I suffered from very frequent, repeated UTIs with my ex. During the three years we were together, I tried low-dose antibiotics over an extended period of time (which worked while I was taking them and for a couple of months afterwards, but then it started again), homeopathic medicine, and of course ALL the "usual" stuff (cranberry etc etc etc).
We broke up at the end of February. Here I was hoping that would be the end of it, but alas no. I got an infection about three weeks ago with the "new one". Took a course of antibiotics. Gyno gave me some new plant-based medicine to try but wham, yet again I have an infection.
What is my next step? Please, please don't tell me to wipe front to back, wear cotton underwear etc. I know it's well-meaning advice but I've heard it so many times. I do everything I can to prevent them and nothing works. Has anyone else had this problem? What happened? Is there anything I can do or am I doomed to a life of agony every time I have sex? I'm desperate.
Have you tried a single dose antibiotic that you take in the evening?
A friend is in a bit of the same situation. She just tried this treatment and I think she had some success. Too early to know if this is a permanent solution or not since she just did it very recently.
Let me know if you have not tried this treatment and I will try to get the name of the antibiotic for you.
Are you sure that is an infection - as opposed to an irritation that could be causing inflammation ie: a something ...itis.
If it is an infection, what has it been identified as being? And has your partner been tested for it too? Awful shame if you are just getting reinfected all the time.
If you are sure it is infections, don't care of my post. But otherwise, I would recommend you to read this. Many, actually, too many women thing it is an infection when in fact it is vulvar vestibulitist .
I was getting repeated UTI's after having an IUD fitted, found out that it was from wearing pads/liners. Have to be very careful about which brand I choose, and only using them when absolutely necessary, otherwise I use cloths (very old fashioned, my grandma would have a bag of old 'rags' hanging on the back of the toilet door at her house, and they were burned after use...took me many years to realise, one day, what they were used for).
I also found that newer style antibiotics did not seem to work, so the lady doctor at Permanence in Zurich HB did a trial with old fashioned penicillin, and it worked...
Was the 'plant based' medicine you got a herbal thing made from 'Preiselbeeren' - berry ? I got one from the pharmacy too and I reckon it actually works really well. The pharmacy assistant calculated that the liquid had a higher dose of vitamin C in it than the capsules, and I'd put a teaspoon into a glass of orange juice...
I was diagnosed with bladder Infection and given antibiotic with negative resultes .A "Catscan" revealed a "Bladder Tumor " .As Nil said don`t take any risk .Bad news is I am OK,I don`t doo any body any favors
A problem is that when the penis enters the vagina it brings the surrounding muck with it, and during sex this gets into the urethra. You can try cleaning around both male and female areas with some anti-septic soap, and importantly, avoid oral sex. There exists a one time anti-biotic you can take after sex. Peeing after sex also helps, so take a large drink beforehand. Women are built wrongly, the input is too close to the outputs, and contamination is inevitable.
I don't know if there was any connection but I have never had a bout of cystitis since I had my appendix removed. Before the appendicitis I seemed to have cystitis at least 3 or 4 times a year.
15 years after having it removed, I've not had one episode of it.
Not saying having your appendix out is a solution but it could be a symptom of something connected somewhere.
Unfortunately, "pee before and after sex" is exactly the kind of advice I've heard a million times. I do absolutely everything possible to prevent these things, right up to not walking barefoot around the house. I don't think anyone could possibly give me any more advice on that front. I was really looking for people with experience of further courses of treatments. I have done the antibiotics thing. It works temporarily and then stops working. I have tried cranberry. Doesn't work. I had an ultrasound in January and it showed that there was nothing wrong there (no tumour etc).
One PM I received spoke about having the bladder stretched. This is the kind of thing I was looking for - experience past doing all the preventitive stuff, past the antibiotics and alternative medicine because none of this has worked for me.
Thank you again for replying, it does mean a lot. This forum really is full of lovely people.
Has there been a definite identification of the bacteria causing the infection? If not, there needs to be - some of the blighters are remarkably difficult to kill, and of course, if there aren't any bugs, then antibiotics won't help.
After voiding is there significant residual urine? If the bladder doesn't empty completely, then it makes it harder to kill all of the bacteria.
I am male, bladder infections aren't so common in males but I have to be very careful. I've had some problems, especially after becoming dehydrated through exercise of all kinds. I have found that a glass or two of water early in the morning - when the body is cleaning itself anyway, and then a glass before eating anything at lunchtime, seems to take care of the problem.
Every time the urine has been analysed in a lab it's been the usual bastard - E.coli.
My ultrasound scan showed some residual urine but honestly, I sit there and push out everything I can, wait a while then push a bit more but I can't do more than that!
Sadly, if it was that simple, I wouldn't have posted this thread. I drink litres and litres every day. Glad this works for you, though! One less person suffering from it is always good to hear.
It's possible to have residual urine of over 200ml and feel no urge to void at all. It can be quite a serious medical condition, but I'm sure your doctor would have picked it up.
If you don't feel the need to go, it doesn't mean your empty. In severe cases, it can mean having to self-catheterize - but that process in itself is prone to causing infections. For men, incomplete emptying is often caused by enlarged prostate - not likely to be an issue in your case! But if the bladder isn't being properly emptied, and there's enough residual, it could be the cause of the problem.
Nah, but on a serious note, my Dad told me it was a common problem amongst the men during his time in the Russian military service. He said it was because they were constantly dehydrated and didnt get enough drinking water.