Should I go to the doctor today?

[MagentaRocks]

I think I have a UTI. Last night it was awful. Had the urge to wee but couldn’t go properly, when I managed to go a little bit there was a lot of pain and I started with a little bit of blood, just a tinge on the toilet paper and then a few hours later when I managed to go a little bit the blood was a lot darker and brighter. It was so painful. I have never had one before so it was unexpected.

I planned to get up early today and showered so I can ring the doctor and hopefully get an appointment today but I can wee ok this morning and it doesn’t feel as painful although I got up half an hour ago and have been to the toilet four times already.

Should I ring the doctors anyway and try to get some antibiotics? I don’t want it to get worse again today and then be too late to get a doctors appointment but I have never had one before so I don’t know if it is normal for it to be really bad then ok again and if it will get worse without treatment. I am going away Friday so I really don’t want to be suffering while I am away, it is ok at home because I can try to go to the toilet when I need to but when away and doing stuff it will be a little more difficult.

Oh definitely get treated! It can travel up to the kidneys if you don’t and you definitely don’t want that.

I don't know about your doc but mine just ask you to bring in a sample then ring you back when it's tested. If it's a UTI you can then collect a script. No need to see a HCP. It does sound like you still have one though, my sympathies.

Thank you. I was thinking about the long term issues and had read it can travel to your kidneys so I will ring the doctor as soon as it opens and make sure I am ready for an appointment whenever they can give me one. Hopefully if I get some antibiotics I will get most of the symptoms gone before I go away. It’s typical, I am on leave from work, just had a lovely weekend away with family and away again Friday with other family and was planning on a nice few days in between doing stuff but I will wait and see how it goes once I get hold of the doctors.

Ring them as soon as they open, as previous poster said ours will just let you bring a sample down without an appointment so they may just say to do that.

Yes yes. Call them and hopefully all you’ll need to do is give them a sample for them to dip test. Lots of water in the meantime to try and flush it out a bit.

Most treat UTI without needing an appointment - you drop off a sample they give antibiotics. The sample is so they can check they have given you the correct antibiotics

Its an easy one (if caught early) to treat regarding appointments. Should never be left though as can have horrible side effects

Rang as soon as it opened. They have put me on the list for a call from a doctor so will get a call in an hour to an hour and a half. Hopefully they will just do a prescription and I can go and pick it up.

Doctor was great. Rang me by 0815, he has done me a prescription. Went to pick it up at the chemist but not there, but they said it can take a couple of hours to go through so DH is going to pick it up at lunch time for me. I can’t seem to go ten minutes without being desperate for the loo so don’t want to leave the house. I have to take in a sample in three weeks so they can check it because if the blood.

Thanks for all your advice, I am one of those that doesn’t like to bother the doctors so I needed someone to tell me I needed to do it so I didn’t feel like a time waster.

Drink lots of water, pints of the stuff. It helps wash out the problem, and helps with the stinging too.

Thanks. I have been drinking a lot this morning. When I need to see I either can not wait or I think I can’t wait and then sit there with the stinging. The blooding is worse too so I will be spending the next few days at home now. I have my antibiotics and just taken the first one so hopefully in a couple of days it will be a lot better.

You can take paracetamol if you're in pain OP. I have UTIs frequently and they're awful

And pour warm water over yourself as you wee. That dilutes everything even more. It's miserable, but will be over soon.

Paracetamol and warm water sounds good. I will take a container to the bathroom so I can do the warm water thing. Thank you. I never thought a UTI would be like this. I am 45 and this is the first time so I haven’t done bad to not have one before as I understand they are quite common.

I'm prone to cystitis. Although since I've upped my water intake to 2 litres a day I've not been hit lately. (Touch wood) it's the worst thing, truly agonising and constantly needing a pee awful. Like pp's have said drinks LOTS of water, warm water poured over whilst peeing, paracetamol and hot water bottles in between my legs helped me. Hoping it keeps getting better x

Weirdly I never used to drink much water, and drank way too much Diet Coke, for the last couple of months I have only had one can of Diet Coke a day and drunk water the rest of the time. This weekend I haven’t had much water as we were away so lots of Diet Coke and vodka and not much water. I wonder if that is why I have got this.

Ouch. You could get some of the cystitis sachets too. They sell them in the pharmacy. They taste a bit gross, but they reduce the stinging.

Make sure you're emptying your bladder fully, which is harder when it's sore. My GP recommended sitting backwards on the loo. So you sort of straddle it facing the wall. Then lean forward with your forearms on the cistern. It puts your bladder at a different angle and can help make sure every drop comes out. Also pause after you think you've finished and then try again.

I hope the antibiotics get to work quickly

Pain has eased already and the bleeding isn’t so bad so I feel happier, I am a bit feverish and having a bit of pain in my back which I assume is the kidneys but I think it is getting better.

That's good.