Can you die from a UTI?

[contiflo]

I can't get a GP appointment until Friday and ooh can't get me an appointment tonight as they're fully booked.

I've got serious back pain, it burns when I pee, but the last few drops are so so sore and in the loo the last drops are just blood.

I have a temperature of 38.9 after paracetamol, I have a cough now and just generally feel like shite! I'm also starting to feel a bit sick. I'm drinking to try and flush all the crap out but it hurts :(

I know I'm overreacting but I genuinely thought OOH might be able to help.

Why do people (see upthread) think it is ok in the UK to leave a severe bacterial infection undiagnosed and untreated, rather than going to A&E. In case it has eluded your notice, we are not Zimbabwe but the 7th richest country in the world.

If someone has a high fever and is urinating blood they clearly need urgent medical assessment and, if our ‘wonderful’ NHS can only provide this at A&E (a situation many many far poorer nations would be ashamed of), so be it.

If you are going to advise on here, best err on the side of caution. ‘Drink lots of water and wait until the next available appointment or you are too sick to post’ is not sensible or safe advice.

Glad you are in the right place op.

There is a big difference between a mild UTI and pissing blood. I used to get recurrent severe UTIs where I would see blood within hours of the first pain and I was always told to go to hospital immediately for antibiotics. I also had ultrasound on my kidneys and bladder later on to check for scarring as it happened so many times. Thankfully all ok and no longer get them but I am now resistant to 1 of the UTI antibiotics which is a bit scary.

I haven't had the opportunity to read the full thread, I am sorry.

While a UTI won't kill you, complications (pyelonephritis, abscesses or sepsis) can.

A dear friend of mine passed 4 years ago this month because he didn't have a UTI treated, and dismissed the subsequent back pain as a "bad back".

We still ache with his loss.

If you are feeling that poorly, it would be most wise to have it examined sooner than your scheduled appointment, and I am usually one who says 'suck it up'.

I just read your updates, OP.

I am so glad you are being treated - and hope you can get some rest and feel more yourself as soon as possible.

Glad you're being treated, OP.

I had similar symptoms once and was in agony....literally screaming in pain. I ended up in A&E as it was a Sunday so my GP was shut. Fortunately it hadn't gone up the urinary tract.

At the age of almost 45, the only reason I've ever been admitted to hospital (except for my EMCS) was for a kidney infection.

Get better soon OP, glad you're in the right place

I didn't see this last night but am so glad you went to A&E. My mum died from sepsis from a UTI.

Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better already. Wishing you a speedy recovery

Yikes OP! Hope you’re feeling better soon x

It's like a train station here tonight. Patients in and out all the time. The burning sensation in my urethra has now just decided to be there all the time now. It's so sore! Temperature hit up to 39.8 today but it seems to have broken/ be under control with IV paracetamol.

I've honestly never felt so unwell. The pain and burning is so awful :( they think I've had an allergic reaction to a condom we used on Saturday. I also appear to have an 'odd' set up with my urethra as it's inside the vaginal space really high up. And as I've had a reaction to the condom everything has swelled up and bacteria has taken over.

I feel really low and I'm the youngest patient on this ward by a distance with no eta of Home :( sorry to whinge

Whinge away you poor thing. Hospitals are not fun places to be, I really feel for you. I hope you're feeling better soon and can get home fully recovered

If your pain isn't being controlled, tell them.Keep telling them.

I am a hospital veteran, these are my top tips for survival.

1. as PP have said, earplugs also sleep mask
2. somewhere near by there will be a FP (feisty pensioner). Do a bit of earwigging, you'll either find someone to talk to or overhear some proper scandal. People seem to think curtains = soundproof.
3. It's not forever. You are ill and knackered so give yourself a break. Expect nothing of yourself for the next few days. Have an afternoon nap.
4. Focus on positives, for example the utter indulgence of having other people change your bed, bring you cups of tea.
5. Audiobooks/Radio4Extra are lifesavers for me. I can't concentrate to read in hospital. 6)It's okay to have a cry. At some point almost every patient does.

How ru op ?

Sometimes it helps if you can pour warm water over yourself when you pass urine to reduce stinging sensation. Tricky in a hospital toilet though I imagine. Can the nurses get you an ice pack to wear in your undies as that may also help.

How are you feeling now ?

I’m going through something similar, maybe was building up or caused by an ectopic pregnancy, been feeling overwhelmed

Please go to A&E, my mum got sepsis from a kidney infection and it took her months to recover

The OP was checked into hospital nearly a year and a half ago...