Bladder infections

[Julie Bove]

Anyone here get them? If so, how did you get rid of it?

I think I have had this for a lot longer than I realized. My life has been
a whirlwind of chaos ever since I had to dial 911 for my dad. Since then I
have often been on the road, going places, not home and before I knew I had
the infection, probably not drinking nearly enough fluids or using the
toilet enough.

I do remember though that I drove my daughter nuts on Black Friday because
we were out shopping at various places and I had to use the bathroom
constantly! I should have taken this as a sign. I do remember thinking it
was odd because I hadn't had much to drink at all that day. The odd thing
was at that point in time there was no pain or discomfort at all. Just the
need to go all the time.

Then without going into the long and convoluted story as I to why I thought
this could be, I wrongly assumed that I had a yeast infection. Treated
myself for it, but the symptoms were not getting better. Basically itching
not only in the genital area but all over my body except for oddly enough
the soles of my feet. And irritation when I urinated. However, when I had
UTIs prior, there was always burning when I urinated. I did not have that
this time and it was the same feeling of irritation I got occasionally with
a yeast infection or what I assumed to be a yeast infection.

So imagine my surprise when the Dr. told me that I actually had a bladder
infection! She put me on Cipro and although I felt some better for the
first few days on it, towards the end, I began to feel really bad again. I
had a feeling of fullness and irritation around the area where my panties
are in the front. And extreme chilling. I have actually been having that
for months but assumed it was my age and the weather. Bought several new
pairs of warm boots and a shawl. Then there was the exhaustion which I
assumed was due to stress. Guess not. It's not like me to take frequent
naps but I was finding that no amount of sleep was enough.

So then to make matters worse, after I finished the Cipro, I did an OTC test
kit which apparently was bad. I think it was called VH. I did look up the
reviews for it and most people said that it didn't work. It checked for
protein in the urine and nitrites. I did two tests. Nothing. So I did
nothing until the urgency to use the toilet drove me nuts. Bought the Azo
kit that I have used for my daughter in the past. The leukocyte thing
immediately turned as dark purple as it could get. But no nitrites.
Because this was over Christmas, I did nothing. The Drs. office was closed
and although I could have gone to the ER, the only pharmacy I knew of that
was open was Walgreen's and they don't take my insurance.

So back to the Dr. I went. The new labs showed basically the same thing but
now with a trace of blood in the urine. There was bacteria and white blood
cells. Now what kind of bacteria I do not know. They didn't tell me. This
time was put on Macrobid and that prescription stuff for pain. I had tried
the Azo stuff for pain and it wasn't strong enough to do a danged thing.

So for the few couple of days while I was on the pain stuff, I did feel
better. Urinating was weird though because I couldn't feel myself doing it.
And it has all been downhill from there. Each day I seem to be a little
worse. I did do the Azo test again and it didn't turn as dark of a purple
so I assumed that the meds might be helping but that it would take a while.

I also added cranberry capsules, D Mannose and of course am eating
cranberries, drinking some unsweetened juice (but I have to be careful with
these things as I am diabetic) and drinking as much water as I can. Also
tried a high dose of vitamin C for a day but am backing off on that since I
read that it can skew test results. I just did another test and it is still
showing some purple like it did the other day. Oh and... I normally take a
variety of things to prevent fungal infections such as oil of oregano,
caprylic acid, grapefruit seed oil and a probiotic. I doubled my dose of
probiotic because I am prone to yeast infections while on antibiotics. And
I do normally take quite a bit of vitamin C but perhaps not enough to knock
out a bladder infection. But what that dose might be does vary depending on
the source of the information.

I am going nuts right now. Have to use the toilet about three times in an
hour. If I try to sleep, I can't stay asleep for more than about an hour so
I have to get up and go.

I do know all the stuff you are supposed to do if you have sex but...
Seeing as how my husband had to move to NY for a job and as I told the Dr.
when I asked, no...I am not seeing anyone on the side, that isn't an issue.
I do know how to wipe and keep clean and all of that. The only thing I am
probably doing that I shouldn't is drinking some Diet Coke but only because
I am so exhausted. I did read that caffeine can irritate the bladder. But
I am drinking far less than I usually do! I am mostly trying to drink
water. I also ate spicy foods a couple of times but not sure if that made
things worse. And I am trying to cut back on the black pepper which I love!

I will for sure go back to the Dr. again tomorrow unless I have some drastic
change overnight. Which I doubt. And in looking this stuff up online, I
have read that menopause can cause this. Of course so can diabetes. And I
have been seeing a few numbers in the 300's. I know that was not caused by
what I ate. My last period was in May so not quite in Menopause yet. The
Dr. did say that I might need to see my gyno which I thought was odd. I
don't actually have one. I was letting my GP handle all of that stuff
because when I did try to get into a gyno when I had that 18 day period,
none would see me right away unless I was pregnant. Which obviously I would
not be with an 18 day period! I have switched Drs. since then and I think
there is a gyno at the clinic I go to now.

Anyway... Is there anything else I could be doing to make this blasted
thing go away? I don't really want to be on antibiotics forever, and they
really aren't helping. But then I also know that perhaps they didn't put me
on the right ones. Thanks!

