'Urgent' sensations but not a UTI

[jackdawdawn]

Hello. I've never been prone to urine infections and am not in a relationship, but since about a week ago I've been experiencing some weird sensations with my bladder. It's like a UTI type sensation for a few minutes, but it hasn't developed into anything, and there is no acidity nor anything. It's just really annoying and uncomfortable & I just seem to be using the bathroom a lot. Which is going to be wonderful in a country where most public toilets are still locked up.

I am hoping to start HRT soon, hopefully transdermal. I'm guessing my problem is oestrogen-related, as I have numerous other meno symptoms, but does HRT actually help with this problem?

I have absolutely nothing useful to add when it comes to menopause but, in case you get on top of that and it persists, it might be Interstitial Cystitis.

I've only been on HRT about 10 days but already my own urgency seems to have decreased both in number of occasions and level of urgency.

@jackdawdawn It's called vaginal atrophy- there are lots of other threads here on it. It's not just the vagina but the bladder too that responds to estrogen and when estrogen falls off, there are these problems. The correct treatment is vaginal estrogen ( cream or small tablet inserted) used pretty much forever. Systemic hrt may help but lots of women use vaginal estrogen and not full hrt if they just have urogenital atrophy as it's called. Ask your GP for treatment for it.

Thanks for replies. I will look into the cream if it persists but hopefully HRT may do the trick as Spodge suggests. 🤞

Have you been tested for a UTI? I get them a couple of times a year and my only symptoms are frequency and an achy bladder. I never get pain/burning on weeing.

@tiredanddangerous Yes, I suppose I should eliminate that! I will get some test strips from the chemist. It comes and goes, though.

posted a similar thread yesterday - had what I thought was a uti after suffering some undercarriage discomfort a couple of months back. was prescribed antibiotics - 3 day course for possible uti by phone due to covid - no sample collected! Well the symptoms subsided, but was still a little discomfort ie burning sensation! Made another appointment and saw sympathic GP who diagnosed possible VA after an internal examination, where she said she saw changes resulting from menopause! Urine sample sent for testing - came back normal! prescribed Vagifem! Took the loading dose for two weeks, and after first week started to feel 90% normal again - then after reducing to x 2 a week the dryness and burning symptoms came back with avengence! Got another appointment next week for further investigations and some more Vagifem to take everyday to see if it settles down again ....... Still feel like I have a UTI burning and sometimes frequency ........ wish it would bugger off - hate to think this might be the new norm ....... it'll drive me nuts :(

Oh dear @Hellij59! It's strange your GP didn't give you a topical oestrogen cream to try if she witnessed menopausal dryness. Have you no other symptoms?

See @JinglingHellsBells post above. I think that cream can actually be bought without prescription in the UK as it's considered very low risk.

@jackdawdawn Ovestin (and Vagifem) are prescription only. Used it for 14 years.

@JinglingHellsBells I was looking at some online pharmacies based here in the UK, Superdrug etc, and apparently they will sell Ovestin to women subject to a health questionnaire which is filled in online and viewed by a doctor. With other forms of HRT, they will only sell if you have an existing prescription.

Oh well- news to me! I've never seen that before but then I've never looked. I wonder how the cost compares to one with a prescription? A lot of these sites charge a fortune. I pay for mine anyway as it's a private prescription and costs me around £7.

Yep as expected @jackdawdawn Price at Superdrug is £25!!!

The RRP including mark up for a private prescription is around £7.

That's a disgraceful rip off. Those companies have coined it in during the HRT shortages, I daresay.

I think they charge that because they know too many women are too embarrassed to ask their GP for help and fear being examined.

Yes, it's not exactly something you want to talk to a twenty-nine year old male about, is it?

Long waits to see a female GP, long waits to see any doctor these days - the appeal of having something discreetly delivered to your door is understandable.

looked at Superdrug the other night and one of the creams is £55 for an 80g tube - i nearly fell off my chair - what a rip off! Unless I read it wrong , but I don't think so!!