UTI for 2 months - long term antibiotic or another solution?
Posted , 11 users are following.
Hi Everyone,
This is a bit of a long story but please bare with me as I am at my wits' end and would appreciated any advice/feedback!
About 2 months ago I developed a UTI while on holiday in France (I live in London, UK). I went to see a GP who did a dipstick test and confirmed that there was blood and pus in my urine. She gave me 10 days of antibiotics (Cefixime) which I took (although admittedly, I think i missed a couple of antibiotics).
After I stopped taking these, I still had symptoms so went to see a GP who prescribed me with 7 days of Nitrofurantoin. I couldn't get an appointment with my NHS GP that day so I paid to go and see a GP privately. They didn't do a dipstick test or send a urine sample off to a lab - they just went by the symptoms I described to them and gave me the antiobiotics.
After finishing this course, I still felt that the infection hadn't gone away. I got an appointment with my NHS GP who sent my urine off to be cultured. It came back with a high level of bacteria and pus cells but no growth. My GP referred me to a urologist who sent me off for various tests (full bloods, cytology, scans) - everything came back normal. I also spoke to him about my most recent urine culture and he said that as there was no growth, he would not put me on antiobiotics. Instead he asked me to take D Mannose and Cranberry Tablets three times a day.
I tried this for a couple of weeks but still didn't feel any better so I went back to my GP who did another urine culture and sent it off to the lab. Again, it came back with high bacteria and pus but no growth. She prescribed me another 7 day course of Nitrofurantoin, which I took, but still didn't feel any better.
On Friday I went to see a urogynecologist. He suggested putting me on a long-term low dose of antibiotics - probably Nitrofurantoin. One of my main concerns is whether this will work given that i have already been on Nitrofurantoin twice (albeit a higher dose for a shorter amount of time - 7 days), and this clearly didn't work? It's also concerning that the last urine culture I had said that my infection was sensitive to Nitrofurantoin, which I took for 7 days, and the UTI still didn't clear up! The urogynecologist also did a very brief examination and said that the outside of my vagina looked quite red/sore and suggested using a thrush cream on it.
Just by way of background I am a 34 year old female. I had recurrent UTIs in my 20s for a few years (brought on by intercourse). The past year or so, I have probably had 5 UTIs and I'm not sure what has brought them on as I have not been sexually active.
My main symptoms are pressure on my bladder and pain when urinating. My vagina also feels very sore and irritated.
I just wondered if anyone had any advice in relation to treating a very stubborn UTI that clearly won't go away? Are long-term antibiotics a good solution? I'm just worried because although I have had MANY UTIs before, I have never had one that has lasted this long. They have always cleared up after the first round of antibiotics.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and as I've said before, any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
x
0 likes, 17 replies
kim12266 jessica85904
Posted
as with all antibiotics the chances are if u are on them long term then there id a very high chance that its goin to increase the vaginal irritation as they are known for causing yeast overgrowth i would try get a second opinion on it depends on wat bacteria is causing the infection i know when i had a uti from sex i was treated with 3 trimethoprim tablets and it cleared up i had to have some antibiotics before that but it never cleared it up i cant remember the name of those tho
kim12266
Posted
my symptoms was urine urgency and frequency and also felt like my bladder was full but only a little bit of wee sometimes and i had burning whist urinating i also had sore vagina and discharge which turned out to be bv
lzhan03 jessica85904
Posted
Hi, Jessica,
I had the exactly the same nightmare with UTI. I had UTI since my 20s, then after 36 I had my last child I developed the chronic UTI over 5 years. During that period, I visited a lot of doctors and clinics, instead of healing me, their prescribed these or those antibiotics just made my situation worse and worse. D-minos and cranberry helped only a little little bit. Besides urinating uncomforted, I had poor digestive system and cloudy foggy brain. Most time very tired with as low fever as 99.2 something like infection in the body. I also developed the pelvic vagina infection.
