Warning issued after woman gets kidney infection from putting in menstrual cup
A woman in her early 30s developed a kidney infection after her menstrual cup blocked urine flow.
She had to visit the doctor after noticing blood in her wee, as well as having pain in her tummy in pelvis which lasted around six months.
The anonymous woman’s case was detailed in the BMJ yesterday, because this is not a common occurrence.
It shows that women need to be better informed about the potential complications and correct use of the cups, the paper’s authors suggested.
The woman had been using a menstrual cup to catch blood during the days of her heaviest period flow, which she emptied every two to three hours.
Three years earlier, she had needed a kidney stone removed, and thought it may be something to do with this.
A scan revealed no sign of kidney stones, but did reveal a swollen right kidney and ureter —the tube that carries urine away from the kidneys.
Her menstrual cup was also visible on the scan, right next to the opening of the ureter into the bladder.
She was asked not to use the cup until a follow-up scan a month later.
When she went back, the symptoms had gone completely, leading doctors to conclude the cup was the culprit.
Menstrual cups, which are inserted into the vagina during menstruation and can be washed and reused, are bought as an eco-friendly alternative to pads and tampons.
They can be an incredibly helpful option, especially when disposable products are not available, such as for those living in poverty in rural areas.
The paper: 'Ureterohydronephrosis due to a menstrual cup'
Study authors Clara Maarup Prip and Lotte Kaasgaard Jakobsen wrote:
Menstrual cups are increasingly used to control menstrual bleeding. Complication rates are sparsely described, but some serious complications have been reported.
We present a rare case of ureterohydronephrosis due to a menstrual cup.
A woman in her 30s presented with intermittent flank pain and occasional haematuria.
CT urography showed a menstrual cup placed in the right side of the vagina in close proximity to the ureteral ostium together with ureterohydronephrosis.
After removal of the menstrual cup, there was a complete regression of symptoms and ultrasonic regression of the ureterohydronephrosis.
More awareness should be made, both among menstrual cup users and clinicians, about presenting symptoms and how to choose the correct shape, size, and insertion method to avoid complications.
As the study says, they are generally safe, with few issues reported.
However, the possibility of issues arising is something users should be aware of.
Study authors said: ‘Presently, menstrual cups can be bought and used without clinical advice from a health professional, which emphasises the importance of detailed and clear patient information material.’
They said there had only been a few similar cases reported.
In three cases, the women still kept using menstrual cups after getting advice on positioning and one choosing a smaller size, and none of them reported having problems again.
‘Correct positioning, along with choosing the correct cup shape and size, is important to prevent negative effects on the upper urinary tract,’ the authors said.
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