Oh! And I should add that I am not overly prone to UTIs. The last one I
had was about 30 years ago and it was a bad one. Wound up spreading to my
kidneys and I had to take three rounds of antibiotics (different ones).
Prior to that I only had maybe two of them. One as a child and another as
an adult, both from using bubble bath which we no longer allow in our home.
We also do not take baths. Daughter was getting a ton of UTIs some years
back and in her case it was linked to constipation (which is not my problem)
and caffeine. She seems to have outgrown the caffeine thing.

[n***@yahoo.com]

Post by Julie Bove
Anyone here get them? If so, how did you get rid of it?
I think I have had this for a lot longer than I realized. My life has been
a whirlwind of chaos ever since I had to dial 911 for my dad. Since then I
have often been on the road, going places, not home and before I knew I had
the infection, probably not drinking nearly enough fluids or using the
toilet enough.
I do remember though that I drove my daughter nuts on Black Friday because
we were out shopping at various places and I had to use the bathroom
constantly! I should have taken this as a sign. I do remember thinking it
was odd because I hadn't had much to drink at all that day. The odd thing
was at that point in time there was no pain or discomfort at all. Just the
need to go all the time.
Then without going into the long and convoluted story as I to why I thought
this could be, I wrongly assumed that I had a yeast infection. Treated
myself for it, but the symptoms were not getting better. Basically itching
not only in the genital area but all over my body except for oddly enough
the soles of my feet. And irritation when I urinated. However, when I had
UTIs prior, there was always burning when I urinated. I did not have that
this time and it was the same feeling of irritation I got occasionally with
a yeast infection or what I assumed to be a yeast infection.
So imagine my surprise when the Dr. told me that I actually had a bladder
infection! She put me on Cipro and although I felt some better for the
first few days on it, towards the end, I began to feel really bad again. I
had a feeling of fullness and irritation around the area where my panties
are in the front. And extreme chilling. I have actually been having that
for months but assumed it was my age and the weather. Bought several new
pairs of warm boots and a shawl. Then there was the exhaustion which I
assumed was due to stress. Guess not. It's not like me to take frequent
naps but I was finding that no amount of sleep was enough.
So then to make matters worse, after I finished the Cipro, I did an OTC test
kit which apparently was bad. I think it was called VH. I did look up the
reviews for it and most people said that it didn't work. It checked for
protein in the urine and nitrites. I did two tests. Nothing. So I did
nothing until the urgency to use the toilet drove me nuts. Bought the Azo
kit that I have used for my daughter in the past. The leukocyte thing
immediately turned as dark purple as it could get. But no nitrites.
Because this was over Christmas, I did nothing. The Drs. office was closed
and although I could have gone to the ER, the only pharmacy I knew of that
was open was Walgreen's and they don't take my insurance.
So back to the Dr. I went. The new labs showed basically the same thing but
now with a trace of blood in the urine. There was bacteria and white blood
cells. Now what kind of bacteria I do not know. They didn't tell me. This
time was put on Macrobid and that prescription stuff for pain. I had tried
the Azo stuff for pain and it wasn't strong enough to do a danged thing.
So for the few couple of days while I was on the pain stuff, I did feel
better. Urinating was weird though because I couldn't feel myself doing it.
And it has all been downhill from there. Each day I seem to be a little
worse. I did do the Azo test again and it didn't turn as dark of a purple
so I assumed that the meds might be helping but that it would take a while.
I also added cranberry capsules, D Mannose and of course am eating
cranberries, drinking some unsweetened juice (but I have to be careful with
these things as I am diabetic) and drinking as much water as I can. Also
tried a high dose of vitamin C for a day but am backing off on that since I
read that it can skew test results. I just did another test and it is still
showing some purple like it did the other day. Oh and... I normally take a
variety of things to prevent fungal infections such as oil of oregano,
caprylic acid, grapefruit seed oil and a probiotic. I doubled my dose of
probiotic because I am prone to yeast infections while on antibiotics. And
I do normally take quite a bit of vitamin C but perhaps not enough to knock
out a bladder infection. But what that dose might be does vary depending on
the source of the information.
I am going nuts right now. Have to use the toilet about three times in an
hour. If I try to sleep, I can't stay asleep for more than about an hour so
I have to get up and go.
I do know all the stuff you are supposed to do if you have sex but...
Seeing as how my husband had to move to NY for a job and as I told the Dr.
when I asked, no...I am not seeing anyone on the side, that isn't an issue.
I do know how to wipe and keep clean and all of that. The only thing I am
probably doing that I shouldn't is drinking some Diet Coke but only because
I am so exhausted. I did read that caffeine can irritate the bladder. But
I am drinking far less than I usually do! I am mostly trying to drink
water. I also ate spicy foods a couple of times but not sure if that made
things worse. And I am trying to cut back on the black pepper which I love!
I will for sure go back to the Dr. again tomorrow unless I have some drastic
change overnight. Which I doubt. And in looking this stuff up online, I
have read that menopause can cause this. Of course so can diabetes. And I
have been seeing a few numbers in the 300's. I know that was not caused by
what I ate. My last period was in May so not quite in Menopause yet. The
Dr. did say that I might need to see my gyno which I thought was odd. I
don't actually have one. I was letting my GP handle all of that stuff
because when I did try to get into a gyno when I had that 18 day period,
none would see me right away unless I was pregnant. Which obviously I would
not be with an 18 day period! I have switched Drs. since then and I think
there is a gyno at the clinic I go to now.
Anyway... Is there anything else I could be doing to make this blasted
thing go away? I don't really want to be on antibiotics forever, and they
really aren't helping. But then I also know that perhaps they didn't put me
on the right ones. Thanks!
Oh! And I should add that I am not overly prone to UTIs. The last one I
had was about 30 years ago and it was a bad one. Wound up spreading to my
kidneys and I had to take three rounds of antibiotics (different ones).
Prior to that I only had maybe two of them. One as a child and another as
an adult, both from using bubble bath which we no longer allow in our home.
We also do not take baths. Daughter was getting a ton of UTIs some years
back and in her case it was linked to constipation (which is not my problem)
and caffeine. She seems to have outgrown the caffeine thing.

