Cystitis

Sex Tips & Talk
1

Please please please, are there any women out there who can assist me with this problem. I often get cystitis after a few sex sessions, even though I take all the precautions I can think of, like keeping scrupulously clean, peeing after sex, making sure im wet enough to lessen friction and drinking plenty of water.

I am in agony, don't know what I am doing wrong...so fed up as im so sore, I read somewhere that you can be put on a low dose of antibiotics all the time to deal with it??? Am I right?

I get it often and its always after sex...antibiotics clear it up but still happens again.

Ideas?

2

I had a simmlar problem...in the end i had a ballder scan..not very pleasent but they discoveredmy urthea was very narrow but inserting the camera into this seemed to widen and not had a problem for years.

I noticed you said you keep yourself scrupulously clean I was told cleanis good but certain products create their own problems. I now shlwer and use un-perfumed products.

Are you using a lube or condoms could be an allergy, something else I had to look into.

I hope you get soem answers that bring a solution for you x

3

I used to get this kind of thing along with mild doses of thrush and the thing that's helped most so far is using Femfresh (or something like) rather than my usual shower gel. I just use it for my "lady parts' and normal shower gel for the rest of my body so it lasts for ages. I think normal body wash can be a bit stripping and cause loss of natural moisture which can help protect against this type of thing.

It's suposed to be balanced PH wise for sensitive areas and now I don't get any more problems... or haven't for about 6 months now.

4

i would recommend weeing before and after sex and possibly drinking a pint of water after sex and weeing as soon as you feel the need- obviously a bit difficult to do if you are planning on going to sleep! but definitely wee before and after sex.

also just washing with water and not using soap on your 'bits'!

last time i had thrush and cystitis at the same time i used a combination of thrush cream and tea tree oil and it worked a treat! you should try dabbing on some diluted tea tree oil on your weehole and a bit around it.

i get cystitis quite a bit because my mooncup aggravates my bladder and i don't drink enough wate! but only once have i had antibiotics- every time i get it now it goes away in about a week as long as i keep up my water intake- plenty of cranberry juice and even some cranberry capsules from a health food shop- and go to the loo as soon as i feel the urge. antibiotics can upset your natural balances even more and might not always be the right thing for your body. of course if things get too bad then you must see your doctor but i like to try and sort these things myself first!

5

Yep, antibiotics can actually give you thrush.

Forgot about the cranberry juice thing.

6

I had this last week for the first time in 2 years! Fortunately for me all I needed was plenty of liquids and some pharmacy bought sachets of cystitis medicine. I used this and drank plenty of water and cranberry juice and cleared up without any problems. Although I do know that you can be prescribed antibiotics if the problem persists.

All the advice given so far has been spot on and I would suggest switching to a neutral, non-perfumed shower gel/wash like Sharry suggested. I hope you clear up, its never a nice thing to go through!

7

I have suffered on and off from cystitis for years. I will type out a few points and if I go over old ground then I apologise.

You must drink lots of water not just in the lead up to sex but all day every day. This is to ensure that anything that irritates you is flushed away.

Wipe everytime you pee, unscented toilet paper is a good idea and wipe front to back never back to front.

Try not to use scented shower gels or bubble bath. Try not to clean too much internally, it will only damage the lining, remove your natural mucus leaving you dry and cause further irritation.

If you are using condoms, you dont say so I dont know, try latex free ones and ones that dont contain a spermicidal agent. These can also cause irritation especially if you are allergic to latex.

You must pee before having sex and afterwards never go to sleep before you have. Also drink plenty of water after having sex so you either go first thing in the morning or during the night.

Use lube not just a bit but gallons of the stuff. Putting it on at the beginning in the hope it will last throughout your bedroom gymnastics is a no no. You have to apply regularly and liberally, any sense of dryness or discomfort, stop and apply more.

You may have to try different sexual positions. After discussions with my OH, we found he was too high up during missionary and just bending his arms slightly at the elbow made a huge difference. Try doggy, riding him and other positions see what works best for you.

Also if your OH is fingering you his fingers also have to be clean, as in nail brush scubbed clean. I love to be fingered but even that had to be modified so it wasnt so hard and fast and rough as I like (sorry to be so graghic) as that also brought on an attack.

I would also suggest you have cystitis powders in the house and your handbag so you can take action promptly.

I hope some of the suggestions work for you and you dont have to resort to antibiotics all the time and my apologies if I have repeated suggestions posted earlier.

LMF xx

8

HI there!

I've been in your exact situation for the past two years. Its awful. If I wanted to have sex I would have to put up with having an infection within 12 hours. Sometimes my OH just wouldn't come near me for fear of hurting me. We just lived in fear of when my next infection would come.

I've been given lots of tips which do seem to work. Most you know: both of you have to be clean (even get him to wash his mouth out with mouthwash), pee before and especially after, use plenty of lube, cranberry juice/capsules etc. I would also reccomend that you find positions where there is no pressure on your lower abdomen or bladder. You on top works best because gravity is in your favour and stops bacteria travelling up. Also, drink a pint of water after sex.

I'm on the low dose antibiotics to keep my infections away. You'd have to talk to your own GP about getting onto them but if you've been to him more than twice with infections he should prescribe them. They're fairly cheap too. I do 3 months on and 3 months off. I was put on this regime after having a cystoscopy that turned up nothing.

Recently I've been seeing a nutritional therapist about my infections as I really dont want to be on antibiotics indefinitely. I was told to get sugar out of my diet because it hinders any meds working as the bacteria feeds on it. Also, I was told to start taking a good probiotic to get back the good bacteria killed off by the antibiotics. Go to a really good health shop if you want to get some (Not holland and barretts). The only thing is that they're pricey - about €25 for a months worth. I take Udo's Super 8 probiotic that you have to keep in the fridge.

I have also done accupuncture but I cant tell yet if its made a difference.

I hope some of that helps. Its an awful situation to be in and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Sounds like you should definitely go have a chat with your GP. Keep us posted on how you get on.

xXx