Think I have cystitis.. any tips to help?

This is a message to Jessica and anyone else who has been suffering from any cystitis like symptoms. I have been suffering for over 5 years with 'cystitis'  I have had genuine cystitis so I know just how bad it feels. I have been on numerous antibiotics over the years and even between bouts it has never felt right 'down there'. I am just recovering from breast cancer treatment plus sepsis from the hospital and I was at the end of my tether. I asked my GP to refer me to a urologist, while diagnosing me with mild atrophic vaginitis ( common in post menopausal women) and prescribing a topical oestrogen cream (confirmed safe by breast surgeon)  I have at last found a cure which has NOTHING to do with any of this. By chance a friend of mine was talking about how she had stopped using fabric conditioner as it made her washing machine smell horrible. I suddenly thought if it can do that what must it be doing to people. May sound crazy but I stopped using it and miraculously after all these years I have been symptom free for 5 months now, unheard of before. When I had the problem it was bad. I couldn't get off the loo for hours and the awful feeling of urgency and discomfort affected my life beyond measure. I cannot put this down to the oestrogen cream as I have used that before with no let up. This may not be the answer for you, but I wanted to share this just in case I could help anyone else with similar ongoing symptoms. Fabric conditioner contains many chemicals which can irritate the delicate tissues in the bladder/vaginal area. If you have constant infections with your cystitis this may not be the answer but I urge anyone to bear this cure in mind or at least try going without fabric conditioner, at least for your smalls. I didn't even notice any difference in my laundry. Good luck to everyone suffering. I know how awful it is xxx

Find another doctor if he will not prescribe you antibotics!!!!  You need Macrobid and Pyridium.  And if you get raw, every time you have sex you need to look further and see if it is vulvodynia/interstitial cystitis.  If you start getting more and more you are probably another victim of IC which is caused by a bug called mycoplasma.  If you are young, when you get in your 30s to 40s you will develop rheumatoid arthritis which is just as horrible.  For years I thought I was having yeast infections but no yeast....if it is IC so read up on that and get yourself on Doxycycline (100 mgs 2x a day) and minocycline/minocine same thing.  You find a doctor that is open to that.  I am super mad that the doctors were not taught this stuff and put the finndings away for 40 years...a Dr. McPherson Brown knew there was correlations between, bladder problems/arthritis/mycoplasma/lots of autoimmune diseases/rheumatoid arthritis.  So read up on this stuff and print the articles and go doctor to doctor til you find one that knows about the issues, otherwise, you have a life long of true suffering as I...when I got on Doxycycline it really helped but not sured but for you if it is only cystitis then you only need Macrobid and pyridium and yeast cream for soothing feel, just pay attention how many your are getting as the months/years go by.  Good luck, Jet24

Hi, it might be worth trying D-Mannose, its the only thing that worked for me.  I was being driven nuts by it, and antibiotics as we all know even when you can get them have their side-effects, and also you have the misery of waiting until you get your prescription and time for them to kick in. 

Anyway this stuff is a natural sugar, as I understand it, it binds to the bacteria which is then flushed out of the body avoiding irritiation or infection starting.  Its available in capsules (which I take one a day as a preventative), and powder form, to be dissolved in water, which I read other people take before and after sex, and that worked for me too.  Its available online, Amazon is where I ordered.  Reading the reviews there, it seems to have provided massive relief for a lot of women.

Good luck, hope that's of some help.

In my mid 20's I suffered with this so many times (always after sex) and it was horrible. I have a good routine now though and I have managed to avoid it for the last 5 years. Here is what I do: I always go to the loo straight after sex, and over the next 24 hours I will drink a soluble 1000mg vitamin C tablet (which I heard makes things more acidic and harder for the bacteria) and later on I always drink 3 glasses of water over the course of an hour, so I go to the loo a few times to keep the bacteria from being able to multiply. I always stay away from sugary drinks (this inlcudes cranberry!!) as I think sugar feeds the bacteria. Really simple but very effective for me. I really hope this helps someone as it used to make me so down suffering with it so regularly.