I'm terrified of these urinary issues I'm having - what could this be?!

[lockost]

For nearly two weeks, I've had weird (what seemed like) UTI symptoms. I've never had a UTI before (early 20s).
This week these symptoms have gotten worse. UTI tests (all 3) have come back clear, 'just a few white blood cells, no infection'.

I feel like I need a wee 24/7. Pain in my abdomen. Pain in my back.
When I do go for a wee, it's usually a weak stream and not a lot.
I keep getting shooting pains in my urethra.
Feeling nauseous.
Feeling like I'm leaking urine when I'm walking.
(No pain when I'm actually weeing).

Getting the doctors to help with the 'all clear' tests is difficult. I've tried painkillers (don't make a difference), cystopurin, a thrush tablet (as advised by pharmacist).

I've got horrendous health anxiety so I've had panic attacks about this and that makes me worried that I could be psychologically making these symptoms worse by fixating on them.

Can anyone help if they have similar experience? I'm spending so much time crying because I just desperately want to feel normal again!

D Mannose changed my life when I was having very similar symptoms to the OP. I began taking them a couple of years ago - I take them for about four days running with an interval of about three weeks between doses.

www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/holland-barrett-d-mannose-effervescent-tablets-60040365/reviews

Gah, it didn't link. Just look up D Mannose effervescent tablets from Holland and Barrett. Read those reviews. £19.99 for 14. Good luck

@Miriad I saw horrible threads on here about that specific one and the side effects being horrific/debilitating and it put me off going to the pharmacy to try think I'll have to!

I would go back, push for bloods asap.
DM had described what you have, she doesn’t have weight loss. She didn’t have pain initially.

Please escalate- it may just be a UTI hopefully but it could be other things too. I had a UTI that presented as you describe, I had to drink gallons of water and ended up on a drip- I was also passing a lot of blood.

Everything can have side effects. But nitrafurantoin is weak as far as antibiotics go - that’s why you can get it without a prescription. It specifically concentrates in the urine so it doesn’t affect the whole body, just the bladder. When I was trying to solve my problem I had two courses in a row - no side effects at all (it didn’t fix the problem but that’s beside the point).

I honestly think yours sounds like thrush though, so I’d try the pessary as well. As I said, the Canesten brand didn’t work for me but the unbranded one from the pharmacy did. If you’re still not fixed try the Balance Activ.

Good for you.

I had a UTI (diagnosed by a urine culture) and had a fever.

If you have pain in your back around your lower ribs I would go back to the GP as that can indicate a kidney infection

I have the worst health anxiety too, and issues taking new meds and my experience of nitrofurantoin was absolutely fine - no side effects apart from a mildly upset stomach that settled quickly.

I had very similar symptoms 2 years ago and tested negative x3 for UTI. I couldn't understand what was happening to me.

It turned out I had an overstressed pelvic floor caused by extreme stress. I needed physio/pelvic floor relaxation exercises, time off work (I spent a lot of time lying down as the first few weeks even standing/walking for 5 minutes became painful). I was off work completely for 3 weeks, then gradually built back but now everytime I get stressed and feel overwhelmed issues start again.

Physio told me I can keep doing the exercises but also advised things like meditation to relax.

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · Today 14:58
Interstitial cystitis is rubbish- it doesn’t exist. You have a UTI, the tests are useless. Diagnosis is on symptoms. If you have UTI symptoms, you have a UTI and need antibiotics until the symptoms are gone.

As someone who has been diagnosed and had this condition, now known as Painful Bladder Syndrome for 15 years, I wonder why you should make such a derogatory and ill informed statement? This condition does exist, it is real and I have the version of it whereby I get ulcerated areas on the bladder lining (Hunners lesions) which have to be lasered, so please don’t tell me it doesn’t exist.
Im sorry you’re going through this OP, as many have said you may well have a UTI but my advice would be to get in touch with Bladder Health UK, a fantastic charity based in Birmingham. The website has lots of information and they offer great support. I do hope you get sorted out , good luck.

https://www.chronicutiinfo.com/chronic-uti-facts/chronic-uti-explained/

Painful bladder syndrome was disproved by the great work of the late Professor Malone Lee.
You have a chronic UTI.

