I experienced my first UTI at age 55, shortly after menopause. Never having had any menopausal symptoms, I was unaware of potential post-menopausal side effects and my OBGYN neglected to address the issue. (There were no “Beware All Who Enter Here” signs or brochures or pamphlets.)
My own research provided the following information: Vaginal acidity and estrogen levels decline in menopause, paving the way for more frequent urinary tract infections. Whether the changes in a woman’s urinary tract are due to menopause and the lack of estrogen or just to the aging process has been debated. However, the bladder is loaded with estrogen receptors so the reduction of estrogen that occurs during menopause probably plays an important role. Age does cause the weakening of the vaginal walls (vaginal atrophy) and the urethra may thin, which allows bacteria easier access to the bladder. Urinating after sexual intercourse may prevent this “bad” bacteria from entering the bladder.
It was only due to an intestinal issue that I discovered an over-the-counter pro-biotic, which not only helped to alleviate my gastrointestinal pain but also my recurring UTIs. A couple of years later, I was prescribed an estrogen cream and estrogen suppository for vaginal atrophy, and that completed the UTI prevention process. (And, no, cranberry juice didn’t work for me and cranberry supplements sent me to the ER twice!)
Unfortunately, my journey to discovering UTI prevention was needlessly prolonged. If you haven’t done so already, discuss prevention with your doctor to avoid unnecessary suffering.
The Atrophied Vagina Club 