DAMN. I have very little wisdom to offer, but....damn.
I get bladder infections once in a long while and even the most
ordinary one is wretched, so UGH. Such strong antibiotics
ought to kill anything, but it sounds like it could be getting better,
just absurdly slowly. I'd ask about the other supplements
(the oregano, etc) in case any of them are associated with
cystitis-like symptoms.

But i know practically nothing - this was more an excuse to
offer sympathy! Not only about that, but about gynos who really
don't think anything besides pregnancy is urgent enough
to work in an appointment for a woman.

Hope somebody has a better idea.

[Julie Bove]

Post by n***@yahoo.com

Post by Julie Bove
Anyone here get them? If so, how did you get rid of it?
I think I have had this for a lot longer than I realized. My life has been
a whirlwind of chaos ever since I had to dial 911 for my dad. Since then I
have often been on the road, going places, not home and before I knew I had
the infection, probably not drinking nearly enough fluids or using the
toilet enough.
I do remember though that I drove my daughter nuts on Black Friday because
we were out shopping at various places and I had to use the bathroom
constantly! I should have taken this as a sign. I do remember thinking it
was odd because I hadn't had much to drink at all that day. The odd thing
was at that point in time there was no pain or discomfort at all. Just the
need to go all the time.
Then without going into the long and convoluted story as I to why I thought
this could be, I wrongly assumed that I had a yeast infection. Treated
myself for it, but the symptoms were not getting better. Basically itching
not only in the genital area but all over my body except for oddly enough
the soles of my feet. And irritation when I urinated. However, when I had
UTIs prior, there was always burning when I urinated. I did not have that
this time and it was the same feeling of irritation I got occasionally with
a yeast infection or what I assumed to be a yeast infection.
So imagine my surprise when the Dr. told me that I actually had a bladder
infection! She put me on Cipro and although I felt some better for the
first few days on it, towards the end, I began to feel really bad again.
I
had a feeling of fullness and irritation around the area where my panties
are in the front. And extreme chilling. I have actually been having that
for months but assumed it was my age and the weather. Bought several new
pairs of warm boots and a shawl. Then there was the exhaustion which I
assumed was due to stress. Guess not. It's not like me to take frequent
naps but I was finding that no amount of sleep was enough.
So then to make matters worse, after I finished the Cipro, I did an OTC test
kit which apparently was bad. I think it was called VH. I did look up the
reviews for it and most people said that it didn't work. It checked for
protein in the urine and nitrites. I did two tests. Nothing. So I did
nothing until the urgency to use the toilet drove me nuts. Bought the Azo
kit that I have used for my daughter in the past. The leukocyte thing
immediately turned as dark purple as it could get. But no nitrites.
Because this was over Christmas, I did nothing. The Drs. office was closed
and although I could have gone to the ER, the only pharmacy I knew of that
was open was Walgreen's and they don't take my insurance.
So back to the Dr. I went. The new labs showed basically the same thing but
now with a trace of blood in the urine. There was bacteria and white blood
cells. Now what kind of bacteria I do not know. They didn't tell me.
This
time was put on Macrobid and that prescription stuff for pain. I had tried
the Azo stuff for pain and it wasn't strong enough to do a danged thing.
So for the few couple of days while I was on the pain stuff, I did feel
better. Urinating was weird though because I couldn't feel myself doing it.
And it has all been downhill from there. Each day I seem to be a little
worse. I did do the Azo test again and it didn't turn as dark of a purple
so I assumed that the meds might be helping but that it would take a while.
I also added cranberry capsules, D Mannose and of course am eating
cranberries, drinking some unsweetened juice (but I have to be careful with
these things as I am diabetic) and drinking as much water as I can. Also
tried a high dose of vitamin C for a day but am backing off on that since I
read that it can skew test results. I just did another test and it is still
showing some purple like it did the other day. Oh and... I normally take a
variety of things to prevent fungal infections such as oil of oregano,
caprylic acid, grapefruit seed oil and a probiotic. I doubled my dose of
probiotic because I am prone to yeast infections while on antibiotics.
And
I do normally take quite a bit of vitamin C but perhaps not enough to knock
out a bladder infection. But what that dose might be does vary depending on
the source of the information.
I am going nuts right now. Have to use the toilet about three times in an
hour. If I try to sleep, I can't stay asleep for more than about an hour so
I have to get up and go.
I do know all the stuff you are supposed to do if you have sex but...
Seeing as how my husband had to move to NY for a job and as I told the Dr.
when I asked, no...I am not seeing anyone on the side, that isn't an issue.
I do know how to wipe and keep clean and all of that. The only thing I am
probably doing that I shouldn't is drinking some Diet Coke but only because
I am so exhausted. I did read that caffeine can irritate the bladder.
But
I am drinking far less than I usually do! I am mostly trying to drink
water. I also ate spicy foods a couple of times but not sure if that made
things worse. And I am trying to cut back on the black pepper which I love!
I will for sure go back to the Dr. again tomorrow unless I have some drastic
change overnight. Which I doubt. And in looking this stuff up online, I
have read that menopause can cause this. Of course so can diabetes. And I
have been seeing a few numbers in the 300's. I know that was not caused by
what I ate. My last period was in May so not quite in Menopause yet.
The
Dr. did say that I might need to see my gyno which I thought was odd. I
don't actually have one. I was letting my GP handle all of that stuff
because when I did try to get into a gyno when I had that 18 day period,
none would see me right away unless I was pregnant. Which obviously I would
not be with an 18 day period! I have switched Drs. since then and I think
there is a gyno at the clinic I go to now.
Anyway... Is there anything else I could be doing to make this blasted
thing go away? I don't really want to be on antibiotics forever, and they
really aren't helping. But then I also know that perhaps they didn't put me
on the right ones. Thanks!
Oh! And I should add that I am not overly prone to UTIs. The last one I
had was about 30 years ago and it was a bad one. Wound up spreading to my
kidneys and I had to take three rounds of antibiotics (different ones).
Prior to that I only had maybe two of them. One as a child and another as
an adult, both from using bubble bath which we no longer allow in our home.
We also do not take baths. Daughter was getting a ton of UTIs some years
back and in her case it was linked to constipation (which is not my problem)
and caffeine. She seems to have outgrown the caffeine thing.

