Hypothyroid and urinary tract infections

Hello Louli

My name is Shelly and I a nurse in the USA.  I have Hashimoto's thyroid disease.

It can be easy to get infections and viruses when you are Hypothyroid.  UTI's can come from bacteria that gets into your bladder from the urethra (opening where urine comes out), so always wipe front to back.  Another way is having sex, and it is wise to clean afterwards.  A few other ways is if your Diabetic you may have sugar in your urine which would easily become a good source for germs to grow in. Another problem could be the germ is not killed off and then comes back after a few weeks.  Some people need 2 types of antibiotics or they need to culture your urine for the exact bacteria. Nowadays some bacteria are tough and become resistant to antibiotics.

Here are some things you should do. 1) Have you blood glucose level checked.  2) Drink lot's of water 8 large glasses a day or pure cranberry juice (no cran/apple- too much sugar in it)and keep your urine flow up.  3) Do not hold your urine too long. 4) Do not eat too much sugar in your diet and avoid items that can cause yeast, like breads. 5) Wash hands a lot to prevent any cross contamination.

As long as you take your thyroid medication the TSH should be good and will help you be able to fight infections.  I do not know about T3 in UK as much as others do as I am in the USA.

I hope this helps,

Shelly

Two of the things that Shelly mentioned I have had first hand experience with. I had 2.5 years of hypothyroidism 4 months of which were very serious when my endo ignorantly reduced my T4 dose (because my TSH was low). During this 4 month period I had cold after cold after cold, I had sore throats almost constantly and spent hours and hours per day just lying on the couch because I didn't feel up to doing anything. A better (higher) dose of Levo fixed a few of these things and NDT (Armour) got rid of them altogether. Shelly says to drink a lot of water, very true, I have had UTIs when I have been dehydrated, same too my daughter when we went a long hike in the desert. We ended up having to drive about 100miles in the pitch dark accross the desert to a remote hospital, my poor daughter having to stop every 15 minutes to pee. I will never forget that night. So yes, drink water - not gallons otherwise you will flush out your electrolytes, just don't get anywhere near dehydration.

Have you had your B12 level checked? Look up B12 deficiency.

I began developing UTI infections for over 3 years that I have been trying to manage.  I didn't connect it to my hypothyroidism until recently.  According to my recent lab work, my TSH is a bit high.  I have been taking medication for 12 years. My lab work also shows an infection again.  So, I need to change my dosage and see if that works. Otherwise, all my other lab work shows normal.  So, I guess our thyroids play a significant role in maintaining the delicate balance of our gyno tracts.  

Yes, I have this problem with recurrent U.T.I.'s and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis diagnosis.  You are not alone. Jade.

My PCP put me on Synthroid when TSH showed high normal range. I have had UTI repeatedly.  I had UTIs repeatedly when I was an adolescent. In my adult life I didn’t have any issues with this. I was healthier and was no longer the scrony kid. Had no more UTI until after being treated for hypothyroidism.  I have been on keflex 250mg antibiotic and still got UTI. I am searching for some answers.