pain and discomfort in urethra, but no UTI

Alkaline urine is more favorable to bacteria. Slight acidic urine inhibits their growth. Drinking cranberry juice, add some apple cider vinegar (some honey for taste is optional) helps make urine acidic.

I have had the same exact thing. It is called interstitial cistitus. Or IC for short. There's no cure but med to help make life more comfortable. Google it! I hope this helps.

I am experiencing the same thing. I've been on three lots of anti-biotic. The bacteria was immune to the first one and then had two more anti-biotics anf that. I've had it now for four weeks and the last urine test showed negative but I still feel uncomfortable. I also feel worried about going out, so it is impacting on my quality of life, as I am sure everyone writing here is also experiencing.
I am pleased to find this chat room and feel there is a name to what I am experiencing. Let us hope we can find some real help.

I know that I'm late to this forum, but for anyone reading, I hope this helps. From reading, most symptoms present are as follows:
-burning when urinating, usually becoming painful at end of stream
-first urination of the day marking the beginning of pain for some
-burning/twinges of pain when not urinating (bladder spasms)
-sexual activity correlation
-vaginal discharge, sometimes with odor
-fever, headache, back pain, pelvic/inguinal pain
-painful sex
-urine may be discolored, cloudy, and blood may be present in cases of inflammation
-painful positions, such as sitting or standing for too long
-urethra feels like "open wound" (urethritis)
-symptoms improve after bladder is full
-symptoms improve after changing diet (eating less acidic foods) or lifestyle (using different detergents, douching, etc.)
-depression, anxiety, psychological disorder
-frequent urination with little or no urine

I think that my symptoms first started right after I became sexually active, like a lot of women here. I had one UTI as a consequence and then after that, who even knows. That was eight years ago. I'm just now starting to figure it out, but I've had a few UTIs in the past eight years that were bacteria-present. Most of the time, the sample is negative for bacteria but it's super painful, of course. I couldn't pee but felt I needed to, fell asleep on the bathroom floor again, blood and supposedly NO bacteria in my urine... Go figure.

I showed positive for BV at one point and inserted Boric Acid vaginally for a while. The pain came and went over months. As soon as I'd forget all about this thing, it'd pop up out of the blue. I'd be going crazy trying to figure this s*** out. "Was it something I ate?," I'd ask myself. "Is it these new birth control pills?" Everything under the sun. I'd drive myself crazy trying to figure out what triggered this painful burning sensation, always scared to go to a doctor or urologist who wouldn't find anything wrong.

Generally someone would just prescribe some Macrobid or something and send me on my way. And the symptoms would always clear up with antibiotics! So I figured, if it gets better with antibiotics, it has to be bacteria related.

Recently, I'd forgotten about all of this. Whenever I got "flare-ups," I'd just pop a couple of Prelief and be on my way. No biggie. However, I had an miscarriage about a month ago. I was fine until one night, it started burning. It wasn't bad, so I didn't worry about it. Shortly after this, my partner and I tried to have sex for the first time since the miscarriage. When he inserted his penis, he instantly felt a burning, horrible sensation. It was so bad that he ran into the bathroom and got in the shower. This has happened both times we've had (TRIED to have) sex, a week apart. His penis was inflamed as soon as he inserted it into my vagina. It also became extremely dry and a little itchy in the days that followed. We let it heal and decided to try again just to make sure that it wasn't some freak one-time thing. And the same horrible thing happened with the burning. Also, we only have vaginal intercourse, nothing weird either.

We don't have sex with anyone else besides each other. I'm still going to get tested for STDs but I was tested for all of those not a month ago, since the pregnancy. I'm going to have my pH levels checked, as well as a pap smear with every type of bacteria paneled to get to the bottom of this. This is the first time my partner has ever had an adverse reaction, and it hasn't burned this bad since these symptoms first arose in my life.