DAMN. I have very little wisdom to offer, but....damn.
I get bladder infections once in a long while and even the most
ordinary one is wretched, so UGH. Such strong antibiotics
ought to kill anything, but it sounds like it could be getting better,
just absurdly slowly. I'd ask about the other supplements
(the oregano, etc) in case any of them are associated with
cystitis-like symptoms.
But i know practically nothing - this was more an excuse to
offer sympathy! Not only about that, but about gynos who really
don't think anything besides pregnancy is urgent enough
to work in an appointment for a woman.
Hope somebody has a better idea.
--
pax,
ruth

Just came from the Dr. I have yet to actually see my labs but she said
there wasn't enough bacteria to say that it's an outright infection.
Prescribed another antibiotic plus a yeast med but said if it doesn't clear
that I may need estrogen cream and she can't prescribe that. Hafta see GP.
Am currently on hold with customer service because the person at the desk
said she can't take my insurance.

[Julie Bove]

Post by Julie Bove

Post by n***@yahoo.com

Post by Julie Bove
Anyone here get them? If so, how did you get rid of it?
I think I have had this for a lot longer than I realized. My life has been
a whirlwind of chaos ever since I had to dial 911 for my dad. Since then I
have often been on the road, going places, not home and before I knew I had
the infection, probably not drinking nearly enough fluids or using the
toilet enough.
I do remember though that I drove my daughter nuts on Black Friday because
we were out shopping at various places and I had to use the bathroom
constantly! I should have taken this as a sign. I do remember thinking it
was odd because I hadn't had much to drink at all that day. The odd thing
was at that point in time there was no pain or discomfort at all. Just the
need to go all the time.
Then without going into the long and convoluted story as I to why I thought
this could be, I wrongly assumed that I had a yeast infection. Treated
myself for it, but the symptoms were not getting better. Basically itching
not only in the genital area but all over my body except for oddly enough
the soles of my feet. And irritation when I urinated. However, when I had
UTIs prior, there was always burning when I urinated. I did not have that
this time and it was the same feeling of irritation I got occasionally with
a yeast infection or what I assumed to be a yeast infection.
So imagine my surprise when the Dr. told me that I actually had a bladder
infection! She put me on Cipro and although I felt some better for the
first few days on it, towards the end, I began to feel really bad again.
I
had a feeling of fullness and irritation around the area where my panties
are in the front. And extreme chilling. I have actually been having that
for months but assumed it was my age and the weather. Bought several new
pairs of warm boots and a shawl. Then there was the exhaustion which I
assumed was due to stress. Guess not. It's not like me to take frequent
naps but I was finding that no amount of sleep was enough.
So then to make matters worse, after I finished the Cipro, I did an OTC test
kit which apparently was bad. I think it was called VH. I did look up the
reviews for it and most people said that it didn't work. It checked for
protein in the urine and nitrites. I did two tests. Nothing. So I did
nothing until the urgency to use the toilet drove me nuts. Bought the Azo
kit that I have used for my daughter in the past. The leukocyte thing
immediately turned as dark purple as it could get. But no nitrites.
Because this was over Christmas, I did nothing. The Drs. office was closed
and although I could have gone to the ER, the only pharmacy I knew of that
was open was Walgreen's and they don't take my insurance.
So back to the Dr. I went. The new labs showed basically the same thing but
now with a trace of blood in the urine. There was bacteria and white blood
cells. Now what kind of bacteria I do not know. They didn't tell me.
This
time was put on Macrobid and that prescription stuff for pain. I had tried
the Azo stuff for pain and it wasn't strong enough to do a danged thing.
So for the few couple of days while I was on the pain stuff, I did feel
better. Urinating was weird though because I couldn't feel myself doing it.
And it has all been downhill from there. Each day I seem to be a little
worse. I did do the Azo test again and it didn't turn as dark of a purple
so I assumed that the meds might be helping but that it would take a while.
I also added cranberry capsules, D Mannose and of course am eating
cranberries, drinking some unsweetened juice (but I have to be careful with
these things as I am diabetic) and drinking as much water as I can.
Also
tried a high dose of vitamin C for a day but am backing off on that since I
read that it can skew test results. I just did another test and it is still
showing some purple like it did the other day. Oh and... I normally take a
variety of things to prevent fungal infections such as oil of oregano,
caprylic acid, grapefruit seed oil and a probiotic. I doubled my dose of
probiotic because I am prone to yeast infections while on antibiotics.
And
I do normally take quite a bit of vitamin C but perhaps not enough to knock
out a bladder infection. But what that dose might be does vary depending on
the source of the information.
I am going nuts right now. Have to use the toilet about three times in an
hour. If I try to sleep, I can't stay asleep for more than about an hour so
I have to get up and go.
I do know all the stuff you are supposed to do if you have sex but...
Seeing as how my husband had to move to NY for a job and as I told the Dr.
when I asked, no...I am not seeing anyone on the side, that isn't an issue.
I do know how to wipe and keep clean and all of that. The only thing I am
probably doing that I shouldn't is drinking some Diet Coke but only because
I am so exhausted. I did read that caffeine can irritate the bladder.
But
I am drinking far less than I usually do! I am mostly trying to drink
water. I also ate spicy foods a couple of times but not sure if that made
things worse. And I am trying to cut back on the black pepper which I love!
I will for sure go back to the Dr. again tomorrow unless I have some drastic
change overnight. Which I doubt. And in looking this stuff up online, I
have read that menopause can cause this. Of course so can diabetes.
And I
have been seeing a few numbers in the 300's. I know that was not caused by
what I ate. My last period was in May so not quite in Menopause yet.
The
Dr. did say that I might need to see my gyno which I thought was odd. I
don't actually have one. I was letting my GP handle all of that stuff
because when I did try to get into a gyno when I had that 18 day period,
none would see me right away unless I was pregnant. Which obviously I would
not be with an 18 day period! I have switched Drs. since then and I think
there is a gyno at the clinic I go to now.
Anyway... Is there anything else I could be doing to make this blasted
thing go away? I don't really want to be on antibiotics forever, and they
really aren't helping. But then I also know that perhaps they didn't put me
on the right ones. Thanks!
Oh! And I should add that I am not overly prone to UTIs. The last one I
had was about 30 years ago and it was a bad one. Wound up spreading to my
kidneys and I had to take three rounds of antibiotics (different ones).
Prior to that I only had maybe two of them. One as a child and another as
an adult, both from using bubble bath which we no longer allow in our home.
We also do not take baths. Daughter was getting a ton of UTIs some years
back and in her case it was linked to constipation (which is not my problem)
and caffeine. She seems to have outgrown the caffeine thing.

