topic Re: UTI in Wellness

UTI

kismet — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 10:29:30 GMT

I'm going to throw this out and see if this is the way things are done today. My daughter went to the walk in clinic, this is part of our doctor's office, and was tested for a UTI. The lab in the clinic checked it and there were 3 or 4 of the markers for an infection. She was given an antibiotic. That was on Friday. Today she was back in cause while she felt a little better said she doesn't feel much better so they did another test in the office and said they will send it out. Said she should go and get a CT to check for kidney stones. I've had more than my share of UTI's and I told her I would of asked to have the antibiotic changed. So they set her up for a scan on Friday. I wondered why she wasn't sent to a urologist first. They said a CT with the dye. She didn't see our regular doctor today the walk in sent her over to the NP where the regular clinic doctors are. She did ask if her antibiotic should be changed and the NP said she didn't want to change it. We both go to the same GP at the clinic but she couldn't get in to see him. Wondering if scans are done now instead of trying a different antibioitic. I had a bad one probably 4 or 5 years ago with blood. My doctor gave me an antiobiotic and I did the full treatment but at the end I felt like it wasn't gone. I was checked, it wasn't and was given a different antiobitic for 10 days and that took care of it. She asked me and I really have no answers because maybe things are different now. Is this the norm today. Expensive testing. She does have very good medical insurance.

Re: UTI

Lorik62 — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 10:52:50 GMT

Be careful with antibiotics! I was given 3 different antibiotics 2 years ago and they destroyed my immune system. I lost 30 lbs and thought I was going to die. After many tests I was told I now had all sorts of allergies to food and environment. It was very frustrating because I was never sick before the antibiotics. After being referred to a Naturapath by a friend my health started to improve. She put me on magnesium for depression and anxiety and within days I felt like myself again. I was on an elimination diet for 2 months and slowly began eating the foods they said I was allergic to. It took 9 months but the weight came back on and I felt good. I now take cranberry pills with d-mannose on occasion to prevent another UTI and D-mannose if I think I'm getting another one. If you are given an antibiotic for anything I would now take a probiotic with it, but not together at the same time. Good luck to your daughter!

Re: UTI

CalminHeart — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 11:22:25 GMT

I had a UTI a couple of years ago and the first antibiotic didn't take care of it. I had to have another one. It took about 5 weeks but it went away after the second round of antibiotics. I can't imagine having a scan instead of another round of antibiotics this early in the game. IMO, I would have asked for another antibiotic before agreeing to an expensive scan. If the second antibiotic didn't work, then I could see pursuing it. However, I don't know your daughter or her history and I'm not a doctor.

Re: UTI

K9buddy — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 11:59:02 GMT

How long was she on the antiobiotic? Aren't kidney stones horribly painful?

Re: UTI

kismet — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 12:18:52 GMT

My daughter is healthy, goes to gym up to 6 days a week, is normal weight and hasn't had a uti in years. I told her I would of told the NP that I wanted another antibiotic but since she doesn't normally see doctors she didn't insist. I also feel it's early for a CT. She doesn't feel well and feels pressure and I know that kidney stones can cause a lot of pain. She started the antibiotic Friday. She is eating yogurt and taking Florastor for the probiotic. I told her if she's not better by Wednesday call for another antibiotic and she can reschedule the CT if the new antiobiotic doesn't cure it. She said Saturday she felt better and then Monday it started again. I told her the weaker bacteria is killed first and the stronger one is harder to get rid of. I'll talk to her later today.

Re: UTI

Beauty$Junkie — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 13:20:45 GMT

I was very prone to UTI's and the antibiotics have such bad side affects. I started to add pure cranberries and pure cranberry juice to my diet and started using DIY antibacterial wipes and, thankfully, have not had an infection since. Hopefully, she recovers quickly.

Re: UTI

meem120 — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 13:31:15 GMT

Sounds like a bit of over kill. Id try another antibiotic first. Perhaps another Dr also.

