if not improving. Also you can get thrush from the antibiotics which adds to the discomfort! But if ithe urge to urinate is still so strong you might be resistant to current course/need stronger antibiotic

Could you have Thrush? I sometimes get UTI symptoms with thrush and it clears up after fluconazole treatment.
I also had interstitial cystitis in the past and my bladder is ridiculously sensitive to too much caffeine or stress. I also need different antibiotics than the first line options.
In terms of relief today, I find drinking a lot of water (so at least there is something there to pee out and it's dilutes any irritants) plus paracetamol and a warm bath helps. Also try to distract yourself if you can as the stress/ anxiety of it makes it worse.
Huge sympathy from me as cystitis is absolutely horrible.

Take paracetamol for the pain if you haven't already. Drink water, but not to excess, as it will dilute the antibiotics. Buy some probiotics aimed women with a UTI and include fermented foods such as kefir and kimchi. Take D-mannose as a preventative and go back to doctor if symptoms persist as you may need a longer course or different antibiotic.
Hopefully the bacteria hasn't embedded as it can take a long time to resolve.
Consider a prepayment certificate for your prescriptions.

You could have an overactive pelvic floor where the muscles become really tight and it can mimic a UTI. There are physios who specialise in pelvic issues and I think it would be worth seeing one of them to find out if that might be your problem

I took d manose 2 tablets every 2 hours last time I had a uti, it really helped with the symptoms. I also think drinking plenty of water helps with symptoms, yes it makes you wee but actual wee comes out which makes going less painful I find

Ok I will start the D mannnose.

Should I give these antibiotics more time? I started last night at 6pm, so not even 24 hours ago.

I have a probiotic which I’ve started to take.

I saw a pelvic floor physio on Friday and she gave me a thorough examination - was really helpful. She said I have tight muscles. I’ve been doing exercises and my vaginal symptoms are better.

The constant urge to pee is getting me down.

I’m actually not in a great deal of pain - it’s just the constant urge to pee.

Sorry to hear, OP.

It's very important that your doctor has sent the sample away as otherwise it's mostly guesswork with the antibiotics. So do follow up with them if you feel you're not improving after a couple of days.

My UTI's have been 'cured' by 7 days of amoxicillin or another time 5 days of cefalexin. This was prescribed after the lab tests were done.

I hope you feel much better soon.

Please try D Mannose. I had recurrent agonising UTI and for me it completely cleared it up. I buy the pure powder on amazon but you can get different mixes of it probably in Boots and co. For me it saved my life, I can't believe it's not more widely known.

This sounds like me, I have detrusor underactivity which means my bladder doesn't fully empty. And because of this I was getting recurrent infections. I have had episodes of retention, especially with any infection. Needing to push, force a wee, stop/start in flow, long drainage times are all symptoms. Might be work looking at to see if you have symptoms.

I recommend the pure powder but of course tablets should work too. I mix half a teaspoon in a pint of water and down it. Repeat an hour later then as needed

another tip a doctor friend gave me is, sometimes urine pools in small pocket in your bladder, So when weeing just take the time to make sure last drops are squeezed out. For me I just lean back very slightly. And drink plenty!!

Gosh I've been there OP. It's so upsetting. I think the antibiotics may take up to 48 hours to work so you need to give them a chance. If the GP has sent cultures off then they will likely tell him which antibiotics work best. When I was pregnant I had this for 6 months. I was so distressed by it, but the only antibiotics it reacted to were ones I couldn't take when pregnant.

Another vote for D Mannose! I suffered persistently with UTIs. Visits to the GP and tests..too many to count. Total game changer. I haven’t had another infection since I started taking it a year ago. Hope you feel better soon OP, they used to cause me such misery

Ok I will start D Mannose today.

I just can’t cope with this constant urge. It’s really getting to me.

I found nitrofurantoin much more effective! I hope it starts easing off soon!

I’ve stuck with the Nitro - just took second tablet there, first this morning. Started the other ones last night at teatime.

Im truly miserable. I think in the past antibiotics have worked quicker for me but maybe I’m being impatient.