A chronic infection isn't easily detected on the dipstick tests that are normally performed in urine tests. Certain bacteria don't produce nitrile (including E. Coli) and need further investigation. I just started taking Probiotics and hope that they help. Honestly, I'm not into homeopathic medicine (being a medical student myself) and don't believe in it, but I've also started taking D-mannose tablets and they help enormously. D-mannose supplements are simple glucose sugars that discourage bacterial adhesion to the bladder lining. They're not fat soluble, so they collect in excess in urine. The more you take, the more powerful the effect.

Hopefully someone will get to the bottom of this. It is affecting my life and it seems like everyone else's on here. But again, if you're suffering without end, give Prelief or d-mannose a shot until you can seek medical attention. Minor symptoms may be managed with those OTC compounds. Best of luck!

Ladies - those of you who have pain in the urethra most likely have a syndrome known as Skenitis - this has absolutely nothing to do with the bladder or Interstitial Cystitis. It is very treatable.

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I think you have Skenitis - inflammation of the skene glands in the urethra. My wife had it for 14 months. The first 2 urologists she went to couldn't figure it out. This new - Dr Andrew Siegel in Maywood, NJ figured it out. She just started an antibiotic that is specifically for this. 2 to 4 weeks and he said she will be 100% again! Please check into it!

I wanted to post because I have been through many symptoms that others have listed. I saw that symptoms were being experienced by women of all ages regardless of sexual activity, age or medical history. After a time of great stress in my life, I started presenting with symptoms such as burning urethra -worse when I was sitting or wearing jeans. I was treated with Cipro even though I did not have a bladder infection. I had no urge to go or "push" when I was on the toilet, no bacteria, nausea, fever and it did not burn when I urinated. I felt better a few days into treatment with the antibiotics but my symptoms came back during the remaining days of treatment. I drank tons of water and tried cranberry concentrate, cut out coffee and tea. Nothing helped.

I have had other physical symptoms that were stress-related. One summer, once my feet hit the floor in the morning, I would have diarreah and vomit stomach acid (orange/yellow & bitter) EVERY MORNING. I would dry heave throughout the day and would try to vomit to relieve the nausea. I went through myriad tests by a gastoentorologist with no diagnosis, then went on various meds to try and find some relief. Nothing worked. After me informing my psychiatrist of what was going on , he started me on a new medication. All the horror and discomort of at least three months was over.

I relay that story because I don't want people to underestimate the effects that stress can cause in your life. I realized that my symptoms didn't start until I got out of bed-just like my physical symptoms with the gastrointestinal problems I suffered. I tend to tense up in a major way when I'm stressed and it can change my posture and make my whole body "clinch up" so to speak. When I have these symptoms, my stream of urine will stop & start. When I'm not stressed, my stream is strong & normal. I have been treated for a major mental illness since I was 20 and what may be a little bit of stress to a "normal" person can seem like an avalanche to me .I even had a major panic attack while I was reading posts on another forum about what the cause of my symptoms could be.  I am not in any way trying to say that any others posting on this board have mental issues that aren't dealt with which may be causing their symptoms. This just seems to apply in my case. If you are stressed, please do not be ashamed to ask for help or get therapy. Best wishes to everyone with no relief yet.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi there everyone. I am sitting a four weeks with same issues. I have inflammation of the uretha, pressure in my abdominal, the constant wanting to go to the loo. Once I have visited said loo & try leaving said bathroom, oh no, I have tat feeling again. A very weird indescribable tingle. So back I go, tingle tingle tingle, goose bumps but nothing else. Finally make it to a chair, go to sit down, but bounce back up as that just started the whole sequence all over again. I have a tender spot on my right front side about thumb & middle finger down & across distance. I have temps & chills, headaches etc & totally had enough. I have a scan tomorrow of my bladder & kidneys, so here goes. My instructions are: empty bowels & drink a litre of water 1 hr prior to scan. Do not empty bladder. Well this should be interesting. I can't go to work as I can't see anyone paying me to be on the loo all day or cramped over. I'm sorry to hear there are so many of us in the same book. My saving grace in all this is my sulking supportive husband. But it's too painful & there's too much pressure & inflammation that makes it just not possible for playing. Hope someone comes up with some real help. Good luck all.

