diverticula in the urethera

Submitted by allysp on April 29, 2006 - 3:52pm
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Hi everyone. I am a 36 year old female with 5 children only recently given birth 5 months ago. For a few years now I have had a small bump on my labia which never gave me any problems. There were a few times that it hurt but it would last a few days and then the pain would go away. A few weeks after I had our baby, I noticed I was going to the bathroom alot to pee. I would get up and pee about 8 times a night and I also had back pain with it. I went to see my doctor who did a test on my urine and told me I did not have an UTI. They told me it was because my bladder was streched out from having kids and that was causing me to pee frequently. He even had me go to the hosptial to take pictures of my lower back thinking it was from a pulled muscle. All of the test were normal and finally my insurance had expired. Fast forward a few months later and I am having the same problems but now I am peeing more and that small bump on my labia is really hurting. I went to see my doctor and he charged me $100 to examine me and tell me that my uterus had a 2nd degree prolaspe and that I had enlarged skell glands( I think I spelled it right ) and he wanted me to go to the hospital and have a test to which they insert a cathater in me and fill my bladder up with fluid and inject dye in me and then have me pee in front of them. He never really said what he was looking for and when I asked him if it was serious, he wouldn't answer me. I asked him if he thought it was cancer, and he got mad and said" Did I mention cancer?" and then he walked out of the room. When I called the hospital to see what they were looking for, the lab technician told me they were looking for diverticula in the urethera. I have no insurance so I don't know how I am ever going to afford this test. I can't qualify for medicade and I make too much to get indegent help and the hospital told me that if I don't have any money to pay for the test, that they won't do it. I'm not sure how seriuos this is or what I should do. I had over 10 ultrasounds when I was pregnant and 4 transvaginal ultrasounds and none of them ever showed any problems with my bladder so I'm wondering why all of this is going on now. My pap smear came back normal too at my 6 weeks examine. I have no idea on what I should do. Should I wait until our insurance kicks back in ( which could be 4-5 months ) or should I keep panicing? I have been trying to find out information about all of this to no avail.
My doctor has me on antibotics for 3 days on tetracycline 500 mg and he doesn't want to see me back until after I have had the test ( which I can't afford ) Do you know of any herbal meds I can take or exercises I can do? My anxiety is so high right now. Does anyone have any advice for me? Thanks to everyone for responding.

Ally

allysp

April 30, 2006 - 6:39am

Well I guess no one had an answer for me. Oh well:((

UKmummy

April 30, 2006 - 10:24am

Hi Ally,
I am sure people will respond, its just that people don't always come to the forum everyday! :) I have never heard of "diverticula in the urethra" either I am sorry. I would imagine that you would need to go back to ask your Dr further questions to find out more about what he thinks is going on and what the tests are for. I would imagine you are fairly inconvenienced right now having to pee so frequently and anxious too, so perhaps it would be worth paying for another opinion if you are not getting the answers you need from the Dr you have seen already. Sorry I can't be more helpful.
All the best to you!!!
Michelle.

Christine

April 30, 2006 - 12:37pm

Hi Ally,

My hope for you is that you find a doctor who treats you like a human being. It does sound like it could be either a diverticulum or a cyst from chronic infection of the Skene glands. This is more common than you might think and the responsible pathogens are usually just ordinary vaginal flora. Pain, urgency, and frequency are all classic symptoms.

What to do about it is worth considering though and that’s why I hope you find a competent doctor. The complication rate of urethral diverticulectomy is fairly high.

About the prolapse – you have the classic profile like the rest of us moms. Hope you start the postural work, which might even help straighten out your urethra. Getting your intestinal flora in good balance is crucial. A good diet with lots of quality probiotic is key.

Wishing you well,

Christine

allysp

April 30, 2006 - 3:15pm

Thank you so much for writing me back. I cant afford surgery right now, so Im hoping I have other options available. Is this life threatening or can you tell me some of the complications surgery would bring? I know that with the diverticula of the colon, you can control it with diet and I'm hoping this is the same way I can treat this. I read online where this one lady had it and she was treating with Cipro for 10 days and has been symptom free ever since. I started taking cranberry tablets hoping this would fight off any infections and help to strengthen my urethra. I think this doctor needs alittle more bedside manners. My son ( who has autism) heard me talking to my mom about this and he started crying and when I asked him what was wrong, he said I dont want you to die mommy and my heart was broken. I'm praying that everything goes ok and that I can treat this with herbs and with special diet. God bless you all!!

Christine

April 30, 2006 - 3:30pm

Not remotely life threatening. Post-surgical complications are things like stricture and fistula, the former being much more easily treated than the latter. Ask your (new) :-) doctor about trying to manage it non-surgically.

allysp

April 30, 2006 - 3:57pm

Christine,

You are absolutely a sweetheart. I smiled today for the first time in weeks. I have a doctors appointment on Wednesday with a doctor from my church. He isn't a urology Dr or Gyno Dr, He specialises in preventative medicines. I'm going to send him my records from my gyno Dr and let him review it. I should have went to this Dr to begin with, He even came to my baby shower when I was pregnant LOL

Ally

rosewood

May 1, 2006 - 1:34am

I can relate to the fear and panic that comes up around these issues, esp. at 5 mos. post partum. I want to encourage you that healing is there for you. I remember 2 months ago, I was despondent at 8 mos. post partum and the prolapse was really bothering me. Now, it's much, much better. Wish I could write more. Just want to encourage you to take it one day at a time, gather knowledge, start doing the postures, and follow where you are led.

