My Story infection episodes, but they were sporadic

I’ve been reading you daily for a month, and I find the Ureaplasma Test site very useful because it’s complete: whatever type of doubt I had, there was already a post about it! I decided to write my story because I fear confusing the various symptoms and stories and not being expert enough to understand what I have and what advice best suits me. My story of post-intercourse cystitis began in July when I changed partners. I had previously had STD infection episodes, but they were sporadic and resolved with antibiotics.

Navigating Consultations

I am writing to you when my morale is quite low. I have decided to interrupt my intimacy because I feel fragile. And I want to give my body time to recover.

As I was saying, my Ureaplasma story began with the change of partner; first documented urine culture on 24 July: Escherichia Coli, no antibiotic resistance, bacterial load 800,000, urine pH 5.0, red blood cells… I think it was resolved with an antibiotic, perhaps the Ciproxin prescribed by my GP, but I’m not sure because it was the first episode, so I didn’t give it enough weight. Cystitis resolved, documented with a negative urine culture dated August 26th, pH 5.5, specific gravity 1.026, calcium oxalates, traces of ketones, some STD bacteria in tests, rare leukocytes, and flaking cells (perhaps it had not resolved completely, but I was quite inexperienced at the time).

Challenges with Guidance

The attendance stops in August because a stressful period of intense study begins for me and then resumes in November. Since then, hell, cystitis began to become more and more frequent; at the beginning, I didn’t understand the cause (relationship) – effect (cystitis) connection, but then, with time, it became more and more self-evident, with cystitis that recurs in Exactly 24 hours after intercourse.

I remember one time in particular, at the beginning of December, after a weekend of fairly intense intercourse (repeated intercourse and long hours), I went to a gynaecologist, and the experience was not at all satisfactory. The STD gynaecologist did not have me repeat the urine culture as it was likely to be “always caused by Coli” and prescribed Ciproxin 500 for 5 days and Cistalgan to reduce the heartburn. He found Gardenella vaginitis and prescribed Vagilen ovali for 5 days. He also gave me an ultrasound and an HPV Pap test, with negative results. Still, the sample was invalid due to “partially or completely clouding inflammation” and “marked inflammation” (I reported from the report). He advised me to return a year later to repeat the Pap test.

Exploring Treatment Alternatives

I took the antibiotic STD treatment, and the cystitis went away, but the heartburn didn’t go away. It continued even after the cystitis, and I didn’t understand (and still don’t understand) the reason.

The Ureaplasma Specialist Gynaecologist also advised me to take Monuril immediately before or after each intercourse. He followed his advice with the result of having had a couple of intercourse without any consequences but of having developed resistance to fosfomycin!!!! After the two successful intercourses, I decided to try having intercourse without STD antibiotic coverage, but the cystitis reappeared right on time!!!

Cystitis is always treated with antibiotics, but heartburn is more difficult to eradicate. The burning sensations were/are external, halfway between the urethra and the vulva.

Seeking Urological Guidance

Due to these heartburns, I performed a new urine culture on 29 December 2015 with negative results, with only calcium oxalate crystals as sediment.

The heartburn didn’t go away even without cystitis, so on January 8, 2016, I contacted a urologist because I had read about some strengthening Ureaplasma therapies on the internet. This second experience with an STD specialist was a little more satisfying, even if, once he had listened to my story, he replied that patients like me are a “problem” for gynaecologists and urologists because they don’t know how to treat us and that “only the good God” could know when these annoyances would pass. However, he performed an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder, analysed the residue and prescribed a fresh cytological examination for 3 days to be carried out in pathological anatomy. All were negative Ureaplasma tests.

He told me the oxalates I saw in my urine were not a problem and would never become stones if I drank water.

Exploring Treatment Options

This urologist was the first to talk about Mannose, prescribing a reinforcement STD therapy to be carried out for 6 months, 15 days a month, consisting of:

  • – 2 doses of Kistinox Forte (Noxamycin, Cranberry and D-Mannose),
  • – 1 dose per day of Dicoflor,
  • – 5 days of eggs with lactobacilli (I need to remember which ones).

He tried to reassure me, telling me that the burning sensations I felt despite the absence of cystitis could be at a vaginal level. And he advised me to go to a Specialist  gynaecologist. He also told me that the head and the bladder are connected, alluding to the fact that I might have mental obsessions. This didn’t make me very happy. He told me that cystitis should in no way interfere with my sexual life. He confirmed the possibility of taking an antibiotic “as needed” before or after intercourse, at least until the Ureaplasma problems passed.

In January, I started the reinforcement therapy prescribed by the urologist, but the cystitis returned with the accompanying heartburn. Even if these burning sensations are not strong, they are persistent (it usually takes 10/20 days for them to go away), and this thing sends me to the mental hospital. On the advice of my gynaecologist, I take Cistalgan to reduce them and not go crazy.

Embracing New Approaches

I decided to carry out a urine culture on February 1st. It is always E.coli, a bacterial load of 1 million. On this occasion, I discovered that I have become resistant to Monuril. This scares me so much that I decide not to take any more antibiotics. The practice of treating post-intercourse cystitis with a prophylactic antibiotic immediately before/after intercourse seems madness to me! If, with just two intakes of Monuril “as a preventive measure,” I had become resistant to Fosfomycin, what would have happened if I had changed the antibiotic to take before intercourse? I feared that I would become resistant to all STD antibiotics. In a short time, I would “burn out” all my chances of recovery. (I still believed in antibiotics at the time, but then I realised how harmful they are.)

