Uti question

[Caf123]

So I started with symptoms last Sunday and by Monday pm decided to get advice - had 3 day dose of Nitrofurantain. So now a week on it’s better definitely but I still get some mild stinging at the end of a wee……not every time. Does it just take a while for things to settle down or does this mean I haven’t shifted it and need to go back to the gp? Thank you! Taking d mannose in the mean time and some sachets

Probably go back to the GP. When that happened to me, I thought it must just be residual discomfort from the infection. Turned out to just be the infection and it came back even worse a few days later.

hi there did the surgery send a urine specimen?
unfortunately a lot of bugs are resistant to nitro so calms things down but doesn't cure the infection.
i'd call the surgery and ask for the bottle form etc to send a specimen if you haven't done this.
if you have ask the gp to review the results.
good luck

I had the same, and three months later I am still dealing with the aftermath. Turns out it was probably multiple infections (first on MacroBid, then Ciprofloxacin, now Trimethroprim), and my urologist (because that was the only way to get to the bottom of things, excuse pun) has now put me on a course of Hiprex for several months alongside the Trimethroprim. It appears to be working in a way the previous treatments didn't, and I'm hoping this will finally clear it. The urologist told me that many women have to deal with complex infections, including multiple strains of bacteria and embedding in the urinary tract.

I hope you get sorted soon!

Btw, the sachets were doing damage - my urologist told me to come off them immediately. The reason for this is that my urine was too alkaline, and that's the atmosphere that bacteria breeds. The problem is that alkaline wee also burns, so you think it's acid. So please ask them to check pH levels too, which should be slightly south of "7". (Mine was 8.)

I'm almost certain that bacteria breed in acidic urine, over the counter medication is geared towards alkalising the urine for this very reason. It's why cranberry juice (and most other fruit juice) doesn't help uti's, it makes them worse because of the citric acid. Lemon water is useful because it turns to alkaline in our system, thus alkalising the urine.

But to answer your question OP, it'd be a good idea to get another culture done or check if the lab results have come back from the first one. There's an amazing Facebook group if your on it, I think it's called Uti's no more or something similar. Been a while since I've been on it but it is full of useful information.

Thank you - I will speak to the gp tomorrow!

Three day courses don't shift it properly ime.

*Does bacteria thrive in acid or alkaline urine?

When the urine has less acid (more alkaline), there is a greater likelihood of bacteria growing at a rapid rate and as a result a bladder infection can occur more easily. So, it is beneficial to keep your urine naturally acidic.*
www.womenshealthspecialists.org/health-information/bladder-infections/

One of the important missing pieces in previous studies on uropathogen identification is urine pH. Conventionally, the acidic, average, and alkaline pH of urine is defined as 4.5–5.5, 5–6, and 6.5–8, respectively.7 Different bacteria may have particular uropathogenic properties that interact with host factors and result in different urine acidity. For example, despite the lack of large epidemiological evidence, urea-splitting organisms, such as Proteus species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have been shown to be associated with elevated urine pH.2,8 In a lab model, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, and Providencia rettgeri increased the urine pH above 8.3; Morganella morganii and Staphylococcus aureus elevated the urine pH to 7.4 and 6.9, respectively; and Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens, P. aeruginosa, and Providencia stuartii could only raise the urine pH to a maximum value of 6.4.9 A study even indicated that a urine pH of >7.5 is a single indicator of UTI.10
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1684118219301331

This is the great misapprehension, @CreatingHavoc because we've been taught that acid=bad and alkaline=good.

And one more:

Alkaline Urine: A Cause for Urinary Tract Infection Recurrence

So I now have three days of pivmecillinam hydrochloride - I could only speak to the duty nurse on the phone. If this doesn’t work I’ll insist on a sample to be sent away….

Bumping as I’m STILL getting the burning feeling at the end of having a wee. I have one ab left to take. I’ll call the doctors and insist on a sample being sent off. My home dip sticks things are clear and seem normal…..could it just be that things need to settle down if they’ve been inflamed?

@LaingsAcidTab that's really interesting. It goes against everything that I've previously read! How bizarre.

@Caf123 how are you doing now? Your gp really should have sent your sample off if the first lot of antibiotics didn't work. It's best practice to send them off if the first course doesn't clear it up.

Thanks for asking. The burning has finally disappeared since yesterday. Still have blood - microscopic- in the urine though and it all feels a bit “inflamed”. They sent a culture last Thursday which only took 24 hours on the dot to come back and that showed no bacteria! I’m going to pop another sample down there today as I still would like to know why I have blood….

I did take a thrush Tablet on Saturday - I’m wondering if that was something to do with the burning? No visible signs of thrush but I read that you don’t always have discharge etc

I always have blood for a while afterwards. The gp normally request a follow up sample after a couple of weeks to check if the blood is still there or not. It's always gone away for me.

Oh that’s really good to hear thank you - I guess it just all feels a bit sore now so maybe irritated