I am having a problem that I am not sure if it is normal or not. I am leaking. I don't have a UTI. I feel like I smell, I feel gross. Is this normal. Should I talk to my doctor? I am only 29, I know that some of the women I took care of in the nursing home had this problem, but is it normal for someone my age?

By Texannie on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:23 pm:

Urinary or Vaginal? You could have prolapse? Do you feel pressure? Even if you don't think you have a UTI, I would check with the doc. If it's vaginal and has an odor, that's definitely an infection.

By Happynerdmom on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:25 pm:

It's never "normal," but not necessarily uncommon. Are you going to the bathroom a lot? Having strong urges to go? If so, you may have an overactive bladder. I do, and am on medication. When I'm not taking my medicine, I get strong urges to go, and can't hold it and leak. If you're not having strong urges, it may have to do with the pelvic muscles. Have you recently had a baby? Definitely talk to your doctor... whatever the cause, this is not something you should have to live with.

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:25 pm:

Ditto Annie. Exactly what is leaking? Do you mean urine?? My OB/GYN said this is not an uncommon problem for women after childbirth. There are treatments. Talk with your doctor.

By Happynerdmom on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:28 pm:

LOL Annie...I guess it could be vaginal! I guess I assumed it was urinary, because my whole life revolves around my having to pee!!

By Emily7 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:35 pm:

Its urinary. I have never had a vaginal birth if that matters. I don't feel pressure, but I do have a small bladder. I am holding my urine probably longer than I should at times. I think I will get some cranberry juice, maybe I am starting to get a UTI.

By Monicamomof3 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 01:06 pm:

If it is indeed a urinary tract infection, you can mince a fresh garlic put it in some applesauce or in capsules and swallow twice daily. (one clove each time). You can also go to a health food store and buy the garlic liquid with empty capsules. Garlic is a very very effective herb and kills bacteria. Also you can look up Trilight Herbs (it's a website) and they have some herbs that will get rid of that problem really fast. I had a BAD uti and was peeing pus and blood not to long ago and I knocked it out without going to the doctor!There are some other things you can do if it is an infection. Let me know!

By Emily7 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 01:33 pm:

I can't afford to go to the doctor, so if you could let me know the other things I would appreciate it.

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 01:42 pm:

Emily, if it truly is a UTI you must seek medical assistance. Antibiotics is the only treatment that will clear the infection. If UTIs are left untreated they can progress to serious health issues. {{{HUGS}}}

By Texannie on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 01:52 pm:

Ditto Trina!! If one of your children needed an antibiotic, could you afford to go to the doc? Taking care of yourself is just as important.

By Monicamomof3 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 02:06 pm:

Trina is right! That is why I suggested garlic, because it is an antiobiotic. It is just natural. There are several other natural antiobiotics such as goldenseal. Go to a healthfood store and buy: echinacea, goldenseal, a bulb of garlic, Uva Ursi, and liquid Vit. C. Take 2 capsules of echinacea every 2 hours, a minced garlic clove in morn and night, follow directions on Uva Ursi, goldenseal and vitamin c bottle. Drink 1oz. of water for every pound you weigh, drink sugar free cranberry juice, and eat lots of blueberries! This is a moderate/agressive approach to getting rid of the bacteria. Just the garlic and ech. will get rid of it, but the others will help a lot as well. **You may spend about $50.00 on all of this at the health food store, but remember: you will have some of this left over even after the infection is done. So, you can use it if you are ever sick again. Much more cost effective than a doctors visit and a bottle of antibiotics that is not available next time you are sick! Not to mention it enables your body's natural defense to work, inturn, strenthening your imune system. Nor, does it have all the chemicals that are by no means good for your body. I would love to help more if you have any questions. OH- IF YOU ARE NURSING: don't take the goldenseal! Also, continue this regiment for about 4-5 days after symptoms are gone!

By Lauram on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 02:14 pm:

I have this problem- from childbirth. You don't have to get it from childbirth though. Kegel's really help. ALso, watch your diet- no caffeine, chocolate, cheese. Drink lots of water. You can also have a "training" done at the dr- but that gets expensive.

By Children03 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 05:14 pm:

GO to the doctor and if it is a UTI tell him you can't afford the antibiotic right now and see if he has a sample to get you through it. Some doctors do carry samples that they can give their patients. Also, one thing to help the burning sensation or pain is to buy uristat - you can get it at Eckerd or Walgreens. The Uristat only sends a dye through your urinary tract to help the pain. I have had UTI all of my life and they can only be cleared up with medicine. I hope you figure out what it is.

