Bladder pain sucks arse
July 18, 2010 3:54 PM Subscribe
Odd soreness in the pelvic area. Yes, I will talk to a doctor, but I'd like some thoughts from the hivemind...
(Posting this anon b/c it's a bit embarrassing and I don't need my mom freaking out over it.)
A bit of background info that may or may not be helpful: I'm a 24 year old male, straight, ~240lbs, 6'7" tall, in general good health but I sit in front of a computer 18+ hours/day, so I'm relatively sedentary due to that and other issues. (Please no advice about getting more exercise, I have enough encouragement from my wife). In general I eat reasonably healthy meals, and I have no real health problems, allergies or complaints of which to speak of.
Let me give you a timeline: My wife is 7 months pregnant, so we haven't had the sexytime as much lately as we normally do. On Saturday morning, at around 4:30AM, I woke up from a wet dream (please no suggestions on masturbation as a remedy for this kthxu), cleaned myself off and went back to bed. I then went out at approximately 10:00 and got a McDonald's for breakfast as a once-a-month treat (bacon/egg/cheese biscuit + hash browns). I ate this meal at around 10:15. At around 10:30-11:00 I started experiencing moderate intestinal (or what I thought was intestinal) pain, which I chalked up to the food. Fast forward to around 3:00-4:00 and the pain is still there (very odd, since when my stomach gets upset for any reason, it always feels better within a few hours). I go to bed at around 11:00, in pain and discomfort and get up this morning, greeted by localized pain and soreness in the right portion of my pelvic area. This pain has persisted all day, and is only relieved when I urinate or have a BM.
After looking up my symptoms on WebMD and a few other places, it seems like I have a bladder infection of some type, except that my only symptoms are the pain, relief of the pain after I urinate and a getting-more-frequent need to urinate. My urine is neither strong smelling, cloudy or bloody, and I don't have a backache and I don't think I have a fever (don't have a thermometer handy to check).
My self-treatment at the moment is to stop drinking any sugary drinks (sodas, juice, etc) and stick to guzzling as much water as I can handle, as some research data I found points to that being a good way to flush out bacteria. But then again, I'm not sure that this is a bladder infection.
My reasons for thinking it is a bladder infection of some type are the wet dream which could, I suppose, have introduced bacteria into my bladder/other areas, along with the pain/soreness in that area that's persisted longer than any other stomach ache I've ever had has gone on for.
My reasons for thinking it isn't is that the start of the pain *seems* to have coincided with when I ate the greasy fast food, which sometimes upsets my stomach when I eat it, but I don't eat it enough to have good data points for comparison.
Anyway, what does the hivemind think? I'll contact my Dr, as I said, but the symptoms don't really match up with a bladder infection, so I'm wondering what this really is. Thanks to all in advance!
(Posting this anon b/c it's a bit embarrassing and I don't need my mom freaking out over it.)
A bit of background info that may or may not be helpful: I'm a 24 year old male, straight, ~240lbs, 6'7" tall, in general good health but I sit in front of a computer 18+ hours/day, so I'm relatively sedentary due to that and other issues. (Please no advice about getting more exercise, I have enough encouragement from my wife). In general I eat reasonably healthy meals, and I have no real health problems, allergies or complaints of which to speak of.
Let me give you a timeline: My wife is 7 months pregnant, so we haven't had the sexytime as much lately as we normally do. On Saturday morning, at around 4:30AM, I woke up from a wet dream (please no suggestions on masturbation as a remedy for this kthxu), cleaned myself off and went back to bed. I then went out at approximately 10:00 and got a McDonald's for breakfast as a once-a-month treat (bacon/egg/cheese biscuit + hash browns). I ate this meal at around 10:15. At around 10:30-11:00 I started experiencing moderate intestinal (or what I thought was intestinal) pain, which I chalked up to the food. Fast forward to around 3:00-4:00 and the pain is still there (very odd, since when my stomach gets upset for any reason, it always feels better within a few hours). I go to bed at around 11:00, in pain and discomfort and get up this morning, greeted by localized pain and soreness in the right portion of my pelvic area. This pain has persisted all day, and is only relieved when I urinate or have a BM.
