I’ve got Cystitis and have had a horrible week.

GP gave me estriol cream. Took a while to kick in but I haven't had any more UTI flare ups.

Doodledog who knows what they were thinking at the surgery? Next time I will be much more demanding if there is a next time.
I can’t remember the exact age either but it’s 65 or below. I told the Pharmacist I was prepared to lie but he said he was really sorry but the computer would say no!

That is bad.

I have had several UTIs in the last couple of years, and they get very bad very quickly.

My doctors' practice has been great, and i have been seen the same day each time and antibiotics have been dispensed straight away.

I was also told that if it flares up over the weekend, I should not ignore it, and should contact an out of hours doctor - i wouldn't know how to do that, but presume that if Google couldn't give me the information, a call to 111 would be the best starting point.

If I phone the surgery re a UTI I’m given an immediate nurse appointment who tests and prescribes so I’m usually back home an hour after the first contact already downing antibiotics. Since being prescribed estriol HRT gel I must admit I rarely get UTIs these days.

PamelaJ1

Redhead
That’s what I have now. I drink a lot too but have really imbibed gallons this week. No 🥂🍷though. Well I did say I’d had an awful week!

Won’t hurt😉 Sugars, yeast, carbohydrates ( which break down into sugars) feed the infection.

PamelaJ1

welshmist no why?
I took HRT as long as I could but they stopped producing the tablet I was on and although I tried one or two other options I gave up.
MawsRosie 😂 I’d already considered it!

Not hrt....but vaginal estrogen....I've been on that a couple of years and no utis....gp can prescribe

I was plagued with uti’s until a doctor in the triage team messaged me that I may like to make an appointment to discuss using oestrogen. After having uti’s one after another and feeling desperate and depressed I went to see her. She gave me Vagirux and it is now five months since I have had one. I am living in hope. I so sympathise with anyone who has a uti and can’t get help within a short time. You should really kick up if you don’t get help within a reasonable time. It is known that a uti can lead to the most serious illness.

Adding to my earlier post. I am also on vaginal oestrogen. It’s a pessary to be used twice a week. I have really upped my intake of water especially lately in this heat. One other thing is I am really taking my time to wee trying to make sure I am completely emptying my bladder. This is important. I always carry my own loo paper in my handbag as who knows what germs might be on the paper in public loos.

I take a d mannose capsule every day and extra if I think I might be getting a uti . They have not stopped completely but much better.

Thanks to everyone for the tips. As I said I haven’t had a bout for years and I hope I don’t have another one. I will be quicker off the mark next time.

Does anyone know if we take vaginal oestrogen for the rest of our lives? I’m afraid to stop but no doctor has ever said.

Seven years ago I had a very bad few weeks with severe cystitis. Nurse at GP Practice put me on ab's. Very little effect, So she changed to a different ab. I felt so ill that weekend that I phoned 111 who sent me to local hospital, where they examined me and put me on stronger ab's. Worked for about three days, then came back just as bad. Spent following Saturday evening at out of hours GP, who said there was a lot of blood in my urine and put me on a different ab.
During the fourth week of feeling so ill I wrote to my GP demanding a referral to hospital, which I got a few weeks later.
There a camera showed a small growth in my bladder, they put me on a low dose ab and said i would be brought in for a procedure to remove this and for them to have a proper look at it.
They did keep saying I was not to worry - it did not necessarily mean it was cancer. Actually, I was so relieved that something physical had been found, and I was not just a neurotic old woman that I was quite relaxed.

Within a fortnight I was brought into the hospital - was worried as a couple of days before that this flared up again badly and I wondered if they would cancel. They did not, just put me on strong ab's.
Procedure meant I had to stay in for 48 hours and at end of that I was told that it was not malignant.

I was told to use Vagimax (or whatever it was called then), which I have done ever since.

For the following five years I had to have an annual hospital check to see if this growth had reformed. Fortunately, it did not and I was discharged last year.

No UTI's since then, although I still live in dread of one. I keep very hydrated whatever the weather, very careful about hygiene down there.

