# Great sex...but now getting cystitis



## peacem (Oct 25, 2014)

Good morning all!

A few years ago we were in a bad place where we pretty much were not having sex at all (slowly declining over several years). I'm glad to say over the past 2 years we have/are turning things around and we are pretty much having a renaissance in our relationship. We have sex most days, occasionally we have a day or two rest. It is like I have my husband back :smile2:. So happy atm.

However, since we have started having regular sex I also have been prone to regular cystitis. The first time I experienced this was pretty much when sex started up again. I had never experienced it before and had to look up the symptoms. After leaving it too long I ended up with a very painful kidney infection last year so I have become hyper vigilant in trying to prevent it. I shower every morning and evening just before sex, I pee after sex and clean myself with wet wipes. I wipe my vibes with antibac wipes and then the following morning wash them under a running tap with antibac soap. I leave them to air dry before putting them away. My husband as far as I can tell is very clean, he always showers before sex and is aware that bacteria is causing me this problem so is being extra specially careful.

The only thing that I can think of is that sex has become more vigorous and we may push for several orgasms (could it be that this is the cause?).

I have a new GP and tbh he is not very good but just about adequate. His English is poor and has a terrible bedside manner. I tried asking him but he didn't seem to offer me any help other than prescribing antibiotics. I would rather prevent the problem in the first place. 

Anyone else had the same problem? If so what helps. I am feeling exhausted from being awake during the night with the pain. :frown2:


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## Florida_rosbif (Oct 18, 2015)

A man so clearly not an expert, but isn't cranberry juice the silver bullet for such issues?


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## Legend (Jun 25, 2013)

Stay away from simples sugars, coffee, tea, alcohol, and processed foods. Drink more water if you don't already.

Use a vaginal suppository containing the probiotic Lactobacillus crispatus daily. Effectiveness was shown in a clinical study.

Long ago, I had a girlfriend that suffered from this due to a shortened urethra. 

If good bacteria are present, the bad bacteria cannot flourish. You cannot prevent bacteria from entering your urinary track.

Get a female OB and, also, ask someone who knows a lot about homeopathics. 

Your Dr may prescribe rx medication such as Bactrim DS or Macrobid once you have another painful bought.


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## Rowan (Apr 3, 2012)

Sex - pressure, friction, etc. - can irritate and inflame the urethra and other bits of the urinary tract, creating more susceptibility to infection. So, if you're sensitive and prone to UTI's, sometimes it's not just about cleanliness. In fact, over-cleaning and doing too much of anything else down there can cause irritation that may be very problematic. All those anti-bacterial products might actually be causing some issues. Scented baby wipes, washes, soaps and laundry detergents are a no-no. Wear only clean cotton underwear that is not too tight or constricting. Drink lots and lots of water. Always wipe front to back. Cranberry juice or cranberry pills, daily, may be helpful. 

And get yourself a competent urologist!


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## mary35 (Jul 18, 2010)

Hormone changes from aging causes the tissues to thin and dry, which apparently makes it easier for the bacteria to get in. What you are describing is what put me on hormonal treatment. Estroiol/DHEA cream for the vaginal area has helped a lot. Have not had one since going on bio-identical hormones. I also take cranberry pills daily and use Probiotics. These helped somewhat before I got on the hormones - and I continued them after. Don't be afraid to take 3 or 4 times the dose for awhile. Can't have too many probiotics. Get the kind that has to be refrigerated and are especially for vaginal issues. Find in whole food stores. Pricey but worth it. Stay away from the anitbiotics if you can, they kill the good ones too. But if you cant - then definitely use probiotics. Definitely look into your hormonal situation. Stay away from sugar and soda, even diet soda. 

Not fun for sure! Good Luck!


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## 3Xnocharm (Jun 22, 2012)

Your doc can prescribe an antibiotic that you can take beforehand to help prevent the infection. (might be Macrobid?) If this is recurring, ask him about this. Maybe ask your OB, if your GP is really that useless....


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## Hope1964 (Sep 26, 2011)

Do you always pee right after sex?

It's been a while since I heard about them, but there are some kind of pills that health food stores sell that are supposed to render the lining of the bladder unsusceptible to infection somehow. Not cranberry pills but something else. Sorry I don't remember any details. Mannitol maybe???? Mannose? Something like that I think??


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## citygirl4344 (Mar 4, 2016)

You should be referred to urology.
Eat healthy...stay away from
Sugar, caffeine and alcohol. Using the wipes that you say you do can also cause problems so be careful with that. You should drink plenty of water also, but you should definitely see a urologist. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kag123 (Feb 6, 2012)

See a GYN or Urologist for this issue, not your GP. 

How long have you been having them recur? Depending on that length of time will depend on how serious they take it from my experience. A year of recurrent UTIs got me a long term antibiotic that I took for 3 months. Once that was done I did not get them again. 

You can have a low level infection that you do not realize you have, not enough to cause symptoms to you but will flare when you have trauma to the area via sex. 

You could be basically not fully clearing the infection each time and it just keeps coming back.


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

Florida_rosbif said:


> A man so clearly not an expert, but isn't cranberry juice the silver bullet for such issues?


Probably not cranberry juice. Most of it is full of sugar and sugar will make things worse. Only unsweetened cranberry juice will help and that may be impossible to find.



Hope1964 said:


> It's been a while since I heard about them, but there are some kind of pills that health food stores sell that are supposed to render the lining of the bladder unsusceptible to infection somehow. Not cranberry pills but something else. Sorry I don't remember any details. Mannitol maybe???? Mannose? Something like that I think??


