recurring inflamation of the urethra without any bacteria present -- possible solutions and recovery
Hello all! First of all, English isn't my first language so I might use the wrong medical terms here and there, feel free to correct me. ♥
Here's my story: I had to deal with my first and really bad UTI in 2015 that never truly went away. I was prescribed antibiotics, didn't know how they could affect my vaginal health, dealt with the following yeast infection and yet a certain "weird" feeling "down there" would never truly go away. It would usually get worse after peeing, never painful, but on some days like a constant pinching whenever I moved, other days it was worse. I went to different gynecologists, I went to see an urologist. I got tested for all sorts of STDs, all negative, no one could help me and I just kind of learned to live with it. Until 2021, where it got really bad again and I went to the urologist again and this time they went the extra mile and performed a cystoscopy on me, just to find out there a bit of inflammation around the area where the bladder connects to the urethra. No bacteria, just inflammation and a big shrug from my doctor as to what might have caused it.
I tried all kinds of herbal supplements and while I didn't think any would truly help after years of dealing with it, something did. Now mind you, most of it might placebo, but if it works, it works. I've been relatively symptom free for 4 years now until I recently had a pretty bad flareup that lasted around a week and wouldn't go away despite the medicine I was taking. Thing is, the herbal supplements that worked before have been discontinued by the manufacturer and I had to switch to other supplements not containing the herb this whole post is about. Goldenrod. I eventually ordered supplements with 600mg per pill (the ones I had in the past had 400) and my condition has improved significantly (again, might be placebo but hope is hope).
I've quickly skimmed over the reddit to see if goldenrod had been mentioned before and couldn't find anything, but if it has, sorry! I just figured one more success story might brighten someone's day, because I know when I was in the thick of it in the 2010s, there was hardly any talk about my condition online and I felt very alone. Things can get better! ♥
(TL;DR: this is what I take when I feel a bit of "pinching": D-Mannose 2-3 times a day, Goldenrod pill 600mg 2-3 times a day)