Please help

[diggermama]

Sorry, posting in AIBU for traffic, I’m at the end of my tether. Tale as old as time.

UTI mid December.

x3 different types of antibiotics and the UTI symptoms have gone but I have these weird crawling, tingling, aching sensations that come and go in my kidneys. One day I can be fine, the next very painful.

No temperature. No fever. No sickness. Just pains in my back. Quite high up, not flank pain.

I’ve taken Nitrofurantoin, Pivmecillinam and finally Cefalexin which I’ve just finished. Of course the lab refuses to run tests on the sample saying no UTI present.

What’s going on? Surely I can’t still have an infection after 3 types of antibiotics over nearly 4 weeks. How can I be UTI free but have these kidney pains? Any help or thoughts, I'd be so grateful.

None of us can advise you properly, talk to your doctor?

How are the lab saying no uti present without doing a test?
Out lab would do a test on any sample sent, but if it comes back clear then it’s something else, not a uti. If it was a uti then they would comment on what antibiotics were needed.
If they have already tested a sample and it’s clear then you need to stop taking unnecessary antibiotics, that is dangerous in the long run.

GP has done dipstick test, 2 separate occasions (as symptoms hadn't got better) deemed that antibiotics were needed, GP sent sample off for lab test but both times the lab said not cultured because of 'normal microscopy' and that there is no evidence of urinary infection

Get a urine culture done, try D Manose and ask your GP if you need further tests to rule out eg bladder cancer

If there's no sign of infection in the urine and you're still having pain, I'd go back to GP. I'm not a doctor but I would imagine that the doctor might do A) blood tests for kidney function and/or B) referral for a scan?

Thanks for your replies everyone. It's so difficult to get a GP appointment 😞 but I will try on Monday. Just wondered if anyone else had experienced the same.

any chance of endo or any gynae problems? Endo can grow on bladder etc

Hi there, I'm really sorry that you're going through this.
Have you looked into embedded / chronic UTI at all?
I If you scroll down this page you will see that the NHS acknowledges the condition which might be helpful for your discussion with your GP. They don't tend to show up on standard tests.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infections-utis/
And here's another link for you.
https://www.chronicutiglobalsupport.com/
I'm not a doctor and I'm not saying this is what you're dealing with necessarily but I have found on my own UTI journey that the more accurate information I have the better I've been able to advocate for myself with medical specialists.
I hope it goes well at your appointment and that you get relief soon. Take care.

I have Lupus SLE and it has attacked my urethra and kidneys twice. Meaning all the symptoms of a UTI and no infection markers, the first time this went on for weeks and weeks of discomfort until the waste in my kidneys built up to become Acute pyelonephritis that then turned into Sepsis,

second time I was able to to tell the doctors what was happening again and they spotted it and treated it right away, which meant a 3 night hospital stay instead of 15 nights.

Highly recommend you get your autoimmune markers checked, it can’t hurt.