DAMN. I have very little wisdom to offer, but....damn.
I get bladder infections once in a long while and even the most
ordinary one is wretched, so UGH. Such strong antibiotics
ought to kill anything, but it sounds like it could be getting better,
just absurdly slowly. I'd ask about the other supplements
(the oregano, etc) in case any of them are associated with
cystitis-like symptoms.
But i know practically nothing - this was more an excuse to
offer sympathy! Not only about that, but about gynos who really
don't think anything besides pregnancy is urgent enough
to work in an appointment for a woman.
Hope somebody has a better idea.
--
pax,
ruth

Just came from the Dr. I have yet to actually see my labs but she said
there wasn't enough bacteria to say that it's an outright infection.
Prescribed another antibiotic plus a yeast med but said if it doesn't
clear that I may need estrogen cream and she can't prescribe that. Hafta
see GP. Am currently on hold with customer service because the person at
the desk said she can't take my insurance.

[Julie Bove]

Post by Julie Bove

Post by n***@yahoo.com

Post by Julie Bove
Anyone here get them? If so, how did you get rid of it?
I think I have had this for a lot longer than I realized. My life has been
a whirlwind of chaos ever since I had to dial 911 for my dad. Since then I
have often been on the road, going places, not home and before I knew I had
the infection, probably not drinking nearly enough fluids or using the
toilet enough.
I do remember though that I drove my daughter nuts on Black Friday because
we were out shopping at various places and I had to use the bathroom
constantly! I should have taken this as a sign. I do remember thinking it
was odd because I hadn't had much to drink at all that day. The odd thing
was at that point in time there was no pain or discomfort at all. Just the
need to go all the time.
Then without going into the long and convoluted story as I to why I thought
this could be, I wrongly assumed that I had a yeast infection. Treated
myself for it, but the symptoms were not getting better. Basically itching
not only in the genital area but all over my body except for oddly enough
the soles of my feet. And irritation when I urinated. However, when I had
UTIs prior, there was always burning when I urinated. I did not have that
this time and it was the same feeling of irritation I got occasionally with
a yeast infection or what I assumed to be a yeast infection.
So imagine my surprise when the Dr. told me that I actually had a bladder
infection! She put me on Cipro and although I felt some better for the
first few days on it, towards the end, I began to feel really bad again.
I
had a feeling of fullness and irritation around the area where my panties
are in the front. And extreme chilling. I have actually been having that
for months but assumed it was my age and the weather. Bought several new
pairs of warm boots and a shawl. Then there was the exhaustion which I
assumed was due to stress. Guess not. It's not like me to take frequent
naps but I was finding that no amount of sleep was enough.
So then to make matters worse, after I finished the Cipro, I did an OTC test
kit which apparently was bad. I think it was called VH. I did look up the
reviews for it and most people said that it didn't work. It checked for
protein in the urine and nitrites. I did two tests. Nothing. So I did
nothing until the urgency to use the toilet drove me nuts. Bought the Azo
kit that I have used for my daughter in the past. The leukocyte thing
immediately turned as dark purple as it could get. But no nitrites.
Because this was over Christmas, I did nothing. The Drs. office was closed
and although I could have gone to the ER, the only pharmacy I knew of that
was open was Walgreen's and they don't take my insurance.
So back to the Dr. I went. The new labs showed basically the same thing but
now with a trace of blood in the urine. There was bacteria and white blood
cells. Now what kind of bacteria I do not know. They didn't tell me.
This
time was put on Macrobid and that prescription stuff for pain. I had tried
the Azo stuff for pain and it wasn't strong enough to do a danged thing.
So for the few couple of days while I was on the pain stuff, I did feel
better. Urinating was weird though because I couldn't feel myself doing it.
And it has all been downhill from there. Each day I seem to be a little
worse. I did do the Azo test again and it didn't turn as dark of a purple
so I assumed that the meds might be helping but that it would take a while.
