Hi
Any fellow irritable bladder/urogenital atrophy symptom sufferers seen this article -
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/12/researchers-call-for-new-uti-urinary-tract-infections-testing-method?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I have had uti type symptoms waxing and waning for about 2 ton3 weeks - no incontinence, just urgent need to go and feeling of pressure. On the toilet all the time. I am treating with vagifem 4 times weekly and this is making some difference, also just started hrt. However this came on so suddenly after using a bog standard sex toy for penetration (ironically trying to combat VA by increasing blood flow to the area as I am single) that I was a bit sceptical when my gp assured me post urine sample sent to lab that there was zero infection.
Having read this article now even more curious/ concerned. Anyone else in this boat? Or treated with antibiotics despite a negative result and experienced resolution of symptoms?
I was prone to irritable bladder prior to meno but these symptoms are way, way worse.
Hi Eleanor B I was about to start my own discussion on this when I saw yours so decided to add to it. I have read the article myself and it ties in completely with the view of the Urogynaecologist who saw me last month. She did her Phd on chronic UTI/bladder irritation. i later discovered that her PhD is freely available online. I could post you a link to it. She also told me that urine tests were pretty pointless because they are so unreliable. After leaving her I thought of another question. Since VA symptoms are so similar to UTI ones, how are we supposed to know which we have (given the unreliability of the urine tests)?
Back in September I had an apparent cystitis attack. The GP gave me one AB which failed and then 2 others when the test indicated resistance to bacteria in the first. The 2nd two also didn't work very well. At that point in time, I started trying Vagifem. Initially a very good impression for the first 2 weeks and then variable (possibly to do with only having enough to use it 2-3 times a week).
All was good until mid october when the cystitis symptoms returned. Then I tried bicarb of soda dissolved in water and it appeared to work well. It returned in late november at the time of my referral to the hospital. The consultant did take a urine sample despite her misgivings. I didn't hear back from that so I am assuming that nothing was found.
Then this week, the cystitis returned again . This has made me suspect that the problem wasn't cleared and that it might be an infection due to aching all over and feeling a bit hot. Yesterday I decided to go ahead and take the emergency Trimethroprim which the hospital doctor gave me. It is a 7 days course rather than the 3 day which GP's tend to give. The hospital doctor told me that these 3 day ones are a waste of time! They don't complete the job.
She offered me 2 options. 1. Continuing antibiotics and 2. Continue with vagifem for now and see if things improve. I told her that I really didn't want to be on continued AB's. She said that most of her patients give the same response. I agree with the points you have made. I would feel that the problem hadn't been solved but just masked (with side effects). I have read comments by some women who are taking the continuous AB but still having UTI's.
Have you had any side effects from Vagifem? I dropped estriol cream because it made me feel as though I had a UTI. I just can't decide whether Vagifem is doing the same or not or whether it is that I just wasn't using it frequently enough.
Will stop for now because it is getting long but would like any feedback. I have a follow up appt. with the hospital but not until next April.