UTIs to the extreme---HELP

[skunkpumpkin]

OKay okay, I get UTI's quite often, but they're usually quite benign and go away after a day or so. Which is annoying, but hey. HOwever, lately they've been worsening---I get them to go away, but they come back, and they're painful, stinging, and make me fidgety. It's uncool, especially since this week I can't manage to lose any sleep tossing and turning with discomfort, nor leave my classes for the bathroom considering i have 2-hour exam blocks. I've been drinking lots of fluids, and cranberry juice, and trying to avoid salt, but nothing keep my urinary tract healthy for more than a week, it seems. I'm just wondering if i should see the doc or if there's any home-remedy i'm overlooking. Also, could this be brought about by stress? I'm just wondering because i have good hygiene :confused: oh, and what about vibrators? could that have something to do with the infection? :sheep:

Thanks for any wisdom you can offer. :)

[vggiegirl]

I'm not sure how old you are but when I was 18, for about 6 months I had recurring UTI's too and it was hell. The first few times I went to the Dr. and got a Rx. The first one she gave me was Bactrum...it cleared my UTI...and gave me horrible hives from head to toe~ There are some over the counter pills I took that turns your pee bright orange...this was quite awhile ago before I was vegan so I don't know what was in them. THEN I started supplementing with cranberry capsules. To this day I don't know what made them go away, and I've never (knock on wood) had another one since.
I know that wasn't much help but I just want you to know you aren't the only one who has burned :) :hug:

Also, too much hygeine (harsh soaps or for some people, just soap) can contribute...wiping back to front rather than front to back...that's all I can think of right now. :)

[skunkpumpkin]

thaaaaaaanks :o !

I'm 16 sooo maybe this just happens to some teenage girls...?

I'd like to figure out what i should do now though. hmph.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

I worked for the Girl's dorm Nurse in college many years ago, but I think everything stilll applies...

First and MOST IMPORTANT! Definitely see your doc!! For SURE if it gets worse, feels somehow "different" or if you run a fever at all - it could easily turn into a kidney infection and that'd be BAD!

Lots and lots of water will help too - seriously like drink quarts of it - you'll flush a good deal of the bacteria out that are causing it to re-occur. However, You really need to "go" as often as you can, to keep the water moving thru your system. Sitting thru two-hour exam blocks isn't going to help a lot either, because "holding" it can make UTI's worse, and quite quickly! Stress makes them worse too. Maybe after exams things will settle down.

Sometimes too much cranberry juice (though it is helpful in curing/avoiding the condition) makes it hurt worse since it's an acid...also stay away from caffiene.

Oh, and the vibrator? Just make sure your careful with hygiene there too... clean it with an antibacterial wipe or something similar after each use - store in a dry ventilated area...

Hugs - I hope it gets better. :hug:

[zoebird]

i'm with Tofu and sprouts. thta's all i was going to say.

[bumble]

Go to the doctor.I used to get them after sex untill I saw a Doc and learned ways to avoid them.Now I dont need the meds and such.
I get thses purple pills and they are AMAZING!They tkae the pain away-but it can spread into your bladder and cause all sorts of problems..so you need a doc.

I now always wash before sex,and my partner and pee and wash RIGHT after.Something about the fliuds or something upsets my body.

So see a doc and be be super diligent about washing up and peeing.Water and cranberry are always good and I sometimes drimk a urinary tract tea for good measure..no troubles anymore.

:)I know how much they suck!!!

[Morticia]

I worked for the Girl's dorm Nurse in college many years ago, but I think everything stilll applies...

First and MOST IMPORTANT! Definitely see your doc!! For SURE if it gets worse, feels somehow "different" or if you run a fever at all - it could easily turn into a kidney infection and that'd be BAD!

Agreed. My mom had a UTI that turned into a kidney infection. You really really don't want that. I try to avoid taking unnecessary medication, but this is definitly the kind of thing I would go in for.

I've found that taking a bath in salt water can help. (Run the tub, add some salt). Other then that, I can only re-recommend going into the doctor, and drinking the cranberry juice. Oh, and if you can get real cranberry juice, it's better. Most of the juice sold as cranberry had more grape or apple juice then anything else. Although it tastes icky, 100% cranberry is probably the most effective.

