Uti and pesseries.
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hi ladies i am 60. Four years post menopause. I have been suffering with Uti on and off since April .I had two lots of 3 day course no good one sachet and then a week of 3 a day antibiotics. still have it .No blood in urine just e.coli nitrates .I have also been using the 10mg estrogen pesseries for the last 6 weeks .So fed up any advice or reassurance i feel like this is only happening to me so down about it .Please Help me .
0 likes, 37 replies
Gigi368 wen_54374
Posted
You're not alone! Went through it for weeks last year. I use an estrogen cream and not only use it on the inside but also use it on the outside concentrating on the urethra. I use it on my outer bits every night and internally 2x a week. Also make sure you're wiping front to back, if you don't already do that. And drink a lot of water.. that helps alot..
mrs_susan74280 Gigi368
Posted
HI are you still using the cream ,
Gigi368 mrs_susan74280
Posted
Yes ma'am.. its Estrace Cream and bc of the low dose my doc gave me the green light to use as much or as little as I need. I usually use it at night before bed so it has time to soak into the tissues but I have used it during the day too. It's not a quick fix by any means, my tissues were so thin and dry it took a couple months to get to my new normal.. but I saw improvement after just 2 weeks. Our bladders depend on estrogen to be healthy, which I didn't know until my gyno told me and after weeks of misery my GP put me through. I can skip a dose but skipping more than that and the problems rear their ugly heads.
wen_54374 mrs_susan74280
Posted
I am using the pesseries twice a week but still having the Uti its a nightmare .
wen_54374 Gigi368
Posted
I use my pesseries twice a week but still getting the urine infections .I have noticed since i have been on them my hot flushes are back and i feel bloated all the time .Nightmare
2chr2015 Gigi368
Posted
gigi. when did this start for you? were you still in peri? or meno? i am still in peri and feel like something is not right down there with my bladder, urethra, vag tissues
Gigi368 2chr2015
Posted
I honestly have no clue where I'm at in this process.. I'm 51 technically I'm post meno bc I had a hysterectomy in 2001 but I kept my ovaries. I've had hot flashes for several years but they stopped and I thought, well that was easy. A little over a year ago I thought I had a yeast infection so I self treated but it got worse, called my GP bc I then felt like I had a UTI, tests showed I didn't but he treated for both, still got worse. After about 8 weeks he finally sent me to a gyno. Come to find out it was neither and I have vaginal atrophy with some bladder prolapse. All meno related! My tissues were dry as a bone and extremely thin and sunk in. I felt like I had a bad case of yeast, burning, itching, pain etc and my bladder was very angry, burned when I pee'd, feeling like i had to go every 5 min, and the worst part was I felt like I had a rock in my urethra. The gyno started me on Estrace Cream, 1 gram nightly for 2 weeks, then 1 gram 2x a week and use it on the outer bits. She also sent ke to pelvic floor PT. I now have a new normal, meaning I don't feel like I did when I was younger but happy with the results I got. Everything plumped back up, I don't feel like I have sand paper in there and my bladder is much happier, if I don't drink enough water it acts up but not to the degree it was. My doc let's me use the cream how I want bc it's such a low dose not much gets in your system. Sometimes I need more, sometimes less, I guess it depends on where my hormone levels are on any given day. Hope this helped.
Gigi368 wen_54374
Posted
I guess I got lucky. The cream worked wonders for me. But I did notice the hot flashes returned. I think I'm in a permanent bloat, I give up on that lol. Have you tried coating your outer bits and urethra with coconut oil? It has good anti bacterial properties that MIGHT help.
lisa95354 Gigi368
Posted
Hello Gigi, thank you for sharing that, in all the reading I’ve done and research and programs I’ve watched, I have never heard that our bladders need estrogen to function properly. No wonder so many women are having so many issues, makes perfect sense. also makes sense why there’s so many changes from the start of Peri to then post menopause, due to all the hormonal fluctuation. I had what I considered to be, chronic yeast infections for a couple years, I thought I was going to lose my mind, maybe it was this atrophy? when I went for my last check up a couple years ago, she didn’t mention anything about it. But she is the same practitioner that wanted to put me on “antidepressants“ instead of hormones. when I told my pharmacist that today, we were discussing menopause, he was furious. He said an antidepressant is not addressing anything having to do with hormones, but put a Band-Aid on it. In his opinion he said they’re also starting you on something you have to be on for the rest of your life, since it’s prescribed for menopause. I But he said the hormone replacement therapy or compounded cream’s address everything hormonal, moods, gaining weight, thinning hair, pain, inflammation etc. I'm going to my pharmacist on Monday to get the saliva test for hormones and then I’m going to either have the cream or a pill compounded, depending on where my hormones are at, I’m Post. Sure sounds like you had a time with that, I'm sorry, glad you got straightened around, it can be so trying. Wishing you well 😃
lisa95354 Gigi368
Posted
Gigi, Have you tried a probiotic, that might help with the bloating. And the hot flashes, have you tried any supplements or black cohosh? My Meno Supplement compounded from my pharmacist has, vitamin D, E, B 1, B2, niacin, B6, B12, calcium, magnesium, soy bean extract, black cohosh root extract, red clover blossom extract, DONGQUAI, CHASTEBERRY fruit, licorice root powder.
