UTI not getting better with anti-biotics

[BlueEyesUltimateDragon]

Last Tuesday, I felt that unmistakable feeling where I just couldn't go to the toilet enough. The week before I had thrush (treated with oral tablet and cream) and now this! Called the docs for an appt, they confirmed rbc, wbc and protein in urine and gave me 3 days of antibiotics. Started feeling better on the last day in the day time and then it all kicked off in the night, tummy cramps, couldn't sleep due to needing a wee constantly etc. Went back on Friday and had another urine sample, wbc and protein in urine, did a physical exam (some pelvic pressure/discomfort) and gave me another 3 days of a different anti-biotic. They have sent my urine off to the lab as well. The exact same thing has happened! Actually slept well last night, a couple of strong urges to wee in the day but nothing extreme and now, on this last evening of the anti-biotics, I'm unable to get out of the bathroom! I've resorted to sitting in a hot bath because it is unbearable.

I'll have to call them again tomorrow but what is going on? Has anyone had 2 sets of anti-biotics fail and, if so, what happened next? I'm utterly miserable here, any advice gratefully received.

Sounds like you need a 7 day prescription. Whenever I've had a uti I've always had 7 days worth. Maybe worth asking? Hope you feel better soon 😊

Kidney stone?

Stones can cause a UTI, equally they can sometimes be contributed to/affected by a UTI

My story is different as mine did appear to be getting better with the antibiotics but everytime I finished my course it kept coming back. It was during my last pregnancy, I got referred to a urogynae and it was a 4 week low dose cause of cefalexin that finally got rid of it. I was on antibiotics for 10 weeks on and off in total. I was prescribed nitrofurantoin numerous times which like I say appeared to be getting rid of it but never actually did.

Thank you for your replies :)

@rainbow616 I did think 3 days was a short course, if I can see a doctor tomorrow, I'll ask about a longer course.

@bellac11 I'm not sure about Kidney stones, I don't have any kidney area pain but something I will look into.

@mummyh2016 it is frustrating isn't it? I had nitrofurantoin first and now have trimeprothim. Like I said, with each course, I have started feeling better after the 4th dose and then it all goes downhill around the last dose! I think I'll have to ask for a longer course (and also see what the lab culture shows too)

If they give you a longer course and you think it has cleared up after the course make sure you take a sample back into your surgery for them to check. After the first 3 times I started to make a nuisance of myself and took samples in all the time.
And if you find you get a high temperature and start vomiting get seen straight away as it might have spread to your kidneys (mine did the first time because my useless surgery took too long to actually get me the antibiotics), I ended up in A+E.

I had a UTI for 6 weeks and kept going back, going back, going back, I did have pain in my back after a while and on the final evening was dismissed as having a 'bad back' and the predictable 'need to lose weight'

I was taken to A+E later that evening and it turned out to be stones.

I had something very similar OP. It actually lasted for a year and completely mangled my mental health. I had constant UTI symptoms, but, unlike you, clear samples.

My symptoms were solved with a daily antihistamine. After my first dose of antibiotics, my bladder was irritated and angry.

It would do you no harm taking an antihistamine while you're on your next course of antibiotics to let your bladder calm.

I have had antibiotics fail in the past, but usually, a longer dose combined with my urine sampled at a lab to find what bacteria I have kills it!

Please do report back OP. I wouldn't wish a UTI on my worst enemy.

I agree you likely need a longer course and may also need a different antibiotic. The antibiotic prescribed should be led by the lab results of the bacteria that is causing the infection, rather than guess work.

ibuprofen helps me a bit with the inflammation/ pain.

hope you feel better soon. It’s absolutely miserable 😣

Thanks all, I've been awake since 1:30am feeling like I'm bursting for the toilet, stomach pains of various types (stabby, aching etc) and now flitting between feeling hungry and then nauseous. Counting down until I can call the docs again at 8:30am, hopefully they'll have some ideas!

Yes this happened to me very recently! What did you take? A three day course of Nitfirantonin gave me relief for about a day, then it came back strong as ever. Had to go on a five day course of ciprofloxacin.

@Bestbigbirthday I also had the 3 day course of nitrofurantoin and I've just finished a 3 day course of trimeprothim and each time I had some relief on the 2nd day and then the last day was worse than ever! Glad to hear yours cleared up eventually, I'm hoping my docs will help today, I'm desperate! My bits have been not their usual self for 2 weeks now!

Just an update - saw a great doctor who re-read all previous notes and took a thorough history. My urine culture didn't grow any bacteria but she thought that was because I'd already had 3 days of anti-biotics so it had partially cleared. She ordered another culture (has come back clear), a work up of bloods to check kidneys (all come back normal) and I started a 7 day course of co-amoxiclav on Monday. Thursday and Friday finally brought relief, everything felt almost normal again. Until last night (Friday night) when it came out of no where and I was awake the entire night (no exaggeration, I was texting my DH on his night shift all through the night complaining) and I was on the toilet every 30 minutes but as soon as I got back in bed, I was desperate again.
My stomach has been a mess (nauseous, bloated, sore) presumably from the tablets and I have had intermittent back pain but I don't known if it is unusual as I have an old back injury as well. I've also been exhausted (even when I have been sleeping). I still have 6 more doses of anti-biotics but if it doesn't stop, I guess I'll be back down the doctors again :( I'm absolutely gutted and quite honestly I feel depressed, every minute of the day is consumed by thinking of needing a wee and being uncomfortable. No sign of a fever although I've had a couple of night sweats last night but they subsided after a short while.
Off to the toilet again now :(

Edit to add: and I have neck pain as well but probably because I've been so tensed up at night trying to sleep. I'm just in a real pickle over here.

