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[Mich12]

Hi everyone,

I had been doing better until the past few weeks. It began with my nipples - they became sore and are STILL sore. I have not had a period in 6 months. Normally before a period my whole breasts get sore, not just the nipples. My hot flashes went away and I was getting several per day. I have had the night sweats for the past few weeks on and off. My night sweats went away when my hot flashes began and now it seems as if the night sweats are back so the hot flashes are gone.  I almost feel as if my body might be getting ready to have a period!  I was hoping I was DONE with periods and I would make it to that 1 year mark. I sure hope I do but it seems as if I won't. Who knows though.  And then there's my bladder - everytime my husband and I have intercourse it acts up. I was already evaluated by a urologist and all was normal. I take Macrobid antibiotic after intercourse to prevent bladder infection. I take Diflucan once a week for prevention of yeast infections. And I take Vagifem 2x a week for everything else. All WAS better. Now I am a sore nipple, sore bladder, night sweating sad lady that hopes all is well. I worry why my bladder is sore. I feel like I have to use the bathroom all the time and I don't. I don't think this is a bladder infection again as I take the preventative antibiotic for that. Oh and I cannot lose a pound of weight despite watching my diet and walking. 

Uggggg

Anyone else go through this?

Thank You.

[Dancinggirl]

Mich12
The joys of the menopause!!!
I do wonder whether the antibiotics you take after intercourse may be making things worse.   Taking it just occasionally like that would probably mean it won't work.  I believe there is a school of thought that the regular use of short term ABs is actually making bladder infections more of a problem - basically the infections become resistant to the ABs. Perhaps simply use Vagifem more often each week - many women need to do this as Vagifem is so low dose.
After reading your post, I do wonder why you are not on systemic HRT as this could help things enormously.
Are you using anything like Multi Gyn Actigel or Replens to keep the flora balance right in and around your vaginal area?
Have you seen the thread on MM I did called "The Burning Club" - unfortunately I think you are a member!!!!
Weight gain at our age is soooo normal regardless of what you eat or the exercise you do.  If you didn't watch what you eat you would probably put on more weight
You are not alone and I can't tell you it will get any better once you are post meno.
I do sympathise   DG x

[Taz2]

Hi Mich - I sympathise too but do agree with DG about the use of an antibiotic after intercourse. What dose do you take and how long for? A good way to prevent a UTI after intercourse is to make sure you go to the loo straight after - also empty your bladder before too. I would think that it would be a good idea to see your doc about the sore bladder in case you are harbouring an infection. My last two have been resistant to nitrofuantoin (Macrobid) as in this area it has been over prescribed and is no longer the first antibiotic of choice for UTI's. Let us know how you get on!

Did your GP advise Diflucan as a prevention? I've only ever had this prescribed as a full course and it made me feel horrible.

Taz x 

[Mich12]

Mich12
The joys of the menopause!!!
I do wonder whether the antibiotics you take after intercourse may be making things worse.   Taking it just occasionally like that would probably mean it won't work.  I believe there is a school of thought that the regular use of short term ABs is actually making bladder infections more of a problem - basically the infections become resistant to the ABs. Perhaps simply use Vagifem more often each week - many women need to do this as Vagifem is so low dose.
After reading your post, I do wonder why you are not on systemic HRT as this could help things enormously.
Are you using anything like Multi Gyn Actigel or Replens to keep the flora balance right in and around your vaginal area?
Have you seen the thread on MM I did called "The Burning Club" - unfortunately I think you are a member!!!!
Weight gain at our age is soooo normal regardless of what you eat or the exercise you do.  If you didn't watch what you eat you would probably put on more weight
You are not alone and I can't tell you it will get any better once you are post meno.
I do sympathise   DG x

Hi there,

Thank you for your reply! I am not sure if the antibiotic is making things worse but it might be - I am not a fan of taking anything unless absolutely necessary anyway. I have not tried Multi Gyn Actigel or Replens but I do use Vagifem 2x a week. I see my doctor Friday and I will ask about increasing it.

I will look up The Burning Club thread - oh boy that is not fun not being able to eat much anymore.

Take care.

[Mich12]

Hi Mich - I sympathise too but do agree with DG about the use of an antibiotic after intercourse. What dose do you take and how long for? A good way to prevent a UTI after intercourse is to make sure you go to the loo straight after - also empty your bladder before too. I would think that it would be a good idea to see your doc about the sore bladder in case you are harbouring an infection. My last two have been resistant to nitrofuantoin (Macrobid) as in this area it has been over prescribed and is no longer the first antibiotic of choice for UTI's. Let us know how you get on!