wen_54374 Gigi368
Posted
Thank you i will try the coconut oil definitely .Is so difficult to know what's going on and then my health anxiety kicks in and I think I have something serious .
2chr2015 Gigi368
Posted
thank you. sounds a lot like whats going on with me. thought i had uti or yeast. nothing showed up but now taking antibiotics. I'm peeing all the time. feels like pressure in my vagina. burns a little. i am 47. still having periods but skipping some now
Gigi368 2chr2015
Posted
Try using coconut oil to see if it helps.. slather it on the outside and use a chunk internally. It has anti bacterial properties plus if it's a dryness issue it'll help with that too. But I'd say go see your gyno and let her/him know what's going on. GP's seem to write off anything meno related, in my experience.
Gigi368 lisa95354
Posted
I had no idea at all our bladders were estrogen dependent until she told me. Then i started researching and found several studies, especially for post menopause women in nursing homes, the study was vaginal estrogen pill, Vagifem, and the results were mind blowing. My mom was suffering from them before she passed away last month, had she recovered that was the route we were going to take, sadly her last UTI caused her to go into complete kidney failure and she turned septic which then caused multi system organ failure and we lost the battle.
I'm in the US, we can't get anything unless a doc prescribes it or off the internet and take a chance that it's what it says it is.
I hope you get what you need!! Its miserable!!
Gigi368 lisa95354
Posted
No.. I'm really sensitive to meds including vitamins and supplements. I also take heart meds and theres a lot of things I can't take with them. The hot flashes are frequent but not overwhelming.. yet anyway lol. I've been tracking what I eat or drink against the bloating.. pasta is a big cause I've found and sugar, which I dont eat a lot of but I do love my soda lol! So I need to make some changes for sure. I'll look into those suggestions though! Thank you! I'm always open to hearing what works for others and give it a try!
Gigi368 2chr2015
Posted
Ladies! I forgot to add.. another trick I learned, wash your panties separately with a detergent that has no fragrance in it and don't use fabric softener. And same with soap, if you use it (technically you don't need it bc the vagina cleans itself, wash rag and water if its feasible). That aides not only with irritation but also dryness. I also don't "wipe" after urinating.. I blot dry, from front to back. I find the less rubbing with toilet paper (bleach and fragrance free too) the better I feel. Front to back is one of the most important things bc it keeps the icky germs from other areas away from the urethra (as I'm sure you all know lol) Sorry if that's TMI!
2chr2015 Gigi368
Posted
thank you gigi. i will try that. it was the gyn i went to see. i will go back if it doesn't get better. I'm still taking the antibiotics right now and then i will probably get a yeast infection after that....sooo. i will wait for all of that to clear up and see how i feel.
lisa95354 Gigi368
Posted
Gigi....I'm terribly sorry about your mother! That study you were speaking of blows me away. I always assumed there were so many UTIs with the elderly because of dehydration, not drinking enough water. This is truly food for thought ...wow! TY!
lisa95354 2chr2015
Posted
2chr.... You should take a probiotic, if you’re not currently taking one. Antibiotic‘s really mess up your stomach flora 😉
2chr2015 lisa95354
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oh yeah drinking kefir. putting up the good fight here! lol
Gigi368 2chr2015
Posted
I'm a rabid dog when it comes to being dismissed by someone I'm paying to help me.. if I don't get any answers, I promptly find another doc lol. The gyno I have now is the 3rd one, she was the only one that gave me answers and options on treatment and she's not even close to being menopausal lol.. I'm not looking for a cure, but to be taken seriously and willing to try to figure it out without first trying to throw a nerve or anxiety/antidepressant at it. I've suffered anxiety my whole life and have meds for them, last thing I need is more lol... don't hesitate to seek other opinions!