Collaboration with Professionals

I returned to the gynaecologist on February 3rd for the heartburn and to make sure that everything was fine vaginally from Ureaplasma. He told me that there was nothing vaginally and prescribed the same therapy as the previous time: Ciproxin again for 5 days, Vagilen ovules and Clogin lavender. Not satisfied, I decided not to follow his therapy.

On February 4th, I go back to the urologist, who reassures me, tells me to continue with mannose and lactobacilli and prescribes Ciproxin 1000 modified release. At my request, he orders a sperm culture and a urinalysis for my partner, but both are negative. He told me the problem was unlikely to depend on the partner, but he prescribed them to me to dispel any doubts. He advised me to take Levoxacin 500 in the 2 days following intercourse, at least until the problem was resolved. Of course, I refused to take the STD antibiotic for just two days.

Evaluating Antibiotic Strategies

In February, therefore, I carry out two cycles of antibiotics, from the 4th to the 10th, with Ciproxin 1000 and, for a new episode of cystitis, from the 21st to the 25th, with Levoxacin. This recurrence of two cystitis in a month with associated antibiotics scared me so much that I decided not to take any more STD antibiotics.

I came to you on the STD Chat forum because I like your “no antibiotics” policy and decided to try D-mannose.

Examining New Treatment Effects

At the beginning of March, I tried to have intercourse by taking D-Mannose partly because of the massive dose. I finished a box at the weekend partly because the intercourse was short and partly because I washed with lavender D-Mannose immediately afterwards and applied the cream the next day. No cystitis! I don’t know which of the factors listed didn’t give me cystitis, but the fact is that I didn’t get it.

The problem, however, is the burning sensations, always a little external on some points of the vulva (12 o’clock, 3 and 9 o’clock, 6 o’clock) and a little internal at the height of the urethra. Since the heartburn has become unbearable (always light and persistent), I contacted a new gynaecologist.

Collaborating on Comprehensive Treatment

A good one this time, who listens to me and tells me to be careful to distinguish the vagina, vulva and urinary system.

He carries out a fresh Ureaplasma bacteriological Test, which allows you to exclude candida and other things; he says that I am red, “vaginal inflammation”, and I have an accumulation of whites. He claims that repeated STD antibiotics destroy my bacterial flora. She inserts a litmus test into the vagina; before insertion, it was red and, once removed, orange.

He tells me that externally, I am inflamed and that I have vulvitis, probably due to the abuse of intimate cleanser. He forbids me from wearing black underwear (all advice I had already read on the forum), and he prescribes:

  • – boric acid compresses,
  • – Vea intimate cleanser,
  • – Lenivagix vulva cream,
  • – Lenivagix ovules for the vagina.

Monitoring and Planning Follow-Up Care

I haven’t started this therapy yet. And I decided to take it more slowly, take the time to heal, and allow my body to rebuild.

I asked him if I could have vulvodynia, but he told me it wasn’t possible because otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to have sexual intercourse due to the pain.

The Ureaplasma Gynaecologist said he wanted to see me again to do the Pap test and check for any sores. The next steps in my STD treatment are: I am satisfied with this new gynaecologist. He told me that he wanted to make sure that I had recurrent cystitis. He prescribed two urine cultures in a row one week apart. Although I don’t understand the reason, I don’t think I have cystitis at the moment. Then he told me that post-coital cystitis, as long as I suffer from it, can unfortunately be treated with Bactrim. Advice that I will NEVER follow, I promise you.

Exploring Holistic Approaches

This is my story. I’m happy to have discovered the forum immediately. My experiences with STD specialists who are unable to cure this type of cystitis are frustrating and expensive.

What I wonder and I ask you: is it possible that post-intercourse cystitis “triggers” at any moment? I am 28 years old and have never suffered from Ureaplasma with this frequency. In recent months, I have thought and thought about the causes of my post-intercourse cystitis. I hypothesised that the period of high stress from which I emerged contributed to weakening my immune defences. But I have calmed for at least 2-3 months, and the stress has passed.

I thought about nutrition. Probably alcohol, since I usually drink one or two beers or glasses of wine with friends. The fact that I have reduced my meat consumption might have weakened me. Speaking of nutrition, I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. And a lot of whole grains, so no problems with constipation. I try drinking at least a litre and a half of water daily. I also thought about the method of sexual intercourse because, with the last partner, they were long and “passionate”. Therefore, I thought that they might have caused lesions in the mucosa. However, I had progressively adopted all the necessary precautions (making a bidet, emptying the bladder before and after, and drinking a lot).

The other dilemma concerns heartburn. Why does it take so long for the STD Infection to go away? What causes it?

Navigating Treatment and Next Steps

The next step in my treatment is to treat the vulvitis. I hope the burning sensations will pass. I’ll take more ovules with lactobacilli. Then, I’ll take a vaginal swab to check the flora. Finally, I’ll return to the gynaecologist for an HPV Pap test and Ureaplasma check-up.

I also read on the forum about pelvic contractures, but I don’t know if I suffer from them.

Please don’t hesitate to reply if you have any other advice or if I missed something. Thank you with all my heart.