Blood in my urine - terrified

[HopefulRose]

found blood in my urine for the first time, it was streaks of fresh pink/ red. Have recently had a baby and become a mum for the first time, now really worried that I might have cancer and there might be something seriously wrong. Blood in urine is bladder cancer for one in five.

I’ve got to ring my GP for an urgent appointment tomorrow morning. Feeling absolutely terrified.

has anyone else any experience of this?

How recently have you given birth? Are you sure it's not related to that?

And that statistic shows that for 80% of women it is not cancer.

Have u had any other symptoms? Blood in urine can sometimes be infection / inflammation or even trauma to the urinary tract.

Best to get a sample and speak to your GP tomorrow x

Much more likely to be a UTI or related to giving birth. See what the GP says tomorrow.

Yes I have had it it was a urine infection had a course of antibiotics and it cleared up not had it again since

@JanglyBeads gave birth via c section nine weeks ago and any bleeding has cleared up. I know it isn’t the start of a period.

that’s a reassuring stat, thanks for sharing. Just feel so horribly worried and sad.

@Pipsickl hello, no I haven’t had any other symptoms. Weeing as normal. Some tummy pain where my abs are buried but not period or bladder related.

hoping I can speak to someone first thing

I can understand your panic, but honestly, it is FAR more likely to be something easily treatable. There are lots of reasons for blood in your urine and bladder cancer isn't the first thought.

That’s the stat that you posted yourself OP!

If one in 5 has bladder cancer, 4 in 5 do not- 4 in 5 is 80% 😀.

Do you have a history of health anxiety? Blood in urine is a very common symptom of UTIs. Of course symptoms should not be ignored, but you are are panicking unnecessarily here. Blame it on the sleep deprivation.

Congrats on the baby. How are things otherwise? Have you ever had health anxiety? I worry that you might have PND or health anxiety, as you immediately to jump to cancer as the cause rather than the MANY other reasons for blood in urine. How do you know its urinary blood and not uterine/vaginal?

Some causes might be a UTI, kidney stones or recent intercourse, which are far more common that cancer.

I would speak to your GP about the this, plus, discuss how you are feeling mentally post birth. I don't mean this in a bad/awful way, but feel you possibly need some support

I'm a GP, and while I cannot tell you specifically what is going on in your case, I can tell you that bladder cancer in women of childbearing age is vanishingly rare. There are many (non cancer) diagnosed which are much more likely here. See your GP but try your best in the meantime not to catastrophise

I don't wish to worry you but absolutely get this checked - I had blood on my urine, despite treatment with antibiotics it continued (I did test positive for a UTI initially). Fast forward a month and I've been diagnosed with bladder cancer. Chances are it's not this at all but please don't be fobbed off if you are worried xx

I will also add I am a fair bit older than you, well past childbearing age but I also don't fit the profile for bladder cancer (non smoker etc) its almost certainly not this but please get checked x

@HaveringWavering oh gosh so it is 🙈 blame my lack of sleep.

@MarmiteCoriander thank you. I’m happy and well otherwise. I feel very blessed to have my much wanted baby. I don’t have diagnosed health anxiety but I do have a tendency to worry a lot about health and that’s definitely stepped up a notch since baby arrived.

My DH lost both parents to cancer (lost his mum when he was a baby) and I guess I am worried about history repeating itself and my little baby being left without a mum too :(. Nearly lost my own mum to cancer last summer which was a close call. I’m worried the universe is sending me signs but I know how loopy that sounds!

I should talk to the doctor about these worries but I’m afraid that any anxiety/ MH worries might be used as an excuse not to investigate symptoms or it might mean that symptoms aren’t taken as seriously if that makes any sense at all.

@pbdr thank you - that is reassuring. Just hope I’m not the unlucky stat. What route of action is the doctor likely to take? Is there anything I should ask for?

@WakeyCakeyHeart I’m really sorry about your diagnosis. Thank you for sharing. Do you mind me asking what your symptoms were and how your experience was with getting a diagnosis?

Firstly, don't focus on it being cancer, I was the unlucky stat but even so had I not kept going back to the GP it may have been glossed over.

It was kidney area pain and blood coloured urine at the end of the wee. Not every time mind, just random but consistent over a 3 week period. Treated as a UTI which was confirmed on a urine dip. Dipped again 2 weeks later, all clear of infection but blood kept appearing so my practice fast tracked me for a cytoscopy 2 weeks ago and it was confirmed at that screening. I'm in for surgery in 2 weeks x

Just get checked and let us know how you get on. Xx

Wakey I'm sorry to hear of your diagnosis .

In the op's case I think it will be more likely a uti which are very, very common and the gp will no doubt send a sample off and start antibiotics. If it doesn't clear up then other tests will be carried out but women get uti's all the time. Drink plenty in the meantime op.

Please talk to your GP. The advantage of this symptom is that it can't be dismissed. So let the GP check for the usual things like infection (overwhelmingly the most likely reason), and then if the bleeding continues go back.

Based on the experience of DH I think you are getting good advice. As the GP above says, in your demographic this is very unlikely to be bladder cancer. But yes, as @WakeyCakeyHeart’s experience sadly shows, you absolutely must get this resolved.

DH also had a bladder cancer diagnosed under similar circs. We had not realised this, but if caught early about 80% of BCs can be successfully treated with a procedure called TURBT, possibly followed by localised therapy. And the outcomes are very good.

1. It very probably isn’t cancer.
2. In the unlikely event that it is, the treatment is likely much less severe than you might have expected

Hang in there

Thanks everyone. Doctors appointment tomorrow, will let you know how I get on

Have you been eating beetroot?

I had blood in my urine in my 30s. It was a UTI. I am in my 50s now

It happened every few months. I had a cystoscopy and it stopped happening for about 4 years. I then had another cystoscopy and it hasn't happened since.

The consultant said a cystoscopy often stops it happening.

Any chance you’ve had beetroot or ribena lately? Best to get checked but just thinking of innocuous explanations!

No haven’t had any Ribena or beetroot!

So went to the doctors today. Doctor seemed particularly unworried and basically told me to keep an eye on it. Urine sample today showed no blood in urine. So hopefully was just a strange one off?

Just fyi dd (adult) gets blood in her urine when she has UTIs and it sometimes continues afterwards when the infection has gone. The doctors have said her cells continue to be inflamed which is why she bleeds and when they give her anti inflammatories it goes away.

Hope you're feeling better now!