To ask about urine infections

[whoamitodisabrie]

I have never suffered from UTIs until now.

I had one a couple of weeks ago and was prescribed a week long course of co-amoxiclav. I felt like it shifted and then suddenly came back and I’m take a 3 day course of trimeprothim. Tomorrow is the last day. I thought it was shifting it and now the pain in my stomach is back and I’m peeing every 5 min.

has anyone had this before and what was the outcome? They’ve sent my urine sample off and I’ll hopefully hear back on Monday but the nurse said to me that when she checked the sample there was only traces of blood and protein and if there was an infection it was very mild.

im anxious by my very nature and this is making it worse.

Has anyone had this?

@whoamitodisabrie Sorry I wasn't clear, I didn't mean don't take them, but please also try the cranberry juice! And also take pre or probiotics to limit the negative effects of the antibiotics on your gut.

You might have IC in which case antibiotics won’t do anything

@PixieLaLa the urine has been tested in a lab and matched with this antibiotic so I’m really hoping it works 😖

IC is usually an untreated uti that has become embedded/chronic. It is a travesty that people are being diagnosed with this 'condition' rather than getting proper treatment. cutic.co.uk/ has more info. OP if you still have symptoms after finishing antibiotics you likely need a longer course as it has taken so long for you to get treatment.

Can I take d mannose with the anti biotics?

The hiprex suggestion is a really good one. Chemists can prescribe it.

The Malone Lee team at Harley Street can prescribe much longer courses of antibiotics if needed. I would urge you to go there if this current course of antibiotics doesn't do the job as you may need to take them for a significant length of time. Watch out for any shortness of breath with nitrofurantoin though.

@Notodaynotever im in Scotland so Harley street is a bit of a jaunt.

will a gp not prescribe a maintenance dose of antibiotics?

thanks to a wonderfully understanding doctor i have nitrofurantoin on my repeat prescription as im that prone to UTI's. Had 3 this year already, 1 took 2 3 day courses to clear up. I'm going to ask about re-trying the 100mg of trimeth a day i got put on a few years ago as a preventative rather than treatment, they can prescribe that for up to 6 months if i remember right.

Going to ask a silly question here but what makes some women so susceptible to UTIs?

Ageing is certainly a cause in both sexes - with women it is yet another joy of the menopause.
Weakening of muscles around the bladder plus in women "In postmenopausal women, low levels of estrogen enable more bacteria to grow. The hormone promotes production of natural antimicrobial substances in the bladder and also makes it harder for bacteria to penetrate the deeper layers of the bladder wall by closing gaps between cells lining the bladder. When women lose estrogen as they age, they do not receive these beneficial effects and so are more likely to experience UTIs. Recent research suggests vaginal estrogen treatment may help prevent UTIs in postmenopausal women" As I said I have started on Vagifem pessaries to try to counteract this.

To be honest, I had several hundred miles to go to HS too and I really wish I had done it sooner before the UTI became embedded. I would be surprised if a GP will follow their protocol because they're uncomfortable about long term antibiotics. If it persists you would be more likely to have lots of short courses from a GP with perhaps a preventive dose in-between, if the infection shows in your urine which it may well not if it's embedded. If NHS treatment works for you I'm delighted but it didn't work for me. Their invasive investigations aren't considered necessary or helpful by Malone Lee so that's a plus. I just wish I'd taken action to knock out on the head sooner as it will probably take a year now. Hopefully not for you.

Think mine is coming back, which is annoying! I’m due to get my period any day now so I’m hoping (probably in vain) that it’s just linked to that, but have definitely woken up with that constant low ache.

mine eased and then I got the results from
a culture which said still some signs of infection, so I had a three day course of antibiotics which finished on Friday, but I honestly thought I’d seen the back of it! Probably been a bit lax on the d mannose for the last week, and I’ve maybe gone from drinking 5-6 litres of water to 3-4 so I’ll have to up that again for a bit!

how are you feeling now @whoamitodisabrie ?

@Notodaynotever if it’s not too rude to ask, how much did it cost you to attend a Harley street clinic?