After looking up my symptoms on WebMD and a few other places, it seems like I have a bladder infection of some type, except that my only symptoms are the pain, relief of the pain after I urinate and a getting-more-frequent need to urinate. My urine is neither strong smelling, cloudy or bloody, and I don't have a backache and I don't think I have a fever (don't have a thermometer handy to check).
My self-treatment at the moment is to stop drinking any sugary drinks (sodas, juice, etc) and stick to guzzling as much water as I can handle, as some research data I found points to that being a good way to flush out bacteria. But then again, I'm not sure that this is a bladder infection.
My reasons for thinking it is a bladder infection of some type are the wet dream which could, I suppose, have introduced bacteria into my bladder/other areas, along with the pain/soreness in that area that's persisted longer than any other stomach ache I've ever had has gone on for.
My reasons for thinking it isn't is that the start of the pain *seems* to have coincided with when I ate the greasy fast food, which sometimes upsets my stomach when I eat it, but I don't eat it enough to have good data points for comparison.
Anyway, what does the hivemind think? I'll contact my Dr, as I said, but the symptoms don't really match up with a bladder infection, so I'm wondering what this really is. Thanks to all in advance!
Pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen might be appendicitis. You should probably go see a doctor.
posted by coppermoss at 4:06 PM on July 18, 2010
posted by coppermoss at 4:06 PM on July 18, 2010
I'm gonna guess bladder infection, because of your increasing need to pee. If so, the clinic'll know in moments and get you on antibiotics and you'll be just fine!
Note that in my experience, bladder infection symptoms can be all over the place in terms of severity and location of pain and soreness.
You could describe your symptoms more thoroughly, though: how big is the sore spot? Where, exactly: inside the hipbone or above? Is there discoloration? Is there a bump? Could it be a pulled muscle or small hernia?
posted by goblinbox at 4:09 PM on July 18, 2010
Note that in my experience, bladder infection symptoms can be all over the place in terms of severity and location of pain and soreness.
You could describe your symptoms more thoroughly, though: how big is the sore spot? Where, exactly: inside the hipbone or above? Is there discoloration? Is there a bump? Could it be a pulled muscle or small hernia?
posted by goblinbox at 4:09 PM on July 18, 2010
guzzling as much water as I can handle
Warning: That could kill you. Don't go overboard.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:11 PM on July 18, 2010
Warning: That could kill you. Don't go overboard.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:11 PM on July 18, 2010
For bladder infections the "flushing" should be done with either cranberry juice or dried horseradish (root) tea (it's gross). Doc will give you antiobiotics that make your moth taste like metal. I've had quite a few of these and they can begin with just the odd pelvic pain, then burning pee/need to bee - and once it drags on, hello fever, cloudy pee and kidney pain. Best go pee in a cup at the lab and nip this in the bud.
posted by dabitch at 4:19 PM on July 18, 2010
posted by dabitch at 4:19 PM on July 18, 2010
Yeah, bladder infection symptoms don't always match up precisely with diagnostic criteria, particularly if you've been drinking loads of water. Honestly, if this is a bladder infection and you wait long enough, you'll probably get the bloody urine and back pain because the infection will have spread to your kidneys.
And I will tell you, friend, that bitter experience has taught me that you don't mess with the kidneys. I know you're going to contact your doctor, but sooner would be better than later.
posted by corey flood at 4:25 PM on July 18, 2010
And I will tell you, friend, that bitter experience has taught me that you don't mess with the kidneys. I know you're going to contact your doctor, but sooner would be better than later.
posted by corey flood at 4:25 PM on July 18, 2010
You're saying it sucks arse-- are you, in fact, in the UK (and not just fond of the word "arse," which I am too)? You could always call the NHS Direct line (0845 4647) and tell them what the symptoms are and have them direct you to appropriate care.