I also added cranberry capsules, D Mannose and of course am eating
cranberries, drinking some unsweetened juice (but I have to be careful with
these things as I am diabetic) and drinking as much water as I can.
Also
tried a high dose of vitamin C for a day but am backing off on that since I
read that it can skew test results. I just did another test and it is still
showing some purple like it did the other day. Oh and... I normally take a
variety of things to prevent fungal infections such as oil of oregano,
caprylic acid, grapefruit seed oil and a probiotic. I doubled my dose of
probiotic because I am prone to yeast infections while on antibiotics.
And
I do normally take quite a bit of vitamin C but perhaps not enough to knock
out a bladder infection. But what that dose might be does vary depending on
the source of the information.
I am going nuts right now. Have to use the toilet about three times in an
hour. If I try to sleep, I can't stay asleep for more than about an hour so
I have to get up and go.
I do know all the stuff you are supposed to do if you have sex but...
Seeing as how my husband had to move to NY for a job and as I told the Dr.
when I asked, no...I am not seeing anyone on the side, that isn't an issue.
I do know how to wipe and keep clean and all of that. The only thing I am
probably doing that I shouldn't is drinking some Diet Coke but only because
I am so exhausted. I did read that caffeine can irritate the bladder.
But
I am drinking far less than I usually do! I am mostly trying to drink
water. I also ate spicy foods a couple of times but not sure if that made
things worse. And I am trying to cut back on the black pepper which I love!
I will for sure go back to the Dr. again tomorrow unless I have some drastic
change overnight. Which I doubt. And in looking this stuff up online, I
have read that menopause can cause this. Of course so can diabetes.
And I
have been seeing a few numbers in the 300's. I know that was not caused by
what I ate. My last period was in May so not quite in Menopause yet.
The
Dr. did say that I might need to see my gyno which I thought was odd. I
don't actually have one. I was letting my GP handle all of that stuff
because when I did try to get into a gyno when I had that 18 day period,
none would see me right away unless I was pregnant. Which obviously I would
not be with an 18 day period! I have switched Drs. since then and I think
there is a gyno at the clinic I go to now.
Anyway... Is there anything else I could be doing to make this blasted
thing go away? I don't really want to be on antibiotics forever, and they
really aren't helping. But then I also know that perhaps they didn't put me
on the right ones. Thanks!
Oh! And I should add that I am not overly prone to UTIs. The last one I
had was about 30 years ago and it was a bad one. Wound up spreading to my
kidneys and I had to take three rounds of antibiotics (different ones).
Prior to that I only had maybe two of them. One as a child and another as
an adult, both from using bubble bath which we no longer allow in our home.
We also do not take baths. Daughter was getting a ton of UTIs some years
back and in her case it was linked to constipation (which is not my problem)
and caffeine. She seems to have outgrown the caffeine thing.

DAMN. I have very little wisdom to offer, but....damn.
I get bladder infections once in a long while and even the most
ordinary one is wretched, so UGH. Such strong antibiotics
ought to kill anything, but it sounds like it could be getting better,
just absurdly slowly. I'd ask about the other supplements
(the oregano, etc) in case any of them are associated with
cystitis-like symptoms.
But i know practically nothing - this was more an excuse to
offer sympathy! Not only about that, but about gynos who really
don't think anything besides pregnancy is urgent enough
to work in an appointment for a woman.
Hope somebody has a better idea.
--
pax,
ruth

Just came from the Dr. I have yet to actually see my labs but she said
there wasn't enough bacteria to say that it's an outright infection.
Prescribed another antibiotic plus a yeast med but said if it doesn't
clear that I may need estrogen cream and she can't prescribe that. Hafta
see GP. Am currently on hold with customer service because the person at
the desk said she can't take my insurance.

[Julie Bove]

"Julie Bove" <***@frontier.com> wrote in message news:kc3kul$307$***@dont-email.me...

And another update! And I apologize if I put blank replies. I did manage
to stop one of them. Mouse went crazy is all I can say about that.

