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Avatar universal

Ten UTIs in my 20's, and now once in my 60's

YSI
My lesson learned from Quick-Care is wait for your infection to get really bad before going in to give a lab specimen. Thankfully, based on my symptoms only, they gave me MACROBID (nitrofurantoin.) I didn't feel like it was helping until just after the last pill.  But then, 4 days later the symptoms were back again. I have been forcing diet cranberry juice but not getting much sleep, obviously. It is painful to wipe because the tissues are so irritated-I am applying Bacitracin?  

My insurance (don't ask) requires me to drive 2 hrs to be in network. So I am not excited to make another 2 hr drive.  (Quick-Care told me I would have to see Primary Care if my UTI symptoms persisted.) So I contacted Primary Care via their on-line patient portal to ask for a new script.  

I have been a patient of this HCO (retired from them!) for 40+ years but only seen once (recently) by their Family Practice clinic.  My previous PCP left her practice right after my insurance became in-network only, so I established care in network...

The nurse replied to my polite request and said since I have only seen them once the Dr. won't do this....but she will ask....  

If I have been seen once, am I not their patient?!
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Avatar universal
YSI
Flash forward-I am now 6mos post-UTI. I saw PCP again 2 days ago for hip pain (injury over 1 yr ago) plus continued issues in my legs that I believe are a side effect of the UTI and Macrobid.  

I continue to have nerve pain upper legs, muscle dysfunction upper leg, intermittent sudden bloating lower legs with intermittent ice cold feet (hot upper legs.) I still feel like I am on the cusp of recurrent UTI.

So during my latest visit it was decided that I have lymphodema due to diabetes not Macrobid and should wear a compression garment lower leg.  She was alarmed by my ice cold feet but said the pulse was strong.  I did not have these leg issues prior to my Miralax/UTI/Macrobid/Keflex experience...

I am alarmed at how all roads in their minds lead back to diabetes. You know... it is possible for non-diabetics to have these issues also! (Never believe the news when they talk about how expensive diabetics are-the collectible statistics are skewed because they automatically attach diabetes diagnoses to every billable, even a broken little toe lol.

I am puzzled by the enormous variety of lab tests depending on which panel is ordered that would then be non-comparable over time-is there a way to standardize?

So my latest urine labs in addition to red arrows now also has red flags!

WBC red flag (normal is 0-5) was 19 6mos ago and is now 27.  

Bacteria red arrow says few (normal is none.) None seems a little hard to believe for, anyone, considering how close our 'ports' are, down below :-)

Renal Tubular Cells red flag (normal is less than 1) says 6. They did not test for that 6mos ago so I don't know if its worse, same, or better than before.  

Urinalysis with Reflex Culture/Urine Culture,Reflexed just says abnormal.

Leukocyte Esterase red exclamation mark (normal is negative) says 3+ again.


Yay me-this time I did NOT have blood or glucose in my urine-score one for the diabetic :-)  


Once again the lab comment says multiple organisms present/mixed flora present which suggests improperly collected specimen.

I shower every morning, and between shampoo and Dial soap I am thoroughly cleansed every day. I wear freshly washed underwear every day, AND I used their sterile tear-open wipes each time-this time I repeated that step twice before peeing into their cup which was ~5hrs following my morning shower and 2+ hr drive.





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2 Comments
YSI
Xrays showed osteopenia, loss of the head/neck junction of the femur, a few spurs, a calcified line on the gr. trochanter,  and possible FAI (impingement.) I find it impossible to believe these issues sprouted up overnight, yet they were never diagnosed on previous hip xrays. What xray views your PCP orders is very important to what the radiologist finds. They found me amusing when I suggested what views I wanted them to order, and with one small change they did order 'better than vanilla' :-)
YSI
Latest observation, now 7 mos later. The muscle function in my upper leg has improved, the lymphedema episodes have decreased, the zapping pains have reduced considerably, but I have a new symptom x2wks now-it feels like a stick is stuck into my mid-to-upper back on the left side only. Not pain, more like I constantly want to scratch and pull the stick out? I still have all the symptoms of being on the cusp of full-blown UTI.
Avatar universal
YSI
Update 6mos later. Frothy acidic urine with sediment continues and is yellower than it routinely was prior to the UTI. Still have to do intermittent cleansing (sterile water wipes) after peeing, and I gulp a glass of diet cranberry juice whenever I feel that first 'flea' bite.

My very longstanding 'key-hole incontinence' surprisingly has stopped.

Horrible inflammation/neuropathy upper legs continues-feels like 4th of July sparklers under my skin on my upper legs (remember as a kid holding your hand close to feel the sparks?)

Less frequent bouts of swelling/pressure entire legs continue as do ice cold feet at those times. None of this prior to UTI.

I have to say I believe Macrobid is the cause of the inflammation/neuropathy/swellling/pressure. WebMD has a drug reviews database for the public and many many many people have negative comments about Macrobid.  

!Mom! just started a UTI this month and was so miserable after 3 days of Macrobid they switched her to Keflex also. Her UTI symptoms have resolved with Keflex but she is experiencing unbelievable neuropathy in both upper legs same as mine-both of us agree the neuropathy stops at the knees, so I am thinking there is some sort of fat interaction with Macrobid.  Poor woman age 88 can't sleep and wanders the condo at night.
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Avatar universal
YSI
Just paid my bill-after 3 visits (plus mammogram) and insurance, $70 was what I owed-insurance company paid ALOT.

