pain and discomfort in urethra, but no UTI

I am not a doctor but have had significant issues relating to the same topics.   I was finally diagnosed with cystitis that is actually aggravated by antibiotics, caffeine, lack of fluids through the bladder, cranberry juice, coffee, alcohol.  I kept feeling worse and going to the doctor and when I did they would place me on antibiotics, tell me to drink cranberry juice etc... both of which were aggravating my cystitis.  When I finally went to a doctor that diagnosed me with cystitis he recommended just water, no more anti biotics, yogurt, no coffee for two weeks no alcohol for several weeks, and no sex for a few weeks since sex can cause pressure on the bladder and stop it from healing.  I have been perfect ever since.  Every once in awhile I feel the symptoms coming back, and I will take on Bactrim and drink lots of water and by morning I am good as new.  I hope this helps.  Keep searching for the answers.  No one cares more about your health than you do.  Even the best of doctors!!

 

Hi,
Very interested to see your post have been taking these for 6 months....no change :( have been on Toviaz for 3 months, only marginally improved, am seeing Urologist this week.
Have noted everything mentioned here to see what she says, i'm sure she'll b e delighted.

I've been going through the same thing since november 2012 - I was getting up to urinate 3 or 4 times every night from mid 2012, then near the end of the year i suddenly came down with what i thought was a UTI (i've had them in the past when I was younger).  I got Trimethoprim antibiotic...and it didn't work. So I did a course of cranberry sodium citrate sachets and it didnt work either.

I've since been on another antibiotic, nitrofuratoin, and it doesn't work either.

It is ruining my life and I'm only 21.

I generally drink apple cider vinegar every day a few times a day as a hot drink with honey and that takes the acidity out of my urine but sometimes I have to drink a sodium citrate sachet. I try not to have the sachets too much as they upset my stomach. The pain will feel like it's fading over the course of a few weeks and then suddenly it's back again and I'm in agony. I'm going to a conventional doctor next week if I can manage to walk down to the surgery, but for everyone on here I'd like to suggest going to maybe a chinese herbalist or trying some other form of treatment - Western meds aren't very good at treating these types of problems it seems - they don't have a wide enough scope to deal with these vague symptoms, sort of like irritable bowel syndrome - they say there's no cure and you just have to deal with it.... whereas people have had success using alternative treatments. The only reason I haven't been to an alternative medicine practice yet is because of the cost, but as soon as I have money I'm taking myself to see a chinese medicine expert and failing that i will probably turn to a treatment plan that works on the concept of the mind and emotions creating physical illness.

 

Good luck to everyone else going through this! don't give up and keep your mind open for different ways that might cure the problem.

2 months ago I started urinating blood.  Symptoms of a bladder infection started up.  I could only get an over the counter type of pyridium to help with the urgency feeling.  The blood in my urine stopped and when I went to the doctor there was no sign of infection.  The irritation at the opening to the urethra comes and goes.  It feels awful.  There is no pain involved, just an irritation from the urethra forward.  Cannot get rid of it, even with drinking alot of water.

 

I'm going through this same problem with a random coming and going, burning inflammation at the front of my urethra since last year. I think it started during a lot of stress around my past relationship - I randomly began to get up 2 - 6 times every night to pee (out of nowhere, I was only 19..)....As soon as I started trying to control and repress the urges to urinate at night, I got this problem! At first I thought it was an infection so I got antibiotics and they didn't work, the extreme pain toned down a bit and has continued to linger ever since - I've tried 3 antibiotics and there's no sign of infection in my urine.

A lot of the time, if you've been to the doctors and ruled out an infection or other serious issue, and antibiotics/meds aren't working, the next thing to really look at is if anything significantly stressful or debilitating has been going on in your life at the time of contracting the illness, or if you've been repressing anger or frustration around some issue. Could be related to feeling imposed upon, not letting how you feel out when you need to, trying to pretend everything's okay when it's not... and many other things.

Although generally not much attention or focus is given to the massive effect our thoughts/feelings have on our bodies, if like me, doctors don't help and there's no found physical problem in your body, you look elsewhere for healing. I've been using something called *EFT* (Emotional Freedom Technique) on and off for a few years now and I'm about to have a session with a practitioner to try and help. I'm only just throwing myself into it properly because I can't handle feeling like this every single day and it's time for a lot inside me to change for the better!

It works by accessing different meridian points on your upper body and face (by physically 'tapping' on them with your fingers) that are all connected to different organs, and also different areas of the mind. It's similar to acupuncture. It accesses these points and releases the blocked/stagnant/unresolved emotions going on inside of you so you can resolve things. If you look around online, many, MANY people have had great success with all kinds of issues, not just emotional but very real, physical issues too. Even ones that are diagnosed as incurable or beyond help. The best thing about it is that you can actually use it by yourself once you learn the basic techniques and formula.

