Cysto tomorrow (questions)

[massagedoula]

I am getting an in office cysto tomorrow. I have been scheduled for this procedure before and cancelled it and had it cancelled twice, and now I am finally doing it and I am very scared. I have been feeling much better recently and am worried that this procedure will put me back in the pain and pelvic floor tension cycle. Today I have a migrane and a mild flare probably because of stress about this cysto, even though I am trying to be calm. I am hoping so much that it does not hurt, or make me feel worse.

Also, I know for a fact that the UW Medical Center (where I am getting it done) does not give antibiotics afterwards for preventative against UTIs from the procedure. Needless to say, while I don't want to take antibiotics needlessly, this worries me. I don't want to get a UTI and especially since our closing for the house we are buying is on the 20th, we leave to fly to England on the 23rd....and not to mention that the doctor is 2 hours away and I do not have a local doctor anymore, in the case that I do suspect a UTI. What can I do to prevent a UTI from the procedure? Should I cut my pubic hair really short beforehand? Bring a change of underwear? I have to sit in the car for 2 hours to get home afterwards...Any suggestions are appreciated....I am going to ask them if I can have one, but I already called and asked and they said that they do not give them out afterwards routinely.

Oh, last question...I want to give a catheterized urine sample to check for low grade infection before the cysto. I have had many many urine cultures and sensitivity tests in the last 6 months and all come back with a low level of bacteria (inconclusive of infection, they say) and the doctors always say that it is probably "normal vaginal flora contamination." I suspect a low-grade UTI, and I thought that since I am getting a catheter ANYWAY that it might be a good time to request a sample to be taken that way so if they do find any bacteria, it cannot be attributed to normal contamination. So....What I want to ask, is that standard to take a cathed sample anyway or do I have to request it, and if I do request it...will they do it?????
-EMILY

[emilyrose197377]

Emily, Good luck tommorrow. They are suppose to give antibotics out anytime they do a cysto. I am wondering why they are refusing. you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Take Care
Kim

[vm]

Good luck - I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

Honestly, if I were worried about getting an infection I would flush my bladder with fluids after the procedure. I wouldn't drink insane amounts, but enough to be really really well hydrated. It stinks on that long car ride home - but that might be one of the better ways to try and ward one off.

[Jeanne D.]

Emily,

First off -- good luck tomorrow and try not to worry. I have had at least 100 in-office cystos -- honestly! -- and have never gotten a UTI afterward. After the procedure, just make sure you drink plenty of water to flush out any bacteria that may have entered during the procedure.

There is no reason why the doctor can't get a urine speciman from you after he inserts the scope -- he has to drain your bladder before he instills the water anyway. I would ask him to do this -- it is not always routine with all uros.

As far as preventing an infection -- just shower beforehand, as normal. Most doctors use an antiseptic to cleanse the area before they insert the scope.

You may have some burning and feelings of frequency for a few hours after the cysto. This does not mean you have an infection -- it can just be one of the side effects of the procedure. If you develop symptoms of a UTI following the procedure you can check your urine with a home kit and be treated accordingly.

Mention your concerns to the doctor. Hopefully you will be able to form a plan and work out a solution with him/her.

Jeanne

[VickiB]

Emily,

Everyone's given great advice. I know you said they told you they don't give antibiotics out routinely after this procedure, but I'd ask them for it when you're in there. All they can say is no, right?

My Uro's three hours away, and I remember being concerned it could be three awfully long (painful) hours home following my cysto! Especially since I'd driven alone! Actually, I felt good enough to get in some out of town shopping before returning home.

Good luck tomorrow. Try to be relaxed. I know that's so much easier said than done!! I'll be thinking of you.

Vicki

[ICNDonna]

Don't clip any hair away --- it's totally not necessary. Just take a normal shower before you go in --- as it says in another response, they will cleanse the area before they insert the cystoscope. Try your best to relax --- I do it by concentrating on my breathing evenly. I put my hands across my waist, one on top of the other and try to feel the breathing motion with my hands. Relaxing makes the procedure much easier.

You will probably not need antibiotics afterwards, but if you're really worried about it, talk to the doctor --- and ask them about the cathed culture if they don't offer it.

You'll want to be sure to drink enough both before and after the procedure --- don't drown yourself, but you should get at least six glasses of water in a day.

And when it's over with, you'll be so glad it's done and you can look back on it instead of worrying about it.

Sending warm hugs,
Donna

[massagedoula]

Thank you all for your responses. I still feel nervous but I am a little more reassured that I will not get a UTI from the procedure. I will try my best to relax the pelvic floor muscles and breathe normally. I hope that it does not hurt, and the filling up my bladder part sounds pretty scary too...but it seems that everyone has gotten through it without bad memories, so hopefully I will too.

I read on medscape or some place like that about the procedure, and they say that the scope is the width of a pencil! That sounds too big to fit in my urethra...is it really that big?

[megancolleen]

Good luck! Mine went fine last week, and I'm sure yours will too. :) You'll be in my thoughts.

[patricia1]

Everyone else gave great advice. I have had these before and I to did not get any antibotic and I never got a UTI from the in-office ones. I did get one from the cysto/hydro done in the hospital under sedation, but that is a totally different procedure. I to was very nevous the first time to. My doc told me when I went to the bathroom the first time to get in a bathtub filled with warm water and go in that he said it would help with the burning. Gross, I know but it might help you to. But you said you had a 2 hours drive home so you might have to go before then. I hope everything turns out great for you...