I have suffered from recurrent and chronic UTI my whole life so am very well informed about this.

Didn’t mean to be derogatory, more trying to stop another woman being misdiagnosed and so falling into the trap of a lifetime of pain when it’s treatable.

Sorry you’re so anxious OP and hope you get a viable diagnosis you can work with. Meanwhile, try drinking more water and cutting back on caffeine.

@PatienceOfEngels how did you figure out that that's what was causing it?

You say you were diagnosed with Chlamydia 6 months ago @lockost - did you have treatment? I would go back and check you haven't been reinfected.

Whilst you are waiting to get seen at GUM it won't hurt to take Nitrofurantoin- I take it regularly and tolerate it very well. You can also take probiotics too.

@itsnotyouagain I meant I'd been tested and clear 6 months ago, not that I had chlamydia

Kidney stones? Could be that it has migrated to the bladder and is causing the cystitis related symptoms. This may sound grim, but I recommend peeing through a sieve and seeing if you pass anything. Drink plenty of water too .

If you start to feel worse please seek medical attention. UTIs/cystitis/stones are miserable. Hope you feel better soon.

Apologies for the misunderstanding. If you have been sexually active since you were tested I'd get checked out at the GUM. It is their speciality!

This is spot on.
I had symptoms of UTI but all tests were negative. My CA125 was raised so I was referred for scans and saw a gynaecologist who thought it might be interstitial cystitis and she sent me to a urologist.
The urologist was very dismissive of lab tests for UTIs. He said that's what I had and it should be treated as such. He didn't think it was interstitial cystitis.
Also told me to drink cranberry all the time. (I can't as it's too acidic for my stomach problems but I take cranberry tablets and drink lots and lots of water.)

Agree with a lot of this. Poor DS has had a few UTIs. They never show on tests but have always responded to antibiotics.(Doctors in the past have prescribed based on symptoms. It's now more difficult to persuade some, although pretty obvious imo what the problem is given they've previously responded and there have been years in between episodes- the last time we had to see a private GP for a prescription which worked in a day or so).
There have been various research studies, I think, stating that diagnostic tests are pretty hit and miss. I'd definitely try antibiotics ( I have personally always needed these to clear UTIs) and would then take d mannose as suggested up thread to prevent further flare ups.

Do you have diabetes?

£20 for 14 d mannose tablet is extortionate! You can get 180 for £12 from nuke nutrition

I had this yrs ago.Funny stop start peeing.Heavyness down in pelvis.
Tests were clear but I woke up feeling hideous pain and weeing blood in urine as a stone was being passed.!!
Had tests to rule out any nasty bladder things and scan shows kidney stones.

Agreed, painful bladder syndrome definitely does exist. I’ve had it for about 8 years now. It was very painful for 6 months or so then it’s been controlled and now only bothers me mildly every now and then.

Sounds to me however, like a UTI and agree what others have said about the tests not being accurate. If the doctors won’t give you tablets, I’d go to a pharmacist and describe UTI symptoms and get some nitrofuriton tablets. I’d push to be given enough though, standard dose used to be up to 7 days now generally it’s 3 which doesn’t always work and then the problem remains.

Once you’ve got rid of a possible infection, D Mannose is good taken every day to stop bacteria sticking to the wall of your bladder.

If it is painful bladder syndrome, diet is used to help control it. Means cutting out acidic foods, spice, alcohol. If tablets don’t work it might be worth keeping a food diary and seeing if anything triggers it. https://www.ichelp.org/understanding-ic/diet/foods-to-avoid/

Also, I’m not sure I read how old you are, but if you’re anywhere near perimenopause age it could be hormonal which the GP should be able to help with.

I've been taking d mannose for 2 weeks after I had a uti that lingered, even after 3 days of antibiotics from the pharmacy. The uti has now cleared up perfectly so I'd definitely recommend d mannose too. Got from amazon in a black packet, take 2 in the morning and 2 at night so its a 2 week course.

Boots or any pharmacy will prescribe antibiotics for a uti.

Have you tried this? Please do before continuing to suffer.