I'm going to a practitioner alongside doing it alone every day, because it's often much better to work with someone when dealing with something difficult like a on-going health issue where you need support and another's perspective to keep you on track.

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 this is one of the main EFT sites. It's worth checking out if you really are sick of being ill and want to get better. It's obviously not for everyone, nothing is, but it might just hit a chord with you :)

It could be intercysteral cystitis or (might have spelled that wrong) IC. It makes you feel like you have an infection but when they test for it it comes back negative. Ask your urologist about it. Also AZO works for pain. It turns your pee bright orange but its all natural and it helps A LOT! Good luck!!!

Hi I know you posted this 4 years ago but i am currently going through the same thing. my doctor told me the same thing as your urologist told you. It's been a month now and i'm still feeling uncomfortable down there. I was just wondering did it eventually go away for you like the doctor said?
I would really appreciate if you could let me know please! thanks

I am not sure if people are still watching this conversation but I have an option that might help. Let me tell you my sotry in short version first.

i have been suffering for the past year. I began getting UTIs when I started dating a new man. I was with the old one for 7 years. The doc said the change in partner can cause UTI's because its different and your body is not used to the change. I had about 7 UTI's in the last year up until about 4 months ago.  I always got antibiotics for them, and it would clear up in a few days. I thought back in october I had a UTI but in fact it was Chlaymidia I was treated right away and started to feel better. a Month had gone by and this feeling we all speak of came back I went and got tested again for an STI, had my urine tested everything came back negative. So now I am dealing with this pain and irritation and the feeling like I have to pee when I infact don't. When I put pressure on the area it helps to feel better just so I can fall asleep. i have seen my GP, Walk in clinic doctors, Urologist for a cystoscopy everything came back normal. Currently, these are my symptoms: 1. a slight burning feeling only occassionally, and usually when i first wake up. It does not hurt when i urinate 2. I get a pulsing, throbbing feeling that seems to be coming from my urethra. 3. The feeling like I need to pee but I push on my bladder and I don't have to pee, but the feeling is inside either my urethra or Vagina (close proximity so it is hard to tell exactly where this feeling is coming from) I wouldn't describe it as painful, but as more of an annoyance. So ladies, I recently went in to be tested for Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma Infections.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/infections/hic_ureaplasma_and_mycoplasma.aspx

It was very interesting to read about and realized it is not something that is normally tested for the symptoms mimick Chlaymida so thats what they treat. However all these women are having these same issues that came from UTI or an STI. Ureplasma and Mycoplasma are in the "STI" family however it is still different. Read the article it explains it all. Make your doctor test you for this (it is a swab test done in your Urethra, which is not painfull and a swab of your vagina/cervix) I went and had this test done yesterday and I should see results by next week. If this comes back negative then at least I tryed. I will continue to search what this could be if it comes back negative. Some other things I have been looking into is getting blood work done. Most things filter out of your urethra so everything that is being broken down by your liver, kidney's etc.. all needs to pass thru your urethra. I am going to get blood work done to see how my liver and Kidney's are functioning as maybe the culprit for what we are feeling is beyond urine and swabs. Diabetes is also a possibility, IC, Urethritis, also I was also just reading about Atrophic Vaginitis/Atrophic Urethritis same sort of symptoms. Although they say it happens mostly to women who are post menopause it is not un heard of for younger women to suffer from this due to lack of estrogen. Well I am wondering what my estrogen levels are since taking birth control when I was 17 right up until 2 months ago when I had the Mirena taken out. I have read causes and symptoms about the lack of estrogen and I noticed I have some of those symptoms for awhile but never thought much of it. Causes such as migraines, vaginal infections, depression. Plus Birth control pills cause estrogen deficiency as well. And then symptoms cold chills and night sweats (in the last 8 months I wake up drenched), dry skin, Vaginal dryness and loss of libido, (loss of libido has changed a bit since the mirena was taken out),  Fatigue (I am always tired and no energy), depression and anxiety can be also present due to low estrogen levels. Symptoms of low estrogen levels can be subtle and often unrecognized in younger women but it happens. With moderate to severe vaginal atrophy, the following vaginal and urinary signs and symptoms are: Vaginal dryness, Vaginal burning, Burning with urination, Urgency with urination, More urinary tract infections, Urinary incontinence, Light bleeding after intercourse and Discomfort with intercourse. So ask your doctor to check your estrogen levels!

 Just as an fyi that if you are given anti biotics of any kind, spend the extra $ and purchase Acidophilus. It is a wonderful probiotic to keep the good bacteria in your body. So Many Antibiotics kill that good bacteria and then yeast develops and thats never good. Its natural and ok to take 1 pill a day! And make sure to continue the Acidophilus at least 1 week after antibiotics is done to ensure you keep the good bacteria in there! I hope this helped a little I hope I find my own answers too. I will try posting again when I found out my reslults. GOOD LUCK!