@dizzyupthegirl86 feeling a bit better today but have made an appt to see the nurse again and extend the course

I suffered for years with recurrent UTI. I’ve used D-Mannose as a preventative too. I also take 1 trimethoprim straight after sex and another 12 hrs later as sex was a trigger for me. My consultant said any infection needed a minimum 7 day course of nitrofurantoin as I am prone to recurrence - I have a pack in the house and I am under instructions to take them as soon as an infection starts (they trust me to know the symptoms now).
I an peri menopausal so I also use topical oestrogen.

Since starting the prophylactic trimethoprim and the oestrogen I’ve gone from 6-8 UTI a year to 1 every 12-18 months.

I have had so many over the years and it is so hard to answer politely when a nurse says to you "what makes you think you have a urine infection?" AAArgh! Why do they always happen on Bank Holidays and other times you can't get to see someone. I now am allowed to have a pack at home of nitro which I take on holiday too although a doctor was reluctant to let me have one recently " oh if you get one find a doctor and get them to test and prescribe" - on a small Greek island? I don't think so!

Thanks for the info @Notodaynotever as I also have had negative dip tests and I was told that the hospital will dip first and it if it is negative will not do further testing. Another of the doctors at my practice is going to refer me on if these do continue.

First appointment at Harley Street is £250.00 you also then have to pay for medication on top unless you can get your GP to agree to issue the prescriptions.

My GP does issue them.

Ive spoken to my doctors today and they’ve asked me to do a urine sample and take it in first thing tomorrow morning. But…. I’m due to get my period today. Why do I feel so gross about this? It’s nothing they won’t have seen before, and yet the idea of handing it over makes me want to turn myself inside out with embarrassment.

Please can I ask where you got the Hiprex tablets from? Sounds like just what I need - I have frequent UTis after sex and I'm sick of taking antbx
Thanks

@purplehonesty2 - urology prescribed them for me.

I kept asking the GP for preventative antibiotics or at least a rescue pack so I could start treatment ASAP when I get one. I wanted to start TTC but needed the UTI issue sorting first. GP said only urology could do that but wouldn't refer. I finally persuaded them to refer me in December, after a bladder scan showed my bladder doesn't empty properly.

In February I was sent an appointment- for July. So I saw the urologist privately as I was getting desperate. He will do tests on the NHS but prescribed hiprex, a rescue pack of antibiotics and recommended the d mannose. He also wrote to my GP who are now prescribing hiprex (it cost about £35 for the private prescription).

Never gone private before but glad I did as we've been able to start TTC.

Thank you Bishop.

I'll ask the pharmacist and see if they can prescribe it. And if not I'll go and see my GP.

I have been to urology before for the same scan as yours and they said my bladder was emptying ok.

Very frustrating - it's been going on since I was 16

Apparently sex can be a trigger as women have short urethra and have gentials close to their rectum, so bacteria can get in that way and doesn't have far to go to get to the bladder.

In my case urology think the issue is that I have Ehlers Danlos and my bladder is weak as a result and can't empty as well as it should. Stagnant urine then presents a UTI risk and sex bashes everything about and triggers it.

My first UTI was when I was 3. Mum took me to the GP who said I was too young for a UTI and was making it up for attention. I got worse so Mum took me to A&E and they tested my urine and confirmed the UTI.

I've had bladder issues ever since. Frequent UTIs, bed wetting as a child etc. It improved as I got older but then would flare up when I had sex. I could go a few years without one and then have a spell of them which eventually cleared up. But after Covid nothing which used to help prevent UTIs, like drinking loads, having sex earlier (so could drink more and wee more, rather than just going to sleep) would work anymore.

GPs generally quite patronising. It was either 'well maybe you're mistaken and it isn't a UTI so we won't help prevent' or 'we can't give you antibiotics every time your wee burns a little'. I had to really fight for my urology referral.

If you are menopausal, peri-menopausal or have vaginal dryness and having UTIs then ask about vaginal oestrogen.

It is a game changer in preventing UTIs.

Cranberry juice on the other hand has been repeatedly debunked as a myth.

Agree!