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6 month treatment for cystitis

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Bexsta101
Bexsta101

Hi I am a 23 year old girl that was suffering with cystitis every time I had sex probably from the age of 18/19. I would constantly be going to my doctors to get anti biotics and constantly asking if there was anything more permanent they could do. Eventually a doctor gave me a 6 month course of anti biotics at a low dose that I take every day which has been the best 6 months ever without any infections (apart from the odd yeast infection but I can deal with that better than cysitis) I have one month left of these anti biotics before I have to come off them cold turkey and am very anxious that my cystitis may just appear it's ugly head again. I was wondering if anyone else had been on a 6 month anti biotic treatment and whether the cystits came back afterwards or if anyone would recommend homeopathy as I have been considering this as well...any input would be great

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6 Replies

  • lynne69494
    lynne69494 Bexsta101

    Posted

    l was prescribed kefalexin one a day as a preventative to intersticial cystitus flare ups, and they did seem to help keeping bad attacks at bay.

    Thinks its 2yr or so since starting them, but in last few month have been getting chronic nausea, had a scope and bit of gastritus seen, put on omprazole, didnt improve, so decided to stop most meds, essentials aside, and the nausea did settle a bit, but couldn`t say for sure if it was the anti bs, but decided now l,ll just take them if l feel niggling, see how that works.  Ironically l,d niggly typical  bacterial cystitus symptoms from waking today, thats rare for me, so did resort to anti b today, settled a little.  Mine also aggrevated by intercourse, think thats common problem, despite making sure l emptied my bladder after, still problem.

    Think anti bs being used more as prevetative with bladder probs, so it seems its not essential you come off after 6month, or if you do and start having probs you could start same regime again, l dont know it gps have a time limit, mine dont seem to bother, but think if l knew at start of it l,d have taken probiotics and bio yogurt more to help counteracts affect of anti bs, l,m sure everyone on them doesnt get gastritus, lve always had a sensative tum before anti bs, could be different reasons for it. Maybe someone who,s come off them completely will reply, or offer alternatives.  But know what you mean its such a relief to be pain free,  as if coming back to life when symptoms go.  good luck

  • PBurn
    PBurn Bexsta101

    Posted

    Good grief, when are people going to stop taking endless amount of antibiotics. Doctors know that they should not be giving these out like this any longer. Antibiotics will give you severe thrush and then as subsequently you will end up with systemic candida. Putting patients on long term antibiotics is not going to help. Your gut is ending up with a total imbalance of flora and this is impacting devastatingly on your immune systems - that is why there is constant cystitis.
    • lynne69494
      lynne69494 PBurn

      Posted

      l,d like to say that firstly l and most women  with severe intersticial cystitus to the extent some are debilitated and disabled with it,

      , some having chosen to have a urostomy as preferable to endless suffering and terrible lifestyle affects it can cause. l think its still acceptable to give anti bs, for bacterial infection, as they do stop the infection and save lives.  The biggest problem was gps giving them for virus,s or unconfirmed bacterial infection, in those cases unneccessary, but still a life saver against bacteria, millions would die if not for them, many post op patients.  Be it most drs and patients  know they affect the body,s gut-re good bacteria and cause thrush, possiblty systemic, but those can be treated succesfully, and patients can boost their own systems to counteract side affects. Intersticial cystitus is an inflammatory condition, of the bladder, no bacteria seen in urine samples, but research shows women with the condition do improve with low dose anti bs as preventative, the belief is there could be bacteria deep in the  bladder wall,  but women  dont improve with placebo,s, they dont know if its allergic response or auto immune inflammatory type, which many people have in different parts of the body. Many people with inflammatory conditions have not had many anti bs at all if ever before diagnosis, some get those conditions when young even children, whilst asthma common in children whove not had anti bs. Even with bacterial cystitus, many start with it young before ever having had anti bs,l did, so although its trendy at present to damm all anti bs for all conditions, which is throwing the baby out with the bathwater, all patients need to be judged as individuals, and needs,  not by what is current trend,  Its single minded to put down all infections to over use of anti bs, or to put them as the only cause of the affect on the immune system, which l agree is deteriorating for many, most whove not had many anti bs, its more likely to be envoiramental pollutants, allergens, definetly proved with mass increase in childrens asthma, but it took authorities years to admit to that, only when the proof became overwhelming, as with increased allergic rhinitus and  allergies, again most will take few anti bs, and its logical if envoiramental pollutants can cause inflammation of the sinus,s and lungs, they can cause it anywhere in the body, but does anyone get on the trendy envoiramental causes, no, that would mean looking at our own lifestyles and what we add to it. So maybe not ideal to need anti bs, but if its proven to be a life saver for rampant bacteria, they do stop suffering and save millions of lives.