Re: UTI

software — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 14:35:46 GMT

I'm treated differently because I only have 1 kidney but usually Cipro is prescribed for a run of the mill initial UTI. If that doesn't work, the next speciman should be cultered out to see exactly what "bugs" are causing infection.

If it's a bug that doesn't respond well to Cipro, or if there are multiple bugs, another round of a different antibiotic should be prescribed.

@kismet wrote:
I'm going to throw this out and see if this is the way things are done today. My daughter went to the walk in clinic, this is part of our doctor's office, and was tested for a UTI. The lab in the clinic checked it and there were 3 or 4 of the markers for an infection. She was given an antibiotic. That was on Friday. Today she was back in cause while she felt a little better said she doesn't feel much better so they did another test in the office and said they will send it out. Said she should go and get a CT to check for kidney stones. I've had more than my share of UTI's and I told her I would of asked to have the antibiotic changed. So they set her up for a scan on Friday. I wondered why she wasn't sent to a urologist first. They said a CT with the dye. She didn't see our regular doctor today the walk in sent her over to the NP where the regular clinic doctors are. She did ask if her antibiotic should be changed and the NP said she didn't want to change it. We both go to the same GP at the clinic but she couldn't get in to see him. Wondering if scans are done now instead of trying a different antibioitic. I had a bad one probably 4 or 5 years ago with blood. My doctor gave me an antiobiotic and I did the full treatment but at the end I felt like it wasn't gone. I was checked, it wasn't and was given a different antiobitic for 10 days and that took care of it. She asked me and I really have no answers because maybe things are different now. Is this the norm today. Expensive testing. She does have very good medical insurance.

Re: UTI

BlueFinch — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:23:41 GMT

Maybe they have prescribed standard antibiotic treatment, until they get results back for a urine culture, to see exactly what bacteria they're targeting. Then, if another antibiotic would be more specific for that bacteria, they would change the script. You have to know what you're treating.

Perhaps she had more red blood cells in her sample, than would normally be seen with an early UTI, making them consider stones, or some other source that is inflaming her urinary tract.

I had similar presentation once and they also ordered a CT, then a cysto. i won't go into it here, but it did have interesting findings and I'm glad they did it.

Enhanced CT's aren't ordered unless they are trying to rule out causal factors. Factors that may cause recurrence of problems, if not dealt with early on.

Re: UTI

colliemom4 — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:30:56 GMT

I used to get bad UTI's that took a long time to go away even with antibiotics. Eventually they did.

Re: UTI

Jasmine19 — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:14:36 GMT

I had a kidney stone a few years ago that presented like a bladder infection. The stone was lodged at the junction of the ureter (tube from the kidney) and bladder, so no back or flank pain. My symptoms were urgency and frequency of urination and pelvic pain. I was on two antibiotics before the stone was diagnosed by CT. A stone like mine will usually show red and white blood cells in the urine but no bacteria.

Re: UTI

sweetee2 — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 17:01:10 GMT

A few months ago I had a UTI after over 25 years. I just went over to Instanta care. They only gave me 5 pills. I asked why only 5, they said that if they didn't work I needed to come back and get a different script . I told them that there's no way that 5 pills is going to take care of this. They gave me 7. Luckily it worked. I could if sworn that they used to give you 14 pills.

Re: UTI

ValuSkr — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 17:05:51 GMT

You just reminded me of Jimmy Carter. He was hospitalized with a UTI earler this month. Hopefully he received better care and is on the mend.

Re: UTI

RedTop — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 19:20:44 GMT

@kismet

I feel sure the antibiotic was only given based on findings in the initial urinalysis. Since your daughter returned to the clinic so soon with little improvement, her urine specimen was sent out for culture. If that grows bacteria, her antibiotic will be changed accordingly.

