Last Monday

So, the last episode of cystitis cleared up really quickly - by Monday afternoon, things were pretty much back to normal. Since then, I've been for reflexology and acupuncture (feel like one of those middle class ladies who spend all their time and money on alternative treatments...), and then did a fairly stupid thing - go out partying on Saturday, reacquaint myself with Mr. Beecham, and have sex. So far, so good. A slight feeling of pressure in the bladder, and the sense that all is not entirely well. But touch wood, things haven't got really bad yet. Although there is still time for that to happen, unfortunately. Will let you know how it goes.

Again :(

So the last bout of cystitis eventually cleared up. I've been seeing a reflexologist who suggested citricidal. But I hadn't started taking that until today. Had sex on Sunday morning, gave me a really sore burning vagina yesterday, and now today woke up with the dreaded cystitis again. Rubbish. Currently drinking water and shitting copiously. Found this article from Stanford University, which suggests that bacterial UTI's are to do with bacteria entering the body from the vagina. After antibiotics, more aggressive bacteria can colonise your down-there, which can the get swept into the bladder during sex. Apparently, some of us unlucky folks have 'stickier' vaginas and urethras, so bacteria can get more of a foothold. Neither me nor the boy washed before sex. What idiots. Might try acupuncture again. Realise am lucky to have sufficient cash to try out these things.

Bladder finally sorted

Hurray! Even managed to have sex briefly yesterday! Am also on yet another course of antibiotics - five days of metronidazole for a persistent gum infection around my wisdom tooth. Health crisis caused by stress at work, I think. Need to meditate regularly - it will make my life so much better. Going to join a local Zen Buddhist group after Christmas.

Reflexology

So, in a desperate bid to sort my bits out, I went to have my feet done. You know what? I think it has helped. Have a further appointment next week - will let you know how does.

Still not right

Pain down below. Not really painful when weeing, but doesn't feel quite right. Feeling like I need to shit all the time too. Link between cystitis and diarrhoea - first time I've read of someone else having this issue.

No joy at the Doctors'

Well, the doctor refused to give me any more antibiotics until my urine has been cultured. I guess this is sensible, given all the problems with over-prescribing antibiotics. But the problem from my point of view is that the trimethoprim will have been effective enough to make my sample show up as clean, but not effective enough to knock the cystitis on the head :( Tried to talk to the Doctor about this, but he just told me that if the sample was clean, that meant there wasn't a bacterial infection at the root of the problem. Same old, same old. In the meantime, going to start taking the Chinese herbs again, and then got the reflexology appointment on Wednesday.

Trimethoprim

Doctor gave me trimethoprim on Friday. I told her that it never used to work for me, but she wanted me to try it anyway, as it's been a while since I've had it, and she thought maybe the immunity my bugs had built up to it might have abated. It has definitely helped - I'm feeling much, much better - but the cystitis hasn't completely gone. Have another doctor's appointment later to discuss it. Hate dumping loads of antibiotics into my body, but had a terrible time a few years ago when had cystitis almost continuously for eight or nine months. Doctors kept giving me trimethoprim and claiming I couldn't possibly still have cystitis when I said it hadn't cleared it. Was weeing blood most of the time, and couldn't leave the house. Not one of those doctors did a pee test. Finally managed to impress on one of them the seriousness of the situation. She gave me some other antibiotics and the infection finally cleared. Trouble was, because I'd had it for so long, my bladder was fucked, and I was pretty much incontinent. Waking up every half hour twenty minutes from around 5am, and then if I needed to go whilst out, I needed to go instantly. Had to be treated with oxybutynin, which sorted things out. But really, really don't want to go there again.

Off work again

Woke up feeling much better. But then had a painful attack that got worse and worse until decided couldn't deal with work, and had to come home. Now has calmed down. Not sure if partly due to worrying about having to run out of meeting :( Got a doctor's appointment at 3, and going to see a reflexologist on Wednesday.

Still burning

Felt much better by lunchtime yesterday. However, woke up in pain this morning, which has slowly got worse. Likely causes:

• Rooibos tea - seems to hurt bladder.
• Black tea this morning - really sore after that.
• Stress - got very upset last night after an argument with A. Also incredibly stressed about work to point where feel can't cope.

Have made some barley water today, and also had some sodium citrate, together with probiotics, cranberry tablets, and Chinese herbs. But not doing so well right now. Need to get life under control with some meditation.