Edit: Try wiping the vibrator off with isopropyl alcohol after using it, and then making sure it's stored in a dry place. If there are bacteria growing on it, that should kill them.

[MorningStarr]

Go to the doctor. This summer I had my first one and was talking to my boss about it, she said that when she was younger, she had a uti problem for about 8 months, she would get rid of itthen itwould come right back. They finally figured out her guy had one(symptoms are unnotiable in guys I guess). So maybe your vibrator hadn't been completly cleaned off, and it was transferred back to you.





OT but my fiance spilled coke on our keyboard awhile ago and every once in awhile it gets sticky. Right now the spacebar is being apain in my butt, So I am sorry for jumbled words. :D

[skunkpumpkin]

hey chicas,

Thanks so much for the responses. I guess I'll wait this out until my exams are over; then I'll see if it goes away for good and if not, i'll have more time to deal with it.

If it doesn't go away, I'll definitely head to the docs...kidney infections do not sound pleasant :sick:

thanks again!
~Alyssa

[desolationangel]

go to the doctor, go to the doctor, go to the doctor. BAD things happen when you don't get the proper treatment. actually, you can call a doc and get a prescription called in somewhere if you need to. why suffer when you can feel better in 24 hours by taking medication?

Also, you should always do a urinalysis to make sure it's really an infection. There are other things that might be going on.

[rabid_child]

You can actually buy uti test strips at the pharmacy to test for bacteria.

I'd aim for a doctor's visit too. if nothing else, it should get you a note saying if you gotta go pee during the exam to let you!!

[skunkpumpkin]

^^ ha, thanks. I'm going to have to stick it out until tomorrow, but I've been drinking a lot of water. I'm almost POSITIVE that it's a UTI, but i guess test strips wouldn't hurt. thanks :)

[April]

Oooh! I bought a UTI test strip, and it said vegetarians may have false negative results. I forget what they said is low in our diet, nitrates or something. I sound like an idiot now, but seriously, don't just trust one of those tests.

How soon are your exams? If you've had this UTI for a while now, it could turn into a kidney infection pretty quickly. I NEVER had a UTI before I went to the emergency room with one that turned into an accute kidney infection. I'm at the point where I'll go to an urgicare center if it's bad for 3 days.

I once googled the causes and prevention of UTI's. I found some interesting stuff, but didn't bookmark it. They say some women are just prone to them, and some women get them every time they have sex. Some docs will prescribe Cipro, a strong antibiotic that you would take once a month as a preventative if you're a regular sufferer.

[skunkpumpkin]

friday is my last exam---do you think it would be a problem to postpone the doctor until tomorrow or then? oi.

[strawberry]

I recently had a BAD bladder infection, but since I don't have health insurance and I was on vacation, I didn't go to the doctor. Probably not a good idea, but I did manage to get rid of it on my own. Here are bits of info I found that help:

-stress can make you more prone to getting a UTI
-cranberry juice or cranberry tablets and lots of fluids, obviously. the acid in cranberries makes your urinary tract a place that is inhospitable for bacteria.
-get lots of vitamin C to help out that immune system.
-warm baths help a LOT. no soaps or bubble bath.
-avoid sex. If you must have sex, make sure to pee and clean yourself with water before and after.
-make sure that anything that goes near that area is clean.
-warm watter bottles are nice. on your tummy or between your thighs.
-a little bit of ibuprofen can help you to feel less in pain and like there is less urgency to pee.
-pee all the time! don't hold it!

hope this helps. Obviously though, I really think you should see the doc, since it is a recurring problem.

[April]

Well, if I were you, I'd go to the health center or doctor's office, whatever's available, as soon as you can. If you can go before or after an exam, do it. Don't wait til Monday. I'm not sure if you're in the states or not, but everything closes where I am on the weekend, except hospitals.

[skunkpumpkin]

^^^ thanks, ladies :smitten:

strawberry ~ thanks for offering those DIY remedies :)

It didn't bother me so much today, perhaps it's getting better? oh well, it always returns. I plan on seeing a doctor sooon.

