Negative UTI in urine but positive in urethral opening

Hi Sara. Thank you for your comments, I'm actually quite worried about using an antibacterial wipe, I would think they may be too strong, what did you use? Did your urine cultures come back negative and what antibiotics did they give you? Thanks again

They are Scott's Naturals, so I guess they may not be antibacterial?  But they did seem to help!  My first culture came back positive for an unnamed bacteria so I got Bactrim.  My 2nd culture was positive in the office dipstick test and then came back negative which was really odd.  But I was put on cipronwhich helped more than the Bactrim.  But when it ran out after a week I still had lingering symptoms so I did the above.  

Hi Linda. I always feel sorry to hear that others are going through this - although it's comforting to know I'm not alone, I really do not wish this on anyone, it has left me not wanting to go to work and feeling useless and hopeless. The swab they took for me was from where it is hurting, which to me feels like my urethral opening (which makes sense as it hurts when I begin to pee). The results in terms of flora came back normal, and 'no yeast isolated.' Since I had already been on 3 courses on antibiotics, my GP had already put me on thrush medication (although I never really believed to have it as I didn't have any of its symptoms) and also gave me estriol cream as she believed the area was dry. Neither helped my symptoms which are ongoing. I found very little information online on forums (discussions from people who have actually gone through it) on strep B other than as you say pregnant women / mums. The GP said to me that although normal in 'small quantities' the vag, it shouldn't be near the urethra and that it needs to be treated. I can only assume the culture is quite significant for it to have been clearly picked up on the swab and causing all these symtoms. If the bacteria is not what is actually resulting in these symtoms then I really don't know what I have (both urologist and gyno have said everything looks normal). GP said also that strep B is quite 'inavasive' - although I'm not entirely sure what that means in my case. If you clearly have the bacteria in your urine then I believe that isn't good - from what I've read online it's only normal in small quantities in vag. Probiotics haven't made much difference for me .I hope your appointment goes well tomorrow/you're able to get some answers. Best of luck to you as well and let me know how it goes

Hi Maggie,  I will let you know.  I think where my frustrations are in this is one culture came back with low count growth, but the fact the antibiotics are giving me allergic reactions I can't finish....then when I go for the later cultures they come back no growth......but symptoms like yours still remain.  It is possible that it is not actually in the bladder itself but at the opening causing irriation like yours.....so I am going to ask if she can swab just that area.  Regardless it is something, because I was not feeling this irritated burning feeling three months ago.  I am not sure how I got infected with it, if that is what it is.  All I know is I was feeling better for two weeks, then UTI symptoms started, they gave me cipro which I could only take two...then it burned my uretha so bad....so there is an irritation for sure.....If I get any further answers to this ongoing mystry I will let you know.  I find there is little information on group b for women who are not pregnant, which makes it even more frustating.

I agree.  I'm pretty sure this is what I had too because I was positive for it while pregnant all 3 times and I know it wasn't E. coli.  I have read you can have a very tiny amount of bacteria and still have symptoms.  I honestly think the cystex and the cranberry pills with probiotic and the wipe after urination helped me the most.  But sometimes you need to be on antibiotic for a long time to get rid of it.  Good luck!

Well I am back from the doctors and after an hour of lengthy discussion and going over all my stuff since April, I still feel no further ahead.  All my blood work is normal, my kidney ultra sound, normal, vag swabs normal....and last two urine cultures no growth.......she did a urinalysis in the office and it is normal.....she will send away for culture, but she said because I took two cipro at the start of the week it will probably show no growth.....sigh....I asked her about swabbing the uretha and she looked at me like I had two heads and said they have never done this, the vaginal swab would show any bacteria that would be in that area.....she did mention to increase my probiotics, which I have been doing all along....she said if the UTI symptoms return...chills, flank pain, low fever and frequent uriniation then I am to finsih taking the cipro with and antihistamine.....if not wait for the culture and go from there.  At this point there is no reason for all this discomfort, she did not give me any creams, nothing.....I will continue to wait and see the uroligist for further testing....they put an urgency so hopefully I will get in sooner rather than later....she also is going to test my hormones to see if I am in perimenopause which could be the cause of some of this too.....I am going to try the cystex as I have been taking cranberry pills, d-mannosse, and probiotics, this can's hurt either.  

At the doctors today, I questioned how the strep b could be gone outt of my urine when I only took 5 pills, and she said if there was a low count it is possible it cleared up.  Still doesn't explain the symptoms still being here though.

Oh I'm sorry there doesn't seem to be anything, it's sometimes even more frustrating when that's the case. What is a urinalysis/ what does the doctor do? In terms of the swab, it's true there's a lot of bacteria in the area but it's my understanding that first of all at the urethral opening (not the actual urethra) you shouldn't really have a culture of anything , this is where they did the swab for me. Although it's been 3 days now of the amoxicillin, and I'm not really feeling any different . It's true sometimes the bacteria go wuite quickly, I've had UTIs in the past (although not frequent) and after one day of antibiotics I was already back to normal (although you should always take the entire course make sure they're all gone). I know it's harder for you as you're getting some allergies .. that must be very difficult. good luck I hope the cipro with antihistamine works.

Thanks, me too, although I will not take unless I experience the fever, chills and back pain like last week.  I feel the cipro actually irritated what ever is going on in the uretha area as I was not having burning until I started taking the cipro (as I had it feeling better from my probiotics).   To answer your question about the urinalysis, that is the initial test doctors do when a patient comes in experiencing UTI symptoms, it is a dip test and it shows if there is white blood counts, Nitrates (bacteria), or blood in the urine, it also can pick up protein, and PH levels.....Usually if it comes back negative doctors don't continue with the cultures, I always ask because I have had bacteria show up despite the dip test showing negative.  They are a great tool to investigate uti but not always are they acurate.  I also have found out that WBC doesn't always mean UTI, it can be inflamation, yeast, or other vaginal infections.....you would have had one done when you had your UTI.  Anyways, good luck to you as well, hopefully you will not need any more antibiotics, they can cause your body to get off balance and open up the door to more infections, so take only when absolutely neccesary.  Keep me posted how you feel after they are done.