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Video

Consultation: Cystitis

Cystitis can affect anyone but it seems to particulary plague women (the excessive amounts of cranberry juice they drink usually gives them away). Around 40% of women will get cystitis (an inflammation of the lining of the bladder) in their lifetime and it can be quite painful. Dr Pixie McKenna is on hand to diagnose the condition and provide helpful tips on preventing cystitis in this consultation that featured in series one of Embarrassing Illnesses.

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My urine smells really sweet now for a couple of days,I have no excess discharge or burning when I pass urine what might it be?





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I am not sure if I also suffer from cystitis. My background... hysterectomy in May, 2011. They place a sling under my bladder and I have had several UTI's since surgery. The doctor and nurse's assure me that it just my body adjusting to the changes. My urine smells, go to the bathroom at least twice throughout the night and every morning I wake up with serve back pain. I am really tired of being told it is just a UTI. I have had UTIS's before all this but nothing this consistent. I dont drink or take in caffeine on a regular basis. My diet is normal and healthy. Is there something I can do?





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i have had clears urine tests but stillstinging sensation, I was given creams to prevent the stinging but they had no effect. Now waiting to go for an ultrasound, panicky at that as its difficult to keep the bladder full before the examination. I am alo waiting to see an urologist. I am using an urge incontinence tablet called vasicare, it seems to help a little.





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i've started getting a pain when i pee, its feels irritating even when im just sitting down. sometimes my pee is really strong coloured and smells different. is this a urine infection?





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I think i have a Urine infetion, im 17 and i havent had one before,but after i wee, it hurts and i cant always go for a wee? I really dont want to go to the doctors or tell my mum, ive been reading online about what could happen and stuff. I had the first symptoms last sunday, and i didnt realise at first, recently i have started drinking more water, will that cure it? Someone help?





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I hope by the time you read this your infection has cleared up on its own. Cystitis will sometimes clear up on its own within a week. However, if it hasn't cleared up you should go and see your doctor.

I've been having water problems for about 6 months every time I think it's gone it comes back. I often find I have no symptoms and it develops over night like today I woke up to pee around about 5am and there the pain was. I can't stand the internal burning :( what's best for that? I'm drinking cranberry now and I've taken custopurin sachet this just gets me down.





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It's really good to know I'm not alone in this. For about 12months now I have been getting a UTI about once a month and for the past 3 months I have been experiencing mild cystitis symptoms probably about once a week. If the symptoms are mild I cope with it by drinking a lot of water, taking 1/2 tsp of bicarb of soda dissolved in water, taking paracetemol and if possible, curling up somewhere comfortable preferably near a bathroom. I feel like my doctor doesn't want to listen to me and just always sends me away with antibiotics even though i'm not sure if they are always necessary or if they even help. I am using allll the tricks in the book to avoid getting it but it still keeps happening. Has anybody else thought that the contraceptive pill could be to blame? I am running out of potential causes to rule out.





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I have not had cystitis for several months, and without warning here we go again, I get pain down the arms and intense burning and itching. I do not like to take antibiotics, but they do help me, but they will give me thrush and so on it goes. I am very disillusioned with the medical profession as they just cannot think outside the box. Does anyone have any suggestions?





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I've been a sufferer for a many years and have often felt like I was going mad because of the constant irritation it causes. I am sure it is connected directly to stress for me. So I'm always trying to calm myself down whilst in agony. But sometimes I wonder if I'm just being fobbed off as a stressed woman while I'm actually in agony that is entirely physical and not emotional. I completely sympathize with anyone who suffers with it to the extent of tears. I spend most of my time just trying to assure myself I'm being brave in those moments. I just wish there was more helpful information on the illness somewhere or there was a clinic that would do free consultations or maybe there was a service where you wouldn't have to wait at the doctors for several hours whilst in embarrassing agony. In itself it is a stressful illness. So surely this can not help it. And yes I've had antibiotics gallore but none have worked and I've been reassured by many doctors I just need to drink water. Why can't someone just be a bit more sensitive to this illness?





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Hi, I've been suffering from cystitis constantly for eleven years. I have had so much antibiotics. I cant drink tea, alcohol, eat too much chocolate, have sex, wear jeans... I can only do a part time job because of it. I've been to various doctors and specialists. I've had scans and lots of tests but they are all normal. Its a constant battle that completly controls my life, I feel so tired of it and i feel so alone. Is there anyone who gets it all the time and has had it for as long as me? does anyone know what I can do? does anyone know if it is bad for me to be taking this much antibiotcs? does anyone know what is wrong with me?!





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Hey Jess, Im also a Jess and I too suffer with cystitis, I am quite highly sexed and fnd that I am constantly suffereing because of this, also if I have a big session on the booze I can pretty much bet that Ill get it again. I have to take time off work as once it kicks in Im usually passing blood in my urine, have bad cramps and feel generally awful. I have asked my doc for a supply of antibiotics for emergencies and now I take a single dose after sex and I am also trying this herbal remedy called waterfall D-mannosa(not sure if thats spelt right), It is supplied by a company called Sweet Cures and it has worked really well so far, I take a dose every night in water to support a healthy bladder and if I feel the symptoms kicking in I drink plenty of it and you can drink it in tea so thats good!! I hope this helps, I know how horrible it is and if your like me all of your mates are fine and never even get cystitis so just dont understand how awful it is :( Good Luck, Jess.

if i were you i would look up Vestibulitis. it has all the same symptoms as cystitis but its not the same. i have this and it is treated diffrently.





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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