Positive urine tests but no symptoms.

Posted , 4 users are following.

I'm a 67 year old male with an atonic bladder condition requiring intermittent self catheterising.  I've also had bladder stones removed on two occasions.

Can anyone enlighten me how my urine tests always show significant amounts of e. coli bacteria yet I haven't had a symptomatic UTI for the last 20 months?  I have had my fair share previous to that, including hospitalisation on two occasions, as my e. coli type bug has become resistant to all of the common  antibiotics.

Ta very much

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    Perhaps your body has developed the ability to fight e.coli without the aid of antibiotics?
    • Posted

      Is that possible? Would be great if true.  

      I have a complicated medical history so it's difficult to come up with definitive answers,  but stopping all immune suppressing meds for my rheumatoid arthritis around the same time  is very probably why I haven't had a UTI for 20 months. Also started taking manuka honey around about then so perhaps that's helping as well.  Was having lots of UTIs prior to that. There was one occasion when a urine test was required for me to start a new med...it showed an infection even though I had no symptoms. Was prescribed a 7 day course of nitrofurention, which the bug was supposed to be sensitive to. Two days after finishing the course symptoms started!?  

  • Posted

    I am being treated for a urine infection but I didn't have any symptoms except that my son who has started the keto diet brought some dip sticks and everyone had a go and I found signs of an infection so I had a specimen dipped and I did have an infection, which I wouldn't have known about had I not done the dip test.  One interesting thing that the doctor told me might also apply to you due to your age (I'm 72) and also because it is often found in people who use catheters.  I found something on the internet which is more than likely what he was talking about.

    "A UTI is usually treated with antibiotics. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is when you have bacteria in your urinary tract but you don't have the symptoms that usually go along with UTIs. Older adults are more likely than young people to have asymptomatic bacteriuria."

    The doctor said that he gets very annoyed when he hears his colleagues prescribing antibiotics to elderly people who have bacteria but no infection and he said that most elderly people are likely to have this problem and it doesn't need treating with antibiotics.

    • Posted

      Thanks very much Spindles,

      You would not believe the trouble I had trying to get a definitive answer to whether I should take antibotics or not for asymptomatic infection, despite asking a number of docs, including my urologist and a colleague of his. It was only due to an appointment mix up when I asked a urologist who I hadn't seen before that I was advised not to take antibiotics, and even he had to look it up and later inform me by letter.   You would think all urologists would be aware of this asymptomatic bacteriuria thing in elderly patients. I'm sure it doesn't do antibiotic resistance any favours either.

      The mind boggles on times!

       

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