So... I finally got the report from the Dr. from my trip to the Dr. on the
26th and it said there was no infection. Huh? Blood in urine? Red blood
cells and white blood cells in there. The amount of flora was down to 1,000
from 10,000. So I just don't know about that. Plus my OTC test kit was
showing a definite large amount of leukocytes. No nitrites but it also says
if I don't eat nitrates (and I don't think I did that week) it may not show
any. So just do not know.

I had thrown out all of my wild yam cream and black cohosh. Maybe should
have kept the black cohosh but it was a tad old. I was using it for heavy
periods. And AFAIK I have never had a hot flash or mood swings unless you
count my rages against a certain person who shall remain nameless but I *do*
have a witness and this person would have put anyone in a rage given this
person's childish actions. Anyway... And the wild yam cream was quite old,
so probably inactive. Sadly the health food store that was around the
corner from me just closed so it was slim pickin's around here. I bought a
pricey tube of emerita PHYTOESTROGEN cream and applied a dime sized amount
to my thighs as directed. That was about two hours ago. Either it's
working really quickly or it is having the placebo effect. I have not used
the toilet in over 2 hours now. I do feel the urge to go but I have been
drinking a lot of liquids and really 2 hours is the length of time I usually
go between visits to the toilet.

I also ordered some more black cohosh, red clover and something called DMI
or DNI or something like that. Made from cruciferous vegetables. I just
hope that doesn't mess with my gastroparesis or my thyroid.

But here's the weird thing. I am chilling again and exhausted. I was
looking up the symptoms of menopause and time and again I see hot flashes
and insomnia. I almost just wish I could get a little bit of those! I have
perhaps suffered a tad of insomnia lately but I believe there is a reason
for it. I have a couple of people calling me at all hours of the day and
night, one for no reason. That's the one I have exhibited rage to. And the
other for what could potentially be a valid reason. It hasn't really been
though. I think this person is going into the pits of senile dementia or
whatever they call it, so sometimes to her there are valid reasons for the
calls and other times she is just repeating the same thing over and over,
forgetting that she has told me. So... As I lie in bed in the back of my
mind I fear that the phone is going to jar me from my sleep. So I guess I
am resisting sleep, waiting for that call. And it often does come. But I
have *no* trouble at all sleeping during the day. Provided that I can do
that but it isn't always feasible.

So I am still going to do the antibiotic and the yeast treatment. Because I
have some weird spot on my face that started when I took the Macrobid. The
Dr. said it looks like bacteria related and the new antibiotic should clear
it up. Ah, it's always something.

And if I didn't mention it before... I have to find a new GP. Seems they
no longer take Medicare there. Urgent Care will take it but the other Drs.
will not.

[n***@yahoo.com]

Post by Julie Bove
And another update! And I apologize if I put blank replies. I did manage
to stop one of them. Mouse went crazy is all I can say about that.
So... I finally got the report from the Dr. from my trip to the Dr. on the
26th and it said there was no infection. Huh? Blood in urine? Red blood
cells and white blood cells in there. The amount of flora was down to 1,000
from 10,000. So I just don't know about that. Plus my OTC test kit was
showing a definite large amount of leukocytes. No nitrites but it also says
if I don't eat nitrates (and I don't think I did that week) it may not show
any. So just do not know.
I had thrown out all of my wild yam cream and black cohosh. Maybe should
have kept the black cohosh but it was a tad old. I was using it for heavy
periods. And AFAIK I have never had a hot flash or mood swings unless you
count my rages against a certain person who shall remain nameless but I *do*
have a witness and this person would have put anyone in a rage given this
person's childish actions. Anyway... And the wild yam cream was quite old,
so probably inactive. Sadly the health food store that was around the
corner from me just closed so it was slim pickin's around here. I bought a
pricey tube of emerita PHYTOESTROGEN cream and applied a dime sized amount
to my thighs as directed. That was about two hours ago. Either it's
working really quickly or it is having the placebo effect. I have not used
the toilet in over 2 hours now. I do feel the urge to go but I have been
drinking a lot of liquids and really 2 hours is the length of time I usually
go between visits to the toilet.
I also ordered some more black cohosh, red clover and something called DMI
or DNI or something like that. Made from cruciferous vegetables. I just
hope that doesn't mess with my gastroparesis or my thyroid.
But here's the weird thing. I am chilling again and exhausted. I was
looking up the symptoms of menopause and time and again I see hot flashes
and insomnia. I almost just wish I could get a little bit of those! I have
perhaps suffered a tad of insomnia lately but I believe there is a reason
for it. I have a couple of people calling me at all hours of the day and
night, one for no reason. That's the one I have exhibited rage to. And the
other for what could potentially be a valid reason. It hasn't really been
though. I think this person is going into the pits of senile dementia or
whatever they call it, so sometimes to her there are valid reasons for the
calls and other times she is just repeating the same thing over and over,
forgetting that she has told me. So... As I lie in bed in the back of my
mind I fear that the phone is going to jar me from my sleep. So I guess I
am resisting sleep, waiting for that call. And it often does come. But I
have *no* trouble at all sleeping during the day. Provided that I can do
that but it isn't always feasible.
So I am still going to do the antibiotic and the yeast treatment. Because I
have some weird spot on my face that started when I took the Macrobid. The
Dr. said it looks like bacteria related and the new antibiotic should clear
it up. Ah, it's always something.
And if I didn't mention it before... I have to find a new GP. Seems they
no longer take Medicare there. Urgent Care will take it but the other Drs.
will not.

