Bladder Problems

I did some years ago use the oestrogen cream for several months it was prescribed by my own doctor and after a few months i started bleeding ...when i was examined by my consultant the lining of my womb had grown so thick i had to have all the lining removed ...i was also checked for cancer luckily i was clear... The consultant told me the oestrogen vaginal cream had been feeding the lining of my womb and thats why it was so thick...

Yes it was Jess my mum was 77 and my sister was 38

Was that breast cancer dollie ? I seem to remember on another thread we were talking about the fact that there was little or no research on the long term effects of using oestrogen creams vaginally. (with or without a cancer risk)
The natural position to wee for humans is squatting...

I remember reading somewhere years ago (not sure where and it may not be true) that men empty their bladder completely when they urinate but that women do not. I always feel that I do not completely empty mine and often sit a bit longer to try and do a drop more (sorry!). Thank you for the tip about rocking, will try it. I wonder if it is because we sit on the loo this prevents us from complete emptying? The angle prevents it? Although I never sit down on a public loo.

Yes there is Jess i suffer with vaginal atrophy and get frequent urine infections....the doctor gives me antibiotics which in return gives me thrush!!!! Its a vicious circle and theres seems to be no respite...i do find regular use of replens helps a lot thankfully its now available on prescription...

My doctor/ consultant refuses to give me hormone treatment as theres a high risk of cancer... My mum and sister both died of cancer so im in a high risk category...

grannygiggles you may like referring to yourself as a "girl" the phrase "us girls" seems to assume that the rest of us do too.
I agree with you about the importance of pelvic floor exercises though - any free tips on how to remember to do them lots of times a day?

Is there an association between the thinning of vaginal tissues post menopause and increase in urinary infections? Anyone know?

Petrapan I'm glad your problem is much better.
I so agree with your last paragraph.

I agree that it is a good idea to not hurry away from the loo...but....is it your bladder that is not emptying? I wouldn't think so. I wonder if your urethra, the out tube, is a little kinked. The bladder is similar to a balloon and never properly emptied will become flabby. It's called a "residual urine" in the trade.
1. Pelvic floor exercises will eradicate the kink in the urethra.
2. If there is a residual urine, no amount of rocking will empty it. BUT the continence nurse will help you cure it. Yes, she will!!
No I am not a continence nurse. I am actually very pro us girls getting on with our own cures. But the con nurse is the only one that can help with this one. The bladder will be like a new balloon again!

Goldengirl, I totally agree. I am hopping mad at the closures of so many public loos. For many people this means they are less able to go out for the day. I don't ever risk 'holding on' for long, with my propensity for UTIs, though the d-Mannose I take every day has worked miracles for me and I now never go anywhere on holiday without taking a pack of this precious white powder (I dread the day when a customs official finds it and thinks it's heroin!)

I have a regime of scrupulous personal hygiene, but even that wasn't enough to prevent frequent attacks of cystitis, until I discovered d-mannose. It's wonderful to know I don't have to take antibiotics to get rid of an attack (or rarely).
Good advice though to 'double void' as it does prevent urine stagnating and bacteria building up in the bladder.

The urologist I used to see was a clot. He told me orange juice would cure cystitis and was at least as good as taking antibiotics. When I expressed doubt, he said, 'Why do you think hotels offer it for breakfast then?'
Needless to say, I won't be seeing him again!

As some of you may recall I do a lot of work on the effects of the lack of loos and the closures of public toilets. There is medical evidence to say that 'holding on' can cause infections and this can start with small children being told to 'wait'. Unfortunately I'm one of those people who can't go anywhere unless I know there's a loo en route and at the end of my journey.

The advice given by glammanana was told to my friend after years of bladder problems, she was told to walk round the bathroom after "finishing" and then release the rest ,and there almost always is more.She found this of enormous help.

After a few years of weak bladder problems and bouts of painful infection I took the advice of a lady I met at a urology clinic one day,I was at the clinic for my botox top-up of the bladder which I have every 9/12 mths and she advised me when going to the loo to gently rock back and forth a few times to release what is left in the bladder this helps to stop any urine stagnating in the bladder which can cause infection,it sounds trivual but it works for me and I have not had to go down the route of painful infections for quite a while now,anything though that works for you is invaluable I have a very good Consultant who would prescribe anything I asked for if it helped he is such a very caring man.

Wow, cystitis is a rotten condition, isn't it? Doctors do need to listen to us...
Well, I have a great interest in general bladder problems that others belittle. The ones that make you wonder if you smell a little bit....the ones that make you a slave to the toilet.
I have been doing a lot of research and have just written a book. I'll not tell you about the book as this is not the place.
But please, oh please do something about your problem if you have one. It will only get worst if you don't.
Pelvic floor exercises DO work but only if you do them EVERY hour.
Frequency and getting up at night can be things of the past. Really.
One in five of us have a problem so we are not alone.

Well, I've had countless UTIs for decades. Like you, I tried every self-help measure known to woman, including herbal remedies. Angela Kilmartin's book was my Bible and I adopted scrupulous hygiene (including bottle washing after opening bowels). I still keep that up, but I was still getting UTIs. GP referred me for a cystoscopy which revealed no abnormality (cancer has to be ruled out and I was panicking as usual).
Then, in my internet searches for an effective self-help measure, I found D-Mannose. It's a constituent of cranberry but you'd have to be drowning in cranberry juice to take in enough to sort out an established infection. I decided to try it. It's expensive, but it did the trick - apparently it doesn't kill bacteria as antibiotics do, so it won't kill off good bacteria. The e-coli is attracted to adhere to the mannose in the bladder rather than the bladder wall, and then you just wee it away. You do have to work out for yourself which your effective dose is, and if you're prone to infections it's important to take it daily. Occasional sufferers could keep a pack handy just in case. It's a type of plant sugar and you simply dissolve a teaspoonful in a tumbler of water. I take a dose morning and night and have hardly had any infections since. If I get twinges, I up the dose for a few days and it goes away.
I now swear by this stuff - wish it could be prescribed on the NHS as there are obviously problems with prescribing antibiotics too often. In my case, there were very few left which would work on my UTIs - though I do keep a course of an effective one handy, just in case I need it.
For sufferers of UTIs I would recommend d-Mannose - for me it was worth every penny. And no, I don't have shares in d-Mannose!

There could be other things contributing to frequent UTIs.
Since I was a little girl I've had a weakness in the bladder, need to rush to pee. As an adult and married the attacks got worse, and again at the menopause.
In my case HR pessaries help, I think I must have very thin sensitive skin inside.
I agree Petrapan we don't want to be swallowing antibiotics every few months.

Perhaps you hit the nail on the head Aka, we should start shopping around for our GPs like we shop around for most other things. After all, if we don't like the food or service in one restaurant, we simply avoid that one and choose another don't we.

Good for you Petrapan on two fronts. Firstly for doing some research and secondly for standing your ground and getting the treatment which has helped you.

There is another thread on GN about GPs. I think most are ready to work with those of us who are willing to take a more proactive stance on our health, and if not then change GP.

I agree very much with your last few sentences petrapam, and we should all make sure our GP's know exactly how we feel.
Talking of simple conclusions, instead of enduring years of muscle pain and paying for countless Chiropractic services [paid for myself] plus tons of pain killers [from GP] couldn't the doctor have made the connection between statins and muscle pain?Made the connection myself, and hey presto! some pains gone within days, others gone within the next 6 months. Unbelievable.Since heard doctors talking on radio 4 about the known connection!
Bladder pains and constant infections must be awful, glad you got yours sorted out.