Gigi368 lisa95354
Posted
I wish I could remember where I found the study so I could site the source but it was during a stressful, sleepless time and I didn't save it, but the kidney doc and urologist had heard of the studies and agreed it was worth a try and the nursing home had a couple ladies already using it. Just wish I could have cured her, to say i miss her is an understatement 😢
lisa95354 Gigi368
Posted
That’s the way to be Gigi, good for you. Can’t round a corner without bumping into a bad doctor nowadays 😃 how old was your mother if you don’t mind me asking?
lisa95354 Gigi368
Posted
I am sorry for your loss Gigi, I know it’s so very painful. I hope you’re not too hard on yourself about this. I believe a persons time is predestined at birth. I dont mean to sound harsh, please don’t take it that way. Its the only thing that makes sense, life is too difficult to think otherwise. My mother was in and out of hospitals for the last 25+ years. Every time we thought, she was going to pass. She didn’t pass until she was almost 91. What I mean is, all that worry, all those times in the hospital, all those times we took care of her for so long, the worry was for nothing. We try so hard, but in the end, there’s nothing we can really actually do, it’s not in our hands. When did she pass?
lisa95354 2chr2015
Posted
2chr... I drink Kefir too... we are really living it Up ...arent we;)
2chr2015 lisa95354
Posted
i know right. Like i'll pass on the wine...i got my kefir. LOL
Gigi368 lisa95354
Posted
She just turned 76 the end of March.. she had Alzheimer's, and had fallen 5 yrs ago and broke her foot so bad she had 2 plates and 18 screws holding it together, she could no longer walk, my dads not in good health and couldn't take care of her any more, as bad as it sounds I'm glad she didn't have to spend more than a year in the home. She died May 5th.. I'm struggling with the decisions I made for her, like did I give her all the chances I could.. she was on life support for a week, then she started responding and the dialysis was starting to work, they said it was safe to take her off the ventilator, we did and she was coming around, her confusion was horrible but she knew us. As the days were ticking down she started backsliding, I got a call on the 3rd that her lung collapsed and she was in and out if it. I made the decision to do comfort measures only bc she also had a stroke. She fought for 2 more days with only one lung but never regained consciousness.. I just wonder if I'd have put her back on life support if she would have turned around. But she made me promise she'd never live like that years ago, so I let her go. My dad couldn't make the decision so I had to, they literally spent a life time together, she was 13 and dad 15 when they got together.
Sorry for unloading!! But it's nice to vent to ppl who aren't close to the situation.
lisa95354 Gigi368
Posted
Gigi... oh my goodness, you just lost her collar again I’m so sorry ! You can vent all you want 😉 that’s one of the most difficult situations in the world. Aging parents and taking care, making decisions, the hardest thing we will ever have to do. It doesn’t sound bad at all that you’re glad she only spent a year in there. I wish no one had to spend any time in nursing homes. You have to quit being so hard on yourself, there is no handbook for these types of decisions, and they are, again, the most difficult decisions. You can’t go back, hindsight, and drive yourself crazy like that. The way you have to think of it, would your mother want you doing this, would your mother want you second-guessing And beating yourself up, absolutely not. Think of it this way your mother is in the most gorgeous place imaginable, I truly believe that. Alzheimer’s is such a damn thief, and she was 71 when it started? I’m very sorry, that is a very long arduous journey and you must be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Have you thought about maybe seeing a grief counselor, it helped my friend greatly when she lost her mother. That’s amazing, when she woke, she recognized you, after having that for so long. That’s one of the things in life that drives me absolutely insane, why do the elderly have to go through so much, I really really don’t understand it. If I ever meet GOD ...that’s gonna be one of my first questions! That’s beautiful they were together for so long, so young when they met, so sweet. Go easy on yourself 😉 life is too short.
2chr2015 Gigi368
Posted
awe Gigi. i'm sorry. if it was one of my kids that had to make that decision, as a mom, it would always be the right decision. If you were raised to be morally and ethically sound (and you are or you wouldn't be worried about your decisions) then be comforted by the fact you did what your mom would have wanted. I love my children so much that I would not want them to be troubled over me and I bet your mom was the same way. ((hugs))
Gigi368 lisa95354
Posted
Lisa and 2chr
Thank you for your kind words! My head knows I did the right thing but my heart questions it. My (ex) husband is also in a home bc of a motorcycle accident and has massive brain damage, his family wanted nothing to do with caring for him and our divorce wasn't final yet so I was appointed power of atty by the courts. He's been in there 15 yrs, medical decisions are not new to me unfortunately.. I just hate feeling helpless.
I know this is what she would have wanted, i just wish I wasn't the one to make the decision and I still have to go into the nursing home daily to visit and check on my ex and even though she was only there a year it's tough not to walk around the corner to visit with her too or track her down bc she was off in some activity.
