Recurrent Cystitis

[izquierda]

I have posted this on the Menopause forum but thought I would copy it here in case anyone has any ideas....

Wondered if any of you out there were suffering, as I am, regularly, with the dreaded cystitis?
I use to get it occasionally when I was younger but seemed to escape it during my childbearing years.
I'm now 51 and have been having bouts of it on average every couple of months since 2008.
It's also been coupled with urge incontinence so I've been pretty miserable and my sex life with DH of 24 years very sporadic.
My GP sent me to our local "continence service" - not as awful as it sounds; that was quite helpful but eventually I saw a consultant privately.
He found my bladder slightly prolapsed and performed an "anterior repair" in June to reposition it. Apparently, because it had sort of collapsed it wasn't emptying fully and infections were breeding.
At the same time, he widened my urethra.
All was well for about three months, then I got cystitis again a month ago and have today started with it again.
Nothing to do with hygiene or sex; haven't had a period for 7 months so no tampons used.
It just happens and I have to take antibiotics which usually work but I worry I'm becoming so used to them they're less effective.
Any thoughts/suggestions out there?
I try to drink plenty of water, have switched to decaf. tea and coffee and try to limit alcohol.
I hate cranberry juice but can take Holland and Barrett cranberry capsules.
Beginning to think it is just something I have to put up with until menopause properly over, but so dispirited, especially having undergone surgery.
Many thanks in advance for your support!

Just posted and then lost the lot, will post later.

omg cranberry juice will help so much.not sure about capsules.

Agree with Feeling - can you not stomach cranberry juice at all?? When I had recurrent problems with this, I drank a litre a day of c juice and never looked back. Perhaps you could just look upon it as nasty medicine and knock back a glass, once in the am and once at night??

I went to see a gynae for another issue and when I was there I asked her about recurrent cystitis.
Her advice was:

• Wear 100% cotton pants during the day. Do not wear thongs/g-strings etc. Leave pants off at night and wear t-shirt/nightie/nothing so air can get at your bits. (Obviously she used different terminology but you know what I mean)
• Wash with plain lukewarm water only. No perfumed shower gels or soaps. Bidets are great and also showers with a hand-held head i.e. not attached to wall.
• Wipe your bum from front to back.
• Drink water like the bejaysus
• Cranberry juice but also she said capsules were perfectly fien if you can't stomach the juice
• Go for a pee every two hours, even if you don't feel like you need to go
• Wee before sex
• Wee after sex

Good luck!

Thanks ladies for your kind advice and help. I don't like cranberry juice but I can drink it if pushed so I will try the two glasses a day regime.
I do just about everything takingchances mentions but it is good to be reminded - probably not enough volume of water passing through.
Luckily I have been able to get another appointment with the consultant next week - I am not entirely sure now that the surgery has been successful - he needs to examine me again. Will let you know the outcome. Thanks again for your kind support!

Yeah loads of water. Don't drink cranberry during an attack though as it will make your wee more acidic and it will hurt more. Wash and wee before and after sex. I only use Dove down there never anything else. Keep yourself really clean, wash after having a poo if you can.
I had recurrent UTI untill Dr gave me a really long dose of abx like 6 weeks worth. The problem with lots of short courses is that they lead to the bacteria becomming resistant then they come back and are even more difficult to treat.
Since the long course of abx I haven't suffered at all, so there is hope.
It is the most miserable thing in the world to suffer from, it used to send me a bit mental in a way I couldn't cope with the feeling.
Good luck!

Quick update - saw the consultant today, poured out all my woes! He examined me and thankfully found nothing wrong, and confirmed that he routinely carried out various checks whilst performing the surgery and everything was normal then.

He concludes some women are more prone, at menopause, to cystitis than others and so it seems I must try and get through it. So I am going to try the oestrogen cream and if that doesn't work I'll probably have to try low-dose antibiotics for 3/6 months; that will be a last resort though.

At least I have nothing major physically to worry about....

Thanks for all your advice and support; will come back to you if more needed!

Hope you do not mind me posting a website but a a friend of mind recently tried this product and it really worked. Have a look at her testimonial on the site www.cysticlean.co.uk. She is an older lady and has previously suffered as you do.Antibiotics will help but they do not always get rid of the problem for good.