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[soozie]

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Please can anyone help. i have a severe cancer phobia which I have tried very hard to control. The menopause has been hard. I have not had a period for 2 years. 3 weeks ago I had a UTI. I was given 3 days of antibiotics but went back after a week with continued symptoms. When tested thought there was no UTI. My GP suggested I try Replens which I have. the pain however got worse and I was sure UTI was back but no. This time I was given some oestrogen pessaries which she thought might help. So far they haven't and I am getting increasingly concerned. My general mood is very low, I cry at the drop of a hat and I feel exhausted. Not tired but like I can't put one foot in front of the other. I have the need to wee straight after I have passed urine and it doesn't go away. The pressure feels like it is just inside the vagina and is constant. Can anyone relate to this, had similar or offer advice. i feel like I'm going mad. Can this all be due to the menopause? Please can someone offer some help?

[jaycee]

Soozie,i had this exact thing a few weeks ago,i think you might need  moreABs, i had a course of 3 which didnt do anything,i eventually rang 111 and they had a Dr speak to me and faxed another prescription through to my chemist, it was a weekend and the Drs surgery was shut,i was in so much pain, and felt like you,a heavy feeling  low down ,as if my bladder would burst,
Then i was given HRT and  vagifem which has made a difference
I think you should go back to your Drs or even outpatients, which i was advised to do,
I am sure with another course of ABs it should clear
It wont be cancer,its all to do with the menopause,

[JaneinPen]

Hi Soozie, like Jaycee I also had recurrent UTI's for months, and like you was very worried. Eventually a different doctor decided that this was ridiculous and sent my sample for further testing and it came back that I had a hard to treat bacteria. I got a strong antibiotic for a week. I didn't feel like it had cleared up and so the doctor gave me another week. I also started on a two week course of the Vagifem pessary.  The UTI cleared up and I do the Vagifem three times a week.  I also had a cystoscopy done and a flow test both of which were good so it was obviously the bacteria causing the problem.  The Vagifem has really made a big difference and once I found out that lots of women are prescribed it for UTI's I felt much happier.  Don't give up on investigating as only you know how you feel and the G.P will hopefully help you through it.

[Dancinggirl]

soozie - what you are experiencing is common for many women in post meno.  You need to use the oestrogen pessaries regularly - so every night for 2 weeks and then at least 2-3 times a week after that - I will be using these for the rest of my life.
Avoid caffeine, acidic drinks ( e.g. fruit juices and alcohol) and acidic and highly spiced foods e.g. citric fruit, hot curries.  Drink plenty of water. If you get burning, try half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water morning and evening for 2-4 days.
Avoid scented soaps and shower gels.
Use vaginal moisturisers like SYLK or the YES products that help to keep the flora balance in the vagina right.
No tight clothing around you ‘lady bits' and try not to sit for too long.
My life is geared around controlling these UTI types symptoms.
It's normal to get UTI type symptoms at our age - it's highly unlikely to be cancer but it might be wise to see a urologist to check for deep infection that could be treated.  DG x

[Woodlands]

All excellent advice DG.
Exactly what I would have advised too.
Woodlands xx

[JaneinPen]

Hello again soozie.  Dancinggirl jogged my memory and I also only drink decaf coffee which the consultant recommended. It has certainly lessened visits to the loo so that in itself is a benefit as I am a coffee lover

[jaycee]

A GOOD TIP, I DRINK LOADS OF COFFEE,I MUST TRY DECAFF

[JaneinPen]

Have to say Jaycee I only drink freshly brewed so if you don't I am unable to recommend a good instant brand

[CLKD]

A phobia can be 24/7, certainly mine was, I even had nightmares 

Less with betablockas.  But when I get queasy, it is there, instantly .........

Have a  soozie - I had treatment for breast disease and my biggest worry was that anxiety would stop me driving to/from the daily radiation treatment but adrenaline got me through.  So when push came to shove ;-)

Get some treatment for vaginal atrophy pronto!

[Jemp]

My symptoms were exactly the same as yours. I too found it hard to accept that the menopause could cause these symptoms and I was in full scale panic. I now use Vagifem - most days- and my doctor is happy with this. I also use tolteradine which she prescribed although I am not convinced this works. I also take a very low dose of antidepressant to lessen anxiety. When I calmed down and became more rational it became less problematic. I read a lot on other boards about the after effects of antibiotics which can, apparently, cause great irritation to the urinary tract even as they are eradicating the infection- this is what I think has happened to me. My bladder is more sensitive due to lack of oestrogen and has been irritated by the ABs( I took two different ones). I now have good days and bad- some nights are very tricky. I try to avoid all the things suggested by others. I take probiotics, eat live yoghurt - and apply it to my 'bits' when things are bad. I also take an antihistamine tablet each day and a good vitamin/ mineral supplement. Things are not great but tolerable. Try to find a sympathetic GP and tell them how you feel. Get them to reassure you that this is not evidence of a more serious condition- try not to google symptoms! I did and it freaked me out.

[JaneinPen]

Just a heads up if you take antihistamines then these can cause restless leg syndrome so if you are a sufferer, which I am, then it is better not to take. I looked it up as the RLS was getting worse and worse and asked the pharmacist for an alternative and he recommended an anti allergy nose spray which is a natural product and eye drops to stave off the allergy symptoms. They have both helped. Not as good as antihistamine but a better alternative for me

[Dancinggirl]

I find Beconase is brilliant - I believe it contains a steroid that reduces the inflammation that occurs when allergies are present. It's delivering the treatment to exactly where it is needed with minimal side effects. 
As autumn approached, I thought I would stop using the Beconase and initially things were fine.  After 3-4 weeks my nose was either stuffy or runny all the time again - I couldn't sleep because my nose was blocked and I was getting awful sinus headaches.
As we age, and also because of the lack of oestrogen, everything dries out, including our mucus membranes, so I believe this causes over sensitivity to changes in atmosphere and any allergens, resulting in sinus problems - a friend of mine was told by her doctor that she had senile rhinitis - delightful . I must stress this is my theory and not based on any specific medical knowledge.  Once I started using the Beconase again, within a few days, things really improved. You can get cheaper brands that contain the same drug and when I researched it, apparently it is OK to use throughout the year to control nasal allergic reactions.
I never used to get hay fever or allergic reactions before meno hit. Dg x

[CLKD]

I used Beconase successfully for several years as I have allergic rhinitis - once I worked out that a small amount didn't dry out my nose and make symptoms worse, it was OK.  We now make sure that we push the hoovery-thingy round more often ;-) and in the bedroom it helps enormously if dust is kept down.

Restless legs: bananas lots of  - it cured mine within 5 days.  Nurofen if symptoms don't settle at night.

Incidentally: when I had a nasal spray whilst taking The Pill, it was the only time that I had break-through bleeding  GP wouldn't believe me