Acupuncture

Had acupuncture. Bladder loads calmer. Taking double dose of D-Mannose.

Doctor

Went to doctor. Nothing in the sample I produced 25th November. Produced another sample, dipstick showed white blood cells, but nothing else. Referred to urologist. Need to book appointment for kidney and bladder scan.

Update

Taking:

• D-Mannose


• Oil of oregano


• Cranberry tablets


• Homemade barley water

Feeling: ok, not really painful, but a bit uncomfortable. Feel ok in the morning and more painful in the evening. Going to doctor tomorrow.

'Urethral syndrome'

This is what doctors call it when you (a woman) continually turn up in their office complaining of a UTI, but nothing shows up in your pee and you don't have IC. In the bad old days, you'd be officially classified as a drain of the doctor's time and resources. Typically, you'll undergo fun procedures like having your pee-tube stretched, and they might give you tranquilisers - apparently to relax your hypothesised spasming pelvic floor muscles. Well, turns out, according to this article that you might have 'female prostratis' - i.e., an infection of little tiny glands attached to the urethra. It results in an area of tenderness on the front wall of the vagina.

Cystitis and diarhoea

Was feeling completely better, so had sex yesterday morning. Washed before and after (well, ok, washed before bedtime, but could I really have got so dirty whilst asleep?!), drank a pint of cranberry juice and then a pint of water. Greased up before the act (olive oil). Took D-Mannose, cranberry tablet, and oil of oregano capsule. Felt fine all day - no pain of any sort, not even any chafing. Woke up this morning with cystitis and diarhoea.
Cystitis symptoms:

• Bladder feels a bit tender if I touch my belly


• Inside of twat burning a bit


• Localised pain in top wall of twat where I imagine my urethra to be


• Pain at the end of weeing, but not too severe - sends the shiver up my body, but haven't felt it in my teeth

Have drunk water and a cup of tea. Now drinking some homemade barley water with honey. It feels less painful than it did an hour ago. Have appointment to see doctor - actually to talk to this time - although am not very hopeful that she'll have any answers. The boy is ace.

Coping

Cystitis lasted for about a week. Much better after the first day. Didn't take the antibiotics - worried about disrupting the delicate balance of bacteria in my bladder. Instead, took oil of oregano every day, cranberry tablets twice a day, and lots of probiotics. Also put a probiotic capsule up my twat twice in the last week. (Why you ask? Read this.) Sent off for some D-mannose, which started taking yesterday. Cystitis cleared up.

Doctor

Tried to see doctor. Couldn't get an appointment, but spoke to her on the phone. She reluctantly agreed to give me some antibiotics if I went down to the surgery and pee-ed in a pot. She dipped my wee and then prescribed me a week's worth of nitrofurantoin.

Cystitis

Got cystitis around 8pm. Had sex twenty-four hours previously.

Update

Got cystitis. Taking uva ursi and sodium citrate. Calmed down a lot after first day, but lingering discomfort.

Cystitis

Got cystitis again. Not very bad, but uncomfortable.

Doctor again

Symptoms got worse, was worried about having some infection grumbling on. Went back and got antibiotics - 10 cefalexin 500mg, take 2 times a day. Cleared up, but things still feel a bit odd down there.

Doctor

Went to see doctor. Explained about symptoms, and tried to explain that localised sore patch in urethra, also sort of 'thick' feeling - looked at me as if mad. But said could give me antibiotics. Traces of blood in urine when she dipsticked it. Refused antibiotics.

Cystitis

Since the episode on holiday, things not been quite right down there. Things fine in the morning, but by evening, quite uncomfortable. Have been drinking sodium citrate most days. If forget to drink enough water am in loads of pain. Then today, on way back from London, was in agony on train as hadn't drunk enough water, and been drinking alcohol at weekend.

Cystitis

Had sex a few times in the last few days, then woke up today with cystitis. Not brilliant as am camped in a field in middle of Slovakian countryside and the van is stuck in mud and won't budge. Am drinking lots of water and sodium citrate, and weeing and pooing for England (so to speak).

Update: when van came unstuck, was driven at haste to Budapest. Travelling in car very painful, but when arrived, cystitis calmed right down. Went out drinking and chatting to Kevin, and things all fine. Weird.

Cystitis

Put a tampon in after having sex and suddenly in loads of cystitis-ish pain. Localised pain in urethra and diarrhoea. Drank a couple of pints of water and some sodium citrate. Settled down again to being fine in about an hour and a half.

Irritated

Feel like need to wee even though bladder empty. Feel like haven't completely emptied bladder. Pain at end of weeing, although not in teeth. Diarrhoea. Wore off by afternoon.

Cystitis

Bad bout of cystitis - bleeding, screaming, up all night sort. Went to doctor in morning and given 30 nitrofurantoin 50mg, taken 4 times a day. Cleared up.