Is my magical UTI relief method making the problem worse?

September 14, 2022 12:35 AM

After years of of struggling with constant low grade UTI pain and irritation, I stumbled on an activity that provides immediate, glorious relief from the pain. But, like all gifts from the universe, I'm wondering if there's a catch.

I've struggled with on and off low grade UTI pain and irritation for most of my adult life. I've read every Ask MeFi question, and the discovery of D-mannose and the antimicrobial Cystex have been game changers to help me treat and prevent the irritation and pain.

I've talked to doctors, and they see "low levels" of bacteria but not enough for antibiotics. I can't connect the almost weekly outbreaks with anything like sex, sugar or caffeine intake, or other lifestyle activities.

At its worst, it feels like a burning irritation and need to pee, so I spend most of the night on the toilet because the only relief is to at least feel like I'm peeing. This happens about once every two weeks. About every week it's manageable with just Tylenol, Cystex, and D-mannose.

The other night as I was writhing in agony in bed and realizing I was going to have to go back and sit on the toilet for the fourth time that night, my boyfriend suggested I try putting my Magic Wand between my legs, up against my urethra, to see if that could distract me from the pain.

Holy shit, the clouds parted and the angels sang and it was immediate relief. It mimicked the feeling of sitting on the toilet with my urethra "open" (for lack of a better word). It doesn't feel sexual and I don't orgasm (though I do generally use it for that).

Because my symptoms seem to flare and disappear somewhat randomly, I can't tell if I'm somehow making it worse my doing this. My brain is worried that the vibrations are somehow causing more irritation, or shaking the bacteria all around to get purchase in new places (brains are weird).

I'm in menopause and have talked to a doctor about my symptoms, but aside from vaguely recommending some creams, they didn't have much to offer. I discovered this "magic" solution (haha) after my last doc appointment so I figured I'd see if any of the MeFi UTI experts have thoughts.

To sum up: I would have paid a thousand dollars to discover this solution years ago. It's amazing how well it works, and immediately. But there's no such thing as a free lunch, right?

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

I wonder if your pain is coming from pelvic floor spasms and the wand is helping relieve that? If you can find a urogynecologist they can probably give you more specialized information on things like pelvic floor physical therapy. Pelvic floor PT consists of the therapist working on trigger points in the muscles that are tight so I can’t imagine that the vibrations are much different. Memail me if a specific recommendation to someone in Los Angeles would be helpful!
posted by corey flood at 2:06 AM on September 14, 2022 [4 favorites]

In theory it could move bacteria around but only in theory, and for me the pain relief would be worth the risk.

I also wonder if the pain is not always solely UTI related. Assuming you've tried antibiotics for this at SOME point, did they solve the problem at least temporarily?
posted by metasarah at 6:10 AM on September 14, 2022

Definitely sounds like it would be worth seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist to see if some of the issue is that your pelvic floor muscles are too tight, causing the constant feeling of needing to pee. I’ve not been to one in consultation, but went to a talk by one via work and seems like it might be worth a try, if this is helping - they might be able to use that information to give you some exercises/physiotherapy that would give more permanent relief.
posted by penguin pie at 6:17 AM on September 14, 2022 [1 favorite]

What you described sounds more like overactive bladder, which is essentially spasms of the sphincter muscle that controls urination, than a UTI. Especially that it responds to physical stimuli (and not to things that might control a UTI).

There are drugs to treat overactive bladder; it's a very common ailment. It often gets confused with UTI at first, as it does feel, well, exactly the same.

As far as your solution, I think the risk is that you'd habituate to the stimulus -- that it might become less effective over time. So use it sparingly. Otherwise, it's just another massage applied to a tight or spasming muscle.
posted by Dashy at 7:08 AM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]

This sounds possibly more like IC (Interstitial Cystitis) than UTI. I say this as someone who was misdiagnosed for YEARS. When I had flare ups, this sort of thing definitely helped with regulating and calming the spasms!
posted by iamkimiam at 7:56 AM on September 14, 2022 [5 favorites]

I used a magic wand last time I got a UTI. It was in the first 24h of symptoms, when I'd been drinking lots of water to try to flush out the infection before it got bad enough to need antibiotics. I got relief as you describe (and also orgasmed at the same time, bonus!). The infection never got any worse after that, so anecdotally I didn't see any downside to it.
posted by introcosm at 8:24 AM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]

If you’re worried about bacteria, you could have a quick area-shower first and then put a clean baggie over the wand each time.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:43 AM on September 14, 2022

I have also experienced the relief that you described, while also keeping a barrier between myself and the wand/cleaning the head well with alcohol wipes. I think your symptoms warrant further investigation but just as a fellow sometime-UTI haver I don't think it did any harm.
posted by koucha at 9:11 AM on September 14, 2022 [1 favorite]

A suspiciously forthcoming friend of mine told me that using a vibrator as you've described actually relieved her severe pain from tooth surgery complications when she couldn't get any more Percocet. As you say, it didn't give any pleasure or work much longer than as applied. For this reason, I think the mechanism of pain relief does not necessarily have to do with what it physically does to the area, FWIW. It seemed to take place in the brain or nervous system.
posted by Countess Elena at 10:32 AM on September 14, 2022

I looked this up out of curiosity, and there are quite a lot of scientific journal articles about "vibratory analgesia"/"vibration analgesia", including researchers trying to figure out why vibration works on certain kinds of pain. Might be fun to look that up and see if it aligns with your observations.
posted by dreamyshade at 10:47 AM on September 14, 2022

My doula suggested using sexual pleasure / orgasm as a means to pain relief. She encourages couples to do sexual things during labour to help shift the endorphin balance towards pain relief.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 11:05 AM on September 14, 2022 [1 favorite]

Not a direct answer to your question, but you don’t mention vaginal estrogen so I would strongly suggest that. Vaginal estrogen is safe and dramatically reduces UTIs and UTI-like symptoms.
posted by Violet Hour at 5:26 AM on September 15, 2022 [2 favorites]

If you use a hand held shower head to wash your pubic area, make sure you don't aim it so the spray can go up your urethra. That sends the bacteria you are washing away. back up toward your bladder. This is a route for infection.
posted by Oyéah at 3:58 PM on September 15, 2022