I’ve had UTI symptoms for 2 months but negative diagnosis, someone help pls

I surprises me how few people seem to do this. The test strips aren't perfect but a bad UTI will show up every time imo.

Sorry but that is completely incorrect. Not all bacteria show in urine because some bacteria can hide in the tissue and are not present in the urine even though there are symptoms. This aspect can be seen in research papers on the internet. There are more than one bacteria that can hide in the tissue and some can be in there for decades and then re emerge. The word for these bacteria is insideous !One of them killed Tutankhamun about 5000 years ago and some of those bacteria are still active.

Even laboratory testing does not detect certain bacteria and a culture needs to be carried out at body temp. Even doing that may not reveal certain bacteria 100% of the time.

Some bacteria require a month in the oven to detect them and sometimes it depends on the amount of bacteria so small loads avoid detection.

I won't dispute your information, but MOST female UTI's will show positive on a dip stick.

To add. Another thing is that whether it is a dip stick or a sample for culture, if the urine has been diluted from drinking a lot of water, there won't be many (if any) bacteria in it. I have witnessed this myself where I saw positive on the stick during one void and later in the day nothing on the stick.

My point is that everyone that gets uti's ought to have a container of sticks to test themselves and I'm surprised they don't.

You seem an intelligent person but as regards bacteria that hide in the tissue it makes sense that although a UTi sufferer may have diabolical symptoms if there is no confirmation on the dip stick many doctors tell you as one did me =there's nothing in it!

Damn me within two weeks I was passing 50 stones a month!

This same doctor who I would not 'pay in buttons' said when I handed him a sterile plastic sample receptacle with 25 in it

( kept a few back for 'reference') =It's a wonder these aren't causing symptoms! The stupid man could not even remember me seeing him two weeks earlier saying there is something wrong with my bladder. This is what some patients have to put up with. After that consultation I took to writing all data in letters. I can prove beyond any doubt that doctors or very few of them consult a person's medical history notes. This is shameful and detrimental in many cases because it clearly states that 80% success in diagnostics relies on previous history. This of course should be LAW immediately and the legislation should be implemented immediately. Are doctors to high on their pedestals to read a patients history?

There are articles by eminent medical researchers that state bacteria can become 'walled off' and are difficult to isolate to find and confirm what they are.

There may well be bacteria similar to mico tuberculosis bacteria that are encapsulated by the surrounding cells but it has been found that some encapsulated bacteria are not completely encapsulated but cells come in and out of the bacteria that was once thought to be completely sealed.

The newer more powerful microscopes and the new technology based on DNA science is revealing new experiences on the complexities of bacteria. Let's face it there is an awful amount of learning to be done before the magic bullet arrives but for a start I firmly believe that if ALL doctors read a persons medical history notes that would be a good start.

thank you, im gonna book a doctors appt this week and ask for a PCR Test.

Your post is very thorough and is to the point of which a great deal is quite true.......

Doctors in my case never read my previous history & yet it is three down on the instruction sheet for doctors. I firmly believe thousands of doctors regularly do not read a patients medical history. This is obviously an item that needs immediate rectification. Can't the authorities take in that 1 in six patients are misdiagnosed......

I was appalled but interested to see that some eminent doctors and a professor who were in charge of the NHS mistakes unit was abolished a few years ago!

There are many brilliant doctors and surgeons and nurses and of course the ongoing brilliant lab and research people here in the UK and elsewhere but when it is conveyed to me by a consultation nurse who said that her dad had a catheter in for 3 months but did not need one, the mind boggles....... Our conversation started when I told her a certain urologist who I was skeptical about said a male would not pass on an infection to his partner of many years... She replied well how do sexually transmitted infections get passed on then ? Don't get me going about urologists !!!!!!!!

Since any person can make a mistake and that includes myself I always write an explicit letter because it's so easy now with the computer and especially to my doctors. Stuff em if they don't like it ..... incidentally I know they do not but that will not deter me from doing what is best for my health because we do only have one only that has to last an awful long time -if we are lucky and of course look after ourselves as best we can....... definitely no smoking and moderate alcohol.

Hi Micklemus, I know we've communicated before on other posts in this forum. I believe we both have history and can truly say we know a lot more than most doctors about certain topics! Poor GPs have to know so much about everything that they can't begin to go into any one thing in detail. This is why I get so angry about the actual specialists who also don't seem to know much on their chosen topic.

My first specialism is permanent catheters - my husband has had one for almost 20 years and I've managed to keep him alive and free from infection despite the nurses and specialists not fully understanding what's going on. I trained to change his catheter myself out of self-defence!

My second is fluoroquinolone antibiotics, one of which, Ciprofloxacin, is very often handed out in the case of UTIs (usually as 3rd line defence but occasionally as first or second on the "kill it all" principle). You may have seen me post warnings about the side effects of this class of antibiotics which can be life-changing (not for the better).

I like your approach of writing out your history clearly for any doctor and I agree, it is the best way to make sure they understand everything, the reasons why and the connection with any current visit.

So often you sit there telling them stuff that's important and they are clearly not listening - I guess that's very much to do with their training which probably says "completely disregard the patient and look for your own clues". No wonder very important signs get missed.

I hadn't heard of the mistakes unit - I'm looking it up now!

ive been drinking cranberry juice & taking supplements daily and this makes it more manageable but does not help that much.