Based on the fact your daughter hasn’t seen or felt much of an improvement after 3 full days, the next step is the CT scan with dye, to see if she has a kidney stone. If a kidney stone is the root of the problems, taking an antibiotic is not necessary. Referral to a urologist will happen if your daughter has a stone.

Antibiotic usage is being cut drastically due to the acceleration of super bugs and antibiotic resistance. Test results must prove bacteria is present before my doctor, or my husbands VA provider will prescribe an antibiotic. Based on the drug prescribed, it could be for 5, 7, or 10 days. It has been many years since I took an antibiotic for 14 days.

Re: UTI

Mindy D — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 20:42:51 GMT

Changing the antibiotic still happens in many physician’s offices today. Sending your daughter out for other testing was the thinking of the one physician she saw. Doctors don’t agree on everything. The quick test in the office just checked for the possibility of infection but the test did not check for the organism your daughter might be infected with. This lab work should be done. Your daughter can ask to have this done and she can see a different person in the office if she wants to.

Re: UTI

Snowpuppy — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 22:44:43 GMT

Ask for a culture and sensitivity. It's cheap.

Throwing antibiotics at it without knowing what you're hitting is today's dr.

I had a recurrent UTI that needed 3 different medications and weeks to cure. Today's superbugs are no joke.

Re: UTI

knittykitty — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 23:21:34 GMT

it only takes a few days for a urine culture. my doctor holds off on an antibiotic until the culture comes in so she knows which specific antibiotic is best. if I am super uncomfortable in the interim, she prescribes a few days of a broad spectrum antibiotic.

urostat is now available without prescription, so I use that until the antibiotic kicks in to reduce discomfort.

studies discount cranberry juice or pills re any efficacy.

Re: UTI

kismet — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 00:12:30 GMT

Just talked to my daughter. She had to drive my grandson to school today so while she was in the area she went in for the CT. Said she wasn't feeling any better today and just wanted to find out what's going on. The clinic called and told her the scan would be covered so she went in. I hope this gives her some answers. Years ago they did give pills for 7 to 10 days for infections. I've been given a pill for three days in the past but it never did take care of the infection. So will see what's going on.

Re: UTI

fortune — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:32:52 GMT

@kismet wrote:
I'm going to throw this out and see if this is the way things are done today. My daughter went to the walk in clinic, this is part of our doctor's office, and was tested for a UTI. The lab in the clinic checked it and there were 3 or 4 of the markers for an infection. She was given an antibiotic. That was on Friday. Today she was back in cause while she felt a little better said she doesn't feel much better so they did another test in the office and said they will send it out. Said she should go and get a CT to check for kidney stones. I've had more than my share of UTI's and I told her I would of asked to have the antibiotic changed. So they set her up for a scan on Friday. I wondered why she wasn't sent to a urologist first. They said a CT with the dye. She didn't see our regular doctor today the walk in sent her over to the NP where the regular clinic doctors are. She did ask if her antibiotic should be changed and the NP said she didn't want to change it. We both go to the same GP at the clinic but she couldn't get in to see him. Wondering if scans are done now instead of trying a different antibioitic. I had a bad one probably 4 or 5 years ago with blood. My doctor gave me an antiobiotic and I did the full treatment but at the end I felt like it wasn't gone. I was checked, it wasn't and was given a different antiobitic for 10 days and that took care of it. She asked me and I really have no answers because maybe things are different now. Is this the norm today. Expensive testing. She does have very good medical insurance.

@kismet

Before getting a Rx for a UTI, the urine sample needs to be cultured. This takes several days. It is up to the doctor to give an appropriate antibiotic at first, with the option of changing the antibiotic if the culture comes back requiring a more appropriate antibiotic. That is why I always go to a urologist for UTI matters.

Re: UTI

kitty60 — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 13:16:19 GMT

Only a few weeks ago I was at urgent care for the same issue. The test showed an infection and she prescribed the common antibiotic, but also, sent the specimen out for a culture to see if it needed to be treated with a different antibiotic.