Have enterococcus uti. Scared.

Linda. Thank u for your response.  What is WBC?

I have vaginal atrophy burning symptoms only. Doc put me on estradiol. Been on it a month. Has helped but still feel weird down there and have some burning

Thank u Linda I see that WBC means whir blood count

So WBC is white blood count...it is on the urinalysis.....that is an indication if there is in fact an infection in the urinary tract.  I too had that symptom when which is what prompted me to get a urine test. I found a great salve I use that has helped as well as seen a pelvic floor phsio therapist......it has dramatically improved....thank goodness.  I also buy my own urine dip sticks now so if I feel any sort of inflammation I can check my urine for any white blood count....I am guessing you are in the perimenopause, menopause phase as I am. 

Hi Linda. I had a hysterectomy in August. Lots of utis. All ecoli. Now i have enteroccus. I also discovered a month ago i have vaginal atrophy. The worse kind. Horrible burning. Im on hrt. It is better but by no means cured. I have lots of discomfort still and some burning. I am unable to work.  Go back to Doc tommorrow

Linda. , 

 Are the dip sticks pretty reliable. Any particular brand or are they pretty similar?

 

Hi Fern,  did you get the vaginal atrophy symptoms after hysterectomy?  If so I urge you to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist....she helped me.....your uterus kept everything in place and now the support is gone, you need to get an assessment to strengthen the pelvic floor.....as for the dip sticks I ordered them online and they are accurate I used them along side as the microscopic urinalysis my urologist ordered and they were right on.

Hi Linda. I did get the VA after hysterectomy. It’s driving me mad right now.  Probably TMI but I just looked at my Vagina with a mirror and it is bright red!  I pray I can get through all this

I was on the nitro. I am suffering with burning vaginal atrophy.   I am on hormones so far a month. They have helped a little. I dont have any uti symptoms. Dont want to be on antibiotics forever. Dont want to end up with interstitial cystitis or anything else

Enteroccus is a antibiotic resistant infection. It is not as common as e coli

That's false.  Where are you getting your information?  True it is not as common as e-coli, but it is not resistant to antibiotics.  Do your research.  Just google Enterococcus UTI and lots of article will tell you what antibiotics work.  You are not answering questions that I asked you.  Why?

Marilee. I have spent about 10 hours of research on this. Yes there are antibiotics. But the infection keeps coming back or never goes away.  If you know more information please share as i am very depressed. I am also plagued with vaginal atrophy.  Horrible burning. Started hrt a month ago.  Is better but not good enough.   I am not able to work because of the horrible discomfort.  I hope I answered all your questions. Regards. Fern

Thousands, possibly millions, of women have recurrent UTI's from the various bacterias.  It is unknown why some women get them while others don't.

The term 'antibiotic resistant' means that when a culture was done, no antibiotic they tested was able to kill or stop the growth of the bacteria.  Is that your situation?  I'm thinking not.  A better term for what you have is 'persistant' bacteria.

With my E-coli UTI's I went 8 solid months with UTI after UTI.  I was on antibiotics almost always.  The UTI would clear up on the antibiotic, and then 3 days later, it was back.  What finally cured it was I went on prophylactic antibiotic for three months.  That's rid me of the symptomatic E-coli UTI, but all the antibiotics left me with the Enterococcus.  Thankfully, mine is asymptomatic at the moment.

In your case, you just have to try the different suseptible antibotics and take them for a longer period or else small doses prophylactically.  

Marilee. Thank u for such a quick response.   You are correct. My terminology is wrong.  You have enterococcus now but no symptoms?  Can u tell me the drugs you have taken.   There are some IV drugs I read about.   Will it ever go away?

For the Enterococcus, I have not been on any antibiotics because doctors don't want to prescribe them unless infection/symptoms are there, based on the presence of white bloodcount/blood, etc.   Doctors are getting really concerned about antibiotic resistance from people taking too many unnecessarily. 

If you have no UTI symptoms and only burning due menopausal atrophy, why are you so scared and concerned about the enterococcus?   Are you working with a doctor?  I assume so.  What do they say?

I'm in menopause and use estrogen cream topically via the finger tip method.  I never had any real burning because of the atrophy, but did and still do have some unusual feelings down there.  Sort of a tickling buzzing feeling that is not associated with urination.  

I go to the doc today. I will do another urine sample.  I was always under the impression antibiotics are needed for an infection regardless if u show symptoms or not. I have burning. Is it VA or infection. I have always assumed the VA. 

Marilee. Depending on the enterococuss strain. Have u heard of the antibiotics linezolid or monurol

Yes, I have heard of Monurol (Fosfomycin).  It is not prescribed here in the USA.  It's more of an older antibiotic.  I don't know much about Linezolid.

As you probably know, there are two primary types of Enterococcus:  EFaecius and EFacium.  Both of these can be what is called Vancomycin Resistant (VRE).  That's when it gets more serious and IV and combination of antibiotics are needed.   Linezolid is one such drug used for that.

When you get a urine culture, they determine if you have a VRE bacteria and they determine which antibiotics have the best chance of riding you of the enterococcus.

Just having bacteria 'grow' out in a culture does not indicate infection.  For one thing, for it to be considered at true UTI, there has to be 100,000 count.  But mainly, if your dipstick and microscropic urinalysis does not show elevated white and/or red blood cells and bacteria, then you do not have a UTI.  

My question to you is:  Is your dipstick positive?  Do you have WBC in your urinalysis?  Does it burn only after voiding or does it burn all the time.

I dont know about the dipstick or wbc but the burning comes and goes. The dr said it would. Goal is to stay on hormones and it should go away. Use to burn all the time 24 x 7. Thought i would lose my mind. 

Hard to say if it burns after voiding since i have VA.  I dont think so.....

Are you using estrogen cream or taking oral estrogen?  The oral won't help atrophic vaginitis.

It sounds to me that your problem is the atrophy.  When you go to the doctor, you can ask about the wbc.  Don't they do a dipstick test in the office?  All my doctors do.  You can buy the dipsticks and test yourself.

 

I’m using a suppository.  They do a dipstick and I will ask about the wbc. Thank u for all the info. You have been fantastic!  I’m a little discouraged about the atrophy. Been on estradiol 3 times a week for a month. Thought I would be much better by now. It has improved. When it started felt like a match had been lit to my vagina

My understanding from my obgyn is it takes a good while for the estrogen to replenish the tissues.  Something like 6 months.

T

Marille,

You sound like me. I had persistent UTI's for 3 months so the doctor put me on a daily antibiotic for 6 months. The minute I got off of them I started having pain after urinating. My culture came back with Enterococcus faecalis but my uranalysis only showed one WBC so the doctor had me do a clean catch and now it came back negative no Enterococcus faecalis but I still have some pain. I don't understand how this bacteria from my stool keeps getting into my urine. I am sick of it! I am on a good probiotic for the vaginal area and one for the stomach. So all of the antibiotics can leave us with Enterococcus faecalis? How do we get rid of it without antibiotics?

im trying monolaurin which is a supplement. someone said this cured them .it states that it gets rid of enterococcus faelis. I also read to take ginger. cinnamon and cloves.