Cystitus - anyway of getting rid of it before it develops into full blown infection?

[PanicPants]

Have the beginnings of cystitus - needing loo all the time, THAT feeling, tummy ache etc,. I am drinking lots of water, but is there anything else I can take (without going out - Ds asleep in bed now)to prevent it getting worse?

TIA

Just drink shit loads of water and take a warm bath (not hot)

Got any cranberry juice in the house?

You can get a cranberry concentrate treatment from Boots - beware, it's vile.

just keep drinking the water .... and don't use any soap or anything perfumed if you do have a bath - keep warm. Hope you feel better soon.

No, don't have any cranberry in the house. I did hear somewhere that lemon barley helps - but can't remember where I heard it from, and not sure if it's true.

Will a bath not make it worse?

I agree with previous advice. Also a hot water bottle wrapped in a soft towel is nice to cuddle.

I really sympathise. Cystitis is AWFUL

Do make an appointment first thing with the doctor though. I always end up needing AB's in the end with cystitis.

Hope it goes away fast.

Yes definately lemon barley. Lots of it.

A bath should be ok but go easy on perfumed products and soap.

cranberry juice or dried cranberries are excellent for clearing it

Panic

Am a recurrent sufferer: have you had it badly before?

If you've had it badly before and more than once, suggest you get ABs immediately. Leaving too long can lead to scarring and even more recurrence as I know to my cost.

In meantime, drink half a pint of water every half hour, add bicarb of soda or one of those proprietary cystitis products...

This might head it off but if it starts to hurt more, you feel feverish, you get cloudy/bitty urine or pink/bloodstained urine get yourself to an out of hours clinic straight away for the ABs.

Someone else (thanks!) suggested the rather undignified nappy solution if you have any in the house and are likely to leak on the way...

Some surgeries will accept your story over the phone and send someone else in with a clean jar containing a sample - and will send ABs that way.

A bath is probably only necessary if you need to wee in it (I know, gross, but the logic is, if you have cystitis you need to empty your bladder fully each time, if you're in pain, the bladder goes into spasm and can't empty properly. Sitting in the bath or shower to pee can actually help...) If you don't want to, don't need to do that, a hot pack or hot water bottle can help.

Take painkillers also for same reason above to do with emptying bladder - ibuprofen is the best thing to take but you can alternative with paracetamol or even cocodamol if you have any.

Don't drink alcohol, have sex or eat/drink anything too acidic - may make it worse...

Good luck - is horrible and I know being a MANY times cystitis veteran

bath is fine as long as you dont use any bubbles or soap.
Monkeybird is right it does make it easier to pee.
My mum used to put me in a bath when I had cystitis as a child and it always soothed it.

Right, I'm going to go for a bath in a bit then, with paracetamol and water every half hour with some bicarb of soda in it . Thank you everyone.

should add, don't hold back on the weeing because its frequent or because it hurts - it's really important to flush the bacteria out... and when you've finished weeing do the following: count to 20, tip over to the right a bit, squeeze a bit more wee out if you can, count to 20 again, tip to the left, tilt pelvis forward and back and squeeze again! Helps empty bladder fully.

I think cranberry juice is useful actually but only when you have a small twinge. I now keep a stock of cranberry tablets and some emergency ABs in the house for full blown cystitis attacks.

i get this, i remember wishing i was dead once, it was so bad.

Drink gallons of water, until you feel sick and wee wee wee wee wee - the fuller you can keep your bladder the better as at least you will have something to go with and it wont be so concentrated and sting more. This will help to flush out the bacteria. Cranberry is good, but beware of drinking too much fruit juice as acidifying the urine can help the bacteria so it backfires sometimes. Not sure about the lemon barley, my mum used to say this, but i am sure i was told it was too acidic, really cant remember.

Get ABs as soon as you can. It is truly horrid.

I know this is late now, but for future reference you can buy cranberry concentrate capsules. These are great for when you feel the 1st twinges drunk with a shed load of water.

I am a cystitis veteran too. Who else has to go wash immediately after sex? I found that really helps me.

I also drink about a pint of water every half hour if I get the 1st symptoms and that helps. (I have lovely skin for the next week or so too!)

Hi all, I feel quite a bit better today, I did drink LOADS last night and this morning I bought some sachets. Still don't feel 'right' but don't have the pain or the constant urges.
So in future I'm going to get some strong cranberry capsules and sachets for the house, and drink more water ALL the time. Can't stand feeling like this, it's worse then flu!

Emblestrembles, when you say you wash after sex, what exactly do you use - I'm guessing you just use water? And rinse? (Sorry if TMI)!

Have a jug with warm water ready to pour onto your bits while peeing... it helps a bit with the sting.

If you get cystitis a lot, it might be good to learn to like cranberry juice. You can get it with apple juice etc. Apparently something in it "lines" the urinary tract and this prevents the bacteria from sticking IYSWIM.

Good luck. I know this is awful.

Get the cranberry capsules! As a repeat sufferer I learnt long ago always to have them in the house.

At the first twinge I take four or five capsules, then several every hour, along with lots of water. It works every time if you catch it early enough. (NB I have no idea if there's a recommended dose or not, but this method seems to work for me. I figured it would be hard to overdose on cranberry!)

Good luck. Cystitis is utterly rotten.

Panicpants

I read a book all about cystitis once (my sister found it in an oxfam shop!)

It said to wash after sex. She recommended using a jug of tepid / luke warm water with no soap etc while sitting on the loo or on edge of the bath to rinse bits off. Run the water front to back.

Obviously all soaps etc irritate, and hot or cold are not good either.

It really works for me. Doesn't look so sexy though post-coital! haha. My husband is used to me doing it though and goes off to get me a drink of water after to help stave it off. He is good like that :-D

Littlemissmac - I do that too! Funny how we all do the same things sometimes even though its prolly not recommended or advised. It does work though.