may have pid

[loveamanda]

Well I have been having abdominal pains and small discharge that come and go for as long as I can remember, but have always disregarded this because I heard it is a normal occurence. Just recently though, I went to the doctors to get tested for an STD for the first time. After having intercourse with someone about a week or so ago, I have noticed I have been having a lot of discharge, itchiness around the vagina and vulva and overall swelling and redness. It feels uncomfortable to walk sometimes and I've just felt irritated the last few days. I expressed this to the doctor and we decided I would get a pap test. Once he pushed on my uterus and cervix, etc. I felt a little pain. He concluded saying that I might have PID or a bladder infection and gave me two different anti-biotics to take for 2 weeks. I'm concerned that I might have either, but mostly because I don't know how I came to get the infection. Can someone please tell me how I came to maybe get this or if I might have something else?

thanks a lot,
Amanda.

[auntiejessi]

If you still have bad cramps, you should follow up with your doc.

AJ

[tls83]

hey,
  i had pid, i got it after i gave birth to my oldest. i got it with in a week or two after he was born i got mine from an uti. they did a pap on me and told me that it was pid. i was bleeding after the child birth but i also had pus mixed in with it. and they gave me 5 different antibotics. but i know now even after i got it cured i still have the very bad cramps and so does my best friend.

[auntiejessi]

Actually, newer research suggests it might be an STD only about 50% of the time.

I don't know that stress causes it.  It would take an overgrowth of a bacteria to spread to all of the reproductive organs, and stress wouldn't do that.  Stress might make it harder for your body to fight it off, but it wouldn't cause the initial infection.

A urine sample can be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia, but it won't look for bv.  A swab will look for bv.  

What meds were you given?  

AJ

[loveamanda]

hmmm
I actually have most of those symptoms there..
thanks for the help
so once you took all the antibiotics, it was totally gone?
and if it was, how long did it take for it all to clear?

[VainV]

Hi,
I had PID and it can take a while to get diagnosed.  See my message on Chancroid - Rare but ... for my starting info on PID.  

References:
http://www.drugs.com/enc/pelvic-inflammatory-disease-pid.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000888.htm
http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069029/

Symptoms that I had:
- abdominal pain (my tummy was puffy like I was pregnant)  <-   (BIG ONE for me)
- fever (temperature of 92-99) <-   (BIG ONE for me)
- chills  (BIG ONE for me)
- spotting/irregular menstrual bleeding
- sever menstrual cramping & pain during ovulation    (BIG ONE for me)
- sever back pain  (BIG ONE - I was on naproxen, methocarbanol, oxicodyne)
- Fatique (little or no sleep) <-   (BIG ONE for me)
- nausea and sometimes dizzy   (BIG ONE for me)
- frequent urination    (BIG ONE for me)
- tenderness   (BIG ONE for me)
- vaginal discharge (slight)
- High Blood pressure  (BIG ONE for me)
- increased white cell count (BIG for me)

I found on my research - The majority of the time it is caused by STD that goes with it ~90% of the time; but there is a rare 5-10% that they do not know what triggers it (possible stress).

If you have PID - you will feel better in 5 days (doxycycline) - it was a rapid change on how I felt.  Look at the different websites on the symptoms.  

Hope this helps.. ;)

[loveamanda]

Well he got a urine sample, from all I know.. I'm going back on Sunday to get a check up and maybe see what the results are if he did take any swabs. The urine sample showed I had white blood cells though, so thats a sign of infection I believe.

And wow, I didn't know that.. hopefully I didnt have one of those stds but I mightve gotten something from my ex who casually mentioned he had stds before.. so that couldve been the case. I just dont want to put my other partners at risk, even though I used a condom every time.

thanks though

[auntiejessi]

Hi Amanda -

Did he do any testing?  Did you give a urine sample, or did he take any swabs?

PID can be caused by untreated chlamydia, sometimes untreated gonorrhea, and a host of other bacteria that occurs naturally.  About 50% of PID infections are from the natural bacteria, and not an untreated STD.

UTI/bladder infections also can occur naturally.

AJ