@BlueEyesUltimateDragon hello OP, I know this is an old thread but any chance you may see this as I would love to know how you got on with this, as currently going through something similar atm!

Hi @Lilo2! Sorry to hear you are suffering too! So since all this I've been officially diagnosed with Lichen Sclerosus which can cause itching and irritation and can feel incredibly similar to thrush. No one knows what triggers it but stress could be a factor, as well as thrush/uti - basically any disruption down there!
I had these symptoms from the start of my thread until December and then they eased off. However, they all started again in mid Feb, treated for Thrush again and lichen sclerosus flared up badly. It's also been noted I have a prolapsed bladder - cue absolute breakdown as GP seemed very unbothered by it. I saw a private pelvic floor physio and she graded it as grade 1 (mild) and I have exercises to help - she said this is likely why I feel like I can't empty my bladder fully. With regards to the urge and frequency, she believes I may have bladder pain syndrome which will take some time to sort and she thinks it was probably set off by the very first, resistant UTI I had from this thread.
I'm slowly feeling a bit better, the LS is back under control and I just have to persevere with the BPS but it should also get better eventually.
I'm also seeing a urologist because I have had microscopic blood in every urine sample since this started (last one being 2 weeks ago) so I'm booked for a cystoscopy but the consultant was quite sure that it will show nothing untoward.

Sorry thats a lot of info! I've been through the wringer the last few months!

If you are happy to talk about it, what has been happening for you? I feel like I've read so much about bladders since this, maybe I should go into urology 😅

Hello @BlueEyesUltimateDragon thanks so much for responding and great to hear you now have some answers / are on a road to recovery! Really happy for you.
I have had the most horrendous UTI following my labour (convinced it’s due to the catheter). Nothing seemed to get rid of my UTI I have been on 4 different antibiotics 😔 recently saw a urologist and am hoping the antibiotic he has given has done something but it’s so hard to tell as all my nhs tests keep coming back as ‘no significant growth’ even though I still have my symptoms! Just finding the whole thing very stressful and it’s causing me a lot of anxiety! Hopefully I get to get to close the matter very soon!

Same happened to me last autumn.

I ended up with 2 X 10 day prescriptions.

I had this but it turned out to not be an infection at all it was an inflamed bladder and urethra. It was called interstitial cystitis and it was cured completely by discovering a food intolerance. It could be gluten, maybe try giving up the usual allergy culprits if it still doesn't go away?

could it be an sti? failing that kidney stones/ infection

@bottomsup12 and @hangingonfordearlife1 not for me, i wish it was that straightforward but have been told it’s ecoli in my bladder x

I've had similar symptoms to you for over two years and on the morning of my cytoscopy operation, the Consultant sent me home as I'd been on Solifenicin for a good few months at that point, prescribed by him, for what he decided was a 'spasming bladder'. I hadn't had any symptoms for a while. I'd never heard of a 'spasming bladder' before and yes I'd 'Dr Googled' everything prior to that. He just said there was no point in risking infection via an exploratory op, so I was more than happy to be sent home. I had about a year of no problems, but hey ho, it's now back. He did say the cold affected a spasming bladder, so perhaps that's what has triggered it again. I always get a pain low in the pelvis to the right side. And wee at least twice an hour at the moment 😌

@Lilo2 sorry you are suffering so much! With mine, my cultures have never returned any growth at all and the only one that hasn't been sent was my very first UTI sample (although the doctor said it lit up the dipstick so was no question it was a UTI). I wonder, if yours isn't showing growth either, perhaps it could be interstitial cystitis as well? Essentially a UTI without the infection is how I understand it.

@abracadabra1980 sorry you are also suffering again - I haven't heard of spasming bladder, is it the same as interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome? I often have a low abdo pain, similar to period pain. I'm finally starting my bladder diary today so need to record when I have the pain but I often have it when I'm in bed which is rubbish! Since starting the pelvic floor exercises, I have noticed improvement in my urine flow and urge though, hoping it isn't just coincidental and I have actually helped it!

@bottomsup12 that is so interesting! Could a food intolerance start so suddenly? My symptoms seem to flare up when I get an episode of thrush (which I am now more prone to since I have a steroid cream for the Lichen Sclerosus). Before all this, I'd only ever had 1 bout of thrush and 1 UTI in my entire 32 years of life but now I always seem to be in some sort of lady problems. It all started very suddenly in October 2023 though, totally out of no where and I've never had anything like this before.

Go back to the GP, they will prescribe you a longer course and a different antibiotic. It happens often that the antibiotic just doesn’t work against this type of bacteria. Did they analyse your urine sample in the lab? This would give a better indication which antibiotic likely will work. UTIs can be caused by a range of bacteria and they don’t all respond to the same antibiotic.
I’ve struggled a lot with UTIs in the past and went through a lot of different antibiotics…sympathy, UTIs are utterly miserable.

Yes I believe a bladder in spasm is the same thing as interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (that's possibly an American term). I'm racking my brains as to what he said had possibly caused it as it was two years ago but I'm sure he said internal scar tissue can affect it (I've had an appendix removed, a laparoscopy and a cesarean). He said if the Solifenicin (which are actually described as a drug to stop bladder spasms) didn't work, there were other meds I could try. I've got a GP appointment in a week to discuss as like I said the pain is back again. It's not horrendous, but 'uncomfortable' and annoying when I'm working. I did keep a food diary too, but it just identified the even when I switched to de-caff everything and drank more water, it made no difference. I'm sure I'm right in saying Solifenicin can take a few months to have any effect.