Can I talk to you about my 8 yr old DD? UTIs etc

[Harumff]

Hi all, this is my first post but i've been a serial lurker for a while.
I don't have a specific question really, just wanted to get down what's been going on with my DD and see if anyone had any similar experiences.

Right from the start she had 'wee issues' - potty training was a nightmare and she wet the bed frequently til she was about 6. Around age 6 she also had a couple of UTIs and the GP sent us to have an ultrasound to check everything was ok and it was. They also gave us advice on the bedwetting etc and things slowly improved and we had a good year or so when the bedwetting was infrequent and i didn't notice any UTI symptoms (though to be honest she didn't have classic symptoms, e.g. fever, pain on weeing anyway).

Then last year she started having problems again - wetting the bed sometimes a few times a week then sometimes going a few weeks without wetting at all. She also regularly has 'damp' knickers during the day though rarely wets herself fully. The thing that really drew my attention though was the weird smell her wee had so last summer we went back to the GP and they tested and found she had a UTI again.

In the last 6 months she has had 4 positive tests and 4 lots of antibiotics and so got referred back to the hospital for an appointment which was yesterday. The Dr was great in that he has referred her for a renal scan (the type where they inject with a radioactive substance and then take pictures) to see if there's anything causing her problems. The only problem i had with him is I didn't think he was listening to all the other things I was telling him aside from the UTIs and I wanted to know if these were related as she didn't have these symptoms first time round. I guess we'll find out in time if the UTIs are resolved but it's niggling away at me. The other things she has been complaining of in the last 6 months are:

• bouts of tummy pains and feeling but not being sick (usually for a day or two every 3-4 weeks)
• aching legs that make her cry
• sore eyes
• general tiredness and whinginess
• occassional headaches

e.g. on saturday tea-time she started sobbing that she felt 'horrible' with all of the above and was teary for a couple of hours. But then went to bed and was fine all day yesterday. She has an infection at the minute so maybe that's causing it?

Sorry this is long, does this all sound like it's caused by the UTIs to you?

Thanks :o)

Will be watching this thread with interest. My DD is 6, and has some of the issues u describe OP.

No bed-wetting but I often notice her pants are a tiny bit damp/odour of urine, and she's always sort of 'fixing' herself, adjusting her underwear etc. She'll complain of feeling uncomfortable or 'weird' down below, or sometimes tummy pain. I have had her checked for a UTI before but she was all clear.

She goes to the toilet a MILLION times a day - before we eat dinner,
before a tv programme starts, before we go out to play, before a car
journey no matter how short etc etc, - I'd always put this down to just habit, or simply her personality (likes order, routine, and a bit highly strung!!!) but after seeing this thread I think I'll take her to the doctor again.

Thanks for all the advice, hutchblue, it's really helpful. We've been told some of those things but not all.

The tip on double-voiding sounds like a good one. Rather than going to the toilet many times a day with a weak bladder, I think she actually holds it too long - though with the damp knickers constantly she's obviously not managing to fully hold it that well!
She did have an ultrasound about two years ago but i don't think they checked her voiding - she had to have a full bladder throughout and they checked everything and said it was fine at the time.

She hasn't previously had prophylactic antibiotics but that's the plan this time - a 10 day course now then prophylactic from then until the doctor sees her after her scan results (about 2 months they reckon).

We were also told to give her probiotic yoghurt drinks, cranberry juice (which i'm now doubting!) and to shower her 'bits' daily rather than a bath.

I just hope the antibiotics do the job and i get my spritely girl back!

Faresplease, sorry you're having problems with your DD too, it can get really frustrating at times!

any update as my daughter is going through the same thing now??

Sounds like your DD is going to have a VCUG. This is going to look for reflux writhing the urinary system as this may help pin point the cause of many UTIs. As for the damp panties this can be a sign of UTIs increasing of need a wee I'm sure your a pro at all the signs.

Abdominal pains can also be caused by a UTI. They are horrible but try push plenty of water or juice and the more she wee's the better. It might be worth telling the school anytime she needs to wee leave her. My kids school and certainly growing up my school would pick and chose when they left someone go and use the toilet or not.