Signs of kidney infection?

[holymoly56]

Woke up wit some lower left back pain today. Nothing excruciating but feels like a sprain type of pain. Just above the bum cheek area. Didn’t even think kidney infection but I’ve needed to pee fairly regularly today as well. Never had a kidney infection before so not sure if these are typical
signs? No fever or other symptoms.

I ignored that pain for a couple of days. Finally went to the doctors. Bad kidney infection. Took three months out of my life while I recovered.

Was yours lower back too? Genuinely don’t feel unwell, just back pain. It was only when needed a few extra pees it crossed my mind

I too ignored the pain, hospitalised on morphine with a kidney stone blocking my ureter. Spent Christmas in a ward ( tbf the nurses were lovely! ) with a drip of antibiotics until they could operate as the stone wouldn't budge. Not saying you have kidney stones but definitely go and get it checked as I'd had these pains before, ignored them and they could've prevented it

Kidneys would be higher up wouldn't they?

If it’s going to your bum cheek it could be a trapped nerve in your back. My friend got misdiagnosed with a kidney infection when it was a trapped nerve. Keep an eye. Visit GP. Drink plenty of water

I’ve had a couple of kidney infections, hospitalised with one. For me always preceded by a UTI and always with a fever and feeling bloody unwell.
you can get UTI urine tests from your chemist to check if you have one.

Yeah after reading up I feel like I would probably be feeling more unwell generally if it were a Lindsey infection and pain would be higher. Could be a uti though so I will definitely keep an eye.

Or could just be backache and too much coffee, who knows!

I think the pain would be higher up OP. Other signs include increased need to pee, coupled with inability to pass water when you try, and pain on passing it. Also flu like symptoms - muscle aches and pains, shivering and fever. If you suspect you have a UTI you need to get it checked before it progresses to a kidney infection as it’s easier to treat at an earlier stage.

So far I only have the backache and needing to pee a fair bit. But there’s no pain when I pee and it’s not cloudy or anything. Will definitely keep a close eye and if it gets worse I’ll get a sample to the doctors asap.

Don't leave it, if you think you have a UTI. I had a UTI in April 2020 (start of the pandemic), and I thought drinking loads of water would flush it though. I hadn't had a UTI for years, and left it too long before I sought help. By the time I spoke to my GP, I was in so much pain, I have had a baby, and that was a walk in the park in comparison. I was prescribed strong antibiotics, and told if I wasn't any better in the morning, I had to call my GP, and he would arrange for me to be admitted to hospital. I've had septicemia before, and was absolutely terrified the infection would turn into it. Thankfully the antibiotics worked, and I didn't end up in hospital. If you aren't sure, call your GP surgery tomorrow and ask for some antibiotics.

No pain. Just blood loss. Hospitalised with mine.

My symptoms started 2 weeks ago, needing to wee frequently for a couple of days, then very cloudy wee the next morning, went to pharmacist who gave me 3 days antibiotics. On day 2 I woke up in the night with pain under ribs, front, side and back. Phoned GP who Said come in and bring a sample, which she checked and gave me a longer course of antibiotics and because of the pain I am booked in for a CT scan and bloods taken. She checked my temperature which was fine so she said unlikely to be kidney infection. I am feeling a lot better after finishing antibiotics. Don’t leave it too long before getting checked or at least see a pharmacist.

I was hospitalised recently for a kidney infection. My symptoms were backache, UTI symptoms (I’m a sufferer of recurrent UTis unfortunately), high fever (mine spiked at over 39C), and generally feeling terrible. The doctors also pressed on the flank areas, which really hurt. You can do that yourself to see how it feels. In any case, I would recommended handing a sample in tomorrow at the GP just to double check. You don’t want to end up getting really unwell, especially at the weekend.

I may drop a sample in just to be safe. Does anyone know if you need an actual appointment or can you just ring and ask to drop a sample in for checking?

Apologies for the questions I’ve never had a uti or kidney infection before so I don’t really know what I’m looking for.

When I had a kidney infection, the pain was higher up than that and it was pretty bad pain. I also had an upset stomach and felt nauseous and had a fever. Didn't know what it was until I went to pee and it was dark red! Then called the out of hours GP and got antibiotics which worked pretty quickly.

Please go to your GP tomorrow to get checked out. My little
one had a kidney infection and he then also got sepsis. They can do a urine test at the Dr usually and then should be able to give you antibiotics.
I hope that you get better soon.

Your kidneys are more further up than you might think. UTIs manifest more with flank pain I believe you are right to seek medical advise and drop a sample into the GPs

Thankfully the pain in my lower back seems to have subsided this morning. Might have pulled it or slept oddly on it the previous night. I wasn’t up peeing in the night. It was mostly from about 5pm-10pm last night that the frequent peeing happened. I’ll keep an eye on that today. In the absence of pain, cloudy urine and general unwellness I don’t feel it’s too urgent to see the GP however if it gets worse over the weekend I believe some pharmacists can help.

Just to update. Although I’m feeling ok (back still niggles but haven’t been peeing as much) I thought I would try and drop a sample in the doctors just to be safe.
Couldn’t get through on the phone, was 13th in the queue for approx an hour so I decided to call into the surgery. Was told that they can’t test a sample without a doctor ordering it first for which I’d need an appointment but they didn’t have any. But they did say a pharmacist would do it. Great I thought.
So I rang a pharmacy and had a very rude lady tell me that they don’t do it. Tried another pharmacy and got a much nicer lady who explained that they don’t test the urine but a pharmacist can issue prescriptions following a consultation if they think it’s a UTI. Based on my symptoms they didn’t think it was but said to keep an eye on it.
No wonder people let it get to a stage where they are ill when it’s so hard to bloody get a diagnosis. Would be easier to order a strip off amazon and test it myself! Anyway I think it’s ok and my back issue is probably something else but thanks for all the helpful tips and experience.

I think if you had a UTI, you would feel generally unwell and have some discomfort/pain/burning when you pee. I don't think anyone doctor or pharmacist would take a urine sample for someone who's not actually showing any symptoms.

According to google and a lot of the people on this thread, backache and frequent peeing are symptoms. But yeah I suspect I’d be feeling much worse if it was a UTI and certainly if it were a kidney infection. My point was that it’s difficult to get a sample tested even if you are showing more symptoms (you need a doctor appointment which are not easy to come by here).