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[dragonbait1]

Lots and lots and lots of water, all the time.  Try to pee immediately after sex, and keep drinking water to keep peeing. 

And my (holistic) gyn told me to eat lots of blueberries the last time I had one, as the skins on the blueberries had the same properties in cranberries that helped with the symptoms. 

I used to get these with certain new partners. And once I got one, I'd take the antibiotics to prevent it from becoming a kidney infection.  But the constant water drinking made them stop happening - you want to prevent them, so you don't have to take the antibiotics, and as someone else said flushing out the bacteria is the way to prevent them.   

 

[treehugger1]

I discussed the issue with my MD today (yes, it's 4 months later and I'm still having issues with this). Here's what I learned:

Since I do not get fevers and I can take care of the problem with water + cranberry pills, I am not getting UTIs. Instead I have some kind of syndrome. This syndrome is more than likely due to my being menopausal (had the hormone tests done and the results were clear).

The MD mentionned the importance of lubrication and prescribed Premarin vaginal cream. Since I'm leery about almost any form of medication (always check things out on line first) and especially about HRT, I'm more inclined to be extra-careful about lubrication. (We are already careful about it.) But I can already tell that Mr. Treehugger would prefer the medical approach. So, here I am trying to decide if I should medicate so we can have a more hassle-free (romantic?) f*ck!


The MD seemed to say that the cream did not involve the risk of side-effects that the tablets do (lower dose, locally applied). But still, I'm skeptical.

Any one have any experience with this?

Lots and lots and lots of water, all the time.  Try to pee immediately after sex, and keep drinking water to keep peeing. 

I know. Drinking water all the time really works for me. However, I just don't want to have to spend my life on the toilet. I hope this doesn't sound too much like a whine, but having to get up to either a) get another drink or b) pee every 45 minutes or so, really does tend to break my concentration. (I feel much more productive when I work long stretches at a time.) Also, I have the good (bad?) luck to have a highly-sexed partner, so this is almost a daily issue.

[spork]

Have you noticed any correlation between the UTIs (or whatever else they may be) and position and/or lubrication?  Do you use a good lubricant?

BTW, I know of many women who do not get fevers with UTIs, just pain and irritation, though if the UTI is untreated it can lead to an ascending infection which then might cause a fever.

[treehugger1]

Have you noticed any correlation between the UTIs (or whatever else they may be) and position and/or lubrication?  Do you use a good lubricant?

I think there definitely is a relationship between the nature of the sexual activity and the infections. One of the issues we have is that the sexual act tends to go on (what seems to me) like an unusally long time (45 min to 1 hour), because he apparently has problems reaching organism. Eventually, I just suggest that we stop and help him out another way. This situation doesn't appear to bother him, in the least, which I why I say "apparently." However, it does bother me. I've brought up the issue a number of times (in a tactful, gentle fashion) but he is not taking the hint. I'm wondering if he is indeed having some kind of problem and simply in denial about it, or whether taking this long is indeed normal. (He's in his 50s, BTW.)

BTW, I know of many women who do not get fevers with UTIs, just pain and irritation, though if the UTI is untreated it can lead to an ascending infection which then might cause a fever.

Yes, that's what I was thinking, too.

[history_grrrl]

he apparently has problems reaching organism.

It was only a matter of time before someone typed this . . . :)

[treehugger1]

Ooops! :-)

[zuzu_]

It is absolutely possible to get a UTI without a fever, and mild UTIs will often eventually clear up with water and cranberry. I question your doctor's diagnosis. Maybe try buying some urine test strips at home. And buy your husband some porn.

[msparticularity]

One of the issues we have is that the sexual act tends to go on (what seems to me) like an unusally long time (45 min to 1 hour), because he apparently has problems reaching organism. Eventually, I just suggest that we stop and help him out another way. This situation doesn't appear to bother him, in the least, which I why I say "apparently." However, it does bother me. I've brought up the issue a number of times (in a tactful, gentle fashion) but he is not taking the hint. I'm wondering if he is indeed having some kind of problem and simply in denial about it, or whether taking this long is indeed normal. (He's in his 50s, BTW.)

That seems like a long time to me, also--but I believe it is also not unusual for men to slow down a bit in this way as they get older, at least partially due to needing more targeted stimulation. I think I saw a study some time ago that indicated that many older couples who consider themselves to have a very happy sex life do not necessarily define this around intercourse. Possibly, as long as you're clear that there will be an alternative activity, you might do a bit more than hint that you're unhappy with the way things are right now.

[greyscale]

Ok, I know a lot of this is tangential/irrelevant/repetitive, but it's stuff I wish I'd known a decade ago so I'll post it in case someone finds it useful:

Peeing *right* after sex got rid of my frequent UTIs. But it really has to be right after, which can be a real bummer if things aren't quite finished yet. "Hold on, I'll be right back" just isn't so suave.

I always treat my UTIs with macrobid for 5 days, with no resistant bacteria so far. Mine become pretty awful if untreated. I remember my first few were mild and I just drank a lot, but that was years ago, and these are instant hell.

