to think the DR's system is shocking

[cj1234567]

So called the doctors as have a suspected UTI. I'm around 5 1/2 weeks pregnant.

Dr called me back about 4 hours later and went over my symptoms which was peeing more frequently and a little back ache time to time. Nothing major though. Which I guess could also be symptoms of early pregnancy.

Instantly prescribe me antibiotics over the phone without asking for a urine sample to test.

Now usually I wouldn't be to bothered and probably wouldn't have called them if I wasn't pregnant and just waited it out to see how the symptoms developed but since having two losses this year with the last one also having a UTI I'm a little bit worried and feel like this hasn't put my mind at ease at all.

So can I just take the antibiotics and be ok even if I haven't got a UTI ??? obviously I'm just super anxious at the moment as well which doesn't help.

Do you have an early pregnancy unit you could call for advice? Or your local midwifery team? I guess you're not booked in yet but they may be able to help.

That's reasonable management of suspected UTI in a young woman, appropriate to have a low threshold to treat in early pregnancy and no worrying symptoms to mean you'd need to be seen.

It may be the timing. I was recently prescribed ABs over the phone on a Friday afternoon for a suspected UTI. GP said they couldn’t send urine samples off after a certain time on a Friday, I think 3.30pm, so best to have the prescription.

@ThreeLittleDots

Do you have an early pregnancy unit you could call for advice? Or your local midwifery team? I guess you're not booked in yet but they may be able to help.

Thank you. I do need to call them. I have put it off due to earlier losses. Sounds silly I know. I will give them a call and see what they suggest.

I don't mind not being seen just more worried about taking antibiotics if I don't need too.

YABU to be shocked by a perfectly normal event

@SparklingLime

It may be the timing. I was recently prescribed ABs over the phone on a Friday afternoon for a suspected UTI. GP said they couldn’t send urine samples off after a certain time on a Friday, I think 3.30pm, so best to have the prescription.

Ah that's a good point. It's the weekend as well so wouldn't be able to call until Monday if symptoms got worse.

I am just more worried about taking the antibiotics if not needed. I guess they can't be harmful to take if I don't have one then?

Some pharmacies do urine testing / home test dipsticks?

I think they handled that well, I’m not sure what else you’d want? You rang up with symptoms and you have medication already. That’s good. Antibiotics or a UTI will not affect your pregnancy at all.

@healmebaby

Yeah I likely am. Shocked was probably the wrong wording. I'm happy to take them as precaution and grateful for them to prescribe them just more cautious of taking them if I don't need to.

@WheelieBinPrincess

I think they handled that well, I’m not sure what else you’d want? You rang up with symptoms and you have medication already. That’s good. Antibiotics or a UTI will not affect your pregnancy at all.

Yeah I think they did. I mean I can't fault the call back and prescribing what they believe is needed for my symptoms.

I'm probably being over sensitive and cautious with everything. I think my mind would be more at ease if I knew I was taking antibiotics because it was a confirmed a UTI. I don't know.

I'm guessing the will be fine to take if it's a UTI or not?

I think you must know it’s a UTI with those symptoms, and that’s what you sought treatment for, so yes take the antibiotics and treat it.

@ThreeLittleDots

Some pharmacies do urine testing / home test dipsticks?

Yeah I just had a look online. Thank you. I will get one tonight

Nothing worse than getting halfway through a weekend to then really need a prescription! I’d prob do the pharmacy test (but ask how accurate it is?) and then try to flush it out with lots of water and cranberry juice, but get the prescription filled if it gets worse.

Did you get the free prescription form from your Dr’s surgery? It was a more convoluted procedure than I’d imagined and I ended up having to pay for now.

I'd be happy with that. I just had to hope for the best when I had a suspected UTI as I couldn't see anyone.

You can buy the strips on Amazon. I used them all through my pregnancy and they really helped as I suffered from multiple urine infections / blood in urine.
I had had one late loss and one early loss so I was very anxious.

This sounds perfectly reasonable to me (I'm a doctor). Untreated UTI is associated with miscarriage, so if we suspect a UTI in a pregnant woman we usually crack on and treat it. As long as the antibiotics are ones which are "allowed" in pregnancy, this sounds like a good plan to me.

Yabu and really over the top. This is really normal. Pre pandemic antibiotics would be given for uti symptoms as standard. Yes they'd normally do a urine test. But I've had them not show up as positive behaviour but still had symptoms so was given antibiotics.

If your GP has advised that they are safe to take in pregnancy, then you’re fine.

Im more surprised that you managed to get through to your GP and get a call back on the same day. Last time I needed to speak to mine it took me 300 calls over 3 days just to be told there were no appointments and to call back in a few days.

@StoneColdBitch

This sounds perfectly reasonable to me (I'm a doctor). Untreated UTI is associated with miscarriage, so if we suspect a UTI in a pregnant woman we usually crack on and treat it. As long as the antibiotics are ones which are "allowed" in pregnancy, this sounds like a good plan to me.

Ok thank you. I know I'm being over the top it's just a very anxious time for me. As long as I know there is no harm in taking them even when maybe not even not having a UTI I will crack on and do so.

@undecided2022 I'm sorry for your losses. Yes I agree it's a very anxious time. So everyone telling me I'm being very over the top I understand that I may be to you but for me I'm just very feeling on edge and over cautious.

@WhyOhWhyOhWhyyyy I'm surprise I did too tbh as I didn't even call first thing in the morning. So happy with that.

I get why you were worried, @cj1234567.

Nothing in life is 100% risk-free. It's about which risk is bigger - the antibiotics, or an untreated UTI. I'm sure your doctor has weighed up the various issues.

Good luck with your pregnancy.

I have a dodgy kidney with on going repeated utis. I had to take preventative antibiotics for the first 6 mths of bith my pregnancies. No issues at all.

Hi. Can you remember which antibiotics you took? I've been prescribed Nitrofurantoin but worried as I read it can cause cleft lip, heart problems and other birth defects. I'm allergic to penicillin and other such antibiotics.

@Snowball7

Hi. Can you remember which antibiotics you took? I've been prescribed Nitrofurantoin but worried as I read it can cause cleft lip, heart problems and other birth defects. I'm allergic to penicillin and other such antibiotics.

Hiya @Snowball7

Yes it was nitrofurnation MacroBID.

Take a look at www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Nitrofurantoin/

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