Did your GP advise Diflucan as a prevention? I've only ever had this prescribed as a full course and it made me feel horrible.

Taz x 

Hi there,

Thank you for your reply! Since May 2015, I have been on 1 Macrobid pill (100 mg) every other day for prevention of UTIs after intercourse. The last pill I took was yesterday in the morning.
For the last few days, my bladder has been feeling tender and sore and like I have to pee all the time. I am dropping off a urine specimen to my doctor's office this afternoon so we shall see if this is indeed another UTI. 

I do the using the bathroom before and after intercourse and I even wash up and have my husband wash up before and after. It has become less romantic but we make it work. I am almost afraid to have sex as when I so I either get a UTI or a yeast infection. My ob/gyn has me on the Diflucan once a week for prevention of yeast infections as my sugar is borderline diabetic and it has helped SO much. I have not had one yeast infection since. 

I will update later when the result for the urine culture comes back. If it is positive and I have yet another UTI and need a different antibiotic I will CRY! I am so tired of all of this. I am seriously going to stop having sex.  I feel like a failure of a wife and a woman since my poor husband has to go through so much with me to even have sex.

[CLKD]

You need to stop the ABs.  You could try upping the vaginal treatment for a new 2 weeks re-load ……… it is unlikely to be a UTI unless your husband has problems in which case he would need a full course of ABs.

If the bladder is irritated by lack of oestrogen then intercourse will cause extra friction - does the vaginal treatment help at all or would it be worth while trying something else? Again a 2 week loading would be required.  Using K-Y or a similar product is essential for me ……….

Your husband has to go through nothing  - you can both make the pre-sexual contact hygiene part of the routine, i.e. shower/bath together  ………. I'm sure he would rather that than no sex at all!

[Mich12]

You need to stop the ABs.  You could try upping the vaginal treatment for a new 2 weeks re-load ……… it is unlikely to be a UTI unless your husband has problems in which case he would need a full course of ABs.

If the bladder is irritated by lack of oestrogen then intercourse will cause extra friction - does the vaginal treatment help at all or would it be worth while trying something else? Again a 2 week loading would be required.  Using K-Y or a similar product is essential for me ……….

Your husband has to go through nothing  - you can both make the pre-sexual contact hygiene part of the routine, i.e. shower/bath together  ………. I'm sure he would rather that than no sex at all!

I know. My urologist wants me on daily ABs for 3 months he said today and after the 3 months he said it will just be on the days I have intercourse. My urine culture was clear and they are going to send it out though and let it sit for a few days to see if anything grows so I will know that on Friday. Based on my culture results today I don't have an infection. My poor bladder just hurts. Maybe I have IC? I had blood work, a CAT scan, and a cystoscopy and all were clear.

My poor husband is blaming himself. He said every time he has touched me this past year I have some sort of illness from it - yeast infection, pain, and now bladder. He said he is afraid to have sex with me anymore as he does not want to hurt me. ALL of this has caused us a lot of tension and arguing.

I am happy I don't have a UTI but sad I don't know what is going on. I do take the Vagifem a few days a week so I will ask my ob/gyn when I see her Friday if I can increase it or maybe add a systematic HRT.

Thank you so much for your reply!

[Maryjane]

I am afraid it is highly likely you do have a UTI, that normal NHS testing does not pick up.......it's highly likely a bladder wall infection hidden under a bio-film......and the way you are being given the antibs will only be making it worse.....encouraging the bugs to dig deeper into the bladder to form an even stronger resistance against the antibs.......


If you can afford private I suggest you see either Professor James -Malone Lee ( London ) , or Dr Anna Catriona ( Lincolnshire ) , both specilists prescribe " very high" antibs to blast these resistant embedded bugs, and the antibs are changed as necessary as an embedded infection will very likely have more than one bug, so as one antib kills off one the next set of bugs rises to the surface and so on until they are all eventually eradicated.......this treatment is not for everyone, it all depends if you can live with you're symptoms.........

Dr Anna is a more whole person approach as will look into HRT, alternative also.......all bladders contain at least 15 bugs and the idea is the good and bad live in harmony, but when the badger too big for there boots then they need a nuclear bomb to blast them.


