Urethra Discomfort (women)

Does anyone have discomfort in their urethra and cant shift it? Since around November last year I have been having Recurring UTIs and inbetween them I get a very uncomfortable urethra. Sometimes when i go to the toilet i can pee fine but other times its uncomfortable. Having sex is uncomfortable and its making me lose my sex drive.

I have sent in urine samples when ive had an infection and they show bacteria in the urine but i respond well to the antibiotics. And still i have problems.

I am currently waiting on some results for some swabs i had done for Thrush, Chalmidia and Ghonorrea...standard testing and if they dont show anything then hopefully ill get to see a urologist.

I just wondered if anyone else has this problem and what did you do about it/what was causing it etc

[0rphan]

Hi jary....i've had this problem for 13 months now, had all the tests at the hospital....cystocopy, scan, kidney function test, blood tests......everything normal but still have problem.

Like you reoccurring uti with blood in urine.Keep returning to Gp but they keep saying well you don't have an infection.

One doctor said, you can have the urethra tube replaced but wasn't to keen on the operation. I have problems with emtying the bladder totally which i think is where my infections come from,GP said, you can have the urethra stretched but good possibility of incontinence.

I have tried to look in a mirror...i know it sounds a bit odd,but it feels like there is something there, which my underwear rubs on causing inflamation (inflammation).I can see what looks like a small lump on the left side of the opening, the GP examined me and agreed, but the cystoscopy showed nothing!!!! i wonder if its the same with you.

Looking on the webb you can get a kind of polypus in the urethra...so i am going to ask to go back to the hospital.

I think you should ask to be referred if all your tests come back clear.

Some people have urethra syndrome....irritation in the urethra...which can sometimes be controled by diet...nothing acidic....or don't wear tight clothes in that area.

I hope this helps a bit

Take care

[Jary08]

Hey Orphan, thanks for your comment.
Wow, i bet your really fed up of the problems! I know i am!

I try and avoid coffee and tea and drink plenty of water as that seems to control it a bit. I make sure i wipe myself in the correct way and shower every morning and use only Femfresh or Canesten shower washes instead of soap.

That does seem to control the recurring UTIs and discomfort in my urethra but it can only do so much. I began to wonder if maybe my urethra is damaged somehow??? Cause it feels like although its been scraped or hurt in some way. Maybe the UTIs ive had in the past have caused it but i guess ill only know (hopefully) when tests are done.

I hope you find the cause and find some relief! I have had really bad bouts of Cystitis and Urethritis before and i wouldnt wish it on anyone!

[Jary08]

Well i got my tests back and the only thing there is thrush.

Its a relief that its nothing serious, but can thrush cause bladder infections/urethra discomfort?

Cause i wouldnt have thought so. Anyways ill get the treatment and see how it goes. Then if theres no improvement its off to the docs again!

[Zepora]

Have you ever been tested for Interstitital Cystitis?  It begins with constant UTI's, pain, difficulty peeing, starting, stopping, urgency to pee. My urethra was so shredded before I was diagnosed with IC, that I had to self-catheterize for almost 2 years before it healed. Glad it's only thrush, this time, but it wouldn't hurt to have a Urologist check you out.
Hugs & Prayers.
zepora

[Jary08]

Ouch Zepora! IC is what im afraid of. I mean, i havent gone through labor and birth yet but im sure id rather go through that pain rather than have a constant uti problem....at least labor leads to something good!

atm my urethra is playing up again...doesnt help that i feel sick too!

Thanks for your comment

[Jary08]

Urgh, have another infection. Woke up today and thought 'oh joy' ¬_¬

So i have antibiotics and now just waiting for them to take effect and in the mean time try to control the pain.

The doctor at the out of hours suggested i see i my gp and ask for a longer pescription of antibiotics...say two months or so, to see if it disrupts the pattern and hopefully stop the recurring UTIs. If not, then it Urologist, tho the doctor wasnt too keen on a 19 year old being pked and prodded! lol.

[Amjfaith]

So sorry to hear Jary08. I am having the same problems. I have had test after test and even a cystoscopy, and no doctor has found anything wrong, yet I get extreme urethra discomfort constantly. I have it right now and it is so uncomfortable yet there is nothing that I can do.

I wish I knew what was wrong.... anyway I hope it all works out for you soon.

Take care!

[pinkmonkeypants]

i'm also having this problem.  I've had uti's since i was in my early 20's but since i had a really bad one at the begining of last year at 29 i have had lots of uit's and in between infections i can't go for 2 hours without a drink or i am in pain. Tearing my hair out, have been referred to a urologist after asking, i saw him and he sent me for a kidney ultrasound, everything is fine there, am due to see the urologist again in 2 months so i will metion the constant discomfort as i forgoet to mention it the first time i saw him.  he said he will write a letter to my doctor to suggest long term antibiotics, but i am hoping that he gives me a cystoscopy just so that i can rest knowing that it's not a structural problem that is causing this.  I am begining to wonder though if it is possible to get thrush in the urethra and if this could be the problem, i had thrush a long time ago and it wasn't painful like this, just very itchy, but i suppose i'm looking for answers?

[chuck117]

I'm an otherwise healthy 40 year old male who has has your problems for some time.  I believe I can shed some light on your problems based on my experience.  I have a primary immunodeficiency, which means my body doesn't make some of the immunologic substances needed for a healthy reaction to certain pathogens.  It is estimated by some researchers that 1:500 caucasian people have this problem.  I get uti's at the drop of a hat, sometimes with no sexual exposure.  I get tired of judgmental and unhelpful doctors, and it has been a long road learning about my condition and learning how to treat it successfully.  