[sabin]

Hi Emily,
i just read your post. i was out for the weekend and returned y'day nite.
everyone here has given u very good advice. as i said before it's not at all painful because they numb the area. u can ask your doc to keep the numbing gel longer in say 10 extra mins,meanwhile just relax and don't think about it at all.
the scope is not thick and you will not even know when they put it in.
as for the antibiotics i don't understand why they are refusing. you should ask for them,and if they refuse just drink lots of water for first 3/4 days.i think the risk of infection is very low though.
i was thinking if they say no and you still think you want them then can u ask your urogynaec or PCP,to give you some? i'm sure they would understand and give u a 3 day course.
alright Emily you will be in my thoughts and prayers,
take care and relax,this will be over by evening and you will feel great then.
Sabin

[massagedoula]

Guess what??? The cysto was totally not bad at all. I was so scared that I cried before it started and when the doctor came in I was still crying but she was really nice, and then, I am totally serious, when she put the scope in, I didn't even notice! They must have numbed me really good....Also good was that is was an in-office cysto, but she was able to tell that I had the little blood vessels on my bladder walls, that she said if she had done a hydro, would have definetely bled and turned into glomerations. So, maybe I am one of the few people that have been officially diagnosed with IC from an in-office cysto!!!!

I brought ice packs with me and sat on them on the way home. Now I took a hot shower and feel exactly the same as I did before the procedure. Barely any burning when I urinate either. She gave me a prescription of Elmiron, and was totally fine when I said that I was not gonna take it right away, that I still want to experiment with the natural remedies for a little while longer....

I took a dose of the sugar stuff I take (UTI preventative) as soon as I got home. Now we are about to go out to Red Lobster (my favorite place to eat) as a treat for getting the cysto from my husband.

She said that she does not give antibiotics anymore after the cysto, because barely anyone gets an infection that she has seen. She said that if I wanted them because I thought I had a UTI, to call and they would call some into my pharmacy.

Other things that happened was that they took the catheterized urine sample that I had asked them to take, which I am very happy about. Now we will see if I have a low-grade infection for sure. I showed her my results from the broth culture from United Medical Labs in VA. She was a bit suspectful that the bacteria came from vaginal contamination when I did the clean catch, but she said that if they find the same bacteria in my cathed sample (or any others) they would treat me right away.

Also, I wanted to say that she used a ridgid scope (not a flexible) and it still was not painful....she says that she gets a better view with the ridgid one....

It was really not as bad as I had thought! Just a little extra frequency now but nothing major. No blood in my urine either....

[vm]

Yay, yay, yay, yay!!!!! :) I kept checking to see when you would post - I wanted to know how it went. So glad to hear it wasn't as bad as you had feared and it sounds like you had a super nice doc. Good for you! :kissing:

[massagedoula]

Thank you so much VM for checking on me!!!!

[VickiB]

Yep, I kept checking off & on through out the day to see if you posted as well! I was really hoping this wouldn't be overly painful for you and am glad to hear everything went okay!

Mmmm! Red Lobster!

Have a great evening!

Vicki

[Jeanne D.]

Happy to hear that everything went well. Hope you enjoyed your dinner, you deserve it!

Jeanne

[megancolleen]

Wow! Sounds like it couldn't have gone much better!

I'm so glad it turned out okay...I was thinkin' about ya....

[sabin]

Heyyyy Emily, I am so glad it went so well. i told u it would be painless:) i think by the time i posted u had already left.
i was thinking about you today and really hoped it would all be okay for u.
i am sure u are relieved that u have a diagnosis finally.this means getting the cysto done was totally worth it.
take care
sabin

[massagedoula]

Hi everyone.....thanks again for all the wonderful emails. As soon as I came home from dinner I checked the message boards....thank you all so much for writing and caring.

So the first 2 times I urinated after the cysto were totally fine. Then the 3rd one (at dinner) was really burning and painful! I guess the lidocaine wore off??? The 4th one was ok again. I felt really good when I had the lidocaine still working. I felt actually better than usual! Are there any people who have gotten lidocaine gel and put it up their urethras on a normal basis? I have no idea if that is possible but it sounds really nice....

[diane57]

Massagedoula, congratulations!!!! I know you've been thinking about this for quite some time, I bet it's really a relief to have it done. If you're still concerned about infection, you might try some echinacea (or echinacea mixed with other herbs, I know you're an herbalist so you'd know what to take! I take something called Insure Herbal for colds and flu sometimes) for a day or two. I'm sure you'll be fine, though... Rest and reward yourself!

[windwalker]

Emily, so glad you are doing so well after the test!!!! I think theres some thing for lidocaine called a jet or something for putting it in the urethra, I have some for topical, it doesnt do too much, but then even when a cysto was attempted on me, the lidocaine didnt do anything, even after waiting 15 or so minutes before things got started.

[vm]

I think there are people who use lidocaine off and on. I know I read about people using it during sex to help with that discomfort.

[massagedoula]

I am going to ask my doctor about getting the gel and the "jet" next time I go in to see her. If anyone else uses it, let me know what else I need to ask for!

[windwalker]

I have seen something about lidocaine jet, or something w/the word jet on the boards a little while back, do a search on it maybe.

[Leslye]

My gyno prescribed Lidocaine jelly for me to use during Sex it helps ALOT:) Although, I still have to use a comfortable position to keep him from hitting my bladder. FYI it does make him a little numb (which can have its benefits Too)LOL

[arose]

OK what is this "jet" you guys are talking about? I have no idea.
They actually have stuff where it will numb you during sex. I will be getting right on that, I thought I was doomed. SWEET! :woohoo:

[Annie2]

My uro just gave me an Rx for the Lidocaine Jelly today. Haven't tried it yet but am hopeful!

Annie

[massagedoula]

Do you put it in your urethra or vagina for use during sex?