Anyone with UTI and maybe kidney stone experience?

[5lilfish]

I cannot believe I am posting this on the Dis. It's just that I know people here will actually respond, if they can. i am not avoiding a doctor or getting real help. i have been in contact with my doctor and will call again but it is almost midnight so I need the Dis MD.

I was not experiencing any symptoms when my new doctor sent me for a urine test as part of a routine work-up. It came back showing a UTI. I went on 5 days of Cipro. By day 2, I had this awful twitching feeling again and I just felt crappy. I knew when the 5 days was up, that I still had a problem. So, the doc gave me 10 more days of Cipro. By day 5 (day 10 total), I was worse...that twitchy feeling was awful...and for some reason was worse at night. I called the doctor and she switched me to 10 days of Nitro-something. Well, I am now on day 7 out of 10. As of yesterday, I felt no better...so I did a little online research and started taking Cranberry pills. I still don't feel well in general...I have also been a bit nauseous but that could be from the antibiotic.

I don't really have any other UTI symptoms except this twitchy bladder feeling that sends me off to the bathroom...when it flares up (again, it happens at different times but most bothersome in the evening) I feel like I have to 'go' all the time. It almost feels like it did when I was pregnant and the baby would kick the bladder over and over again. I am not pregnant (have my very light period..had an ablation and a tubal). It is SO uncomfortably but not what I would exactly describe as painful. It's too late to go to Immediate Care and I am not sure this warrents going to the ER.

What the heck is going on?

Jess

 

[kwelch10377]

Do you have a fever?

I had what started out to be a UTI and then it turned into a Kidney Infection.

 

[5lilfish]

Do you have a fever?

I had what started out to be a UTI and then it turned into a Kidney Infection.

No...no fever. I have felt like I had a fever but when I took my temp it has always been normal.

 

[Abbie]

No...no fever. I have felt like I had a fever but when I took my temp it has always been normal.

If you've been on an antibiotic for two weeks now you probably wouldn't show a fever. I'm wondering if your doctor sent the urine out to be tested? That would show exactly what you're brewing and also show which antibiotic would be effective against whatever strain you have. It might be one that is resistant to cipro and they need to try macrobid or something that will actually knock out an infection.

That said, if you are getting increasingly uncomfortable I would head to the ER, outright pain or not. Hope you feel better soon!

 

[kwelch10377]

Hmmm, I'm not sure then. It may still be a kindey infection, you just might not have the fever to go with it. When I had one in addition to the fever I was nauseous and I had some pain near my bladder, but it wasn't the same type pain as a UTI. I don't think it would be a kindey stone since the pain from that is usually pretty bad and it is more towards your side.

I think you are ok with waiting til the morning though to go and see someone.

 

[Miss Peach]

I am not a doctor---I have had cronic UTIs for the past 30+ years. I took Cipro for the first 10 or so years, but then I suddenly started having a reaction. Hives. All over rash, itching, swelling, shaking.

I have been taking Nitrofur...something (generic Marcobid) for the past 20+ years.

And this is what I know. Cranberry helps a lot of people, but for some (myself included) it is the enemy. If you have many UTIs or you have IC (cronic bladder pain) your bladder might be scarred and porous. The cranberry acts like lemon juice on a hangnail!!

If it wasn't the middle of the night I would suggest buying some AZO over the counter bladder pain med. It might help.

Good luck,

Cathy

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I can tell you that when my 18 yo DD had a Kidney Stone attack last year it was awful. She went to school fine, but later called me in pain. She said she had a sharp pain in her private area that shot up her, & she was very nauseous. She could hardly walk due to the pain so I knew it was something serious.

They sent her to the hospital and she had surgery to blast the stones.

I hope you are feeling better soon!!

 

[5lilfish]

If you've been on an antibiotic for two weeks now you probably wouldn't show a fever. I'm wondering if your doctor sent the urine out to be tested? That would show exactly what you're brewing and also show which antibiotic would be effective against whatever strain you have. It might be one that is resistant to cipro and they need to try macrobid or something that will actually knock out an infection.

That said, if you are getting increasingly uncomfortable I would head to the ER, outright pain or not. Hope you feel better soon!

I have been on a macrobod (nitrof-something) for the last 7 days...after 2 rounds of Cipro for the 10 days before that.

With 5 kids at home, I just hope to avoid a night in the ER if I can. At the same time, I need to get a different approach on how to deal with this because what I've been doing is not helping.

Thanks...
Jess

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I have been on a macrobod (nitrof-something) for the last 7 days...after 2 rounds of Cipro for the 10 days before that.

With 5 kids at home, I just hope to avoid a night in the ER if I can. At the same time, I need to get a different approach on how to deal with this because what I've been doing is not helping.

Thanks...
Jess

Are you having like spasms? And when you do go to the bathroom does it hurt while you are going?

I have had kidney infections before and I would actually hurt in my back. There would be a dull to sharp pain like behind my rib, on my back.

 

[5lilfish]

Are you having like spasms? And when you do go to the bathroom does it hurt while you are going?