Cystitis again :(

Well, the last episode eventually cleared up - I stopped drinking tea and coffee, and it finally went. Now, however, I've got cystitis once more. This time, I had to take ampicillin for a gum infection around my wisdom tooth. It gave me diarrhoea and thrush. Yesterday morning we had sex before getting up. First time in what feels like ages, used a condom, but nevertheless, I woke up at 2.30am this morning with cystitis and the shits. Took some sodium citrate and a paracetamol, and also drank a few cups of hot water, but too painful to get back to sleep. Suspect this time, problem caused by the fact that I hadn't washed, have diarrhoea (so probably higher concentration of bacteria than normal down there), and probably also imbalance in the internal ecosystem as a result of taking the antibiotics. Did put a probiotic capsule inside yesterday to try and sort out the thrush/prevent cystitis from occurring. Has helped with the thrush at least. It would be so good to be free from problems with my lady garden.

Ongoing lady garden problems

Well, the episode of cystitis I last told you about never quite cleared up. Then I got up to things last weekend that made it worse. It hasn't been really bad this week, but there is residual pain. It hurts if I don't drink enough water, and my lower back and lower belly towards my groin are tender to the touch. I've been attempting to treat it with Chinese herbs, homemade barley water, cranberry squash, and cranberry tablets (although I know the latter are supposed to be more effective for prevention rather than cure). But it hasn't quite gone. I inserted a probiotic yesterday. But I'm a bit wary of doing this now, as I'm pretty sure the terrible thrush is actually an overgrowth of friendly bacteria. The doctor told me it was thrush, but it doesn't feel quite like thrush, and it came on after I had inserted two capsules in an effort to get rid of the cystitis a few months ago. There's info here. Luckily, it turns out that this is easily treated by having a bath in baking soda. Happy bladders, people. More from me later...

Cystitis again :(

Had sex yesterday morning. Got cystitis this morning. Also have really terrible thrush at present. Rubbish.

Better!

The cystitis that came on Tuesday morning had gone by Tuesday lunchtime. And no lingering soreness either, this time. Which is very good news. Even had unprotected sex on Wednesday night with no ill effects. Yes! Put this down to drinking lots of cranberry squash - not sure if it's the cranberry content, or just the simple fact of drinking more liquid - and taking probiotics both morning and evening. Itchy fanny has also pretty much resolved too. It's what I call a result. So... the management plan now is drinking cranberry squash and continuing to take the probiotics.

Itching fanny

So, I treated the last episode of cystitis with probiotics up the twat, and managed to get by without taking any Chinese herbs. Then I developed an incredibly itchy fanny and sore vulva. Assumed it was thrush and shoved yet another probiotic capsule up my twat. Seemed to calm down a bit, but then early Tuesday morning, and another bout of cystitis reared its ugly head. Put yet another probiotic capsule up twat, drank a pint of cranberry squash, and took a paracetamol. Good news is that it cleared up super quick - seems fine again now. Bad news is that fanny is itching and vulva is red and swollen. Oh for trouble free bits... :(

What's been happening this past year, then?

My, oh my. It's been nearly a year since I last wrote anything down here. Am I finally free of the dreaded cystitis? Sadly, no. Things were much calmer over the past year, as (i) had my coil taken out in preparation for trying to create some munchkins, but couldn't start immediately for various reasons, so started using condoms; (ii) OH was away for four months visiting family. Turns out that using condoms all the time meant no cystitis, which was flipping great. Now, however, OH is back, and the munchkin-creation has started in earnest. And I'm back to regular episodes of burning pee. They say the best chances of conception involve sex every two or three days. But there's no way I can manage that with my bladder/urethra and other bits. Most recent episodes:

• Thursday 2nd August: sex for the second time in three days whilst on holiday resulted in me being up in the night with diarrhoea and painful wee. Felt under the weather as if had infection too. Treated it with Chinese herbs and probiotics. Over the worst hump quite quickly - by mid-afternoon - but then lingering residual pain for a few days.
• Today: had sex yesterday (second time in two days), then went on a long bike ride. Took probiotic precautions immediately after sex, and drank a salty sachet before bed last night. But woke up this morning with diarrhoea and painful wee again. Currently nursing bladder on sofa.

What to do? :( I don't want to keep taking the Chinese herbs every few days - not sure how good regular use might be for my kidneys, and also doubt it's a good idea if I do manage to get pregnant. Going on a long bike ride shortly after sex was probably a bad plan. But it's pretty frustrating if that's the problem - I want to be able to go cycling, dagnamit! So what's the plan? Wish I knew. The best we could come up with is:

• Be completely stringent about hygiene.
• Use condoms most of the month, only have unprotected sex around ovulation time. Have paper pee strips to track ovulation.
• I will try drinking cider vinegar on a daily basis. Also try drinking cranberry squash on a daily basis. Feel like this used to help once upon a time.