Doc appt this afternoon for "phantom" UTIs and irritation - help?

**UPDATE** He wants me to try VESIcare for a month for possible "urge incontincence". He said how I respond to that will give him more clues. He did say it could be interstitial cystitis as well. I see him again in a month, and at that point he may be referring me to a urologist. For the redness/irritation, he prescribed a steroid cream and said that would help. I'm so dejected - not only menopause but also a host of other chronic health crap, and it's just always something.

I have a GYN appointment this afternoon, but I wanted to ask here what I should be considering before then.

I've had several episodes in the past year where I had all the symptoms of a UTI, in one case with pain in the area of my left kidney. Peeing on a strip showed trace blood and positive leukocytes, so I was prescribed macrobid (I'm allergic to cipro). However the cultures showed no growth. I even had a CT to check for kidney stones (none found). This time I also have itching, irritation, and redness just inside the vaginal opening. I went to Minute Clinic Friday afternoon, and they said it looked like yeast and a UTI, so I got macrobid and diflucan. They sent the cultures off, and yesterday the results came in, showing nothing. The UTI-like symptoms are better, though not gone; the redness, itching, and irritation are the same.

I'm on HRT and vaginal estrogen cream (I switched from vagifem because of the seeming UTIs, plus *so much plastic*). The dose is .5 2x/week; I've read that some women use 1g but I can't fathom that's the entire cause of all of this.

I've read here that others have dealt with this exact thing, but I can't find any resolution outside going on vaginal estrogen - what about those of us already on it? Any pre-appointment advice would be most welcome and so appreciated!