Could be IC

It sounds like some of you have interstitial cystitis or painful bladder disease. There is no cure but it can be managed. My advice to you is to join a support group on Facebook. The ladies on there really know what they are talking about and what to do to help. IC is like ha I g a uti all the time and no bacteria in your urine. No one knows why this happens but many women get it after a uti. It's not a very well known disease. You could also have pelvic floor dysfunction as well. It would cause frequent urges and back pain. Look into both and see if your symptoms match up. At least then you won't be running in circles. Alkaline diets work best for people with Ic. What you eat and drink can make your symptoms so much worse and cause a flare in symptoms. I too was lost not long ago but eventually found my answers. Good luck

Hi! I realize this post was made over a year ago but I wanted to see if you were able to find relief overtime and it was just an issue of an irritated urethra as a result of the infection?

I had a UTI about 2 months ago and was treated with 3 antibiotics, the last one being Cipro to get rid of the infection. At this point I believe that the infection is gone but the feeling of irritation post pee (slight burning and discomfort, sometimes frequency) still persists. I did go to the urologist who took cultures and said there was no longer an infection and that my symptoms were likely just a result of the inflammation and irritation post infection. They prescribed me Uribel to take to help with the discomfort and more Cipro should I feel the infection is coming back.

Any feedback would be very helpful!!

Hi! I realize this post was made over a year ago but I wanted to see if you were able to find relief overtime and it was just an issue of an irritated urethra as a result of the infection? The advice you received from your urologist is almost identical to mine.

I had a UTI about 2 months ago and was treated with 3 antibiotics, the last one being Cipro to get rid of the infection. At this point I believe that the infection is gone but the feeling of irritation post pee (slight burning and discomfort, sometimes frequency) still persists. I did go to the urologist who took cultures and said there was no longer an infection and that my symptoms were likely just a result of the inflammation and irritation post infection. They prescribed me Uribel to take to help with the discomfort and more Cipro should I feel the infection is coming back.

Any feedback would be very helpful!!

Like everyone else I've had the same symptoms - discomfort of pain at the end of my urethra. It's not a constant pain, usually comes and goes. I did have a UTI prior so I know the reason for the lingering pain, but feel like it should be gone by now.

FIRST OFF, if you've ever had a UTI (and get another) AVOID getting more antibiotics. Clearly it doesn't help and your body will eventually become immune to the medicine. Instead look for a supplement called D-Mannose. Whole Foods is where I found it, but it would probably be cheaper online. Research this stuff, it's WAY better than antibiotics. It plucks the bacteria off your bladder and then washes out with water. Its what's in cranberry juice but way more concentrated. (Side note, it can cause bloating and loose-stool the first few times you take it. I took 4 servings in the first day and the pressure of built up gas pushed on my sore bladder and it was PAINFUL! )

SECOND, after all of this research of UTI's a common supplement has reappeared as a preventative of UTI's - Marshmallow Root! It helps calm and soothe the bladder (and assuming urethra). Research this too, so many good things to say about it. I've read it can take awhile for it to really work in the body, but anytime i'm feeling discomfort I pop 2 of the pills and the pain seems to disappear for a few hours. Hopefully it will eventually heal it...

Ladies I have been dealing with this same issue and turns out I had shingles in my urethra I was but on BHT 2 pills a day for 5 days then 1 pill a day for 20 days. It seemed to help but the pain persisted and I had to drink a ton of water to make the pain go away I also started drinking cranberry juice daily. Then... I forgot to drink it one morning and had to drink it before bed the next day the pain was gone and it never came back all day. I also drank water but wasn't having to down it all day just when I ran out in my cup just got some more. The next night I drank it before bed again and still not hurting. Try this and see :) hope it helps.

I had the same pain just having to down water all day and having to urinate all day well I drink cranberry juice everyday and forgot to drink it one morning and had to drink it that night so I drank it before bed woke up the next morning no pain and didn't hurt all day same the next and still didn't hurt. Try the cranberry juice before bed. Hope this helps. :)