Also whenever im at work and cant drink cranberry juice the symptons are much worse.

Your post is top class. I am an engineer not a medical man........ I was utterly disgusted when I found and proved over years that doctors on the whole do not refer to patients medical history notes. Our surgery have a letter but I bet my boots the manager will deny she said you are right it's difficult you see doctors find it 'difficult' to get at the paper notes!

I said before an elderly top flight nurse said 2016 -lets hope it's for the better 'they' will see it on the screen as all is going electronic.

We have a male doctor who is the most senior GP who types while you are trying to convey what symptoms we have. I have been told by other patients he could not diagnose a'cold'. One lady demanded a CT scan and referral from this same GP and would, have died if she had not got one! She was a smoker and had the big C but is now discharged after an op and chemo.

He's the one who lost 25 stones of mine re he told me it's a wonder these aren't causing symptoms. In hindsight I aught to have reported him then and perhaps my medical history might have 'come to light'

I should have never have had to extend the cipro from 7 days to 33 but I did and it worked. The PCR test was available all the time I had not got a resolution to my infection which I did have. The doctors I found 'close ranks' which has been known for decades and some of the older generation know that explicitly. When someone writes letters to them it's not long before the facts emerge that proves they made mistakes. The appalling figure of 1 in 6 misdiagnosis says a lot.

I don't think any patient who has a miserable existence with an infection should 'keep quiet' about it and I firmly believe they should write to their carers and ask for resolution to their problems.

Doctors do not like patients telling them that they have knowledge of something they don't possess but they'll have to get used to that now that there is the wealth of info on the net. Not everyone is prepared to fall over at the slightest push now are they?

I was lucky to not to be damaged by Cipro because my TB specialist tells me some have to have special boots to cope with the tendon tears! She is an excellent specialist but I feel she same as the others do not want to confirm exactly what my waterworks bug was because it may well have been TB. I told her last time I saw her and I do have an open appointment,provided my resistance 'holds up' and I do not get the horrible symptoms I had I will not be troubling you but if they do come back I'll be knocking on your door and this time I will want to know exactly what is causing the symptoms I had to come back!

I don't know how hard it is to obtain a PCR test but I see it is pretty miraculous in detecting bacteria and I think Viruses that other tests do not reveal. I asked a hematologist why I had not had one by mow but he gave me a blank expression which you cannot argue with! Did he not know of that test or did he think I should not have had that test due to the result having possible detrimental repercussions for umpteen doctors who were foxed by my problems? I have a copy of a letter from one of my better lady GP's who wrote to the urology dept.... asking please can you help with this difficult case. That did influence me to dig deeper into the mire of their lack of attention to detail which was in black and white had they cared to read it.

In the USA I wonder if there is the chemist and doctors 'bible' MIMS that is referred to here in the UK ? It has a wealth of info in it which is electronic now but since I saw freely info ( 2016 -2017) that the two professions saw it has now been curbed I think. We are in many instances re our health dealing with a secondary secret service..

Re Tremethoprim...... I took Trimethoprim for 4 weeks that seemed to eradicate my waterworks infection but all the symptoms came back after about two weeks. I was prescribed three months low dose Cipro after my month of Trimethoprim but the prescriber was not aware that the infection was still viable so a couple of weeks half dose Cipro and the infection was back big time. So one of my hit and miss GP's gave me a week of strong Ciprofloxacin because the lady doctor said the prior script was too low a dose. She was right about the low dose but only gave me a weeks Cipro. I obtained three weeks more due to MIMS stating that prostatitis should receive a months worth of Cipro. To this day I have not resolved what the infection was although I vowed to find out . Due to my bad experiences is it any wonder I have a suspicion about some doctors? Before all that I got my own sulphamethoxazole from the USA and took it for 10 days. All my symptoms subsided and I was OK for 14 months but was back to square one again 2016.

I did not know of the PCR test then but I'll insist on the facts that does the carer know of that test and second why I won't get it if I don't get it offered.

I think you'll be interested to click on PCR used for UTI's.... It refers to research carried out 2017. It states that approx 30% of ladies who had negative urine samples were said to have e coli detected by PCR..... This test will be a popular one as it seems to hit the nail on the head when other strikes hit the wood sometimes a few inches away from the target. The Polymerase chain reaction test seems to have been cloaked in secrecy because I'd never heard of it till about 2018. Another test which is aimed at tuberculosis which is in it's infancy is the Actiphage blood test which was I see developed by a Nottingham associate Professor - Dr Cath Rees. I've already asked her about that test but she was sorry that the initial 66 people already had the test which was a pity because I should have been in that group. (in my view) It is said to be a cheap test as well but it will be aimed at cattle for starters. It will detect any sort of TB and takes 6 hrs max whereas the neck test takes a week.....in cattle any sort meaning latent active and those who have latent but who are said to be at risk of developing TB....... It seems to be one of the silver bullet tests of the decade.

I don't think it's accepted protocol here. By that, I mean the labs and hospitals do not offer that test. The doctor would have to order it from the sources that offer it, and it seems like there are several of them.

I think there is a pitch of a sales pitch going on with these sources and their data. That doesn't mean I am doubting the value of this test. I guess I tend not to believe there are this vast amount of people with UTI symptoms where cultures are showing zero.

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