Does a kidney infection with MS always require A and E?

[RoarySaury]

I am 99% sure I have one, and I have an MS diagnosis but I don't want to go to A and E.

Kidney infections can make you very poorly very quickly. Are you taking antibiotics- have you already seen a gp and just not getting better? Would be worth calling 111 first to explain your symptoms and to get advice I would say.

Can you phone 111 for advice? If you go to A&E you'll probably wait many hours to be seen anyway, so it would be better to try and see your GP first thing in the morning. A kidney infection would be classed as urgent.

No antibiotics yet.

I phoned 111 and they advised to go to A and E, but apart from pain, I don't feel "ill" and I know A and E is going to be horrendous, our local one is just awful with staffing and attitudes.

I don't know whether it'd be quicker just to hold on until the morning then get straight to see the GP.

Can you monitor your temperature and pulse overnight? Are you peeing okay? Do you have someone with you?

My peeing is not different, but painful (it's always an issue due to MS).

No one with me. I think monitoring overnight will be good - there's more options in the morning too with Ambulatory Care I think, plus I can go to a totally different A and E if I do need to, not the local one.

Has this happened before? Do you get confused with an infection? Can you get some help overnight if you worsen?

Yeah, I've had a few - but normally I am quite ill with it.

I don't have a high temperature or fast pulse.

How long have you been feeling unwell for and how fast do things go when you become ill?

Are you okay OP?

Thank you- a doctor came and started IV antibiotics early this morning from home and someone will come a bit later.

Just resting now.

Kidney infections can go from 0-100 in hours. I had to rush DW to A&E years ago with a temperature of 40 and climbing.

As a long term aid can you self catheterize ? MS can cause the bladder to retain, which leads to recurring infections that you take a variety of antibiotics for all of which bugger up your gut flora so you can have no end of digestive problems.

Thank goodness you're okay and receiving treatment. Is there some kind of out of hours help you can reach due to your MS? On call District Nurse or something? It doesn't seem right that you're expected to make these kinds of worrying decisions on how to access help when you have a problem of this nature.

I hope you feel better soon.