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My mom has a new problem that sounds like pneumaturia (gas in bladder) caused by UTI or a fistula in her bladder to her colon. She has no pain and doesn’t think she has a UTI. She did have a very bad bout of constipation a few weeks ago. I’ve sent a message to her doctor, who we just saw for her annual less than a month ago.
At her age, surgery for a fistula sounds like it would be off the table. Oy vey!

The urinalysis revealed high protein, blood, nitrates and leukocytes, so she just started a course of Bactrim while we wait for the culture to see if they chose the right antibiotic. Her bloodwork is a mess with strong indications of inflammation. If her symptoms (only the gas in bladder so far) don’t improve in 2 days we’ll be hearing about next steps. I’ll be pushing for imaging. Regardless of treatment options, I think we need to know what is actually going on in order to make informed decisions.
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Hope21 Jul 22, 2026
I am sorry you and your mother are enduring this. I pray for answers soon, a clear way to relief, and peace for you both. Thank you for educating us all with your wisdom and also about this subject that not everyone is aware of.
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According to what I researched, the treatment will depend on what caused it, so you need to figure out the cause. A UTI in an older woman doesn't always cause pain but may have other symptoms. Was she recently catheterized, had a cystoscopy, bladder surgery or another urinary procedure, which can temporarily introduce air?
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ShirleyDot Jul 20, 2026
No, none of those things.

Her mother had a fistula, colon to bladder, as a result of diverticulitis in her 60s which resulted in a resection and long recovery. So there is family history. And I imagine that tissue thins and weakens by the time you are in your 90s. I will update.
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One option that I can think of would be to consult an M.D. who is a pelvic floor specialist. This specialty goes beyond urology to include other organs than the bladder. That would probably include colon involvement with the bladder as well as the muscles, uterus, ovaries, urethra, and who knows what! Everything that's in there, I suppose.

Finding a pelvic floor specialist was a godsend to me. I'd been going to a lackluster, unenthusiastic, uncaring and somewhat uneducated urologist when a new M.D. who was a pelvic floor specialist moved to town. I had bladder, urethra, and colon issues. Pelvic floor doctor figured it all out, and what he did worked. If you can find one with a good bag of tricks, there might be help for your mom. Good luck!
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Reply to Fawnby
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ShirleyDot 4 hours ago
What did he do for you?
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I hope her doctor can give you some good answers.
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Reply to JustAnon
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Hi all,

Mom's CT scan shows she does have a fistula between her sigmoid colon and her bladder. Her bladder was half full of air. She has extensive diverticulosis in her sigmoid colon and her descending colon. I think she had a diverticulitis flare (first one that we know of) about 6 weeks ago, so that was probably the beginning of the fistula developing. We're going to follow-up with a urologist, but I know she doesn't want surgery and a resection of her bowel would be something she would never recover from at her age. She's not crazy about the idea of a catheter either, and certainly not a colostomy. Other than staying on antibiotics indefinitely, I'm not sure there are other options or how long she can manage this way before she has a problem with the unresolvable UTI.
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