I have had kidney infections before and I would actually hurt in my back. There would be a dull to sharp pain like behind my rib, on my back.

No. The actual act of going to the bathroom doesn't hurt at all. It's the awful feeling of having to go that is the problem. The spasmy feeling seems to go from my bladder all the way down.

Jess

 

[SandrA9810]

Doesn't sound much like a UTI.

I got one Christmas Eve, I spent 3 days on tylenol before I saw an urgent care doctor. He said if I wasn't feeling better in a few days, give him a call. His first script was Cipro, then he gave me the nitrofur. Usually from what I've read and his comments, you should feel better within a couple of days.

The worst pain was in my back below my ribs. But just gentle rubbing/scratching is what helped, the repeat motion.

 

[Kat77]

Kidney infections always hurt in my back and the pain is intense. It sounds more like a recurring UTI.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Kidney infections always hurt in my back and the pain is intense. It sounds more like a recurring UTI.

Exactly, and if it was kidney stones it would hurt when you went to the bathroom too.

 

[MizTink]

i get frequent uti's and have had kidney infections too. the last bad kidney infection was horrible to get rid of. i never had that uti feeling. i had dull pain on my sides. no pain when kidney area in my back was touched, i felt everything in the sides and front. i was on a couple different antibiotics over several weeks and then 1 full month of levaquin before it went away. i had a 24 hour urine test and found out the cause. i didn't have a kidney stone, but tons of tiny stones like sand, called sludge. this sludge causes constant irritation through the ureters, bladder, etc. i never had that horrible painful kidneystone pain. i now take medication daily that helps keep it under control for the most part.
good luck, i hope you get relief soon!

 

[Carina]

Your symtoms remind me of how I felt when I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis.

I was put on 2 rounds of antibiotics by 2 different drs - the first Dr found an actual UTI the 2nd didnt test me so I dont know if it was still the UTI or not.

But finally my family DR (Dr #3) was back from Holiday and when I saw her she listened to my symptoms - which I described mych like yours. I said I feel "off" and I have to go too often but it dosent hurt when I go and I usually am doubled over in pain with a UTI. Also when I was younger I had trouble with frequent urination, although that corrected itself with my first pregnancy and had been a non issue ( until that flare up) ever since.

She suspected Interstitial Cystitis, as the UTI test was negative and traced the flare up to the amount of acidic things I drink. She said acidic stuff is GREAT for UTI' and TERRIBLE for Interstitial Cystitis.

I used to drink at least 2 hot lemonades, a tea or 2 and quite often an oranage juice every day. She said I had to elimiate all acidic drinks from my diet for several weeks then have them in moderation after that. ( One acidic drink every few days) Coffee is apparently terrible too but I dont drink it

I noticed an improvement almost right away - for sure within a day or 2. It's been nearly a year but I still have to watch what I drink. I expect its going to be an ongoing issue for me ( thankfully not really a big deal)

I dont want to claim for a second thats whats wrong with you, I just wanted to throw another 'idea' out there!


http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/interstitialcystitis/

 

[RNMOM]

Sounds like time to see a urologist to me. I had several years of urethritis. When I first got married. I felt like I had UTI's all the time and the only thing that relieved it finally was to stay on a low dose of antibiotics for several years. The don't make that medication anymore.

The other thing that might help is pyridium. You can get it otc at the drug store under the brand name of Urispas or Aso. Ask the pharmacist. Usually most cities have a couple all night places around. Or an all night supercenter will carry it with the "ladies" things. That is the stuff that makes you urine orange and will stain everything, even the toilet but it will wear off. It calms the bladder. If you can get some tonight it might help.

Really, it sounds like you could use a good work up by a urologist.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

What about a yeast infection? I had my first one a couple of years ago while being on antibiotics. My only real symptom was a need to go to the bathroom frequently so it took me a few days to figure it out.

 

[Sosai X]

I can tell you that 100% certain it's not a kidney stone. I know that pain very well. It starts as a dull pain in your lower back. Then you get the sharp stabbing burning pain as the stone passes out of the kindey into the ureter. Then you get 4-16 hours of contractions as your muscles slowly push the stone down the ureter towards the bladder. The contractions come on slowly, and build in pulses, and when the contraction hits it's a stabbing, burning feeling. Then it subsides for 15-20 minutes. Best thing for a stone is to soak in hot water, and take lots of ibuprofen. Passing a kidney stone doesn't cause bladder pain. Urine will still flow from the unaffected kidney. There might be some blood in your urine, as the stone is really a jagged crystal structure. Remember the spaceship that Superman came to Earth in?

That's essentially what you are passing, when you have a stone.

 

[Pembo]

Don't rule out a kidney stone. I had them so large they had to be blasted out and I only had a mild recurring side pain. The pain could be best be described as a stitch in your side. However I had that urge in the bladder a lot. If I didn't drink a ton of water in a day, the urge was there.

My stones were discovered on a routine xray, they were that large. I had two liptrtripsy (sp) surgeries to blast them away.

Call your doc...and I second the idea of a urologist.