persistent UTI causing bad health anxiety

Hello,

My culture came back positive for thrush and that was it! Got a pill for it from the doctor and the lower abdominal pain has gone.

However, I'm now experiencing back pain and I'm absolutely terrified it's my kidneys. I've read online that bacteria can sometimes not show on the cultures so worried that could've happened and it's spread

But to be fair, I haven't had any other symptoms of a kidney infection like a fever and it gets worse with movement which kidney pain doesn't do but I am going to go to the doctors tomorrow just incase.

You sound like me, researching to make our anxiety worse.  It is correct that low number bacteria's are not always stated on cultures and even doctors won't usually prescribe for low count numbers, the reason for this is it is more than likely contamination.  The problem is because there are only a handful of antibiotics for UTI's and if they are used too much then bacteria will eventually become resistant, not to mention the side effects and chances of more infection.  It is a good idea to get checked again to make sure, but if nothing shows than it is more than likely something else.  What you can do to preven further infections is drink lots to keep bacteri and organisms contantly flushing out, take a probiotic that is made for women, and even a vaginal probiotic would be a good idea seeing you had thrush going on.  There are great supplements at health food stores that help prevent further infections.  I am all about preventatives because getting these pesky infections are horrible.

Thank you for your reassurance, I'm the worst for googling my symptoms and blowing things way out of proportion...

I have purchased some d mannose so I was planning on taking that along with cranberry pills bought from holland and Barrett plus I've been drinking SO much water! and I will be sure to look into other ways to prevent this again, it's been the worst week I've had with my anxiety for a while!

I totally understand, I am the same way, anytime something is off, I get on google and get myself in such a dither.  If I can offer any advice, is to try and not stress over it, I did for months because I had the bladder pain and urgency and all my cultures came back clear, or low bacteria (which the urologist would not treat) or sometime contaminated, I even tricked myself into thinking I had a kidney infection when I didn't.......what happened is after several months of this I developed shingles, and then I freaked out wondering how I got that and the number one culprit for younger people is stress...IMAGINE THAT! Haha

Oh wow! Yeah I'm trying to convince myself I don't have a kidney infection as I've heard the pain is worse than labour and my back pain is nowhere near that... I think it may be related to my period being due.

It's funny what stress/anxiety can cause! I feel much better this morning so looks like I'll be okay

Hi Katie!

I know this post is old but I wanted to tell you I currently have a kidney infection. I had back pain and pain in my side only with movement. No fever no nausea no vomiting. Don't believe everything you read online lol  I hope you are better now but I just wanted to let you know because it is nothing to mess around with or leave untreated. Good luck to you!

Hey this post is about year old but I wanted to say that for about a year I had really bad recurring UTI's 2 of which ended in kidney infections and when it gets that bad you won't be wondering if you have it. I had fevers of 102.5, throwing up, extreme pain where I couldn't sleep or move and had be taken to the hospital. It was terrible but wanted to assure you that you would know if the infection made it to your kidneys. Hope that helps!

Hi Katie,  So sorry to hear you are having symptoms again....it's so frustrating to say the least.  Is it possible to go to the emergency room at the hospital.   That way they can do a urinalysis to detect if there is an infection?  I am just thinking it would be less worry for you being it is the weekend.

Hello again,

I've managed to book an out of hours GP appointment for today (Sunday) which is good.

I may visit my normal GP tomorrow aswell as my period is delayed this month (not pregnant). Me and my boyfriend think I may have low estrogen levels and this may explain having two UTIs in a month

Feeling really frustrated, I'm 19 and don't want to be dealing with this especially as I go to uni this year. I have a friend my age who suffered from multiple UTIs now she has a weakened bladder and has to be on a low dose antibiotic all the time, I fear this will now be me

Glad you got in earlier to get checked out.  Hopefully it won't come to being on long term antibiotics.  I would get your horomones checked and try to find the root.  It isn't easy I know because there can be so many reasons for a woman.   It is usually perimenopausal women and menopause that causes low estrogen levels, but I know it can happen at any age.  Good luck and I hope you get the answers you are looking for.

I've just finished day 2/3 of taking trimethoprim , thought I was feeling better (UTI wise) earlier but feel like frequency has come back. Antibiotics are making me feel crappy.

Going back to the doctors tomorrow, just hoping it's a case of thrush like last time as having similar feeling. I do drink so much water so this might be causing the frequency but when I check my urine I have sediments floating about that look like

dead skin almost, so that's how I'm guessing I still have the UTI

Very, very frustrating.

Just remember it takes time sometimes for antibiotics to clear up bacteria and it has to be the right antibiotic for the right bacteria.  Just because there are sediments in your urine that doesn't mean it is coming from your bladder, in a woman it can be sediments from the vaginal area.  My urologist told me it is very hard for women to give a urine sample that doesn't get contaminted.   If I were you, if you still have no relief and the culture comes back clear, I would get a vaginal swab done to rule out yeast or bacterial infection in the vagina....they can very much mimic a UTI.  . Definately drinking lots of water is going to make you go more frequently and it can actually put a strain on your bladder too..  Sorry to hear you are not feeling much improved.  Just remember being on antibiotics and not needing to be can cause more issues, like yeast over growth, intestinal issues....and just the threat of resistance in the future...so I would make sure what you are experiencing is a true infection.  Did they find white blood count or blood in the urine?

There were white blood cells and a bit of blood found in my urine (not visible) - the same as last time. I wish I didn't say to my doctor that the nitro didn't clear the infection because it actually did as the culture came back clear for any UTI bacteria

I'm getting twinges of pain in my back, nothing serious but worried about kidneys. I will go to the doctors tomorrow morning and hopefully get this sorted