So glad I did insist on that referral

Oh poor you 😩
I had one on a Friday once. Phone Gp in plenty of time to get a course of antibiotics (they know my history of having an urgent bladder).
Young receptionist said there was nothing they could do as they were getting ready to close for the weekend 😩 I said would they leave an animal in agony over the weekend She didn’t care.
I ended up phoning 111 & seeing an urgent care gp, who was annoyed with my practice.
She tested my temperature as I was flushing, found to have a high temperature.
Received antibiotics I needed.
Surgery said I had a strep B infection, (usually doesn’t cause harm, unless pregnant).

Chemist can give out a prescription but I am allergic to most antibiotics for the bladder & penicillins, so I can’t take anything they offer (think it’s Nitrofurition they give)

Our surgery had a big notice up saying that they will not accept urine samples unless requested by a doctor.You, therefore have to speak to a doctor first on the phone and they will then put a request through. You then have to wait for results before a prescription is issued. Pharmacies will not prescribe anything for UTI’s for women over 65 as it could be a symptom of something else like diabetes. It’s all such a pain!!

Lovetopaint037

I was plagued with uti’s until a doctor in the triage team messaged me that I may like to make an appointment to discuss using oestrogen. After having uti’s one after another and feeling desperate and depressed I went to see her. She gave me Vagirux and it is now five months since I have had one. I am living in hope. I so sympathise with anyone who has a uti and can’t get help within a short time. You should really kick up if you don’t get help within a reasonable time. It is known that a uti can lead to the most serious illness.

Can lead to sepsis in some cases

I had a very serious UTI a few years ago, and was also allergic to the antibiotic given to me.
Two things happened.
A locum at the GP surgery recommended vaginal oestrogen.
And a friend suggested I bought D-Manose… just in case.
The oestrogen is fabulous…easy to use and I have never needed the D- Manose.
Forget about cranberry juice etc. Go to your doctor and demand, if necessary, vaginal oestrogen,

Over the counter uti treatments.
I don’t know if I am a one off BUT I had used an over the counter uti treatment I was due a blood test and got a recall The nurse practitioner was a bit vague and made a further appointment to see me
When the results were back she told me the previous results had been suggestive of renal function problems and from looking at them not just by a little bit.
The second set were back to norma
I said what I had used and she said something about she could not comment

I think cranberry juice has largely been discredited now as a treatment for cystitis.
Having said that our vet has prescribed cranberry tablets for our dog who has bladder cancer to help alleviate the symptoms. I will try anything if it helps her.

James and Jon. Just noticed your above post Don't think you will need to demand vaginal oestrogen I think it is quite a usual suggestion for uti s For us older women

MT62

Lovetopaint037

I was plagued with uti’s until a doctor in the triage team messaged me that I may like to make an appointment to discuss using oestrogen. After having uti’s one after another and feeling desperate and depressed I went to see her. She gave me Vagirux and it is now five months since I have had one. I am living in hope. I so sympathise with anyone who has a uti and can’t get help within a short time. You should really kick up if you don’t get help within a reasonable time. It is known that a uti can lead to the most serious illness.

Can lead to sepsis in some cases

Yes, a UTI can develop quickly and could turn to sepsis if not treated promptly. That is not scare-mongering.

Your GP really was negligent, PamelaJ1, and needs to be more careful and efficient in future.

Gwyllt Not in my part of Wales.

JamesandJon33

I had a very serious UTI a few years ago, and was also allergic to the antibiotic given to me.
Two things happened.
A locum at the GP surgery recommended vaginal oestrogen.
And a friend suggested I bought D-Manose… just in case.
The oestrogen is fabulous…easy to use and I have never needed the D- Manose.
Forget about cranberry juice etc. Go to your doctor and demand, if necessary, vaginal oestrogen,

My friend went to Gp with a sore bottom. She went to pharmacy & came back with a vaginal HRT.

It’s all about thinning skin around that area and thus susceptibility to infection . The oestrogen makes the skin and inside tissue tougher….in so many words

Did any of you taking the vaginal estrogen suffer side effects like very tender breasts and vaginal itching? I stopped using it as the side effects were awful.
I take daily D mannose and I think it helps but I still get a uti every four or so months.

Absolutely no side effects at all. Just never had another uti , and that was four years ago.