Recurring cystitis

For how long can chlamydia be present?

I have recurring thrush

I'm always getting cystitis

Question
I have recurring cystitis. No matter what I do it keeps coming back. I have taken two lots of antibiotics to get rid of two separate bouts, and now it's back again.

I find it painful to pass urine because it burns a great deal, and now there is blood and what looks like flesh in it.

I really don't believe one person can get cystitis so much. Could anything else be wrong and what do you think I should do?

Answer
When the lining of the bladder is very inflamed, there is an increased likelihood it will bleed. Sometimes small clots can pass and give the appearance you describe. Occasionally, large amounts of sediment may be present in the urine.

Having had two courses of antibiotics without success, it is important that a mid-stream sample of your urine is collected in a clean container and sent with the appropriate form to the local hospital pathology laboratory.

This will enable your doctor to discover the bacteria responsible for your cystitis and which antibiotic they can best prescribe in order to resolve the problem.

If proven infection of the bladder should recur despite this strategy, referral to a consultant urologist would be indicated to rule out any underlying problem, eg a bladder stone, that may predispose you to the condition.

Yours sincerely

Dr John Pillinger, GP