Last year, my MD gave me a low dose version of the same antibiotic, to prevent UTIs. I take 1 pill after sex if I'm worried, like if there's no bathroom nearby. (And I know they're more likely with some partners...) That's been totally effective, but as a biologist, I do wonder why resistance hasn't become an issue.

Of course, I say this while I'm on antibiotics for my first UTI in a year or more, because I was too lazy to get up, find clothes, and walk down the hall to the bathroom of the dorm (yes, dorm, ugh) we stayed in on vacation, and I didn't have the pills.

Assorted other thoughts... The red painkiller pills (Azo) are MAGIC. And lots of lube helps; perhaps avoid lube with glycerin because it can contribute to yeast infections for some women. Also, certain acts are worse than others. Anything with much abrasion (from fingers or strange angles) seems more likely to cause UTIs (and yes, going for 45 min would be a problem for me). For me, condoms make them more likely.

[treehugger1]

Peeing *right* after sex got rid of my frequent UTIs. But it really has to be right after, which can be a real bummer if things aren't quite finished yet. "Hold on, I'll be right back" just isn't so suave.

OK. How *right* after do you mean? Could you give me a time frame in secs/mins? I always go afterwards, but sometimes wait until after everything (which could be another 5-10 minutes).

I've heard about taking a low-dose antibiotic after sex, and was hoping my MD was going to prescribe that. Maybe I should have been more assertive about the matter, but after he convinced himself I merely had a "syndrome" and not actual UTIs, there didn't seem like much point. I think I'll go to another MD sometime soon. (I've been perpetually unsatisfied with the current one, but too lazy/chicken to try someone new).

I already have the painkiller -- Uristat. But that's merely a palliative, no?

Since this morning, I've been more concerned that my doc prescribed an Estrogen cream for the problem. He made it sound like No Big Deal in the office. But when I checked on-line, I found *tons* of possible side-effects and increased risks for serious diseases (cancer, DVT). Worse yet, Mr. Treehugger, who is, in my book, sometimes naively trusting of authority, now seems to think this is a possible solution we should keep in mind ...  "Well, he IS a professional" ... and you just looked things up on the Web. (The latter part, implied, of course.)

[greyscale]

Peeing *right* after sex got rid of my frequent UTIs. But it really has to be right after, which can be a real bummer if things aren't quite finished yet. "Hold on, I'll be right back" just isn't so suave.

OK. How *right* after do you mean? Could you give me a time frame in secs/mins? I always go afterwards, but sometimes wait until after everything (which could be another 5-10 minutes).

Hm. I try for within a few minutes, fewer than 5. But recently I've been more relaxed about it (different partner, fewer problems).

I already have the painkiller -- Uristat. But that's merely a palliative, no?

Yeah, Uristat and AZO are the same thing, phenazopyridine. It's just a palliative but damn does it work well. I go from feeling like vomiting from pain to perfectly happy in just under 30 min.

[madhatter]

Peeing *right* after sex got rid of my frequent UTIs. But it really has to be right after, which can be a real bummer if things aren't quite finished yet. "Hold on, I'll be right back" just isn't so suave.

OK. How *right* after do you mean?

Please get out of bed first. Unless, y'know, that's your thing.

[spork]

Ok, I hesitated to let loose in my original post.  Keep in mind that I am not a physician.  From your posts here, your symptoms indicate UTIs.  You have been successfully self-treating them with water and cranberry juice. Maybe your MD meant this, as in "so far your UTIs haven't need antibiotic treatment." Maybe not  But I don't think the menopause = less natural lubrication = need for hormonal cream is a good diagnosis given what you've described here.

Ditto what others have said about duration of sex, condoms, and abrasion as contributing factors in getting UTIs.

If your husband is in his 50s and he's expecting an orgasm every day from vaginal sex, something that might have been the norm in his 20s, maybe he needs to do some reading about the effects of aging.

[janedoh]

Be warned--this is definitely a TMI post!

I STRONGLY disagree with your doctor. I get UTIs with no fever and no burning when I pee. I just feel the need to go more and more frequently, and then I know. The first few times, I didn't realize I had an infection until there was visible blood in my urine, so I KNOW you can get UTIs without fever or any other symptom.

My doc was pretty concerned after my second UTI like that (she was worried about possible kidney issues), but I have had success keeping UTIs away by taking cranberry pills 3x/day and peeing after intercourse (in my case, around 5 minutes or so after). There is some evidence that cranberry works by preventing the adhesion of bacteria to your cells, so that is why it will only help with prevention or with a mild UTI.

With regard to Mr. Treehugger--45 minutes seems like a really long time to me, especially if you have lubrication issues. I agree with Spork--Mr. T needs to be part of the solution here by being realistic about getting his needs met in alternate ways.

[toni52]

lurquita has given you wise advice about cranberry TABLETS (+ water) for preventative maintenence. Taking these is much easier than drinking huge amounts of pure cranberry juice.

I used to get UTIs quite frequently (my doctor said I have a higher risk of developing UTIs--has nothing to do with sex).  But I actually haven't had a UTI in a few years.  I definitely prefer the tablets to juice.  Also, I used to buy the AZO test strips whenever I thought I might be getting another UTI.  They're not 100% accurate.  But I found that the tests were easy to use and generally confirmed my suspicions.