Dehydration-related cystitis symptoms?

[PerpetualStudent]

I'm 15 weeks and on and off for the past month I've been having an odd symptom.

About a month ago I noticed my wee getting cloudy and the first stirrings of cystitis (I get it fairly regularly in 'normal' circumstances) so popped off to the Drs However, they tested and didn't find anything.

Since then it's mostly been fine, but I've noticed whenever I've not had much water - often first thing in the morning - I'll get what feels a lot like cystitis - needing to pee when I don't, and a general 'uncomfortable' feeling down there. Once I top up on water it goes away - usually within an hour. A couple of times it's been uncomfortable enough to pop a paracetemol, but again once I've drunk a load of water it goes away. This doesn't happen every day, maybe one in 3 or 4.

I've had a busy month, so hadn't given this masses of thought until now - I'm now very worried this is a sign of some recurring infection and by ignoring/managing it in this way I've caused some damage

I'm going to the Drs again ASAP, but I wondered if anyone has experienced similar symptoms, and what the outcome was?

Did they test your urine with instant dipstick or did you have to wait a couple of days for results? I had a uti that wasn't picked up by former, only latter. It was E. coli and needed penicillin.

Oh gosh, that sounds scary! Do tou know how long did you have it before they picked it up? Was it all ok?

Sorry, hope that makes sense with my garbled phone-typing!?

They don't always pick it up straight away - i had symptoms for a couple of days then two tests 12 hours apart and the infection was only picked up on the second test.

I too get regular UTIs and even when on low dose profolactic ABs I can get a suppressed, but not cleared infection. Only sign is nitrogen on the dipstick.

I hope the GP listens to you instead of just looking at the crude dipstick.

It might sound daft but do you drink a lot of tea?

Like you, I get regular UTIs under normal circumstances (only one so far this pregnancy, thank goodness) and from time to time I find my bladder is really sensitive to the tannin in black tea, sometimes with cystitis like symptoms. It seems to be more sensitive in pregnancy so I have to limit when and where I drink tea - I can't quite go without my fix but I need regular access to the loo!

Redbush tea, herbal teas and coffee are all fine, it is the tannin that seems to be the problem.

Thanks everyone! Im now feeling pretty annoyed to have been fobbed off my by GP! Luckily I've now moved & about to register with a place with rave NHS reviews, so hopefully they'll be more helpful - what's the second test I need to ask for?

Not sure on the test you need but just to say you really need to get it sorted. I felt like you towards end of pregnancy but it never developed into the 'normal' feeling of painful cystitis - it just came and went - so I assumed it was fine. Turns out I did have a uti and had to have my bladder very painfully emptied during labour a couple of times, with a catheter. So listen to your instinct! I was drinking a ton of water towards the end and going to the loo loads, I think the baby was just pressing down so much I hadn't been able to fully empty and the infection came from that. Or I think that's what the mw told me in my addled state!
Hope you feel better soon

Hi perpetual, sorry to scare you. The E. coli is a common uti and mine was easily treated with antibiotics. The test results took two days as they have to send it off to lab. Not sure how long I'd had it and it was only mildly uncomfortable, but they like to treat it ASAP to stop anything spreading to your kidneys and becoming painful and more tricky to treat in pregnancy.
Am sure your new gp or midwife will do this for you.

Thanks everyone! Think this has just caught me on an anxious day!!
Will be chasing up my GP to look at this ASAP!
Im not much of a tea drinker o000o, but I have been having lots more sugary drinks I guess (when I've been feeling queasy & when I'd normally be drinking wine!) So perhaps that is having a similar effect... will report back!

I'm so sorry - should have remembered this earlier - my GP told me that UTIs can be asymptomatic (ie with none or only some of the usual symptoms) in pregnancy, so I should be extra vigilant. Do push for a proper urine test - good luck!

Update - after a lot of back and forth in which my new GPs refused to see me until I had a booking in appointment (earliest available - Mon 15th), my old GPs had no appointments, the midwife didn't pick up her phone and the maternity unit said they couldn't see me until 18 weeks I did my usual dance of Joy at the level of NHS care took maternity unit's advice and went to A&E.

They tested, found no sign of UTI in urine (but did find proteins, what's that about?) but the wonderful doctor who is my new best friend prescribed me antibiotics anyway "as it's better to be safe with UTIs in pregnancy" (smile)

Thank goodness I'm a student and can afford to piss away days like this!

Hilariously, my cat also has cystitis right now (who knew they even got it?!) so we're currently snuggled up recovering together!

Ah glad it's sorted perpetual. Your cat sounds very comrades-in-arms

Thanks :)
DP told me today some of the cat's pills are to 'help her with stress'. I could do with some of those! She looks pretty blissed out, but isn't sharing!