Nearly constant urinary tract infections?

(I have since joined empowHer so am no longer 'anonymous', I am the person who had the 8 week bout of antibiotics.)

Everything had been going great for about a month, sex wasn't causing any worries or infections, I was comfortable all the time.

My appointment with the Urologist was on the 17th of May (yesterday) and I showed up with a big smile on my face saying there had been no further problems and that I thought the Antibiotic treatment had done the trick, I paid my HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLAR fee for a 2 minute consultation and left thinking this was the end of that chapter.
Only to have 24 hours later, extreme pain again just like the 'good old days' of my UTI problems. I don't know what's more frustrating, that I waited a month for a specialists appointment with no problems and practically threw that money away, or that my UTI's have begun again a day too late to have said anything about it.

I now consider myself 'back in the game'.
I say cheers to all of us and our strengthand each other's support as I tip my one litre jug of water mixed with cranberry extract and urinary alkiniser down my throat.

Reading all of these posts makes me feel relief that I am not alone, but fear because it seems like many of us aren't getting answers. I've been suffering from utis for about the last 5 yrs. I swear they get more frequent every yr. I too have taken macrobid and other antiobiotics but find the infection returns shortly after. I do all of the above, pee after sex, cranberry pills, acidopholis, and plenty of water. I have been to 5 ob/gyn and I get the same advice, "do all the stuff I'm already doing and take an antibiotic." I can't live on antibiotics. I do not want to have children and this is mainly because of all of my utis. I've been on the same birth control ortho tri cyclen low since I was 16. I'm 25 now. I just wish there was a solution to this. Like many of you have said its miserable. It affects my love life, work, and school. Hard to do anything when you have to pee every 10 minutes and it hurts. If anyone finds a solution please share!

It really is unimaginably hard living in this constant pain,
I found myself a good female doctor, she spent about an hour with me discussing everything about all the problems I had faced.
The one antibiotic that I found really helped was Norfloxacin, so my new doctor suggested I have a 8 week bout of antibiotic treatment, just to really home in on any bacteria that may be causing it. I had 4 weeks of the full dosage (twice a day) and another 4 weeks of one tablet a day. I must say, I'm doing alot better!! I still get the occasional niggle of pain looming in, but I find if I have a full drink bottle of water within the next hour or so, it helps flush that pain away!
I am also EXTRA hygenic, having bought a pH balanced, soap free wash that I religously use immediately after sex and take a 50,000mg Cranberry tablet on the days I feel most vulnerable.
My doctor has stated that there is a small percentage of women who constantly have UTI's throughout their lives, and no amount of tests show any real problems. I have an appointment with a urologist in a few weeks, slightly dreading it, but still keen to try and figure this out!!!!

I have the same thing! I have had multiple urinary tract infections and pain and frequent urination for the past 6 months. My urologist says it's overactive bladder and just puts me on vesicare and it doesn't work! I don't know what's going on. I have some female issues like cervical dysplaysia but my gyno insists that the two problems are not related. I beg to differ! Hep!!!

I know that it's just not because of sex. I have had UTI's on a monthly basis since I was 16. I have one right now, and I have been to the doctor and to the ER because of the extreme pain. I have been on every antibiotic that they can think of. I get one at least twice a month, around the time of my menstrual cycle. I have been to three different urologists, and they are dumbfounded to why I am having to go through all of this.

I am now 34, and I'm getting so tired of the pain that comes every month. I just want it to go away....it's effecting my life, my job. It gets to the point, I can't even walk, sit down, or stand up. I have had to take norco to make the pain ease just to get by

I just want it to go away, and it's not going to. It's depressing....I have been told that taking both cranberry pills along with Vitamin C helps, and also this yogurt drink called Kefir does too. Anyone have different ideas? Drinking tons of water just puts pressure on things, and makes it hurt even more. Drinking just plain cranberry juice (not the cocktail stuff, the actual, honest to goodness juice), doesn't help either.

Help?

I'm so glad that people are being so supportive.
I didn't think anyone would even read my comment but now seeing all the responses I feel alot better about our shared problem.

I actually realised it was my daily contraceptive pill that was causing my Uti's, since they started to get worse and more frequent as soon as I started my new pill (Noromin). I stopped taking it and I'm feeling alot better, while I was on my pill I had a Uti for nearly every single day.
I am still interested in this tablet for after sex though, as I still feel a little 'not right' for a while.

My name is Jennifer. I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one this is happening to, yet sad that others have to experience it. I'm 34 and have been dealing with this for the last 10 years. I'm so sick of living like this. Id seen a urologist many years ago and was given 30 orders of bactrum. ... everytime I felt a UTI coming on, id start the meds. Seems like as soon as I'm off the meds, I have another UTI. The older I have gotten, the worse they seem to get. I'm in great shape. I have completly stopped drinking soda(drink mostly nothing but water), I have stopped wearing thong panties, I wipe front to back. Eat yogurt. Mine does seem to be brought on by sex. I'm making appointment to see if I can be referred to a urologist yet again. In the past the urologist gave me a choice of taking a pill daily, taking a pill after sex, or just picking up bactrum everytime I felt like one was coming on. Has anyone had better luck with the daily pill or the pill following sex? This sucks and can make your life so miserable. :(

I am 21 and have recently started having sex frequently with my new boyfriend.
I rarely slept with my ex but still got UTI's, they didn't happen as much but they were more severe.
Now I have one on average once a week, it's really depressing because it affects my life- what I wear, what I do, how often I get intimate with my boyfriend.. I drink water so often I feel sick in the stomach, I take cranberry tablets every day and drink cranberry juice, I wash myself and go to the toilet before and after sex, the pain just won't stop.
I've had this current UTI for 3 weeks and it brings me to tears.