So is the phytoestrogen cream still seeming to help?
And can you turn off your phone's volume/ringer at night??

[Julie Bove]

Post by n***@yahoo.com

Post by Julie Bove
And another update! And I apologize if I put blank replies. I did
manage to stop one of them. Mouse went crazy is all I can say about
that. So... I finally got the report from the Dr. from my trip to the
Dr.
on the 26th and it said there was no infection. Huh? Blood in
urine? Red blood cells and white blood cells in there. The amount
of flora was down to 1,000 from 10,000. So I just don't know about
that. Plus my OTC test kit was showing a definite large amount of
leukocytes. No nitrites but it also says if I don't eat nitrates
(and I don't think I did that week) it may not show any. So just do
not know. I had thrown out all of my wild yam cream and black cohosh.
Maybe
should have kept the black cohosh but it was a tad old. I was using
it for heavy periods. And AFAIK I have never had a hot flash or
mood swings unless you count my rages against a certain person who
shall remain nameless but I *do* have a witness and this person
would have put anyone in a rage given this person's childish
actions. Anyway... And the wild yam cream was quite old, so
probably inactive. Sadly the health food store that was around the
corner from me just closed so it was slim pickin's around here. I
bought a pricey tube of emerita PHYTOESTROGEN cream and applied a
dime sized amount to my thighs as directed. That was about two
hours ago. Either it's working really quickly or it is having the
placebo effect. I have not used the toilet in over 2 hours now. I
do feel the urge to go but I have been drinking a lot of liquids and
really 2 hours is the length of time I usually go between visits to
the toilet. I also ordered some more black cohosh, red clover and
something
called DMI or DNI or something like that. Made from cruciferous
vegetables. I just hope that doesn't mess with my gastroparesis or
my thyroid. But here's the weird thing. I am chilling again and
exhausted. I
was looking up the symptoms of menopause and time and again I see
hot flashes and insomnia. I almost just wish I could get a little
bit of those! I have perhaps suffered a tad of insomnia lately but
I believe there is a reason for it. I have a couple of people
calling me at all hours of the day and night, one for no reason. That's
the one I have exhibited rage to. And the other for what
could potentially be a valid reason. It hasn't really been though. I
think this person is going into the pits of senile dementia or
whatever they call it, so sometimes to her there are valid reasons
for the calls and other times she is just repeating the same thing
over and over, forgetting that she has told me. So... As I lie in
bed in the back of my mind I fear that the phone is going to jar me
from my sleep. So I guess I am resisting sleep, waiting for that
call. And it often does come. But I have *no* trouble at all
sleeping during the day. Provided that I can do that but it isn't
always feasible. So I am still going to do the antibiotic and the yeast
treatment. Because I have some weird spot on my face that started when I
took
the Macrobid. The Dr. said it looks like bacteria related and the
new antibiotic should clear it up. Ah, it's always something.
And if I didn't mention it before... I have to find a new GP. Seems they
no longer take Medicare there. Urgent Care will take it
but the other Drs. will not.

So is the phytoestrogen cream still seeming to help?
And can you turn off your phone's volume/ringer at night??

Yes and no. Because my dad is in a touchy situation right now, I need to be
on the alert for phone calls. He was in the ER yesterday. And now I am
starting to think that I do in fact have insomnia because I was up until
7:00 this morning and had no idea that it was so later...er...early. I felt
slightly sleep but not that much. I do think that might be a side effect of
the antibiotic though because I have read that it can cause it.

[Susan]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by n***@yahoo.com
So is the phytoestrogen cream still seeming to help?
And can you turn off your phone's volume/ringer at night??

I'm going to have to get some popcorn for this.

Susan

[Julie Bove]

Post by Susan
x-no-archive: yes

Post by n***@yahoo.com
So is the phytoestrogen cream still seeming to help?
And can you turn off your phone's volume/ringer at night??

I'm going to have to get some popcorn for this.

Why? And make mine with no butter please. Sea salt.

I am seriously feeling TONS better and now feel kind of stupid that I didn't
see this for myself. But I just read two books recently on menopause and
they didn't mention any of the symptoms I have been having. Since using the
cream I did have two sort of hot flashes but not as descibed in the book or
like any of my friends have described. Happened last night. Twice, I was
sitting here in my computer chair when I broke out in a hot feeling. Made
me stop and take notice. There was some sweat, just a little. Felt
uncomfortable for maybe a second if that and then it was gone. I didn't
have to reach or my fan, peel off any clothes or stick my head in the
freezer. So who knows what caused it but most likely the change in
hormones.

I have had hot flashes from taking niacin and also used to overheat very
badly when I was hyperthyroid and in those cases it could take an hour or so
to get to a comfortable temperature. This was nothing like that at all. I
even feel that my stress level has dropped to nearly nothing, even though I
know it has not. With my dad being in the ER yesterday and having to take
Angela to the Dr. for a toe injury and all the stuff going on with my mom
and my husband not getting paid when he was supposed to and on and
on...there really is a lot of stress. But it just isn't bothering me.
Prior to using that cream my whole body was a big ball of stress and I felt
like I was just going to snap!

I have already told Angela... If you get older and you feel like this, try
the cream! I think I will even mention it to her in my will. By then
she'll likely forget. But I wouldn't wish the way I had been feeling on
anyone.