2 antibiotics, negative urine culture. Severe uti pain help!
Posted , 7 users are following.
i went to the ER about 4 weeks ago with severe uti symptoms i was in tears, nauseous, abdomen pain, back pain, burning, and urgency i was given macrobid and sent home my symptoms got a little better but werent clearing up went back to the doctor 5 days ago and got perscribed another antibiotic. it didnt help im now having severe burning pain again and nausea. both urine cultures have come back negative for bacteria! im at a loss
0 likes, 6 replies
marilee43089 amanda79504
Posted
While anything is possible, I think if you had a UTI presenting with that much discomfort there were be bacteria showing in your culture. Have you actually seen the culture results? I would want a copy of them. In addition to a culture, a microscopic look at the urine sample should be done to show if there was infection.
If your doctors are saying no bacteria in culture, then why are they giving you an antibiotic and how would they know if it was the right antibiotic if the culture was negative.
Maybe your nausea is from the antibiotics. Nausea is an uncommon symptom of UTI, but would be a symptom of kidney infection IF you were running a temperature.
You are just going to have to advocate for yourself and go to as many doctors as needed in order to get answers.
mary87056 amanda79504
Posted
i feel your pain. i have had UtIs all my life and i am now 80.Getting worse each year. Recently was in hospital for 8 days. Got IV Antiobiotics and saw my Urologist and Infectious disease dr. 2 weeks later UTI came back. i now have CRE and am resistant to all antiobiotics. Still have pain, burning and urgency. urologist tells me to go to infectious disease dr. and infectious disease dr. tells me to go to my urologist. i have had CatScans, several cystoscopies and everything is normal. cant believe in this day and age they cant find a solution to our problem!
marilee43089 mary87056
Posted
Mary, I have not had UTI's all my life, but back in 2016 I had a UTI that lasted about 7 months. Similar to yours, I would take antibiotics, it would resolve, but return as frequently as 5 days later. It is my opinion (based on my research) that when a UTI returns quickly as yours and mine did, it is not a 'recurring' UTI but rather one that was never completely eradicated in the first place. Continuing to take antibiotics only made the UTI more resistant.However, in my case culture did show bacteria. I would recommend that you consider estrogen cream vaginally. That is what cured mine, along with taking a long course of antibiotics.
mary87056 marilee43089
Posted
Hi Marilee - Thanks for your suggestion but i have been using estrogen cream vaginally for many, many years and it makes no difference. in about six months and 3 or 4 cultures the bacteria were different each time -- e coli, morganella morganii and klebisella. I have hat ultrasound, CAT scan and even genetic testing. everything comes back normal.
masha17 amanda79504
Posted
I agree with marilee43089.
Your doctors' approach is not logical! And it is dangerous!
Doctors find ONLY what they are looking for. Maybe they have looked for usual suspects (like E. coli), got negative results and said you were fine. Which you obviously are not.
Putting you blindly on antibiotics is a risky business. Not only are they not clearing out your infection, they are undoubtedly killing off the good bacteria you need.
Also, not all antibiotics are equal. I have suffered terrible side-effects (including nausea and Exorcist vomiting) on several occasions from generic brands, while their original counterparts did not provoke such reactions. So, there's that as well.
Don't give up. Stop accepting any therapy without solid confirmation coming from the lab.
Have they done at least a basic ultra-sound of your pelvis (bladder) and kidneys? Sometimes you can have both the infection and sand/kidney stones.
While you're waiting for some resolution, here's what helps me (and believe me I KNOW what this feels like):
I hope you will find some relief soon!!!
p.s. be vary of so called "unidoses" of antibiotics. They stay in your body for a while and can do a lot of damage if you do not tolerate them well. At least with old antibiotics you can simply stop taking them if you feel sick.
Micklemus masha17
Posted
I like your post because you are on the 'right track'. I have had an educational experience since 1978 when I had an xray that confirmed a previous tubercular infection. The letter said no active lesions and heart not enlarged. My GP who 'knew' TB due to his age could not have known what I found out later 2016 that although I was resistant to the bacteria back in 1978 the bacteria can re emerge from quiescent to active........ How many other bacterias are same or similar?
There is a test called the PCR test that I learnt about from a bulgarian who took his wife to have urine tests and that PCR test confirmed she had the TB infection in her waterworks. A urologist challenged me by saying " you cannot prove you have had an infection". e said that because he had done umpteen tests and a CT scan without resolution to my UTI which I most certainly did have. I took 33 days Ciprofloxacin which eradicated all of my symptoms. On three separate occasions spaced years apart I saw blood in my urine. In 1978 the best urologist money could buy told me your bladder is normal so it 'must have been an infection'. 28 doctors never ever read my previous history....... I always put pen to paper when I feel things are not being done correctly and especially if my health is not as I know it should be. I am not pompous at all but as an old lady acquaintance tells me ,some doctors do not listen.... she tells them look here I've been inside this skin 85 years and I do know whats going on inside of it.
Always in writing for reference purposes. Incidentally,we are blamed for taking too many antibiotics but the doctors should look at their hit and miss practices and many a time give a much too short a course of antibiotics and as you say also the wrong ones!