Looking for some UTI info and advice!

[Shellfishblastard]

Hi all,

I woke on Monday with a horrible feeling down below. I thought it was coming from my coil - checked the strings though and all seems ok there.

As the day progressed I felt it was coming from my urethra and I was having to pee more than usual. No stinging when I pee but very stingy in that region constantly.

Spoke to a nurse at the clinic where my IUD was inserted and she said UTI, go to pharmacy. Which I did.

I have now completed a 3 day course of antibiotics - took the last one about an hour ago.

I have two issues - still going to the loo a lot and still have that urge. And lower back is still sore.

Feel so incredibly sick - this started within a couple of hours of starting the antibiotics. This is the worst part at the moment.

I don’t think I have a temp - no way of telling but don’t feel hot to touch etc. No abdominal pain really.

Do I give the antibiotics a little more time or should they have worked already?

To complicate matters we are glamping away from home.

@mutedrainbows

Some antibiotics won't work as the types of bacteria causing the infection vary. Bad luck that the first course didn't work!

Drink loads and loads of water so when you feel the need to wee something actually comes out, hot water bottle on your abdomen. D Mannose is great but is more preventative, so worth taking going forward if you're particularly prone.

I read that a lot of women who get a UTI are likely to get another one again quite quickly so that’s why I ordered D Mannose. It arrived today but we are away so will start it from Monday once home.

I feel a bit better tonight. Can overdoing it make you feel more rubbish with a UTI?

@Bagelsandbrie

Do not take the d mannose if you have kidney issues or until the UTI has completely cleared - if it spreads to your kidneys the D mannose will make it worse. (Bitter experience)! Seems like everyone online and on various forums is very quick to recommend DM as a miracle cure for UTI issues but it only helps if they are fairly easily treatable and not kidney related (and often people don’t know if they are)!

Ah thanks for this. Will hold off taking them just now.

I am drinking a lot!!

Yes, I'm basically confined to the sofa when I have one because I'm so achy and uncomfortable. Definitely use a hot water bottle or heated rice sock - it makes me feel so much better!

Every sympathy OP, UTI’s are awful. D-mannose has been a total game changer for me, but D-Mannose only works on e-coli infections. Drink masses of fluids, lemon barley is good, DO NOT drink Cranberry juice, many recommend it but it doesn’t help UTI as you need to neutralise the acidity. 3 days of Trimethoprim would have been useless to me, I need 7 days (14 tablets) to fully shift. I hope you are feeling much better soon. If you suffer repeated infections ask for referral to Urologist.

D mannose
D Mannose
D mannose

Never travel without it.

Keep taking ibuprofen. Sometimes UTIs are caused by an Inflammation of the bladder and the ibuprofen will help with that if that is the cause.

I’m more concerned your lower back is aching, that screams kidney infection rather than your bog standard UTI

@Shellfishblastard please let me know how you find the D Mannose. My mother was really impressed. There is a dose to treat the UTI (1g 3xday for 14 days), then a maintence dose to prevent them (1g twice daily). Have you got paracetamol, you mentioned ibuprofen, you can take them together. I really feel for you being poorly away from home. I hope you get the antibiotic that works from the OOH service.

Thanks all for your help. I didn’t realise I should be taking it easier. I’m quite bad for that when I am unwell. I walked a lot today and felt truly awful. By the time I sat for an hour and had a drink and some food I felt a bit better.

I’m not going to leave gaps in between painkillers now either

I've had quite few UTIs.
Things that trigger mine off are not peeing after sexa and not drinking enough water.
You can have cystitis not caused by an infection. I've had this before from bubble bath.
For UTIs I've found nitrofuratoin the best. Turns your pee bright yellow. I always have to have 7 days.

3 day courses of antibiotics do nothing for me when I get a UTI. I had one in January that lasted til April because it wasn't treated properly in the first place. It took a 14 day course of Doxycycline to get rid of it in the end but I suffered daily for months, it was miserable

I've only had one UTI since but I insisted on a 7 day course as I was not letting it get as severe and long lasting as the previous one

Agree with @MiloAndEddie I get recurrent UTIs and only get back pain when it spreads to kidneys. Please make sure you mention the back pain to the dr, the first time it happened to me I didn't as I didn't make the connection and I ended up with such a bad kidney infection I ended up in hospital for 10 days!

Luckily I don't get them often - once every couple of years - but always with the same symptoms but the negative urine test has thrown me.

Let's see what the Doc says when they eventually call me.

I have a lot of bubble baths. I think I need to be more careful about what I use now.

After this I will be extra careful with everything!!

I will mention the back pain as that’s the thing that prompted me to phone. It’s the only thing that got worse really - everything else started to get better. Then come back again.

Just been seen - infection in urine and waiting for new antibiotics. What a relief and I’m so glad I came - the hospital where the out of hours is was only 15 mins from the wigwam so it’s not been a huge issue.

Doctor tested urine, felt my tummy and kidneys, took temp and BP etc.

Thanks all so very much, you really reassured me

Glad you were seen so quickly - hope you feel better very soon.

Was seen so quick - was so easy in the end. Phoned at 6.40, seen at 8.40 and out of the building in 15 mins.

That great news. Take it easy tomorrow and hioefullynifjuiunhsvebakmw different antibiotics you will feel better in 48 hours

Hopefully if you have -impressive typo

Yes have different ones - have taken the first dose.

I feel a bit better tonight so maybe the last dose of the last ones did help a bit too. Going to have a quiet day tomorrow despite being away. Not going to do too much except drink water!!

Morning! I feel so much better today. Pressure to pee is much much better - still feel sick but not as much and have managed some food this morning. I actually feel pretty normal apart from the slight nausea and very mild symptoms down below.

Burning significantly reduced. I’m guessing this is what should have happened with the other antibiotics as my friend said she usually feels better very quickly.

I have an issue - some small pains in kidney area occasionally. Not severe and only now and again. Pain in lower back has improved. I’ve called my GP to make sure I’ve got the right treatment if it has spread to my kidneys.

I suffer from health anxiety so this is very hard for me!!

Great news! What antibiotics have you got now?

I am on Nitrofurabtoin (macrobif). Spoke to my own lovely GP who wasn’t overly concerned and said this is the antibiotic she would prescribe if it was a kidney infection.

I feel a lot better this evening again. Managed a huge dinner for the first time this week (Wagamamas takeaway 😋) drinking lots and taking it easy.

Great update - enjoy your holiday. UTIs are terrible things.