UTIs, silly doctor and first time pregnancy panic...

[mcsquared]

This is probably more a rant than anything but given that I am still annoyed now, I should get it out of my system! Sorry to be such a bore...

I managed to get a lovely UTI on Sunday morning and being quite prone to them I knew exactly what to do, start drinking lots and having plenty of cinnamon tea and then it usually resolves on its own within 24-48 hrs. Alas, after feeling better overnight, by Monday lunchtime it was a lot worse so I decided to call NHS direct. They didn't seem to worried, even though I mentioned I was pregnant, and said someone would call back in 12 hours. I thought rather than risk a kidney infection right now I'd go to the walk-in centre.

So I walked a mile there, knackered and without any dinner, waited an hour to be seen (and had a waiting room full of people give me odd looks as I kept going to the loo), gave a sample and thought HOORAY I'M GETTING SOME DRUGS AND WON'T BE SO MISERABLE! I didn't mind the wait if it meant getting the care I needed!

Alas, no. I then walked another mile to the late night pharmacy to get my prescription filled and the pharmacist (bless him) pointed out that trimethoprim isn't safe for use during pregnancy.

I wanted to cry.

I then walked another two miles back home, nauseus and upset. : ( Tried to force down some cheese on toast having not eaten anything but lunch all day.

Then I started googling and it turns out the pharmacist is right. So I got angry. Also turns out cinnamon tea isn't great to drink during pregnancy. But I was so unwell and without medication that I had to just do what I knew worked and made myself some more.

Feeling a lot better today miraculously so didn't end up phoning the walk-in centre for another prescription. Hoping it's the end of it now and I wake up with a happy bladder tomorrow!

What a horrible day for you!

How pregnant are you? Trimethoprim is OK after the first trimester, it is unsafe before that because it is a folate inhibitor. I had it during the second trimester a few weeks ago (for a bladder infection that would not respond to amoxicillin) and the GP showed me the entry in the book they use, to prove it was safe (I think he thought I didn't trust him!!!). If you are in the first trimester, then they do indeed need a slap for prescribing it.

I do hope you feel better tomorrow. UTIs are really grim.

Aww thanks Catsycat! I'm around 6-7 weeks I think. The pharmacist asked me why I was only prescribed 100mg (usual is 200mg apparently) and I said maybe due to pregnancy? So he then checked and flat out refused to give it to me without double checking with doctor (and it was 9pm by then so walk in centre was closed).

I'm not sure whether to complain. : ( I trusted that doctor and had the pharmacist not noticed the dose, I'd have taken it without questioning it. Told DH I'll be googling everything from now on!

Hoping it goes and I'll ask nurse to check my urine sample this Fri for any lovely remnants.

I'm so used to UTIs that they usually don't bother me, I put up with the pain and wait it out! But reading all the scary things about being more prone to kidney infections in pregnancy really made me panic!

Well, yes, in that case I would complain. Good job the pharmacist was paying attention! Sometimes it does pay to Google...

Let's hope it's gone for good!

Hi, sorry you're having such a rough time.

Trimethoprim is believed to be safe even in first trimester (as long as you are taking folic acid, not known to have a folate deficiency and not taking any other drugs that interfere with folate antagonism). The risk is theoretical, and has not been documented in humans as far as I am aware (and must have been prescribed many times over the years by accident - it's a very old drug), and you would only take it for a few days. The Health Protection Agency recommend it in their antibiotic guidance to GPs (2nd line though). www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1279888711402 On the other hand, you were prescribed the wrong dose.

UTIs can increase the risk of pregnancy complications, so please make sure you get some suitable antibiotics soon unless you're sure you are feeling completely better.

PS I would also mention to your midwife, they will probably want to recheck a urine sample. Good luck with everything, hope you're better soon.

oh mc thats horrid. walking all that way feeling so grim. hope you stay well. i took a craberry capsule nearly every day during first tri and part of second as kept thinking may get infection, haven't had any so far. get some in and take as prevention. the juice is full of sugar so avoid that.

Hugs to you all, thank you!

I wasn't feeling better today so I called the walk-in centre and asked if a doctor could call me back and prescribe me something else (given that I'd already been seen and assessed and wee'd in a cup) - they said as I'm not registered, I'd have to go back there and they can't do phone consultations! This wasn't my mistake! I went and waited and they should either rectify an error or at least reassure me the medication I was prescribed is OK to take.

I thought sod that and called the new GP practice I've registered with, which is in another city 100 miles away! (I'm moving next week but registered with the new GP early because I found out I was pregnant and panicked). The doctor did call me back but on my mobile when I asked to be called at work as I'd left my phone at home! Now it's closed. : (

I now have the option of going back to walk-in or waiting it out until tomorrow. I've tried NHS direct because I've gotten antibiotics over the phone before that way (it was amazing, the doctor called back within an hour and faxed a prescription to the local pharmacy), but they don't seem to be taking it too seriously and it's anything up to 12 hrs for a call back! DH wants me to call in sick tomorrow and drive up there tonight and see GP tomorrow but I have loads to finish before I leave next week (big project on Tues) and I'm off on Friday. I know my health should come first but I work in the NHS and me not finishing my reports and referrals impacts on patient care. : (

I've picked the worse time to be sick. : ( I'm panicking about getting a kidney infection and I'm on day 4 of infection now. Usually it's resolved by day 4 if it is going to go on its own.

Might just keep calling NHS direct.

YESSSS!!!

Got the most sympathetic health advisor on the phone who is going to get a nurse to call me back asap. Ahhh just to have someone take me seriously is enough!!

Hope it gets sorted soon. UTI's when you're pg are no joke, and being taken seriously should be the default position IMHO!!! Glad you found someone who has a good attitude at last!

Thank you! They put me in touch with an out of hours dr who's going to call me back. It's so awkward being sick when you're away from your registered GP but hopefully they'll prescribe some alternative antibiotics and if it's before 10, there's a late night pharmacy I can drive to! Funnily enough I feel a lot better now! Though I keep saying that and then end up even worse hours later.

I have a sore back anyway and I keep thinking my normal back pain might be kidney pain but I don't think I'm that seriously ill - I'm hoping a kidney infection would be fairly obvious!

Thank you all for listening to my panic rants. : )

I've just taken some cefalexin after the lovely out of hours doctor faxed one to the local pharmacy. : )

He also told me to mention to the walk-in centre that what they did was actually potentially quite dangerous.

Sounds like a result then! Good for you! Hope you start to feel better soon.

Was going to say why the hell did NHS24 not get you to the out of hours?? I called when in 1st trimester for UTI symptoms including a bit of kidney pain and they didn't even put me through to the nurse on the phone just said go straight to the out of hours doc who will be available and did a urine test/got prescription. You should complain about the mis-prescription and poor service though! Glad you are feeling better!