To ask about recurrent uti's?

[zippedyweewee]

Does anyone suffer from these?
I’ve had one uti in my life, until the last month, and now I can feel my 3rd in 4 weeks starting.
I’ve felt the tingle tonight (almost like a cold sore starting but down there) and I’ve downed a litre of water, which seems to be helping.
Is it possible to ward off the start of a uti by drinking lots?
The nurse practitioner has given me the same brand of antibiotics twice now, despite the first 7 day course not clearing it up and it reappearing 3 days later.
Any tips to keep them at bay. I’ve been drinking 2 litres of water a day, until today as I’ve been manic and hadn’t even managed a litre by 7pm which I think is why I can feel the start of one.
I’ve always been an awful drinker, maybe 3 cups a day, but I don’t understand why I’ve suddenly started getting uti’s? Will I need to drink 2 litres a day forever now to prevent them coming back? I’m really struggling with drinking that amount.
They’re awful too. Full on milk coloured wee each time, blood, pain, nausea etc.
Any tips?
Anyone take supplements daily?

Really scared it’s going to come back.

It sounds like you aren’t taking the right antibiotics. I would go back and ask to try something else. They may be able to do a culture to make sure it’s not resistant to what you’re being prescribed. Beyond that, good hygiene. Wee after sex. Have you met a new partner recently? It’s quite common to get them with new partners, something to do with sensitivity to bacteria your body isn’t used to.

You might consider a probiotic, but it won’t get rid of it. Nor will drinking loads of water, but certainly won’t hurt either.

Hi, I used to have them chronically. Ended up with one getting so bad I was taken to A&E with a kidney infection to have IV antibiotics. Haven't had one since then thankfully!

Changes I've made:
Water, lots. (Cranberry juice is bull)

When you have sex make sure you wash beforehand and make your partner wash too (I know, not great fore play but at least you're both clean)

Cotton undies, avoid thongs.

Look at the condoms you're using (if you use any- some can aggravate you and cause UTI's)

Also look at the body wash you use, as again, they can be aggravating.

Multivitamins.

I have these, it's just vile. Sometimes if I don't drink enough my bladder feels irritated and I take an over the counter cystitis sachet which calms it down. Having said that if it doesn't then go and get some antibiotics. Make sure your sample us tested to ensure you're on the right antibiotics.
I try and follow all the usual guidelines but I've had 3 this year.

I think they need to send a sample to be tested, to check you are on the correct antibiotics, rather than keep taking pot luck.

Is it definitely only a uti. You could be having a first outbreak of genital herpes and it is worth getting an examination.

Utis can be gram positive or gram negative bacteria infections - who knew bacteria come in two types. Some antibiotics only work against gram positive, some only against gram negative. Since Utis can be either, if the first antibiotics didnt shift it - twice - you need the sort that work on the other type of bacteria

Back to the GP and advocate for yourself.

So they sent off a culture the first time.
The sample tested positive at the doctors for infection and blood.
When I phoned up for the results of the sample they said nothing had been grown on the slide? So god knows what that means.
I did see a third doctor who gave me a prescription for a different antibiotic in case it came back a third time but I’ve not taken them yet as I’ve been ok for a week.
Just feel like I’m on egg shells worrying about it coming back.
No new partner, been together nearly 6 years.
And no sex for about 8 weeks so it’s not that.

Can I join you?! I feel your pain. I could have written your post. Haven't had a uti in years and then it appeared out of nowhere 4 weeks ago. Two different types of antibiotics. Keeps it at bay for a few days and then it starts all over again. Dip test showed leucocytes, blood and protein but culture came back as "normal". Now trying to get another GP appt to see what to do next. I started taking D-Mannose yesterday, which I found out about on an old MN thread, and seemed to be helping today but literally an hour ago the symptoms have flared up again. Been guzzling water all day long. Anyway, sympathies. It's miserable, isn't it?

I have suffered on and off all my life.
Things that help - drink lots of water, never hold a wee, both have a wash before and after sex, wee after sex.
D Mannose is good- it’s a sugar that is excreted in urine and UTI bacteria bind to it.
Cystitis sachets/ Bicarbonate of soda can help if having a flare up.
I buy a drug called Azo off amazon or in the US, you can only take it for a day or 2 but it stops the pain.
Make sure you are given antibiotics and the course is long enough, lots of Drs give out 3 days but this can cause lots of problems so you really need a week.
If you keep getting them you may want to see a urologist. If so look for a good one here:
www.chronicutiinfo.com
Hope you feel better

@NeverPromisedYouARoseGarden we are like uti twins.
That’s crazy.
Vile though isn’t it?

Uti twins! Yep, totally vile. I went down a Google rabbit hole where I discovered that the way they culture samples in the UK isn't a sophisticated enough method to show up all infections. Or something along those lines. Having a normal culture result made me feel slightly better but now I'm convinced I have a raging bacterial infection which will never go! (Bit of health anxiety here!)

So I suffered from them terribly but can now mostly avoid.

1. always always wee immediately after sex (no time to snuggle first) and ideally shower your bits
2. make sure partner has clean hands If he is touching you
3. limit caffeine and alcohol (I can’t have coffee and alcohol in same day)
4. shower not bath
5. avoid things
6. drink lots of water

I have got mine down to about once a year from nearly monthly. Be aware that as menopause approaches your ureatha shortens making you more susceptible.

Menopause. That's me. Another thing to add to my growing list of depressing symptoms.

Ploppymoodypants - "Avoid things"

I'm just going to mention this here. I had a uti whilst on holiday and was so ill i had to go to hospital. My travel insurance are trying to get out of paying. Always declare these before going!

D mannose - mentioned above and I highly recommend

I got them a lot year 2 into my implant.. over and over again. Got it removed and they went and haven't had one since.

Please try D Mannose

It's sorted out my Mum's recurrent UTIs for which she's been hospitalised as she's elderly.

Google it, it's a kind of sugar.
Buy it online as a powder or capsule.

Also investigate localised HRT as in the ring or vaginal gel.

I've done lots of research as UTIs were killing my mum but she's so much better and free of them now
Xx

Argh sorry for typo!
Shoyjd be ‘avoid thongs’! Clearly you can’t avoid all things! Ooops 🙈

@NeverPromisedYouARoseGarden I never had UTIs until I hit Menopause last year and then had several that went away briefly to return. Had bladder scan etc but everything fine.
Diagnosed as having start of Vaginal Atrophy by GP (due to Menopause) and started on Ovestin HRT cream you use internally daily for 2 wks then twice weekly (not like HRT tablets as is much safer to use) and all symptoms have gone.
The VA was causing changes of dryness to vaginal walls and urinary tract. Might be worth investigating.

I’m nowhere near the menopause so god knows why I’m getting them. Boo.

Another vote for D-Mannose. I was getting recurrent UTIs And kidney infections for around 2 years. I had to get various types of antibiotics for it - go back to the dr and ask for a different brand, it was only on my 3rd try that I got the right one for me (cefallexin) which I was then put on prophylacticly. I got referred to a consultant urologist, had loads of tests done to see if we could work out why and he couldn’t explain it. Once we’d done the tests, he weaned me off the antibiotics and told me to get a course of probiotics and d-mannose. I take d-mannose everyday now and I’ve not had an infection for 2 years (touchwood!) You have my sympathies, it’s horrible. X

Thank you salsamad I suspect that is what is happening to me. Now on my third set of antibiotics and still not feeling 100%. I'm very reluctant to take any hormone therapy in case it triggers migraine. I suffered for years with these and the only good thing about menopause is that they have almost completely disappeared!

zippedyweewee - twin except in age - hope you are faring better!