By Emily7 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 06:02 pm:

There is no burning, itching, pressure, or pain. I am just leaking a little bit.
I know if it is a UTI I need to go to the doctor, but I don't know what to do. It really is a matter of going with out if I go to the doctor. I guess what I will do is try to treat it at home & if it gets worse make an appointment.
Tahnk you all for your thoughts & suggestions.

By Children03 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 06:25 pm:

Maybe you are just having this problem because of your past pregnancy? Pregnancy can put a strain on your bladder. I know if I sneeze I leak all over myself or if I hold it too long. It doesn't really sound like an infection to me if you are not hurting. If you truly had an infection you should be very uncomfortable. Also, I have heard of some women having to have their bladder tacted or something like that after pregnancy.

By Monicamomof3 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 06:52 pm:

Emily, be encouraged! Herbal remedies for home treatment are safe and effective and economical! I don't think you have a uti either. However, if you ever need help or have questions with anything, let me know. Just email me! I have been using herbs since my first daughter was born!

By Tink on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 08:27 pm:

I was doing this and it seemed out of the blue. I hadn't had a pregnancy in 2 1/2 years and have a very strong bladder. No leaking even during pregnancy. I went to the Dr and was so concerned and it turned out that I had upped my caffeine a ton and it was effecting the way my bladder was contracting. I cut my caffeine back to where it had been before and the leaking stopped. Good luck.

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 08:32 pm:

I am not a doctor - and to my knowledge neither is anyone else who has posted above. (BTW, Monica, where do you get the information that garlic is an antibiotic. Echinchea is for upper respirtory, flu, etc. types of infections; taking it for more than 8 weeks can suppress the immune system. Goldenseal is recommended for mucusal inflammations, such as upper respiratory infections, and sometimes with painful menstruation. Garlic is recommended to lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, neither of which is Emily's problem.) This site, from the women's heart foundation, lists a number of "herbal" medications and possible risks:

http://www.womensheartfoundation.org/content/HeartWellness/dietary_supplements.asp

Emily, I have had a number of UTIs over the past 3 years. Usually when you have a UTI you have a fullness feeling, burning sensation, and have to urinate very frequently. I am NOT a doctor and would not dream of prescribing for you, but based on my personal experience it does not sound to me like you have a UTI presently. If, however, you get burning, frequent need to urinate but producing only small amounts, feelings of fullness but again little results, then you really do need to see a doctor or go to a clinic. Other questions are, is your urine cloudy or clear (clear is good, cloudy is a sign of possible infection) and is there a strong odor (also possible sign of infection).

I had problems with "leaking" for many, many years - results of 3 children, I suppose. When I had a hysterectomy the surgeon also did "plastic" work to reduce the size of my much enlarged bladder and do some work on the valves, which solved that problem for many years. In recent years I could not sneeze, laugh, cough or run without leaking - and it was terribly frustrating. I happen to have a condition which is solved by taking Detrol, which has worked wonders for me and I swear by it - no more leaking, which is GREAT!. But Detrol is only for specific conditions, and is not cheap.

I would suggest trying the kegel exercises. Certainly cranberry juice can't hurt, and I often find it helpful to drink lots of water. Yes, I know that means going more often but for me it usually produces a full bladder which empties completely and no dribbling for quite a while.

I urge you to be very cautious about using herbal remedies. One problem with herbal remedies is that they are not regulated, so the strength of a mixture can differ from batch to batch and sometimes even from bottle to bottle. There are many contraindications to using them. And because not a whole lot of research in mainstream medicine is done on herbal medicines, we don't know as much as I personally would like about how they interact with other medications, including simple over-the-counter meds, and with various foods. It is something I would want to research very carefully and be very cautious about. Here is an article from the Mayo Clinic about herbal medicines and things to think about. http://www.prostate-help.org/cadrginn.htm

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 08:49 pm:

I just found this site:
http://www.holistic-online.com/Herbal-Med/hol_herb_med_reac.htm

It is a holistic medicine site and has a lot of information. If you scroll down to the bottom and click "Search for a herb" it will give you alphabetical listings of almost every herb or herbal medication, a description of the herb, its uses, risks and contraindications.

By Pamt on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 09:49 pm:

Ditto Ginny! I did a little online research re: garlic as an antibiotic and the only places I found to support this notion were, *surprise*, herbal/holistic medicine sites. I could find NO scientific support for the antibiotic claims for garlic. Incidentally, the herbal sites also stated that garlic is also anti-viral and anti-fungal. Seems like the medical community would have really jumped onto that if it were the case.

