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[Dancinggirl]

AS a member of the 'Burning Club' I suffer with a burning urethra on a regular basis - I have now developed a full on UTI.  I went to see the practice nurse yesterday for a follow up appointment regarding local oestrogen (i'm using Vagifem) and discuss the fact my burning isn't really getting any better - in fact it's worse!!!! She examined me and I do have a small cystocele and thickening of the vaginal wall by the bladder. She took a vaginal sample to send off to see whether there is a vaginal infection and tested a urine sample which showed the presence of blood!!!
I was given a sample pot to take away because she wanted me to do a morning sample to be sent away for analysis.  I wasn't given antibiotics because I didn't have the constant urge to pee.
Anyway, started to feel the usual increase in burning throughout the evening, had a shower and went to bed around 10pm. Almost straight away I got the constant urge to pee and the burning increased a great deal. By 1pm I had lost count of how many times I'd had to go to the loo and it was impossible to sleep. I don't tend to switch on the light in the bathroom when I pee during the night but when at 3pm I thought I should take some painkillers and put on the light to find them, I noticed the pee in the loo was rather pink!! I've never had this before and I know this is the sign of a full UTI infection.
I've been given a 3 day course of Trimethoprim - I just hope this will do the trick.
I've got to go back with another urine sample in a week as she wants other things tested in case there are different factors at work.
She is being very thorough which I think is really good but I'm really worried I'm going to get ongoing problems with my bladder.
Any thoughts or advice ladies?
DG x

[CLKD]

Blood in the pee can also be a small blood vessel in the urethra - only a Lab analysis will tell which 'bug' it might be.  The meds you have been given should do the trick.

Could you discuss another form of treatment rather than Vagifem, I do well on Ortho-Gynest pessaries - 12 days followed by 3/4 days a week.

[Dancinggirl]

Thanks CLKD. Interesting that it could be a blood vessel in the urethra - that's perhaps ruptured? Hopefully further tests will reveal what's really going on?
I'm so used to having this retched burning I can never know whether it's a UTI or not. Isn't Ortho-Gynest the one that's being stopped? I've been emailing with Ancient runner who is trying the Estring and once I've had all the investigations and the infections have settled down I will try the Estring if I'm not getting progress with the Vagifem.  I have been using a dose of Ovestin along the Vagifem to see if that helped but I have found it irritates a bit and it's such a bother cleaning the applicator.
DG x

[Sarah2]

Can you drink a tiny bit of bicarb of soda in water? This does help dilute your wee and will take away the urge a bit- you can do this 3 x a day as long as you don't have high BP.

Some pain killers- aspirin and ibuprofen- can irritate the bladder because they are acidic. Same applies to spicy food- curries, chilli, and so on.

You should also give up on all things with caffeine, acidic fruit juices, and fizzy drinks for the same reason.

Hope you feel better !

[Mrs January]

Bless you

Try cranberry juice too hun as it helps with urinary symptoms and avoid all fragranced items for washing in the shower etc xx

[Sarah2]

Cranberry can make it worse at the time- it's too acidic and can burn the bladder.
It's best used as a preventative in between.

[CLKD]

Depends which web-site one reads, I have asked a Pharmacist friend who can find conflicting advice about whether: or not: Ortho Gynest is to be withdrawn 

[Dancinggirl]

Thank you everyone for help & support. Dgx

[honeybun]

The cranberry juice that you buy in a supermarket may taste nice but does nothing at all for your bladder. There is just not enough cranberry content and far too much sugar.
You can buy pure cranberry concentrate from health food shops. It's very expensive and needs to be carefully diluted but it really does help.


Honeyb
x

[Dancinggirl]

