Recurrent UTI symptoms and unexpected bleeding after several courses of antibiotics

[Kirstymariex]

i would love some advice! i’m at my wits end!

UTI 15th may just bladder pain and no other symptoms i was given 3 days nitro
may 16th - period (normal)
cultures inbetween normal, mixed growth, red cells i think was 46uL
after the 3 days nitro i was given 7 days cefalexin
then i did an a&e visit, Blood test said high crp neutrophils was up slightly and white cells if i remember correctly. They said infection
7 days co-amoxiclav which i finished last wednesday!
by friday i had nitrites in my urine again.

the same Friday morning i started to bleed upon wiping firstly, then it got a little heavier, few clots in the toilet, little specs of clots on tissue with bright red blood this happened like this for around 48hrs which has now tapered down to just a bit upon wiping.
speculum in today said vaginal bleeding not coming from
urethra. Microscopy showed 19700 red blood cells and 125 white blood cells! Awaiting culture to come back but i’d love to hear any other experiences i have health anxiety and i am spiralling so badly x

bump x

I’ve a long history of recurrent UTIs but have never been given this amount of info from blood tests or cultures. With that kind of in-depth info you really need to talk through the results with a health professional. I suspect many (including me!) would have no idea about the 19700 Red and 125 white cells and what that actually means.

FWIW HRT sorted mine out as it was menopause. Prior to that (in my 20s) it was recurrent UTIs and I was on low dose Nitrofurantoin for a year to shift it. Also hygiene, making sure washing after a BM, cotton underwear drinking plenty so hydrated and peeing after sex.

No advice to offer but just my complete sympathy! It's so miserable having a UTI. I have (I think!) just got over my third UTI since February, just finished a course of trimethoprim- I too have a touch of health anxiety so I know how you feel. As I am 43 I have been prescribed oestrogen cream, as well as HRT which I intend to start in the next few days - I am hoping this may help, and that perimenopause has been a contributing factor as I have never suffered from them until now.

Is my maths correct in that you started bleeding again around day 20 of your cycle?

day 27 x

i am at my wits end honestly!
i had 3 days nitrofurentoin at the beginning but then 14 days of 2 different antibiotics which im assuming didnt work just maybe kept it at bay as while i was on co-amoxiclav my urine came back clear and fine.
a day off them and i had nitrites in my urine!

i think im worried about the bleed i had. Period 16th may which was normal, then a bleed 12th june lasted 4 days. Didn’t seem like a normal period to me, it wasn’t really in my pad, didn’t turn brown like it normally would just bright red, passed a few small clots and now it’s tapered off/gone.

it’s put me right off sex or doing anything that could trigger anything!😟 i just want my life back.
I am seeing my GP friday which i’m going to ask her about hiprex/long term antibiotics and see what she says. This has been absolutely debilitating to say the least, i didn’t realise just how much they can really make you unwell. I hope your feeling better and your treatment plan works x

So why is that unusual bleeding? Isn't that just your period?

Your period could have very easily changed in cycle length, flow and duration due to the stress of infections and all the antibiotics you've been on.

it didn’t feel like a period to me just didn’t seem like a normal cycle for me.
it was pooling inside me but wasn’t coming into my pad or anything.
i’m wondering if it’s from all the stress and antibiotics i’ve had

sorry, edited above to say exactly that. I would at the very least wait til your infection is under control and monitor next 2-3 cycles to see more what you're dealing with.

It just really worried me as i’m not normally early im usually 29-33 days it does vary although i know it was only 27 days but it didn’t act like a normal period which i thought was strange i also don’t usually pass clots.
it’s made me extremely nervous. I am scared to do anything incase it comes back.
my period is due in the next day or two so if i bleed again i know thats going to panic me x