I'm only 22, and I've had the same problems since I was 20. Doctors say they can't do anything for me, and now I'm pregnant and it has gotten much worse!!! I really don't have anything new to add to what you ladies have said, but to help keep the pain away I drink a bottle of water every day with a couple teaspoons of baking soda dissolved into it. This helps neutralize the acid levels in the urine and helps with the pain. I also keep a medicine bottle of baking soda in my purse and put about 3-4 tsp in a bottle of water if I'm out and about and have sudden pain, if you have an empty stomach it works in about 15 minutes. i hope this helps...this is a hard thing to live with!!

I am a 70 year old woman and have suffered with this since I was a little girl. A short and narrow urethra is responsible for this problem -- you're born with it!!! Lots of water, a hot bath, no caffeine, watch alcohol (all the good things). Don't wear too tight fitting pants Each time my urethra was examined I was told "fine".......It's the design of being a woman. When it appears, rephrain from sex......Kegel exercise help to strenghten the muscle. Golod luck!!

The original post is much like my situation.  I had UTIs a lot as a child, then in my teens they lessened.  In my early 20s I had a few, then I went 7-8 years without one.  Recently, after having sex, I felt that familiar burning.  I started drinking cranberry juice and water and cut out caffeine and sodas.  My GP said I had a mild infection and put me on 5 days of Cipro.  By day 2 I started to feel some relief from the UTI symptoms.  

I finished the Cipro and felt better, but still had this burning in my urethra and a lot of urgency.  The only time the pain seemed to be relieved was while I was urinating.  I scheduled an appointment with a urologist, who, after hearing my story, put me on Bactrim for 5 days and gave me hyoscyamine for bladder spasms.  He also said there was some blood in my urine and sent it off for a culture.  Meanwhile I took the Bactrim and hyoscyamine.  The Bactrim seemed to have no effect.  The other medication reduced the urgency, but made me very tired and didn't help with the burning.  I also began taking acidophilus probiotics.

The culture that they sent came back tainted, so they got a sample using a catheter (OUCH).  THAT sample came back negative.  I think that the antibiotics that I'd recently taken could have played a part in that result, but the doctor didn't seem concerned.  He did a CT scan and said everything looked fine.  He said he would take a look at my bladder if I wanted, but didn't think he'd find anything.  He suggested that I see a gynecologist and keep taking Uribel to relieve the pain.  

It has been over a month since I got the original UTI.  The pain has lessened somewhat - it comes and goes.  Some days I don't feel it at all, others it bothers me all day.  It hurts the most when I'm sitting and it doesn't hurt at night at all.  I'm wondering if that's because there's no pressure on my bladder/urethra while I'm lying down.  In any case, this is negatively impacting my life.  I never feel well and I can't have sex with my fiance, which is causing strain.  I just want to feel normal again!

Anyone reading this have you looked into what's called IC or interstitial cystitis? Just a suggestion as it sounds like what your experiencing and it's what I have. I really sympathise with you as it is an awful thing to have to deal with.

To bad the Moderator took helpful info (web address) and chose to delete it. What is this for if not to help each other. No more steady health for me!!!!

 I have had similar systems.  Burning sensation when i urinate and goes worse of an evening.  Don't know why?  I have had this now for 9 months and feel absolutely tired out and upset.  I've had two really bad cystitus attacks.  I've had many antibiotics but they don't seem to work.  

I have had urine tests done, they come back negative( no bacteria or infection present)  GP's a total waste of time just issue more antibiotics over the phone.

I've tried Waterfall d Mannose helps a bit along with antibiotics.

I am now at my wits end.  Can someone please give me some advise 

 

Its Katherine again, blogged on here for a year now. Improvement made, but sometimes still tender when I wee, but its abit better as Im on 3 months anti biotics for UREAPLASMA please look up a lovely woman who diagnosed me.. Gabrielle Downey Female Consultant Gynaecologist I saw her in Birmingham at her clinic. I paid £105.00 and she knew what was up with me. I hope this post doesnt get deleted as I have not put a web address on my post.Simply the name of this fab doctor, to which I think could help some ladies out there. AND THIS IS WHAT THIS WEB PAGE IS ALL ABOUT. We have all struggled with Doctors, Gps ect ect. And I really want to recommend this lady. IF YOU LIVE IN THE UK. PLEASE LOOK HER UP. 

 

Although I am not fully healed, I have not had a wee infection since January! I still get abit of soreness after I wee. But generally its not as bad. But ladies the weather in the uk is warmer, and Im worried when it gets colder here I may have problems. But I have Gab on speed dial so if it costs 105 to see her for more tests then thats what Ill do. 

 

I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to this website, I can't say what I had done if I had not come across this forum. I was in a bad place and felt like I didn't want to live that kind of low place. But I found all your posts, the ladies who took time to write, I thank all of you as well.