Stupid UTIs. :(

[MaggieTheCat]

So, in about the last year or so, I've had at least 4 and possibly as many as 6 UTIs. I'd never had a UTI before my first one, which was around Labor Day last year. It seems like ever since I got the first one, I've been much more prone to them, especially after intercourse...which really kills the mood with my husband! I think I have one right now, and since I'm new to the area (I moved in with my husband in May and haven't had the need to see a dr. yet) I don't have a primary care giver. Fortunately, we live literally across the street from a huge medical center, so it wasn't too hard finding a doctor...actually, the hardest part was trying to figure out which clinic would be best and covered by my insurance.

I can't get in to see a family practitioner for about 2 weeks, but they told me to go to their walk-in clinic tonight to at least get treated for my current UTI and then I can get established with a practitioner after that. They said I could talk to either the walk-in doctor or my new practitioner about recurring UTIs, which I've heard are relatively common in women.

Does anyone else get these?

[fireheart]

I've been there as well.

I was on noroxin for about 2 weeks and we're hoping that's killed it.

Cranberry juice works wonders from what I do know.

[redsox33413]

I get them once in a while, too...No matter how careful I am about what I eat and how I take care of myself...Occasionally my body just likes to revolt...My best recommendation is cranberry juice (a big glass once a week does wonders), and the ever-important "don't-forget-to-tinkle-after-you-tango" rule...Other than that, find a good doc when you can and set up a plan with him or her for when those pesky UTI's do show up...They can SOMETIMES just fax a Rx to your local pharmacy instead of having you come in every single bleeping time you get one...I had about 5 in one year, and one turned into a bladder infection...NOT fun! Good luck, kiddo!

[penniless student]

Until recently I used to get them once a month. They would always turn into bladder and sometimes kidney infections. I ended up in hospital with septicaemia - nearly died.

They suck.

[blas]

I'd take it a step further and do what I do:

I use the bathroom before AND after sex. Unless you've been holding it in the whole time, you'll generally have to pee more before, but you'll still want to do it afterwards to squeeze it all out.

This also doesn't always work because we aren't psychic, but if I get the idea that something may happen that night, I carry feminine wipes or those wet toilet paper wipes. I think those work better and cause less irritation.

[Amina516]

2 weeks is a looong time to wait for antibiotics to treat an infection.

Azo tabs(you can pick it up from Rite aid or another Pharmacy) as well as the cranberry juice and yogurt can homeopathically help treat/prevent these..not that you shouldnt see a doctor, but they can lessen the pain for you until youre able to get in.

Blas has good advice. Go before and after sex if possible, it helps to clear the urinary tract of bacteria that may have worked inself in there while you were doing the dew. Also, REALLY REALLY fundamental and I dont mean to sound condesecending...but remember to wipe front to back. lol.


I hope you feel better!

[MaggieTheCat]

Thanks for all the suggestions, gals. I've been doing pretty much everything everyone suggestions already: Wipe front to back, go after sex (I don't always before, and if I do, I generally can't after), take a shower after sex, drink lots of water/cranberry juice (no yogurt, but that's a good idea too.) I have no idea what happened this last time 'cuz I've been doing EVERYTHING that's been suggested to prevent them. Blas, you were talking about feminine wipes, do you use them before intercourse, or after, or both? I might have to invest in some of those.

Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone. I'm going to the walk-in clinic tonight to at least get checked out for now, and then I'll talk to my practitioner about it in a couple of weeks when I get a chance to meet her.

[Lady Legira]

Until recently I used to get them once a month. They would always turn into bladder and sometimes kidney infections. I ended up in hospital with septicaemia - nearly died.

They suck.

I used to be like that, started when I was a toddler and ended when I was 19. I was on antibiotics pretty much solidly for 15 years (changed them every few months because they would stop working). It was only really noticed when I was a toddler because I had a infection so bad they thought I had meningitis had a lumbar puncture. Ended blasting it with a broad spectrum antibiotic and I was pretty much back to normal the next day.

