Have had ongoing problem with UTI's and finished antibiotic for kidney infection and peeing blood clots - no blood now but still urgency to pee and a very sore area high up in the vagina on one side. Did a Canestest self test which shows infection but have been told these can give false positive results. How have others fared with this self test?
Appointment with urologist tomorrow but I am reluctant to let him carry out cystoscopy if there is vaginal infection as I am worried about it spreading. Can the urologist tell if I have prolapse of the womb - had posterior/anterior repair last year and told I may need womb removed at some stage if causing problems. I am 67 years of age.
Any advice would be great.
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Cassandra
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Saw urologist Tuesday night - he said scan and cystoscopy required to rule out the worst. Scan probably next week but maybe 6 weeks before cystoscopy - saw my own GP yesterday and she examined me and took a swab - said I'm extremely dry and area where I am so sore is inflamed - prescribed Vagifem and said not to have cystoscopy done until I am feeling less sore - said there isn't any smell and if bacterial vaginosis was there it would definitely smell. She said some ladies can use vaginal moisturisers with no problem and in others they cause irritation. I don't know how long it will take for Vagifem to give relief but someone on the boards might know this. I had holiday arranged for end of May to Portugal and GP said I should delay cystoscopy until after this in case of infection.
Thank you to each and every person who has given me advice and encouragement xx
Oh! That sounds so uncomfortable. As we age, loss or imbalance of female hormones can cause vaginal dryness. This can cause urethra irritation and even lead to UTI's if it's not corrected. Vagifem should help. Were you prescribed one insert daily for two weeks, then one insert twice weekly, or something different? Response time varies per person. You might feel a tiny bit of relief within a few days, good improvements in as little as two weeks, or even as long as two months. There are some vaginal PH balancers on the market that can help, too. Brands vary per country.
UTI's and kidney infections are the worst! Did the urologist to a complete uninalysis to rule out that you have a current infection even though you just finished antibiotics? I sure hope so! When I still have symptoms following UTI treatment, I always do a follow up urinalysis to make sure there is no bacteria. This must be ruled out and treated now if positive. Antibiotic resistance can happen. They should reflex any detected bacteria to see which antibiotics the bacteria is sensitive to. That is non-invasive and would at least give you a piece of mind right to rule out infection right now and way before you go on vacation. You would need to be treated with antibiotics immediately if you have an infection. This should be ruled out before cystoscopy, too. The csytoscopy can be scheduled now for the right after your nice trip to Portugal.
I recently had a UTI myself. I had a kidney infection 8 years ago. I have had traces of blood in my urine for over 20 years. I also recently had an ultrasound. I was surprised to find that I have some small kidney stones. Stones have to be over 0.5mm to show up on a scan. Mine are 3mm. Kidney stones can lead to UTI's, kidney infections, and blood in your urine. Mine were not on the scan I had last June. This does not mean that they have not been causing problems as they have been developing. Mine are supposedly not in a problematic location. Right. I just had another UTI. Strangely, I have not had any blood in my urine in the last few urinalysis that I've had in the last four months. No idea what that means.
The cystoscopy is not usually painful. You may or may not feel a little discomfort. I've had several cystoscopies myself. I have been awake each time, but your doctor might choose to have you lightly sedated. They will apply powerful numbing cream to your urethra, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then apply lube to your urethra before starting the procedure. The procedure is only a few minutes.
I hope the Vagifem starts working quickly for you and you get relief soon!
Yes those are instructions I am to follow for Vagifem- urologist said he wasn’t overly concerned about the bright red blood I had passed in a gush - said he would be more concerned if it had been a dark brown colour. I have a friend who constantly complained of pain in one side and gp even told her husband she was a hypochondriac - this pain went on for years until she collapsed while on holiday and it was then a stone was diagnosed so yes maybe they can be causing pain and discomfort but are too small to show up. I’m definitely waiting until I’m back from holiday before getting cystoscopy done - sick with nerves and I will probably make a fool of myself on the day but my daughter said they have seen all that before . Hoping Vagifem works after a few weeks. Thanks for all your advice
Had my CT scan this afternoon - radiographer wouldn't give me any information after the scan but she asked when the cystoscopy was being carried out - I said he had reckoned about 6 weeks and she seemed a bit concerned and said 6 weeks is too long when paying for private treatment and she would push for an appointment before going on holiday - my daughter is annoyed that she is giving the impression that there is something wrong but felt she shouldn't have said anything when she had told me she couldn't discuss results. I have ultrasound next Wednesday with different consultant - radiographer said ultrasound picks up stones better than CT scan - have myself nearly demented now with worry but I'm sure we are all like this. I know the radiographer is not supposed to discuss results as a friend had a chest one done and although there was nothing wrong they said her GP would give her the results. Can anyone reassure me in any way please. My daughter wants me to cancel holiday and push for cystoscopy to be done asap. Thanks for all the advice.
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