In the US, that'd be a job for your insurance's nurse advice line or other regional dial-a-nurse setup.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 4:32 PM on July 18, 2010
In the US, that'd be a job for your insurance's nurse advice line or other regional dial-a-nurse setup.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 4:32 PM on July 18, 2010
Pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen might be appendicitis. You should probably go see a doctor.
What coppermoss said. Go to a doctor as soon as you can. If it's appendicitis, and it's left untreated, it could kill you.
BTW, the pain of appendicitis can be "referred", i.e., the pain may not seem to be emanating from exactly where your appendix is (or where you think it is).
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 4:53 PM on July 18, 2010
What coppermoss said. Go to a doctor as soon as you can. If it's appendicitis, and it's left untreated, it could kill you.
BTW, the pain of appendicitis can be "referred", i.e., the pain may not seem to be emanating from exactly where your appendix is (or where you think it is).
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 4:53 PM on July 18, 2010
You're saying it sucks arse-- are you, in fact, in the UK ...?
Heh, he said 'mom', he's in North America :)
But yeah, some sort of medical visit ASAP. You REALLY DO NOT WANT to find that (if it is a UTI of some sort) you've left it too long and the first-line antibiotics don't work and you end up having to take cipro or something. Cipro is very much Not Nice (and yet, still distinctly better than the kidney infection it's there to fix).
posted by Lebannen at 4:59 PM on July 18, 2010
Heh, he said 'mom', he's in North America :)
But yeah, some sort of medical visit ASAP. You REALLY DO NOT WANT to find that (if it is a UTI of some sort) you've left it too long and the first-line antibiotics don't work and you end up having to take cipro or something. Cipro is very much Not Nice (and yet, still distinctly better than the kidney infection it's there to fix).
posted by Lebannen at 4:59 PM on July 18, 2010
This sounds a bit like how my appendicitis started. I had a few episodes, weeks apart, of really bad intestinal-like pain lasting for hours, followed by soreness in the lower right quadrant of my abdomen. The first time, the doctor chalked it up to constipation, but after a couple of bouts of it, I decided to go the emergency room when the pain hit next, and surprise, appendicitis.
Moral: see your doctor now. If it happens again, go to the ER and don't wait for the pain to go away.
posted by greatgefilte at 5:00 PM on July 18, 2010
Moral: see your doctor now. If it happens again, go to the ER and don't wait for the pain to go away.
posted by greatgefilte at 5:00 PM on July 18, 2010
Sounds like a UTI. I'm a lady and I get them all the time and sometimes my only symptom is the kind of pain/pressure you're talking about. That pain is only going to get worse, not better.
Go the doctor, get antibiotics. It's Sunday night - I would call your doctor first thing in the morning and get in for a sick visit when they have the chance tomorrow. If you can't get in with your primary care doc, find a clinic. If you can't find a clinic, go the ER, but whatever you do - get this checked out tomorrow. Don't put it off. You don't need to rush to the ER right now - your kidneys can last another 12 hours without exploding - but absolutely get this checked out as soon as you can. If the pain gets worse during the night, don't think, just go to the ER.
(Also: cranberry pills help prevent this, but at this point, you need abx.)
Fun way to test and see if it's appendicitis: Push on it. (Gently.) Does it hurt more when you push on it or when you take your hand away? If it feels better with pressure on it, get thee to an ER right away.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:31 PM on July 18, 2010
Go the doctor, get antibiotics. It's Sunday night - I would call your doctor first thing in the morning and get in for a sick visit when they have the chance tomorrow. If you can't get in with your primary care doc, find a clinic. If you can't find a clinic, go the ER, but whatever you do - get this checked out tomorrow. Don't put it off. You don't need to rush to the ER right now - your kidneys can last another 12 hours without exploding - but absolutely get this checked out as soon as you can. If the pain gets worse during the night, don't think, just go to the ER.
(Also: cranberry pills help prevent this, but at this point, you need abx.)