Thanks Honeybun.  I haven't been able to drink any fruit juices for many years as I always find my urethra burns even more. I believe that cranberry pills can be good?
My problem is, I have to pee at least twice every night ( my bladder is pretty full each time)and have done since having my children over 25 years ago so I try not to drink much after 6pm or my toilet trips will be even more.  I can go up to four hours between loo breaks during the day but I think lying down puts a pressure on my bladder and also I suspect I am not producing the hormone that stops the kidneys working while you sleep. Depriving myself of fluids in the evening may aggravate things and I'm not sure I'm even drinking enough during the day - I try to take in as much fluids as possible before 4pm - I recently kept a record for a few days and in winter I was taking in between a litre and a litre and a half per day.
While I was on full HRT my burning was better - I only got occasional bouts of burning and I would drink extra water (some with bicarb in) use loads of Multi-Gyn Actigel to get the acidity up in the vagina and this would usually do the trick. I use the Multi-gyn Actigel every night after my shower as a maintenance.
I came off full HRT and went on Vagifem 3 months ago and the burning episodes have got progressively worse. The burning urethra is really the only meno problem I'm getting now.
Apparently it can take up to a year for the fanny and bladder to get the benefit of local oestrogen!!
I was due to take my poor sister for yet another endoscopy today but I didn't feel safe to drive and her partner had to take her - it's such a horrid procedure for her and she likes me to be there because I stand up for her if the nurses and doctors are not seeing how poorly she is after the procedure - last time she was so sick afterwards she had to stay in for several days.  I am really frustrated that the burning urethra and bladder problems seem to be ruling my life but when I think about all the dreadful things my sister has to put up with I shouldn't complain.  DG x

[Hurdity]

Sorry to hear this Dancinggirl and sounds like another casualty of the sudden lack of oestrogen in your system. I do hope you get it sorted and not become ill with it, as well as having to put up with the urgency and burning. I know what you mean about applicators - that's why I don't use the estriol cream in this way - only for external use now and again.

CLKD - there is no conflicting information re Orthogynest pessaries. We've discussed this before:
http://www.pjonline.com/discontinued_products
Scroll down and you will find it.
I confirmed it when I phoned the manufacturers and reported what they said on here.
If you are still able to get it, it's because there are still stocks - just like with Vagifem 25 - but when it's gone it's gone. I would be delighted if this proved not to be the case but all the official info says otherwise.  Not good news!

Hurdity x

[Dandelion]

AS a member of the 'Burning Club' I suffer with a burning urethra on a regular basis - I have now developed a full on UTI.  I went to see the practice nurse yesterday for a follow up appointment regarding local oestrogen (i'm using Vagifem) and discuss the fact my burning isn't really getting any better - in fact it's worse!!!! She examined me and I do have a small cystocele and thickening of the vaginal wall by the bladder. She took a vaginal sample to send off to see whether there is a vaginal infection and tested a urine sample which showed the presence of blood!!!
I was given a sample pot to take away because she wanted me to do a morning sample to be sent away for analysis.  I wasn't given antibiotics because I didn't have the constant urge to pee.
Anyway, started to feel the usual increase in burning throughout the evening, had a shower and went to bed around 10pm. Almost straight away I got the constant urge to pee and the burning increased a great deal. By 1pm I had lost count of how many times I'd had to go to the loo and it was impossible to sleep. I don't tend to switch on the light in the bathroom when I pee during the night but when at 3pm I thought I should take some painkillers and put on the light to find them, I noticed the pee in the loo was rather pink!! I've never had this before and I know this is the sign of a full UTI infection.
I've been given a 3 day course of Trimethoprim - I just hope this will do the trick.
I've got to go back with another urine sample in a week as she wants other things tested in case there are different factors at work.
She is being very thorough which I think is really good but I'm really worried I'm going to get ongoing problems with my bladder.
Any thoughts or advice ladies?
DG x

Hi DG

I've no advice but I wanted to come on and say sorry you have got this burning and pink wee to deal with.
Best of luck in having success with your meds.
I also hope your sister makes a speedy recovery from her endoscopy.

D

[Sarah2]

Hi DG

Have you talked to your dr about this and been offered anything else except ABs or hormone creams?

Blood is a sign of inflamed bladder lining but that need not always be an infection- it could be inflammation from other causes such as food and drink and not having a very thick lining in the bladder ( which can be caused by too few hormones.)

If you have overactive bladder than you can take drugs for this.

Have you had a look at the www.cobfoundation.org website?
It's got different sections on bladder problems and you might find something there that helps or points you in the direction of more help.

Sorry if this is something you know about already.

Hope it eases soon.

x

[Dancinggirl]

Sarah2 - thank you - I will check out the link - I like to be well informed and so keen to learn anything that might help.  The nurse has sent off swobs and has asked me to do another urine sample next week to see if it shows anything untoward.  She has suggested that I be referred to a specialist if things don't settle down.
I am upping my Vagifem to 3 doses a week.

[Dancinggirl]

Sarah2
Just been looking at the site you recommended - really great info. I strongly suspect I am suffering from Interstitial Cystitis and that site has given me hope there may be some help available from a urologist. I just can't believe how much I have learned since tapping into all the ladies on this site.  Thanks again.. DG x