Anyway, all this coupled with menopause is a cosmic joke. And I pray for a day that doctors start listening to us instead of tossing pills or telling us, it'll pass. My granny used to say it's our lot in life to bear.. I don't believe that!
2chr2015 Gigi368
Posted
that must be hard having to go back to the same home.
i keep catching myself saying "well i guess this is my cross to bear"
but omgosh, I dont think i can handle one more stinkin thing to happen.
lisa95354 Gigi368
Posted
Gigi.... First off... I am terribly sorry for what happened to your ex to stick you with this draining responsibility. Honestly its unimaginable, Like you said cosmic joke. and what kind of family does he have that they didn’t want the responsibility, good Lord !!I am of the belief, pertaining to your ex-husband, that people should be able to have it in writing, that if they can’t take care of them selves/ Quality of life diminished, put enough morphine patches on them, so that they can say good night. It’s beyond frightening something like this can even happen to someone. And it doesn’t matter if your mother was in there a day a week, a month, or a year, it would be very very difficult, to say the least to have to go back there. I don’t mean to sound pushy, but I really think you could benefit from seeing a therapist. I don’t think you’re crazy, but I think that you need someone to help you through this transition. 15 years is like a lifetime to be going through something like this, and as you said Meno on top. Props to you because I don’t know how it I’d be handling that. my mother was in a nursing home from 2012 to 2018, almost 7 years. In my opinion they are the worst places on the face of the earth. It is soul crushing to even have to walk into those places every day, let alone like you said not have control and others taking care of our beloved mothers 😦 I also did not enjoy dealing with the CNA's and the nurses because a lot of times the CNA's almost seemed like middle schoolers ... gossiping and at times trying to cause trouble. And the nurses ... I don’t mean to sound cruel, honestly always seemed like they were the ones that got the D in the class and ended up in the nursing homes. I’m not saying all the nurses are bad, there was one really good one where my mom was, but slim Pickens. nursing homes also have a way of playing on your psyche, seeing people and such diminished sad conditions and the people I don’t have any visitors, don’t even get me started. you have to remember to take care of yourself, it’s crucially important. You are here to live YOUR life and no one else’s and you have to be kind and good to yourself. can I ask you, I know you were getting divorced but what terms were you on with your ex, was it amicable ? The situation you’re in just blows my mind. God bless you in every way as this is a very difficult situation you’ve been about. My heart truly goes out to you.
Gigi368 lisa95354
Posted
Lisa
I've been seeing a therapist for over 25 yrs bc of my panic and anxiety disorder. And also my GP and Cardiologist every 6 months. Our split was a mutual decision, hes 6 yrs younger than me and I was reluctant with the age difference to begin with. He was a wonderful step dad to my kids, but I felt as though I was raising 3 kids instead of 2 lol.. he's a great guy but I already grew up, being married previously and i needed more maturity and he needed someone who was more care free. Oddly enough he was a menopause baby, his mom was in her late 40s when he was born, hes the youngest of 4 and the "black sheep " so to speak, the tattooed, beer drinking, harley riding, jokester. His family is strict Southern Baptist and he wasn't for organized religion which alienated him from his family. He was only 29 at the time of his accident, he turned 30 in a coma stimulation unit. And since our divorce wasn't final, I was still his legal next of kin, if I wanted the responsibility, I gave his family the option to take over and they declined, so I couldn't let him be a ward of the state, he didn't ask to get hit and left for dead in a ditch. We never discussed what he wanted, not many do at 29 yrs old and without a health directive the EMTs had no choice but to save him. He has an annoxic brain injury, which is lack if oxygen, approx 3 min. Hes not on any life support except a feeding tube, hes awake and alert but cant talk, eat by mouth, or move on his own. So to let him go I'd have to withdraw all food and water, and IMO that's playing God and I can't and wont do that, only God can. For the most part the home hes in is pretty decent, and why I put my mom there, it's the 3rd one bc I didn't like the others. And they're all terrified of me, if I walk in and theres a hair out of place I report them to the State. It's terrible of me but I've gotten more than one LPN and CNA fired, they're there to take care of ppl who cant care for themselves, if you cant do your job properly then you don't need to be taking care of ppl that depend on you.
That being said I have moved on with my life but he will still be my priority, he didn't ask for this and didn't deserve it. He's still here for a reason, he baffles the doctors, there is no medical reason he should still be here. So I'll continue to fight for him ...
It's not easy juggling all of this and my mom was my biggest support before the dementia started in and then her becoming wheel chair bound.. I just wish I could have fixed her, its selfish bc I know she was tired, but I miss her terribly.
To say my emotions are all over the place is an understatement. But I do the best I can..