It's called D-Mannose and is much more concentrated and effective than drinking cranberry juice. I recommend taking a lot of these; like two every couple hours. I have not used this brand, but there are 300 in the package and you will need to have plenty on hand. Personally I'd take at least eight per day. Two before bed and two when you wake up, plus at least four more during the day. This needs to be knocked out. https://smile.amazon.com/BulkSupple...5034530&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=D+mannose&psc=1

The problem is probably related to having too much sugar in your body. This would include eating too much grain. Remove all soda, candy, ice cream, anything with added sugar. Cut way back on grains; I'd say one serving per day is plenty. Drink plenty of water. Herbal tea is fine. No juice, as it's too sugary.

Taking antibiotics has risks of its own. I recommend getting the microbial balance corrected in your system. I'd recommend buying raw, live sauerkraut if you can find it. If you can't find it packaged, I'd make some at home. You might also try kombucha, but not kombucha post fermentation sugar added. All kombucha is made with sugar, but the scoby digests the sugar in the fermentation process. Commercially produced kombucha may have more sugar added after fermentation. The kombucha has live microorganisms in it that are good for the body's microbiome.

Stay away from yogurt if you're trying to balance your microbiome.

If you're interested in learning more about the microbiome, check out my article giving an overview: Probiotics: Secret Army of the Immune System | The Feminine Review: Homemaking, Family and the World

I agree with the others who are saying that you are probably irritating the area more by so much washing, especially with antibacterial soaps. I would never put those on my body. Quite frankly, rinsing with water may be your best option. Use the spray on your shower and rinse.

Also I really hate to say this, but while you are treating it, no sex until all your symptoms are gone.


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## peacem (Oct 25, 2014)

A lot of useful advice - thank you so much. I will definitely look into the natural supplements. 
@Hope1964 always pee after sex.
@kag123 had them on and off for 2 years (since we started having sex again). I notice that they tend to occur if sex has been vigorous or I have several orgasms. It may be a coincidence. 

I have tester strips so I can keep an eye on levels of bacteria. Weird because yesterday I was nearly at the end of the scale. This morning I am clear and have no symptoms. That is 24 hour healing. So I tend to put off going to the GP because I think my body is healing it perfectly fine on its own...but I wonder if it never entirely goes away and is so small that it doesn't get detected on the strips?


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

peacem said:


> I have tester strips so I can keep an eye on levels of bacteria. Weird because yesterday I was nearly at the end of the scale. This morning I am clear and have no symptoms. That is 24 hour healing. So I tend to put off going to the GP because I think my body is healing it perfectly fine on its own...but I wonder if it never entirely goes away and is so small that it doesn't get detected on the strips?


What kind of tester strips are you talking about? I have never heard of strips that detect bacterial levels.

We all have bacteria in our bodies. The idea is to have more beneficial (probiotic) bacteria than pathogenic bacteria. So, yes, there is pathogenic bacteria lurking in your body, even when you think you're all clear. The idea is to stop feeding it and to feed the probiotics in your body. That is why diet is so important in keeping our microbiome in proper working order. Say you decide to have a pint of ice cream tonight, then you have sex. Bam! New infection.


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## SunCMars (Feb 29, 2016)

What about using a women's condom? They have made advances in these things.

I have never seen them in action...


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

SunCMars said:


> What about using a women's condom? They have made advances in these things.
> 
> I have never seen them in action...


That might actually make it worse. The bacteria is not coming from her husband. It's not that he is transferring bacteria to her.


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## UMP (Dec 23, 2014)

peacem said:


> Good morning all!
> 
> A few years ago we were in a bad place where we pretty much were not having sex at all (slowly declining over several years). I'm glad to say over the past 2 years we have/are turning things around and we are pretty much having a renaissance in our relationship. We have sex most days, occasionally we have a day or two rest. It is like I have my husband back :smile2:. So happy atm.
> 
> ...


Cran-Actin daily, both myself and my wife.

https://www.amazon.com/CranActin-Cr...qid=1475084795&sr=1-1&keywords=cranactin&th=1


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## SunCMars (Feb 29, 2016)

CynthiaDe said:


> That might actually make it worse. The bacteria is not coming from her husband. It's not that he is transferring bacteria to her.


What if he is doing oral on her....the mouth is loaded with germs.

He should brush his teeth, gargle a couple of times with the best mouthwash....hold the stuff in his mouth for a minute, them spit it out.

I agree with all the other advice. A tough call here....do not give up.

New antibiotics are coming....intra-cellular nanobot bacteria fighters are on the way.

I love modern medicine, modern science. It seems these [science advances] are the only "good" news that we hear.


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## peacem (Oct 25, 2014)

CynthiaDe said:


> What kind of tester strips are you talking about? I have never heard of strips that detect bacterial levels.
> 
> We all have bacteria in our bodies. The idea is to have more beneficial (probiotic) bacteria than pathogenic bacteria. So, yes, there is pathogenic bacteria lurking in your body, even when you think you're all clear. The idea is to stop feeding it and to feed the probiotics in your body. That is why diet is so important in keeping our microbiome in proper working order. Say you decide to have a pint of ice cream tonight, then you have sex. Bam! New infection.


Thanks for the information - this is all very new to me so I have some reading to do.

Reading the leaflet it is not bacteria but protein that it tests for among other things.


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

peacem said:


> Thanks for the information - this is all very new to me so I have some reading to do.
> 
> Reading the leaflet it is not bacteria but protein that it tests for among other things.


You're welcome. I hope it helps.

Yes, their are strips that test various things that could contribute to an infection.

The bacteria causing the infection is not from anyone's mouth either. Using a mouthwash isn't going to do a thing to help this situation.


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