I really think you are having some slight incontinence related to pregnancy/ childbirth from the sound of it. When I cough, sneeze, laugh, or jump it sometimes happens to me as well, esp. if my bladder is already full. Kegels are the treatment of choice. You can order a "Kegelciser" to help you do the exercises correctly and/or they also make small suppository-looking vaginal weights (yes, really ) to practice holding inside of you for certain periods of time to increase pelvic floor strength. I have never used any of these, but the physical therapists I work with do a lot of incontinence training and use these types of things as well as biofeedback and ultrasound to increase p-c muscle strength and decrease bladder leakage. The PTs also frequently recommend "sexercise" (again...yes, really) which is practicing Kegels and tightening the p-c muscle during sex. Builds the pelvic floor and gives your DH a thrill all at the same time *eg*

By Marcia on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 10:32 pm:

Garlic really is natures antibiotic. We use it all the time at the first sign of any illness, and very rarely need to see the doctor. It is wonderful for many, many things, not just cholesterol and blood pressure.
I don't have anything else to offer as far as the bladder leakage. Lots of super info has been passed on!

By Emily7 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 11:42 pm:

I thank you all for your information. I will try a few of the suggestions & let you know what helped. I have increased my caffine a little, just because I have been craving coke.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 05:47 am:

Coke and Diet Coke both come caffeine free, and caffeine could definitely be part of the problem. I've been drinking caffeine free Diet Coke and no or low caffeine products for years, ever since my doctor told me that caffeine is a no-no for women who have "lumpy" breasts (as I do - and have had surgery for benign breast lumps but no problems since I switched to caffeine-free drinks). Chocolate - now, that's another problem and I do eat chocolate.

By Monicamomof3 on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 03:33 pm:

Wow! Sure didn't mean to offend anyone. Ginny, there is an abundance of information out there on garlic. There is even books written just on garlic itself and the antibiotic, anti-fungal, etc.. benefits of this herb. To say that you have found no info. on this only means you haven't looked long enough or in the right places. In the "world" of herbal studies it is common knowledge that garlic is a very powerful antibiotic. Your information on the other herbs are correct, although limited. I encourage your continued growth in this area and you would probably love it and be quite knowledgeable. You would also probably realize that herbs such as Echinacea cover much broader "spectrum" of health problems than the ones you previously mentioned. I am very sorry if I came across as trying to play doctor. I would absolutely never purposely lead someone astray; especially concerning their health. And Yes- uses of herbal medications should be approached cautiously, just as over the counter and prescribed medications. However, the more you study herbs the more you understand and the less fear you have in using them. (I guess that is with anything in life!) Again, sorry if I stepped on some toes and I encourage you to continue your study on theses "core" / basic herbs. You seem like you've got a wonderful start!

By Emily7 on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 09:46 pm:

Monica
I don't think that you offended any one & your advice was very helpful, as was everyone elses.
I ended up backing off the caffine, drinking more water, taking an off brand of Azo, & garlic pills. I have no more leaking, so it must have been the start of a UTI.

By Amy~moderator on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 10:01 pm:

Great to hear, Emily!

By Monicamomof3 on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 07:01 am:

That is really good to hear, Emily. I am so glad I was of help. There is nothing that makes me happier as knowing I have helped someone with the hand-full of info that I have studied!

By Feona on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 08:07 am:

Really everyone needs to get a pap smear every year!!!!!!
You really need to see a gyn doctor.
get a pap smear. Could be
precancerous cells. Infection. Genital warts causing precancerous cells. Might need a biopsy. IF you don't get it removed it eventually turns into cancer. I believe it is called cervical cancer.

Sorry but i know people who had this problem and that is what it was.

Genital warts is so so common now a days. You don't see the warts by the way. You probably won't be able to see the warts if they are on the inside, but the gyn doctor.

The genital warts can causes cancer if they aren't removed. If the smell doesn't go away in a week, I would go to the doctor.

Says 75% of people have undiagnosed genital warts...

http://www.hpvfaq.com/answers.asp?questionid=10024&answers=11


Is there itching too? You don't have to answer....

By Emily7 on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 09:58 am:

No there isn't. If I had an STD my dh would be in big trouble!LOL He is the only man I have ever been with!
My dd is only 5 months old so I just had a pap.

By Rayanne on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 12:55 pm:

I also have this problem, but as I was reading, I realized that I have been drinking coffee every morning since Rylee was born. I never used to drink it, but now, if I don't I get a headache. If this does happen though, it's not that much.

By Tink on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 01:17 pm:

I had never heard about this side effect of caffeine but it really made a difference for me. Pass it along, if possible, because there are so many women that I have found that have this problem and this seems to help fairly often. Most moms do use caffeine to just cope! I still need my diet Pepsi, but I try to just do 1 or 2 cans per day rather than the 5 or 6 that I was drinking.