I am on a closed FB group,where there are ladies who lives where intolerable and told they had IC, and are doing extremely well, it was infection all along......the term IC means " we don't have a blinking clue".

[Dancinggirl]

Mich12 - Maryjane has done some very interesting posts about these issues.  I think many of us who have been diagnosed with IC are sceptical about this diagnosis and clearly a different approach to these short term or low dose AB treatments is needed.  I personally have found things are greatly improved with the combination of systemic HRT with additional Vagifem used twice a week.  I still get some discomfort but it is greatly improved.  The extra oestrogen seems to have a very positive effect on the bladder and must make it more resilient and able to fight infection. Using the vaginal gels (e.g Multi Gyn Actigel) that help to prevent BV and thrush in the vagina (which in turn can aggravate the bladder) is also something I have found helps a great deal. Keeping the flora balance in the vagina can reduce the chance of infection taking hold.  Extra lubrication is really essential for sex as well and I always use some of this vaginal gel afterwards as a preventative.
Perhaps you should get your husband to read some of our posts ('The Burning Club' 'My Bladder' etc) then he'll know you are not the only one getting this horrible problem.  DG xxx

[CLKD]

A dip stick test is not going to say if you have an infection or not    ONLY by allowing cultures to grow and then see which ABs it/they are resistant to will tell …… and these tests can take 3-10 days!  In the meantime your Consultant should not be suggesting ABs until he/she knows which one to prescribe.

I don't think that ABs should be used 'as necessary' but 'when necessary'.  World wide ABs are proving less useful and it is said that by 2020 most will be not worth taking  ……. as most bugs are becoming used to what we swallow.

Let us know how you get on! I can't remember whether you are UK-based or not 

[Mich12]

I am afraid it is highly likely you do have a UTI, that normal NHS testing does not pick up.......it's highly likely a bladder wall infection hidden under a bio-film......and the way you are being given the antibs will only be making it worse.....encouraging the bugs to dig deeper into the bladder to form an even stronger resistance against the antibs.......


If you can afford private I suggest you see either Professor James -Malone Lee ( London ) , or Dr Anna Catriona ( Lincolnshire ) , both specilists prescribe " very high" antibs to blast these resistant embedded bugs, and the antibs are changed as necessary as an embedded infection will very likely have more than one bug, so as one antib kills off one the next set of bugs rises to the surface and so on until they are all eventually eradicated.......this treatment is not for everyone, it all depends if you can live with you're symptoms.........

Dr Anna is a more whole person approach as will look into HRT, alternative also.......all bladders contain at least 15 bugs and the idea is the good and bad live in harmony, but when the badger too big for there boots then they need a nuclear bomb to blast them.


I am on a closed FB group,where there are ladies who lives where intolerable and told they had IC, and are doing extremely well, it was infection all along......the term IC means " we don't have a blinking clue".

Hi there,

Thank you for your reply! I agree, "we don't have a blinking clue". I see my regular doctor tomorrow so I will see what she says. Oh the joys of all of this menopause stuff! 

Take care. 

[Mich12]

Mich12 - Maryjane has done some very interesting posts about these issues.  I think many of us who have been diagnosed with IC are sceptical about this diagnosis and clearly a different approach to these short term or low dose AB treatments is needed.  I personally have found things are greatly improved with the combination of systemic HRT with additional Vagifem used twice a week.  I still get some discomfort but it is greatly improved.  The extra oestrogen seems to have a very positive effect on the bladder and must make it more resilient and able to fight infection. Using the vaginal gels (e.g Multi Gyn Actigel) that help to prevent BV and thrush in the vagina (which in turn can aggravate the bladder) is also something I have found helps a great deal. Keeping the flora balance in the vagina can reduce the chance of infection taking hold.  Extra lubrication is really essential for sex as well and I always use some of this vaginal gel afterwards as a preventative.
Perhaps you should get your husband to read some of our posts ('The Burning Club' 'My Bladder' etc) then he'll know you are not the only one getting this horrible problem.  DG xxx

Hi there,

Thank you! I will check out the threads, "The Burning Club and My Bladder". I agree with everything you said and I also take so many extra precautions to prevent everything. It can be exhausting really.  I will be asking my doctor tomorrow about systemic HRT tomorrow.

Take care.

[CLKD]

Do keep us up date: any experiences shared etc. 

To ease the gut during long courses of AB treatment, do you eat LIVE yoghurt. It can help any digestive problems