Help!

[Lunadoo]

I'm at the end of my tether. I'm 74 and have had UTIs since 16 - usually 1-2 a year, easily treated. A couple of years ago they were getting more frequent and GP gave me standby px for Macrobid and with this I've managed to self treat at the 1st symptom. 5 months ago I had a bad flare up which took several courses of antibiotics to stop. Since then I've had 3 more UTIs which after seemingly treated, then recur within a couple of weeks. I dip my own urine if I feel a uti comIng on and if (almost always), it is immediately positive for leucocytes, sometimes blood too - I start my standby prescription and in a couple of days the dip is negative I've asked my GP via phone consult if I can have a trial of a prophylactic but they say no. I'm currently on yet another course of Macrobid - after finishing the last course a week ago and symptoms and leucocytes ++on dip yesterday. The Macrobid makes me feel unwell and sometimes I vomit after taking them. I've managed to get a face to face appointment with GP but not for 3 weeks. They use a paramedic at my surgery for uti and I'm waiting the result of urine culture. I had to cancel a cruise last year because of uti and am worried about going away in case it flares up. Do you think I could have an embedded uti ( usually culture's show e.coli). I did mention this to paramedic but she dismissed it. I've tried everything including d mannose, but it just seems like the infection never really goes completely.

[RienPoort]

Hi Lunadoo, I have similar long term experience. Lived off antiBs until they pretty much stopped working (had two really bad infections treated with intravenous Ertapenem and you don't want that too often!). So I sought a top Urologist (Richard Viney here in the UK). He started me on Hyacyst bladder instillations which worked perfectly for 18 months but then seemed to lose efficacy and now Hiprex which has worked perfectly for 18 months also and touch wood is still effective. He advises rotating between the two treatments if the Hiprex fails.

Hyacyst restores the mucous membrane in the bladder and so prevents bugs from attaching to the bladder wall.

Hiprex slightly acidifies urine which deters (kills?) the bugs.

Obviously we're all different and you need to see a consultant not a GP (imho). For a couple of hundred quid its well worth it!

[Lunadoo in reply to RienPoort]

Thank you. Yes I've decided to seek the opinion of a urologist. Unfortunately, due to the number of people seeking private appointments these days, the earliest appointment I can get in my area ( South Coast UK) is in 8 weeks! Still I hope it will be worth the wait.

[RienPoort in reply to Lunadoo]

8 weeks! Good grief!! Would it be worth a trip further afield? I'm midlands/south west and use Oxford, Bristol and Birmingham centres of healthcare excellence and have ventured as far as Liverpool for really excellent support. I also use Top Doctors (topdoctors.co.uk) to research the best support. All the best.

[Underdoglover in reply to RienPoort]

I have excellent health insurance in the US and 8 weeks is not uncommon for non life threatening conditions.

[RienPoort in reply to Underdoglover]

Yes so I understand and our UK government has been actively running down our NHS in favour of private insurance based health care for the past 14 years! OK if you can afford it but if not don't get sick!!

[Underdoglover in reply to RienPoort]

As a Canadian living in the US I wholeheartedly support universal health care such as in Canada and the UK. My point was that 8 weeks is not a long time to wait for non-urgent medical care even with good private insurance.

[RienPoort in reply to Underdoglover]

I was expressing surprise at the 8 week wait for a private consultation in the UK. That is atypical in my experience and it may be indicative that as the NHS runs down so the private sector comes under pressure. The danger is the private service becomes just as unresponsive but with added cost. The late John Pilger ran a polemic warning against heading down the US route and highlighted some really worrying consequences such as seriously untimely patient "dumping" to free up capacity. It's what you get when a government is solely focused on the money people rather than public service. But to be honest the UK is now a basket case. We walked away from the largest single market in the world right on our doorstep thanks to a takeover by snake oil salesmen!

[Hifibar]

hi Lunadoo

I so feel for you as I could’ve written your post. I have been given a low lose of antibiotics daily by my gp after having 3 months of uti . I had a cytoscopy which was clear have you had one of those ?

Now I take either trimethoprim or Amoxil at night with d manose and vit c and so far have been 3 months clear apart from one small break through which I got onto straight away.

I was told by the consultant who did my cytoscopy that some women have a small amount of blood ( not visible) in their urine all the time and she said she did so that reassured me.

Now I have a bladder prolapse which is troublesome but am trying to get that sorted but being unsuccessful at the moment.

I hope you get something to help soon as it does drag you down . Best of luck

[Ritornello]

Have you not been offered topical oestrogen treatment? It restores acidity of vagina which improves microbiota, and helps to plump up bladder walls. It stopped my monthly uti's. Been free of them for six months now. Maybe your situation is different if you have suffered all your life from them, but it can't harm to discuss it with GP. I hope it can help you.