Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Postmenopause => Topic started by: Brownie on January 14, 2024, 08:22:09 AM
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Hi ladies
Hope some of you experienced ladies can help. Do anyone of you find that acidic drinks (cranberry juice/tea/coffee etc) or fruit itself can cause bladder flares/pain/frequency etc. I have been diagnosed with a inflamed bladder but think it's due to the lack of estrogen. I'm in a bladder flare just now (think it's due to cranberry juice I drunk) so plan today just to drink water.
Also are there things that you used to be able to eat/drink that you can't now?
I'm using estriol 0.01 nightly at the moment + have just started on everol conti also for dryness/anxiety. Do any of you think that you can get too much estrogen + if so could that have negative consequences?
Hoping for some pain free days ahead for us all 🙏
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I've read (and found through experience) that coffee, which is also acidic, irritates my bladder if I drink it first thing in the morning. I now have a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon (which isn't acidic once ingested) and a banana before having my first coffee and it doesn't effect me. Perhaps you could try liming your tummy first. Plus perhaps diluting the juice with a little water.
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Yeah I had diluted the cranberry juice + it's fruit squash I tend to drink but I had a couple of glasses of cranberry juice yesterday+ later yesterday/through the night experiencing frequency + pain.
Is it because our bladders are estrogen deficient that the acid causes pain etc ?
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Yeah I had diluted the cranberry juice + it's fruit squash I tend to drink but I had a couple of glasses of cranberry juice yesterday+ later yesterday/through the night experiencing frequency + pain.
Is it because our bladders are estrogen deficient that the acid causes pain etc ?
Not sure tbh, but I think they can be bladder irritants regardless.
Yes it is possible to have too much estrogen but the dose in vaginal estrogen is tiny and I don't think too high estrogen would cause bladder issues, more the opposite. Perhaps you need to be on both for longer to see a difference I've read on here that it takes awhile to see an improvement.
One thing to bear in mind is that progrsterone can make you wee more, so could it possibly be the progrsterone part of the conti? I don't know much about that type of hrt as I am on a sequi regime, but with the 12 days of progesterone, I have much more frequent urination.
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I would suggest a change of vaginal atrophy treatment to 'ovestin' .
Cranberry juice as mentioned previously, has no peer reviewed research to suggest that it aids bladder symptoms.
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Thank you penguin/CLKD
I'm pretty sure it's the cranberry irritating me so stepping away from that today.
I have some 'out of date ' ovestin in the house + didn't realise the amount was so much less than the estriol 0.01.
Do you still find it's quite 'lubricating' . I tried vagifem previously but didn't really like it. Xx
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Yes I think ovestin is lubricating. Acidic drinks I find can cause irritation, also red wine, alcohol such as spirits, cider, spicy food. Good luck x
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Ovestin is 0.1% estriol.
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Thanks
Its annoyingly having to pee frequently but more the pain that's getting me down. Hopefully drinking lots of water today will help 🙏
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Hi Brownie
Coffee can definitely be an irritant to the bladder. I love it, but have to limit how much I drink, if I'm in a flare - I find it very hard to cut it out completely!
Cranberry juice, as has already been mentioned, has no proven benefit to the bladder and is also acidic, so is definitely best avoided. I don't know if you've tried D-Mannose to assist with bladder infection / symptoms? It's probably worth a try - it doesn't help everyone, but when it does it can make a huge difference.
As a short-term measure you can make your urine less acidic by taking bicarbonate of soda (a small teaspoonful in a large glass of water). I find it can be can be transformative when things are really bad. There are caveats with bicarb - people who have e.g. heart failure or liver issues shouldn't use it - maybe have a Google first and see what you think.
In the longer term, vaginal estrogen is the way to go as it is so effective for treating bladder issues, either Ovestin or Vagifem (or Estring, although GPs seem not to be very familiar with it). I use Vagifem and had to abandon Ovestin as I found that it irritated my vulva, but if you get on with it, either Vagifem or Ovestin should be helpful. It can take a while to start working, though.
I hope you get some relief soon - it's miserable, isn't it.
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Thanks, yeah I've tried the bicarbonate of soda before but didn't do much. I've been told to drink milk as that can help with acidity.
I've been on the 0.01 estriol for nearly 3 years now but maybe a change is what I need.
I've tried d mannose but irritated me too.
Just want the pain to go away 😞
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Do up the amount of VA treatment U R using to every night. When I get the need2P symptoms I take 2 Nurofen 3 times a day to ease symptoms.
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Yeah I'm using estriol every night but don't know if a change in estrogen might help.Xx
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CLKD, am I right you are a ovestin user ?
Have you every used the 0.01 cream ? I'm just wondering if it might be worthwhile trying ovestin. Am I right it is a much smaller (more concentrated ) amount than the estriol ? Have you got on well using it or experienced any irritation from it ?
I have tried vagifem B4 but felt it was quite drying.
Thanks
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Yep, 'ovestin' suits me.
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CLKD, am I right you are a ovestin user ?
Have you every used the 0.01 cream ? I'm just wondering if it might be worthwhile trying ovestin. Am I right it is a much smaller (more concentrated ) amount than the estriol ? Have you got on well using it or experienced any irritation from it ?
I have tried vagifem B4 but felt it was quite drying.
Thanks
Brownie - Yes the Ovestin is a physically smaller amount - it looks far less than the 0.01% Estriol cream.
Seems to work ok though.