UTI? Leucocytes but nothing else showing.

[SirVixofVixHall]

I'm having some general health issues at the mo- Auto immune thryoid stuff, raised liver enzymes. Anway, for a week I have had UTI symptoms, along with feeling as though I have a temp, but my temp is normal. I have dip sticks here (as I live in fear of a kidney infection having had one a couple of years ago). Dip shows leucocytes in urine, but nothing else. Last time I had this the GP said that leucocytes were more indicative of inflammation than infection, so I held off the anti-bs and it resolved. I will go to the gP if it goes on much longer, but can anyone shed any light on this? Why do i feel rough but not actually have a temp, and why the leucocytes but no nitrites?
Any thoughts?

When I was working as a midwife we saw this all the time. If we sent these samples to the lab for analysis 9times out of 10 the report said the urine was contaminated by vaginal secretions. If you can collect a truly sterile midstream specimen and it still shows leukocyte so and you are still symptomatic then ask your GP to send the specimen to the lab.

Meantime of course drink plenty of fluids. Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you. I took one straight after my bath last night so it should have been pretty clean. Leucocytes were one level down from the max shade, but no protein, blood, nitrites etc. Although even when I have had a full on infection (a couple of times in the past, including the kidney infection) with the works, it never cultures anything, which I don't understand. I am drinking plenty of water and taking cranberry capsules.

You could have a biofilm infection which won't show up in a standard culture. Those dipsticks are useless according to my dr ( she specialises in women's health/ uti). There are many, many women who have these types of infections that look clear on the standard tests.

Oh. I've never heard of that. What should I do ? My GP will just diptest my urine, and if it shows anything send it to the lab to culture, but last time there was so culture anyway.

Still going on, leucocytes, but nothing else. I left a sample at the gP, but their dip (and mine) of that sanple showed clear, I had the odd clear one, but back to lots of leucocytes now. I feel less ill though. I really really want to avoid anti biotics, but live in fear of a kidney infection.

The problem is that even the samples that get sent off to be cultured are just a snap shot of what's going on at that particular moment; if you did a wee two hours later, for example, it may show something different. And with a biofilm infection, the bacteria is not floating around, it tends to be within the biofilm, so a culture may show nothing. There is no easy answer to the problem, I'm afraid but you're sensible to avoid antibiotics unless specific bacteria has been detected or you may end up making the problem worse. I feel for you, it's a bloody pain!