    • Bexsta101
      Bexsta101 PBurn

      Posted

      I kind of just wanted reassuring advice not to be scolded for accepting anti biotics when I couldn't see any light. The anti biotics I feel have saved a relationship and intact my whole social life but that's for your much needed opinion 
  • Naa909
    Naa909 Bexsta101

    Posted

    PBurn I understand your anxieties, but women will stop taking antibiotics when more progress is made in researching womens health isssues, specifically gyno ones. For a lot of us, long term antibiotics is the only way we can live a semi-normal existence. There's no point scaremongering. When i get worried about the amount of anitbiotics I have to take, I think about what my dad says about the semi-poisonous immuno-suppresant drugs he's been taking for a major organ transplant for thirty years: you never know what they might come up with later! Keep yourself alive and functioning in the meantime with whatever means you have: we can worry about the long term effects when we get them, and we have no idea what progress might have been made for treating those problems by then.

    Bexsta: I am also 23 years old and have been taking low level fluconazole (alternating with high level when attacks get really bad) for a year for chronic thrush which i've had since I was 14. I am alive and enjoying a pain free (at last pain free from thrush) existence for the first time in 9 years - so i understand your relief! I also used to get cystitis whenever I had sex (I recently had vaginal surgery though so no sex for me and therefore no cystitis for about seven months - hooray?). Cystitis is a tricky bitch and I've taken lots of anti bs for it in the past but I also found less aggressive treatments for it as well: for me it's a wee, a shower and two pints of water and one pint of cranberry juice directly after sex (sexy right? me and my bf just laugh about it now) and a cystopurin kit (sometimes two) to top it off if I feel twinges over the next 24 hours. Also no tea no coffee and no alcohol for 24 hours as soon as I get a twinge. I'm sure you've tried a combo of this yourself, but for me I found I had to do all of it, every time, to insure cystitis-free success.  I found that this routine managed to quell cystitis pretty quickly about 85% of the time, and that I'd only need anti bs once every few months to fend off more serious infections. I've heard of something homeopathic called Waternoose D which is also meant to help, although I've tried it and it didn't work for me personally. Another woman on the forums was talking about this book called "Sexual Cystitis / Internstital Cystitis" by Angela Kilmartin which apparently is a super magical way of washing your ass which stops cystitis from setting in - hell I'll try it! She swears by it. Worth a try. Everything is worth a try, including the anti bs. For me it's the post-sex routine and cystopurin which keeps it at bay. Good luck xx

    • lynne69494
      lynne69494 Naa909

      Posted

      Hi l dont think there was any research in uk for intersticial cystitus, all info came from Germany, Europe, usa, japan, might be some now. l lived with severe symptoms for years, horriffic, some women chose urostomy,s due to suffering and affect on life. Initial diagnosis bring amtrip, cimetidine, mannose, supplaments, helped quite a bit but didnt stop flare ups, then research show women on low dose anti bs did improve whilst those on placebo,s didnt, this a long standing multiple study. So my urologist put me on low dose anti b, as with many others, l and they did get relief improvement, giving us better quality life as opposed to existance.  l was able to cut it back from daily to when l also felt niggles when l,d do daily for a bit till settled, l also used l,arginine research showed helped bladder muscle, making sure bladder is completely empty more so after sex.

      l also had doubts about anti bs, but severe ic horriffic affect on body and life, Also thought about children with leukemia, and other immune conditions who use anti bs to keep them going, for years, as your dad

      l,m now having a few tum probs after several years on anti bs, , but no regrets about taking the anti bs, sometimes you build resistence and need to use different type, so hoping all will settle soon, and will take them again, Not for virus,s or short term discomfort but If its to stop long term suffering or greater risk to health you do have to judge on present,  who knows what future will bring. 

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