Please help, ever since I turned 38 four months ago, I have been plagued fast and hard with hot flashes, night sweats, chronic insomnia, unfounded anxiety, 3 missed periods until GP put me on BCP'S. During this time, I have alson had 4 UTI's. Never had one previously in my life, was always a perfect picture of health. The current UTI I am dealing with is also giving me burning and itching in the genital area. Is there a connection between vaginal dryness and UTI's? This is getting ridiculous as I am doing everything I should to prevent a UTI. Do I need more estrogen than a BCP can give me, or what questions should I ask my doctor when I seem him on Monday. Any help would be appreciated. Never thought that I would be going through this hormonal and anxiety hell so young!

Hi Dakotalady,

When I first experianced vaginal dryness, itching and burning I felt like I had a UTI but the tests were negative. The skin in that area got so raw and red that it affected the urinary tract too. I felt like I had to go to the bathroom all the time and it did burn. I took Vagifem which is a tablet of estradiol that you insert up there every day for two weeks and twice a week there after. It sure helped me. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Dakota, there is a connection, although I'm not sure what it is. I've been told that hormones would correct all of my urogenital problems, of which UTIs are included.

Drink unsweetened organic cranberry juice, and you won't get any more UTIs.

Thank you for your feedback-I sure will ask, because I am indeed raw like never before. It is good to know that there is a site like this, as all this is very new and depressing to me.

dakota

apparently, as hormone levels fall, one of the effects is vaginal dryness and a thinning of the tissues, leading to greater sensitivity. HRT can help to restore this. If you don't want to go that route, topical estrogens applied locally will help alliviate the soreness and dryness, without being absorbed by the whole body the way estrodiol is.

This site has a good article on the subject - look in the upper right corner, as an article to read.

Hi Dakotalady, You know yes this is the pits. I have had issues about your age many moons ago I am now 53yrs old. At the time I didnt know it was peri but now looking back I guess it was.
So when it was an UTI of course docs gave me antibiotics for about 2yrs off and on. Then the antiboitics would give me yeast infecitons docs told me that would happen so back and forth I went.

I got tired of it and did my own reasearch back in 1997 and started taking the Cranberry juice capsules its called SUPERCRANACTIN BY SOLARY. It has other good stuff in it besides the cranberry. I stopped the colas and the coffee cold turkey. I stopped washing with Dial soap and only use Ivory pure soap.
Was careful not to wear snug pants, and changed undys to only cotton.
Now since I am older I have a whole regime of stuff that helps with the burning and itching.
I have 2 salves I use if you are interested I can pm them to you let me know.
I have now tried replens its great for me, some dont like it it works for me.
I also have tried the vit E suppositories.
The k-y jellys for moisture especially at those intimate times Good for a lube job you know(sorry but it helps)
Vagi-gard is good
Skin Gel utimate skin treatment with aloe vera by ALOELIFE is also good.
Seems as if sometimes it wants to get sore right before my period or right after so I stay on top of it all month, as soon as I feel a lil itching or soreness I use whatever I think might work at that time.
So see if any of this helps you. I know it is the pits. I have chosen for now not to use estrogen because of the high risk of ovarian cancer in my family.But if it ever gets out of hand I might have to reconsider it.
Hope you get better soon, Tinkybug

Thank you so much tinkybug-turns out the doctor did say I had a yeast infection and not a UTI this time around. (Also something that I've never had before.) Do you know if other cranberry juice capsules work as well? Not sure if I've seen the brand you mentioned. Thanks so much for the tips!! I've been needing a site like this as none of my friends who are all about my age are experiencing perimenopause like I am.

Duch-
Is topical estrogen something that needs to be prescribed by a doctor? I'm so new to all of this. Then there is all this talk about bio-identicals-Where would you get these if they are not something being pushed in the U.S.?

Yes you can try any cranberry capsules if you are interested in the ones I take send me a PM and I will tell you where you can order them at a decent price. I buy one get one free and this brand is usally $29.00 a bottle but the two last a long time. It also has buchu and cornsilk which is great for this problem. Keeps the flow going nicely.
Yes ususally the docs say that the antibiotics take care of the UTI but then you sometimes get the yeast so hence a vicious circle.
My 22yr old daughter is also prone to this but she takes her cranberry and has her yeast-free salve and that takes care of that.
So I do hope you find relief, See today I am on my period and it started to itch just a lil , the main thing it seems is maintenance.
What I mean is if you try a natural way you need to stay on top of it. So what I did is use a lil of my vitalvulvas salve up there and now its behaving again, Trial and error.
Tinkyhadacloseonetoday

The topically applied estrogen is a prescription cream. If you're lucky, one or two tubes will jump start your system. I wasn't so lucky, and deal with horses, so as you may imagine, that's an important issue for me.

If your problem is just dryness and not thinning of the tissues, you might try inserting gel cap of vitamin E oil. Some ladies have had good success with that, and its a darned sight cheaper.

I have also found natural yogurt soothing, in a pinch.

Some prefer sitz baths.

There are several types of estrogens produced by our bodies. The one in the topical cream is one of the safest forms of horome replacement therapy. It will help with the dryness/thin tissue issue, but its not too good on the other symptoms, ie, hot flashes etc. But even the most conservative doctor will probably prescribe this form of therapy, because the estrogen in the creme will not travel to the liver or cause heart problems, uterine problems etc.. If your doctor doesn't willingly prescribe the creme, I'd not mess about - get another doctor or ask to see a specialist.