Painful Urethra not sure what to call it..

by Beth
(Australia)

I am 33 years old and my problem started out in 2006 when I got a UTI (my first ever) and then a couple of weeks later (after that had been treated and resolved) I was hit in the stomach quite hard by a soccer ball. This seemed to cause a burning painful sensation in my urethra/genital area. I had no urgency/freqency but was checked out and given many more antibiotics.

A urologist told me I had Interstitial Cystitis (he told me to Google it) and that there was no real cure. I struggled on with it for over a year and then I got pregnant in mid 2007 and the sensation went completely away. After I had finished breastfeeding my son I had a Mirina (progesterone contraceptive) coil inserted as I didn't want to go back on Depo Provera which I had previously been on for 13 years due to very bad periods. As soon as the coil was inserted (within a couple of days) the symptoms were back full bore. I immediately had it taken out and was put on an Estrogen based contraceptive pill. The symptoms went away completely again. The Doctor said I had a progesterone sensitive bladder and not to use contraceptives with progesterone in them again and I would be okay.

In 2010 I was very heavily pregnant with my second child when I sat on a cold stone wall for 5 minutes (no really that was it!) and the symptoms came back full bore straight away. It was if they had never been anywhere it was bizarre. I gave birth about 5 days later and the symptoms went away completely and did not return for 6 months. 3 weeks ago I sat around in wet bathers on the drive home from the pool (not long, maybe 1/2 and hour) and suddenly between one minute and the next it was back full force again. I went to the doctor and as I am breastfeeding my daughter she put me on an Estrogen cream. So far things seem to be worse and not better and since the only two times I seem to have managed to stop this was getting pregnant and giving birth I have NO idea what to do.

Obviously there is something hormonal going on and causing the symptoms. I do not/have never had any urgency/frequency, just this constant burning pain 'down there'. Do you think perhaps that natural progesterone (as opposed to the stuff in Depo Provera) would help me? I know progesterone levels rise when you get pregnant but I thought they fell when you give birth so I don't know what makes sense. I just want it to stop.