Fun way to test and see if it's appendicitis: Push on it. (Gently.) Does it hurt more when you push on it or when you take your hand away? If it feels better with pressure on it, get thee to an ER right away.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:31 PM on July 18, 2010
UTI in a healthy male? Unlikely. (Unless there's other social stuff he's not telling us.) Nocturnal emission precipitating a UTI? Rare. 2 days of vague abdominal pain now localizing to the right lower quadrant? Moderately likely and much more serious. Get evaluated by a physician.
Grapefruitmoon: the test you're stating is rebound tenderness. It may occur in late appendicitis/appendix perforation when there is irritation of the peritoneum. It is not diagnostic of either of those conditions.
posted by ruwan at 5:52 PM on July 18, 2010
Grapefruitmoon: the test you're stating is rebound tenderness. It may occur in late appendicitis/appendix perforation when there is irritation of the peritoneum. It is not diagnostic of either of those conditions.
posted by ruwan at 5:52 PM on July 18, 2010
Maybe you have to pee more because you are drinking more water?
I think it's unlikely that you have a UTI but not impossible.
Appendicitus is a possibility - take this very seriously.
Another possibility is some sort of irritation or virus in your intestinal tract. This would probably affect your poop.
posted by mai at 6:01 PM on July 18, 2010
I think it's unlikely that you have a UTI but not impossible.
Appendicitus is a possibility - take this very seriously.
Another possibility is some sort of irritation or virus in your intestinal tract. This would probably affect your poop.
posted by mai at 6:01 PM on July 18, 2010
UTI in a healthy male? Unlikely.
I think it's unlikely that you have a UTI but not impossible.
However unlikely it may be, it's possible. Take it from an otherwise healthy guy, not at risk from any 'other social stuff', who last year ended up spending two weeks in the hospital - 3 days of it in ICU - after waiting too long to go into the doc for what was originally a UTI. (I didn't think I had a fever either.)
Having said that, my UTI was indicated by painful urination, but my pee didn't look or smell any different than usual, to me. Yet a half hour after I handed my normal-looking pee cup to the nurse, I was being admitted and hooked up to an IV antibiotic. They're nothing to mess around with, IF that's what it is.
I will say the symptoms do also seem similar to a friend who had appendicitis. I always thought that was more of a very quick onset severe abdominal pain thing, but he said it wasn't severe but lasted for several days. We didn't get into these details, but it would make sense to me that the pain goes away when you poop or pee... removing potential sources of pressure on that area.
Could this also be indicative of an enlarged / inflamed prostate? Just throwing out some ideas, which I think is what you're after. You know what you have to do to know for sure; just don't put it off.
posted by SquidLips at 10:10 PM on July 18, 2010
I think it's unlikely that you have a UTI but not impossible.
However unlikely it may be, it's possible. Take it from an otherwise healthy guy, not at risk from any 'other social stuff', who last year ended up spending two weeks in the hospital - 3 days of it in ICU - after waiting too long to go into the doc for what was originally a UTI. (I didn't think I had a fever either.)
Having said that, my UTI was indicated by painful urination, but my pee didn't look or smell any different than usual, to me. Yet a half hour after I handed my normal-looking pee cup to the nurse, I was being admitted and hooked up to an IV antibiotic. They're nothing to mess around with, IF that's what it is.
I will say the symptoms do also seem similar to a friend who had appendicitis. I always thought that was more of a very quick onset severe abdominal pain thing, but he said it wasn't severe but lasted for several days. We didn't get into these details, but it would make sense to me that the pain goes away when you poop or pee... removing potential sources of pressure on that area.
Could this also be indicative of an enlarged / inflamed prostate? Just throwing out some ideas, which I think is what you're after. You know what you have to do to know for sure; just don't put it off.
posted by SquidLips at 10:10 PM on July 18, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
And FYI, nothing will "flush" out the bacteria at this point. They stick to your bladder wall.
Drinking lots of water will give you temporary pain relief, nothing more. You can supplement your antibiotic treatment with D-Mannose and cranberry pills, but just taking those won't cure a bladder infection unless you catch it earlier than you did and you're extraordinarily lucky.
Could be something else, of course, in which case I have no idea.
posted by tejolote at 4:02 PM on July 18, 2010