Constant UTI's!

[EssJayyCee]

Hi all!

I am always getting uti's despite drinking LOADS of water all the time. Cleaning before and after sex and peeing before and after sex. Also use the sachets from the pharmacy. I've tried everything!

I go to the doctors and they say they don't like giving antibiotics so try get rid of it at home. I go away and it becomes worse. I go back to the doctors and finally get some antibiotics. They work for a bit and then I get them again! And the cycle starts again!
I get a UTI almost every month!

Is there anything I can ask the doctor to do?

I read on the nhs website if they are reoccurring they would put a prescription on standby but there is never that option when I'm in the doctors surgery!

I have been to the doctors about 10 times in the last 8 months all for the same thing! I'm sick of getting these bloody infections!

I don’t know how helpful this is but you can go into many boots pharmacies and they will give you anti biotics for UTI’s. Saves going to the doctor. They are really rubbish at referring people for proper help. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful

Hi, I had this above 6 years ago (it was just before o had kids) I was getting constant utis going to the docs and begging for trimethoprim as it was the only one that would get rid of it quickly and without the nasty side effects. Eventually I got referred to a specialist who said that I had some kind of chronic chemical induced uti caused by all of the antibiotics I'd been on, they'd irritated my bladder so much they were actually now causing my utis if that makes sense. Are you actually testing positive for a uti in your urine each time? If your not maybe try giving your bladder a break from the antibiotics for a bit and let it heal, it's killing the good bacteria in there just like it does your gut and it's a viscous cycle. I know it's easier said than done!! Like you I was healthy and drinking water like a hippo it was so frustrating xx

I had the same. Was referred onto urology but that was just loads of waiting round, tests and no solutions for a year but maybe better where you are. I also went private which was better and interestingly I had a negative uti test at nhs doctors but a strong positive test from private doctors who then gave me antibiotics and some spare at it went. The only thing that improved mine where longer term antibiotics but I found it very hard to get help on NHS.

You do need AB's for a UTI, no matter what the doctor says.

Once you have totally got rid of it, start taking cranberry capsules every day as a preventative. They won't cure an existing UTI but they will prevent you from getting them repeatedly.

Are they UTI’s you’re getting or cystisis? I get recurring cystisis. It’s an irritation of the urethra rather than an infection. Same symptoms (burning when peeing, needing to pee all the time but barely anything coming out etc). I went on holiday in August and I had it four times!

I have had many actual UTI’s in the past and been on pretty much every antibiotic. The last time I had a proper infection, I had to try 3 different ones until we found one that worked. However one time I went to the doctor as I though I had one again and after a urine sample test, there was no protein found meaning there was no infection so they told me that antibiotics wouldn’t help.

I do everything they said to do including peeing straight after sex, not using perfumed soaps and that kind of thing but I still get a bout of cystisis at least once a month, if not more. When I feel it coming on or I get it and want to get rid asap, I use the sodium citrate sachets. They take a little while to work but they always work for me. They taste like crap but worth it when you’re in pain. I would imagine if your doctor is saying you don’t need antibiotics, it’s cystisis you’re getting. Apparently it’s very common in women as we have particularly short urethras and some women’s are shorter still meaning they will be more prone to getting it more often. It’s very frustrating because it’s not something you can really get rid of.

If it IS in fact a UTI, then I would get a second opinion as left untreated, it can cause bladder infections which are even less fun

Oh and just to add, with recurring cystisis, you can be put on a lifelong medication which you have to take every day, just keeps away any bacteria. Or there are tablets you can take before/after sex if that’s what the primary cause of the cystisis is but I suppose it depends on how bad you get it and how frequently as to whether or not you want to be on a long term medication

I too am a life long sufferer of UTI’s & Cystitis. After years of taking different Anti’s I’d had enough!
My GP referred me into Urology as many of my wee samples came back “negative” - I had a Cyctoscopy, followed by a Urethral Strech as they found my Urethra to be very narrow. Recovery took me about 6months in full, but since then I’ve been immensely better.
I read somewhere that they do not perform this surgery as often these days, mine was 16 years ago, it might be worth another chat with your GP to be referred for specialist advice. Btw - a herbal remedy tablet called D-Mannose is helpful in preventing UTI (google)