Here is my solution that eventually freed me from the chronic UTI: take Vitamin C a lot; clean vagina infection; wash vagina and urine part with diluted white vinegar; take probiotics to offset the bad impact of antibiotics; cut off the sugar completely from daily life; drink a lot of unsweetened vegetable juice or smooth. After doing these, I used dipstick to test the urine everyday by myself, and I found one day I eventually got rid of the nightmare UTI and I can enjoy sex as much as I wanted. I wish I could go spread anti-UTI gospel. I hope my experience also work for you and help you recover rapidly.
sergeja_21039 lzhan03
Posted
Hey Izhano, did you cut white sugar or fruits etc too?
lzhan03 sergeja_21039
Posted
Limited fruits.
jacqueline35357 jessica85904
Posted
Can i ask if you've had children? I had what i thought was a recurring UTI for 6 months but it turns out I have a bladder prolapse. My symptoms are frequent urination but not a lot coming out and pelvic pain.
jessica85904 jacqueline35357
Posted
Hi Jacqueline - thank you for your message. No I haven't had children.
wendylois1949 jessica85904
Posted
Are you still taking cranberry tablets? Since I started taking them following frequent UTIs a few years ago, I haven't had any problems since. I'd recommend two a day to start with until it's under control, then one a day as a preventative. My doctor also prescribed Nitrofantoin to be taken after intercourse which I believed usually caused it, which has also helped. Good luck.
jessica85904 wendylois1949
Posted
Hi Wendy - thanks for your message. no I'm not taking the cranberry tablets anymore. I kind of gave up on them. Maybe I need to start again and be more consistent. x
jh614 jessica85904
Posted
hi jessica, i am having literally the exact same experience. i developed a uti in june, which cleared but then returned a month later. the antibiotics did not get rid of the full symptoms and i still have rhe burning/urgency that i was experiencing. the doctors i saw were initially dismissive because my recent cultures have been all negative, but i went to see another urologist who put me on keflex for a week st high dose, then a three month low dose. he said it was probably a chronic infection. so far ive had some relief and my symptoms have almost completely resided during the day, but they tend to get worse at night again. im on 250 mg keflex which i take right before bed
cam69590 jh614
Posted
I was just prescribed the same thing for 3 months, but afraid to start! I have already taken 4 rounds of antibiotics in the last 9 months but still have a burning feeling right before I need to urinate and sometimes as I urinate so the urologist suggested this route of action. However, when I picked up my prescription the pharmacist told me this isnt good practice and to reach back out to my doctor. Now I am having major anxiety that i will cause more harm than good to my body.
Did this end up working for you?
sarah556677 jessica85904
Posted
Hi Jessica
i m 37 , i have similar story as you .
i got uti about 2 months ago after sex. for me sex is a trigger for uti .
i was given 7 days of trimethorim without any urine test as i was mensturating . on 5th day i did cycling and it flared up my symptoms really bad . i was on holiday in a country where u can buy medicine without prescription . i did augmentin (co-amoxiclav ) 625mg twice daily 7 days course . i got better but symptoms didnt go away completele .
after 2 weeks i had another flare up really bad . i went to gp dip test was negative . she gave me 5 days nitrofurantoin . after finishing the course i still had symptoms .
i went to a urologist private . he said sometimes short courses 3-10 days are not enough to kill the infection . also he said the tests we do sometimes doesnt catch the bacteria. he has presicribed me nitrofurantoin 100 mg twice daily for a month . today is 7th day and i havent felt any improvement. last 2 days were really bad with burning sensation.
may be as mentioned by other people in the discussion that the antibiotic worked for them after 3-4 weeks . i ll see if my symptoms improve in 3-4 weeks .
i have a followup appointment in two weeks . may be i ll mention cipro to my dr . it looks like long course of cipro worked for couple of people here with persistant infection.
Please keep posted with your update . how you doing ? and if any treatment worked for you ? i hope you get better really soon 😃
teela88 sarah556677
Posted
how are your symptoms now? any improvement I'm suffering from 3 months now and ended upnwith a kidney infections docs kept telling my I never had a uti as it never showed in my blood or urine. I'm just got out of hospital kidneys don't hurt n ok more but back to burning and hurting in the bladder. It's affecting work and my everyday life. Please help with advice .I have had all the antibiotics u could th ijnk of at the beginning even when doc saying nothing there I said give me antibiotics anyways coz it felt like uti and then I stopped coz it wasn't working b u t ended up getting gkedney infection. I'm on antibiotics for ths t now but now hurting again
sarah556677 teela88
Posted
i suffered for 3 months before finding Prof Malon Lee . I m under his treatment and 80% better now . He explained me that I have got an embedded infection in which bacteria penetrates through the bladder wall and invades the cell . at this point there are no free floating bacteria hence negative culture and dipstick .
Please look up for him to book an appointment .
Below is very informative site and it took me to the right direction
also look up for face group which has been v informative and supportive
embedded uti support/advice group
i hope it helps x
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teela88 sarah556677
Posted
unfortunately I'm not in england in i n Australia so can't see that doctor 😥 but thankyou for the info