Self-Help & Natural Treatments for Urethral Syndrome, Urethritis

While it may be natural for patients to expect treatment with antibiotics and for doctors to prescribe antibiotics, it’s important to understand that urethral symptoms may respond to a variety of self help strategies. The key here is to start with the easy, non-invasive therapies that pose the least risk. This is exactly how the American Urological Association arranges treatment options for interstitial cystitis and we, thus, have applied that fundamental principle to this treatment discussion as well.

Dietary Modification

Like interstitial cystitis, urethral syndrome patients find that consuming foods high in acid can be irritating to the bladder and urethra. Learn more about the diet recommendations here! 

SITZ Baths

Trying soaking in a warm bath with some baking soda in the bathwater as soon as you get home from the doctors office. The Great Mothers Sitz Bathes can also quite soothing.

Rinse With A Periwash Bottle

Rinse yourself off with cool, soothing water during and/or after you use the restroom using a simple periwash bottle. This is very calming and soothing to urethra and, for the vulva, acts to remove any irritating residue left from urine on the skin.

Mild Soaps & Intimate Wipes

If you’ve found yourself burning after using soap or, worse, using some intimate wipes, you are not alone. Many soaps are very harsh, even those you think of as mild. Glycerine soaps, for example, can be quite astringent. Similarly, liquid soaps often contain extra perfumes and chemicals that easily irritate those tender tissues. And, to the surprise of many, many of the common intimate wipe products contain chlorine and other chemicals that can irritate. We suggest that you avoid all of the above. The mildest and most gentle soaps are DOVE and BASIS Soap gets rave reviews. If you would prefer a wipe, we suggest the unscented and chlorine free Luvena Intimate Wipes or Natracare Intimate Wipes.

Chemical Sensitivity

When skin is very irritated and sensitive, a variety of chemicals can trigger yet more irritation. This is particularly true with laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets. Many patients have anecdotally reported sensitivity to a wide variety of brand name products in the ICN Forum. We suggest using DREFT laundry detergent, rinsing twice to remove all chemical residue. If your laundry has a scent, that is a chemical in the fabric. Thus, we suggest avoiding all fabric softeners and dryer products as well.

Reduce Muscle Tension

As we mentioned in the potential causes of urethral syndrome, tight pelvic floor muscles can be the root of discomfort and, for some, can lead to a very tight, contracted urethral stricture. If you haven’t had a pelvic floor assessment yet, do it. If they discover that your muscles are tight, you’ll need to learn how to relax them. Heating pads, gentle stretches and/or using a vaginal valium suppository can help.