Blessings.

Marie

allysp

May 1, 2006 - 7:24am

Sometimes I wonder if hormones aren't a major factor in all of this? I never really freaked out over things before and now I notice I am just worried more often and anxious. It's hard talking to my docotr about all of this because he is so business like. It's in and out and don't let the door hit ya on your way out. I also remember getting a transvaginal ultrasound back in january and it seems to me that he would have seen all of this because I was having the same problems then. The only thing he told me back then was that my body was healing but it was a slow process. I had placenta previa with my last pregnancy and I had tons of ultrasounds and no one ever mentioned a problem with my bladder. One nurse told me that my bladder wasn't filled enough to do the ultrasound but she never mentioned any problems with it. Oh well, one day I will be able to afford that test, which I heard that test is pretty uncomfortable and then I will know if I have it or not. In the meantime, I am going to continue to take my cranberry pills and drink massive amounts of water and no more soft drinks. Thanks to all who responded, it makes me feel alot better when I know more about whats going on.

Ally

allysp

May 2, 2006 - 12:00pm

Hey would anyone know what causes an enlarged urethra? They also said I had an enlarged urethra and it was hard as well. Does anyone know what this could be? I see another doctor in a few days but now I am very scared and worried.

allysp

May 2, 2006 - 2:35pm

Sorry, I Went too fast with my comment. I went and saw a nurse practioner to get antibiotics because I was still having pain in my lower region( I called my OBGYN to see if they would call in more since they only gave me enough for 3 days and they never did). Anyway, I went to see this NP so I could get startde on antibiotics because of the bad pain and she said my urethra was very enlarged and hard. She gave me a cortisone shot along with Cipro for 2 weeks until I see my family Dr which wont be for a few more days. She said she had never seen a urethra so enlarged that she even got her medical book out to see what it could be. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problems before. I am trying so hard to avoid surgery but it is looking like I may end up needing it:((

Christine

May 2, 2006 - 2:57pm

With that level of symptom you should probably be seen by a specialist asap. Can anyone give you a referral in your area? I know if I drank a lot of soft drinks with all associated dyes and chemicals my urethra might also be swollen and inflamed. It's important that you get a more thorough exam soon. At least the first doctor was on the right track with wanting to set up diagnostics. Let us know Ally! Hugs.

allysp

May 2, 2006 - 7:18pm

Thank you Christine

After I got home from the Dr I made an appointment with a urologist but its not until 2 weeks from now. I told the nurse that I was on Cipro and I told her about the size of it and I asked her if she thought I should go to the ER but she said she didnt think it was nessecary. She said to just keep taking the Cipro until my appointment. Also, a few hours after I got home from the Nurse practioner, I noticed I had started my period. I wonder if there was a connect with why my urethra was so large? Now Im going to have to reschedule my Dr appointment until that goes away. Never a dull moment

marymary

June 20, 2006 - 10:35am

ally:
i don't know if this relates to what you are going through now, it sounds like some of the advise you have gotten from other readers is very sound. but there van be another explaination for pain in the labia and surrounding tissues that no one ever told me about until i had it diagnosed last year. i had also experienced it on and off forever, it would come and go quite painful, would bleed; i thought it was part of a yeast infection, only it never itched. then last year, when i was having my IBS trouble this labia pain came on w/ a vengence. the dr. and i could finally see what the problem was. i had a labial hemmoroid. i never even knew they could exist exept a friend of mine was pregnant at the same time with them. so i called my gyn and asked him and he verified it. it came from the pushing, and constant diarhhea i was having. that is how i ended up w/the prolapses too. mary mary

BDonna

October 4, 2007 - 9:23am

Hi,

I have been having back pain that ranges from a 1 to a 10 on the grade scale where my left kideneys is located. 3 months ago I had a unrinary tract infection. My doctor thought maybe I was having kidney stones and sent me to get a Cat Scan done. The CT discovered that I have an 11mm small fluid collection posterolateral on the urethra. This suggest that it may be a small Uretheral diverticulum.
This Monday I am scheduled to see my obgyn who will probably send me for an MRI and to see a uerologist.
The ironic thing is that I was diagnosed with diverticulosis by a gastroentologists after having diareha forever and a day last year. I also have major pain down by the rectum just before my menstral cycle starts. I attributed it to a hemorhoid. Now I am so confused I don't know if I have 3 different things going on or if it is all related.

Since it has been a while and I hope you have now found conclusions can you tell me what you were diagnosed with?

Thanks,
Donna

louiseds

October 4, 2007 - 8:27pm

Hi Donna

Looks like Allysp hasn't posted for a while, but you can track all her posts by clicking on her username at the top of her first post on her topic. That will take you to her profile. Click on Track and you can see all the topics she has posted on. You may be able to work out the info you want from there.

You can also click on the email tab to see if she is accepting personal emails. If she is, you could email her direct if she doesn't post here in response to your post.

Cheers

Louise