In my case like many of yours, I had recurring UTIs, no findings for bacteria, etc., but continuing sx of infection, including occasional bleeding, redness, discharge, etc.  There are two main classes of pathogens that have caused these difficult infections in me, and they are both ignored by the mainstream med community, because they aren't typically cultured, and they haven't been a big problem for most of the population.  But if they do cause you grief, well then, they cause you grief.  These two critters are fungi and mycoplasma.  They have very different treatments, although you the patient will feel very similarly (miserable) when you contract them.

The fungi are treated with oral antifungals, such as diflucan or sporanox or lamisil.  Diflucan doesn't treat aspergillus (aspergillosis) fungal infections, so you may want to go with sporanox or lamisil.  I typically use a double dose on day 1 for loading and then a normal dose for at least 10 days to two weeks.  

The mycoplasma are difficult to culture and are very tiny and can't be seen in most routine microscopy.  If you treat, the things that often work are bactrim DS, levaquin, or avelox.  These have to be taken for extended periods to rid the body of mycoplasma or ureaplasma, as long as a month.  Bactrim is the cheapest, and should be taken at 800/160 bid for at least 2 weeks, at which point you might try reducing the dose to qd qhs, then halve the dose (400/80) qhs.  It sometimes helps to add metronidazole 500 mg bid with the bactrim.  Reduce it along with the bactrim.  If the sx return, increase the dosage.  If you must, increase the dosage of bactrim ds to tid for the first 10 days, then taper to bid another 10 d then qd for 10 d.  

If you are allergic to sulfa then you'll take doxycycline 100 mg bid, tapering down as above.  

Levaquin or Avelox are expensive quinolone drugs with dangerous side effects in some people.  They are taken once a day.  I usually take them for 7-10 days.  They can be very effective where nothing else has worked.  Avelox is not typically used for these types of infections and you may not be able to obtain it from your doctor due to prescribing restrictions.  Levaquin and Avelox are very expensive medication also.  

If you can, find an infectious diseases doc, and/or one who specializes in HIV treatment.  These docs are good at solving problems, they know that people can and do contract unusual infections, and they are creative and persistent at treating them without sending you for repeated dx procedures, and they are sex-positive and won't treat you like a diseased **** if you must go in for two infections in the same year.  If you must, hit a mexican border town or the internet for your necessary treatments.  

Finally, if you are having sex and you are having repeated infections, your partner needs to be treated with whatever works for you so s/he won't give it back to you after you're cured.  

I can't emphasize enough the prophylactic measures - plenty of fluids, urinating and washing after sex, a half dose of bactrim ds (equal to a single dose of bactrim) after sex in the evening after or the day of sex activity.  

[Robinstouch]

Im a 47 year old married female. my issue started about two years ago when sex became unbarable. went to a gyno, she checked my vagina and said that my walls are "thinning" which causes pain.  On top of that problem I keep getting UTI's and now that i've stopped having sex, i don't get the uti's as much, but now my uretha hurts.  went to see a urologist.  they gave me a test where they stick a camera type thing up your pee pee hole and look around.  Now if anybody out there is going to have this done? make sure that your Dr. gives you some of that clear stuff he uses to numb your pee pee hole prior to the procedure for you to take home.  Because you think UTI's hurt???? let me tell you, when he is done with that test, it's the pain of 100 UTI's all at once!!!! I was so mad that the dr. didnt tell me that ahead of time.  but he found nothing, but ever since, my pee pee hole hurts.  the wierdest thing? when I stand up and bend over? it really hurts there.. but i'm taking several meds, i've been on the same meds for years though.  One or several of the meds make it difficult to pee.  So, I have to push most of the time.  I'm at my wits end with this stuff, and doing without sex doesn't help either.

[Jary08]

Hello! It's been a long time since I posted this and I will give you an update!

Firstly, thanks for all the replies!
Well, since august 2009 I have not had a single UTI. However, I had continued to have urethral discomfort. I saw a urologist, had a cystoscopy which showed nothing that could be causing it, however even with the anaesthetic gel it still felt sore. The reg doc who was carrying out the procedure was surprised and came to the conclusion that my urethra was over sensitive from having so many infections. He suggested to me that i have urethral dilation to 'blunt out' the nerves. I never got asked back to pre assessment. But I didn't push it. My urethra got better on it's own. It still gets sore now and again especially if I don't drink enough, but it's no where near as bad as it was before.

Also, for the ladies, they were carrying out a study at the hospital I went to to uncover whether UTIs affected women on a genetic level, and not just cause we have shorter urethras, which would explain why some women are more prone to infection. I have no idea what the outcome of that study was, but I took part in it anyway, and it gives food for thought.

I hope all of you find solutions...I still don't know for sure why I got the pain, but maybe it was over sensitivity from having so many infections.

[jhick71]

Am having the same problems as described here by others, and Im thinking there's a link between urethra pain and thrush. I think even mild thrush can irritate the urethra. For me the link is that I have no urethra pain when I have my period, and when I have that I never have thrush. Also another test is to wear a tampon when not on your period which effectively blocks any discharge, and if you find the urethra discomfort stops, then it stands to reason that the thrush discharge was irritating the urethra.