[cinthea]

i didnt have time to read all the posts, so i don't know if someone mentioned this already, but could it be interstitial cystitis? it feels like a bladder infection... an extremely painful, permanent bladder infection.. and certain foods make it worse (tomatoes, chocolate, coffee, acidic things) go to www.ic-network.com ... and do not, i repeat DO NOT take antibiotics unless a urine culture is done and comes back positive. that goes for everyone! if you're worried that it is an infection and might spread to your kidneys, eat raw garlic.. smelly, but works better than any antibiotic a doctor could give you (without all that immune-suppression business). just swish with some listerine, chew gum all day and you should be fine.

[cinthea]

note: that post is for everyone else too!!! IC sucks balls and i don't want any of you to get it! if you think you might have it, or have recurrent bladder infections, get "You don't have to live with cystitis" by Larrian Gillepsie, M.D. .. i found it in the women's health section in barnes and noble.

[Cougar]

OKay okay, I get UTI's quite often, but they're usually quite benign and go away after a day or so. Which is annoying, but hey. HOwever, lately they've been worsening---I get them to go away, but they come back, and they're painful, stinging, and make me fidgety. It's uncool, especially since this week I can't manage to lose any sleep tossing and turning with discomfort, nor leave my classes for the bathroom considering i have 2-hour exam blocks. I've been drinking lots of fluids, and cranberry juice, and trying to avoid salt, but nothing keep my urinary tract healthy for more than a week, it seems. I'm just wondering if i should see the doc or if there's any home-remedy i'm overlooking. Also, could this be brought about by stress? I'm just wondering because i have good hygiene :confused: oh, and what about vibrators? could that have something to do with the infection? :sheep:


Drink one to two bottle/can(s) of Budweiser or simular beer and lots of water every day when you have an infection. The beer thing works for kidney, bladder, and urinary tract infections, and is even doctor-recommended to some patients who are at risk for kidney failure, but don't overdo it, and don't drink beer if you have a yeast infection or Chlamydia.

For prevention, pee after you have sex or masturbate. Take baths instead of showers once or twice a week. Don't wash your hair in the bath tub; shampoo can cause UTIs, especially in young ones. Pee whenever you feel like it; don't try to hold it forever. Other than that, wash your vibrator after each use, don't stick foreign objects up there, and think happy thoughts.

[Miss Meg]

I think for everyone treatment can be a little different. Do you drink a lot of caffine? For me I found sig cutting back on caffine made me much less prone to them. And I always pee before and after sex. No cuddling for me, it's off to the bathroom right away. :) Even if I don't feel like I have to pee, I always go before I leave the house or if I know I will be somewhere with limited access to bathrooms. Try to avoid ever having to "hold it" for more than a few min. People make fun of how much I go to the bathroom but it really does help to just keep things from sitting in your bladder. I also found that some soaps can be irritating. I tend to take two showers a day but I usually only wash that area with soap once a day and I don't use a lot of it.

[organica]

My UTIs had become antibiotic-resistant & doctors just got mad @ me for showing up in the ER in tears again from the pain.
A *single dose* of the correct homeopathic remedy cured me of devastating UTIs 10 years ago.
I have contempt for the way doctors automatically give out stronger & stronger antibiotics for this condition.

[skunkpumpkin]

oooo thanks for all the responses!!!! Cougar ~ I've never heard the beer thing before, hah, but i'm sure it wouldn't hurt.

[Cougar]

You're welcome. I used to get UTI's all the time. Docs just wanted to dose me with Cipro, which never worked. Amazingly, I haven't had an infection in a long time. I don't know why, but I'm so glad. The pain was bad enough, but if they went on for more than three days, the infection would always spread to my lungs. I would wind up with an Upper Respiritory Infection, and be down for a week.

I think they stopped after I left Dallas, but I can't pin-point any one thing in the city that could have caused them. I know our water was laden with copper, chlorine, nickle, and a ton of other chemicals, but I can't say they caused it. Our water came frome sewage treatment plants, so anything could've been in it.

[desolationangel]

note: that post is for everyone else too!!! IC sucks balls and i don't want any of you to get it! if you think you might have it, or have recurrent bladder infections, get "You don't have to live with cystitis" by Larrian Gillepsie, M.D. .. i found it in the women's health section in barnes and noble.

I have IC. It does suck in a big way. It's ironic too because what they tell you to do for UTI, which is what I thought I had, like drink cranberry juice, KILLS those with IC!

Cinthea, I'm just curious, do you have IC? Because nobody seems to know about it unless they or someone they know closely has it.