[They play accounting games with applying our office copays so I always have to pay 'late'  to be sure my final 'total' billing is the only one I pay.]

Not pleased with end result. I still have sediment and froth/gurgling in my urine every day and after 30yrs of never thinking about any aspect of peeing I find myself with an annoying need to cleanse after peeing, with prickles that warn a recurrent infection will start up again if I don't.  I am on the cusp of reinfection 24/7.

Conclusion-Miralax is bad for your urinary health. Bacitracin should not be applied 'down there.' Flood yourself with diet cranberry juice from the beginning and wait to involve healthcare until you are going insane with the symptoms.  Insist healthcare do adequate testing the first visit. I had different labs done with each visit, like peeling layers of an onion-more money for them.

Don't let healthcare underprescribe-one size/age/condition does not fit all!


(Learn how to critically read research studies...)

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Avatar universal
YSI
Last reply doesn't show. I stopped taking cranberry juice a wk ago as burning/frequency has stopped and volume is full again. Still a sense of urgency-wearing pads for when I can't get there immediately. Still have sediment and a bit of froth going on.  

Still clearing out from the respiratory issue-albuteral inhaler is amazing-I inhale and hold but then kind of pressurize the hold to force the air/med up into the nooks and crannies above my throat-still have very stringy strongly attached clogs. Hoping this gives me immunity for the rest of the flu season-got off lightly this time. Temp at this moment is 98.5
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973741 tn?1342342773
So, now how are you doing?  Has this resolved?
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Avatar universal
YSI
Amazing how fast life can become unbearable. Fighting the UTI and the respiratory illness. Feel like I am being bit by fleas in my lungs AND in the tissues down below. UTI is ramping upward again-spurt when I cough joy joy. I tried my emergency inhaler today which helped with the large plugs coming  out of my lungs but then the sinuses became worse again-good news is my temp went up bad news is 99.3 is not enough to kill off either problem (my normal temps run in the 96's.)

I miss the old wise men of healthcare!
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Avatar universal
YSI
p.s. the Bacitracin ointment turned out to be a really bad idea. Just sayin'...
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Avatar universal
YSI
So after 5days of Keflex, pain with urination has stopped, tissues still very irritated w tinge of blood appearing on toilet paper/pad/towel. Still have a small cloud of sediment floating on top.  I remember taking Keflex 30yrs ago and it was not just 5 days-I seem to recall 10 days.

Internet now says dosage of 5-7 days for adult UTI. I contacted them again via the on-line portal asking for 2 more days of Keflex and they told me I would have to come and be seen again... she went on to say that latest guidelines are suggesting 3 days supply is now the recommendation.

So 4th trip/2hr drive? Substandard care!

UTI has become a cash cow for healthcare at the expense of OUR health!
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Avatar universal
YSI
Thought I would add this to my blog lol. I was staying with my mother, who knows constipation is an issue. She insisted I try her Miralax. Bad bad idea.  I tried it for 3 days-felt funny in my head, had edema in my ankles, and very pale very watery stools. I believe that is what started the UTI-exposure to E Coli. Miralax is a diuretic, imo.

I've often called my mom Typhoid Mary because of how often her help hurts. You would think a former nurse would be more skeptical, but she loves that OTC crap. Kicking me while I am down, I've picked up her sinus infection/flu now...
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Avatar universal
YSI
Now have  my lab reports. The first lab reports says the specimen was not processed in a timely manner...

My WBC was 19 (0-5 reference range)?

Not sure what Urine Epithelial Cells are but it was 34 (<=10 reference range.)  

I expected my urine pH to be highly acidic because it burns like acid and I have been guzzling diet cranberry juice and diet coke but it was only 5.0 (<9.0 reference range.)  

Blood in urine was 1+ but I cannot judge where the blood is coming from.  

Leukocyte Esterase was 3+ (zero/negative is apparently the reference range.)

My lab culture report was available online today and it says:  

Multiple Organisms present suggesting improperly collected specimen...

The organisms are not listed?!
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Avatar universal
YSI
Lol this is more of a diary. So I saw Urgent Care yesterday afternoon (3hr drive with flooding detour!) and 3rd visit was the charm.

The gal ordered the appropriate tests and lm vm for me last night that a script was electronically sent to pharmacy. Filled it this morning and I am to take one every 8hrs for 5 days.

My lab report isn't on-line yet so I don't know the basis for the script which is KEFLEX(cephalexin) 500 MG.

For now I am still drinking diet cranberry juice/diet coke cocktails with a shot of lime juice-probably why my tissues are so irritated.

ps to all-sugar feeds bacteria and most cranberry juices  have a lot of sugar added. Ocean Spray sells "Diet 5" cranberry juice with 5 calories/2 carbs in 8oz.
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Avatar universal
YSI
So after several rounds of duck and dodge portal replies and clueless robots on the phone I have to drive 2hrs to be seen in their Urgent Care clinic.  Which means yet another 'clinic' yet another 'provider' resulting in yet another higher billable. Healthcare is a total money racket today. The government can't control it and the insurance companies can't either. No one should have to chase treatment for an infection.
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