Acute onset urinary frequency and bladder pressure

[RHR]

Acute onset urinary frequency
by RHR, 2 minutes ago
I am a 50 yr. old post-menopausal (5+ yrs.) woman having feelings of pressure on my bladder and the need to urinate which never goes away and becomes more acute after urinating. There is no pain or itching.  This began suddenly about 10 days ago after week at beach. I was in water, sitting in wet bathing suit and in heat.

Have had urinalysis, urine culture, pelvic ultrasound of ovaries and bladder - all normal. No blood, no sugar, no protein, etc.  Examinations for yeast and bacerial infections were negative. Was treated for possible urethritis with 3 day dose of Levaquin of 250 mg, then 3 days of 500 mg  Levquin, then switched to doxycline 200 mg a day.  Just started 2nd day of doxycycline and feeling no better - not sure when I would notice anything.  No recent sexual activity.

Gyn thinks it's estrogen deficiency and wants me to start vagifem, but I am questioning the acute onset of this??  Cannot detect any bladder spasms, but am extremely uncomfortable feeling like I always need to urinate.  Notice it is particularly bad when lying down and on either side.  Can only sleep on back.  Some nights it wakes me up every 3 hours, some nights I can make it through the night.  Yesterday, had short period of time in morning and early afternoon where I thought symptoms were better, but then got worse in afternoon and have stayed worse since.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be?  Was given prescription for pyridium, but that sounds like it's more for pain and don't want to mask anything as I have urology appt. on Wed.

[cathytn]

Went to the Dr today and he found no infection or prolapse of the bladder so...... he believes it is  interstitial cystitis which has no cure but several ways to treat. there is a real expensive med. Elmiron since i have no ins we ruled that out for now. He has me on a low dose of  Elavil at night.He wants me to come back in 2 months. I found this aritcle on it  http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-information/interstitial-cystitis-treatment.aspx   Not really feeling that this is going to work but willing to try. Let me know what you find out.
Thanks,
Cathytn

[cathytn]

Trying to list link again


http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-information/interstitial-cystitis-treatment.aspx

[RHR]

Good luck - I have had no pain so they ruled out interstitial cystitis, but I have heard that Elavil does work.

I hope it does for you.

Take care,.

[cathytn]

I don't have any pain either just pressure and a need to go feeling, worse when i sit down or lay down on my side.  There is no pain,no leaking and no feeling i won't make it to the bathroom. I have noticed a little less intense feelings without drinking coffee. I'm trying to narrow down what might irritate my bladder and cause some of this. My Dr said he would send me to a Urologist but they are expensive without insurance and IC can't always be seen in a scope unless it's severe or ulcered. He said he wants me to see a Uro if it becomes painful or blood shows up in the urine.  He wants me to come back in 2 months to check the progress of the symptoms and the meds effect.
Cathy

[missrdl]

I'm 55, post memopausal and having the same symptoms as you. I just had rectocele surgery and hoped that would fix the pressure problem, but I'm still up several times a night. The urge to go almost always involves a hot flash. I used estrace for several years,(which always left me uncomfortably itchy and feeling like I had a yeast infection) and recently switched to Premarin which doesn't seem to make me so itchy. But still can't sleep all night. Also have a lot of anxiety from this. so I take Klonopin at night to sleep, so at least I fall back to sleep now instead of laying awake wondering if I'm ever going to get to sleep all night again!
The rectocele surgery has allowed me to sleep on my belly again (it relieved my intense backache). I also seem to have urinary retention problems during the day, oh and did I mention vulvodynia?
I have to admit I wasn't a fan of the estrace due to side effects and didn't use it as often as prescribed. I'm hoping the premarin cream will k\make the difference.
How are you doing now? It's been a couple of months since you posted?

[ciao7576]

I have never participated in this type of blog but its good to finally hear others  with my symptons. Symptoms began after menopause at about 52, now I am 59. About 6 years ago I began treating with antibiotics.   That worked for a while but stopped working. Last year,  I began taking Vagefem 2x a week and think that is the trick.  Then I decided to decrease the Vagefem to 1x week and the symptoms are back was symptom free for almost a year.They are usually worse at night, was told I had Interstatial cystitis.  Me and My big ideas to cut Vagefem.  So Now I am back to 2 x a week and hope my symptoms will go away again.

Will keep you posted.