It only stopped because I got a proper urologist instead of the kids doctor who did some tests and found my kidney was dying slowly and poisoning my system. When it was removed it was working at 12% and was the size and shape of a prune.

Still get UTIs on and off but nowhere near as much as I did.

[AccountingDrone]

Until recently I used to get them once a month. They would always turn into bladder and sometimes kidney infections. I ended up in hospital with septicaemia - nearly died.

They suck.

I had issues most of my life .... I was born with a congenitally narrowed urethra that had to be repaired when I was 4 years old. I didn't have UTIs after that until I became sexually active, and I ended up in hospital after what I had thought was a strained muscle in my back made worse by a broken waterbed heater. The ache was horrid, then the vomiting started ... I luged the interior of the ambulance something terrible [i really felt bad after I got a bit better, ambulance crew have to clean out the ambulance themselves] it seems that I have asymptomatic bladder infections, so I dont even realize I have trouble until it moves into my kidneys. I get piss tested every 4 months now.

I finally stopped having issues when I started carrying around baby wipes and using them every time I pee, and after sex I go in and pee and use actual soap and water/washcloth.

Some of us are just way too sensitive

[MaggieTheCat]

Well, I am back from my visit to the walk-in. I was not impressed with the doctor, but I rarely am (I had a very bad experience with an ER doctor last year and my expectations are unusually high.) She was very pushy, interrupted me a lot, and then didn't listen when I was trying to say something. "Urgency to go?" "Yes. And other symptoms, like blood in my urine." "Okay. *types for a moment* And do you have blood in your urine?" I think she was really rushed, which I understand. I guess that had a hell of a busy day (both her and her nurse said so) and I was their "most normal and easiest" patient yet.

Anyway, I got some antibiotics, and she also wants me to see a urologist, which I've been thinking would be a good idea anyway. I had 2 (confirmed) UTIs last year, and I thought I had 3 (had all the symptoms of one (blood in urine, urgency to go, burning sensation, yadda yadda)) but when I went to give a urine sample, they said it was clean, so they didn't prescribe me anything. And this is my second one this year, and she said that more than 3 in a year (it's been about a year since my first one so I've had at least 4 for sure now) should be checked out by a urologist. I'm supposed to call in the next couple of days to make an appointment.

So...anyone ever been to a urologist? What should I expect? What are they gonna do to me? >.> I don't want anyone poking around down there unless it's an absolute last resort (remember that bad ER visit I mentioned? Yeah.)

[blas]

Pardon my lack of clarity, I actually use the feminine wash cloths pretty religiously, but since my bf and I have a pretty "routine" sex life......I just know that it's right before bed, so I pee before we go to bed, and I make sure to use one of those.

Some of them are really heavily scented and if you aren't into that, I'd just go with the wet toilet paper wipes. You don't have to use them all of the time and they are a little spendy, but they feel a lot cleaner and fresher than regular TP.

[Giggle Goose]

Oh hun I'm sorry Those are THE WORST.

Back in January/February, I started getting them ALL the time. I went to an urgent care center called Patient First. I'm not sure if there's any in your area, but if you need immediate relief a similar "retail" clinic is a good idea. .

I went to my gyno and she recommended a diabetes test . Luckily, my blood tested on the lower end of the spectrum. But oddly enough, some docs feel that recurrent UTIs are an indicator of pre-diabetes. I started getting religious about peeing before AND after sex and always washing up afterwards.

Recently, I lost a significant amount of weight, and I don't know if this has anything to do with me not getting them anymore, but I don't. I'm not sure if you're overweight or not, and I know NOBODY likes to hear that they need to lose weight. It just might help long-term, though.

So those are my oddball recommendations, take 'em or leave 'em. Just keep chugging that cranberry juice and taking Azo until you and a doc can find a solution!