Blood in urine could it be mtx side effect ?

[Shell1967]

Hello everyone I haven't been on here to write a post in a long while,how are you all ? My RA Has been under control,I swapped to mtx injections 17.5 mg and tolerating to well.my question is I keep frequently weeping and have for a long while now,thought it was my age,Peri and slack pelvic floor and Up 2--3 times a night.i went to see the nurse Friday who did a dipstick test and she said there's a small amount of blood showing.she sent off sample but today it's come back as negative !! Which has panicked me a bit as these symptoms I googled and guess what bladder cancer...anyway I did find out blood in Urine can also be a side effect to mtx and would like to know if anyone else has this problem please? I'm waiting for the RA nurse to ring back for some advice too.my blood tests and latest one done in February were all good.thank you hope you're all enjoying this Lovely weather Michelle xx

[Dogrose]

I have detectable blood in my urine about 50% of the time my urine is tested, whatever drugs I'm on! There is never any visual indication (pink/red/brown colour). The nurse usually says it is probably because of my period even though I don't have them. I did some research and apparently it isn't unusual to have blood detected in urine with no cause. Unless you are actually peeing blood I wouldn't worry.

[Shell1967 in reply to Dogrose]

Thank you so very much.😊I do frequently wee especially laying down at night,but anxiety cystitis etc I know can cause this but my anxiety at the moment is through the roof !! Tho I did read mtx can cause it.are you on mtx too ? You have put my mind at ease thank you so much Michelle xx

[Dogrose in reply to Shell1967]

I've tried MTX three times but it always makes me suicidal, my Rheumy has finally said I don't need to try it again! I go through phases of needing to pee a lot, usually when I have a Sjogren's flare, for some reason! Normally I can hold it for many hours. xxx

[Shell1967 in reply to Dogrose]

Well I've now found out why I'm weeing had scan have 3 complex cysts on right ovary !!!

[nomoreheels]

Hiya Michelle. This happens to me every time. I'm on MTX (8 years, 7 of them injection) like you 17.5mg at the mo. Generally it's not needed any treatment but on the odd occasion it's picked up a UTI & a short course of antibiotics sorts it. My Rheumy nurse has shown me the dipstick against the chart & it's usually just in the green flecked square but it comes back from the lab as normal. I do take amitriptyline so that may have some influence but my urine colour is normal, no blood so it doesn't concern me. I'm 55 & postmenopausal, I chose not to have HRT.

At my last drug monitoring bloods my Practice nurse noticed I was due my annual urine check but I only did the sample towards the end of last week so the result won't be in yet. I'm pretty sure it'll come back as normal - no treatment needed.

Have you mentioned it to your Rheumy? Might set your mind at rest if you're like me & it's just one of those things, caused by RD, MTX or another of your meds. x

[Shell1967 in reply to nomoreheels]

Oh thank you so much !!another kind person helping me 😊that's great I feel heaps better already,I'm going through peri and extremely anxious all the time about my health.ive rung the nurse yes just waiting a reply.i thought I had a wee infection as keep weeing a lot so took a sample in she checked and it had green in it then sent it off but it's come back negative of bacteria so not sure really as you say one of those things.no one ever has asked me to do a urine test ever while on mtx.i will make sure now I do.thankyou so much xxx

[nomoreheels in reply to Shell1967]

You're welcome! When your nurse rings you back you could double check, say you're still needing to wee regularly, you could have a slight infection & it's making your bladder sensitive. I have a urine test done each visit to Rheumy & nurse, always have both here & in Spain. My GP requests one annually as well.

It could just be that like me there's always a trace of blood present, the dipstick test is pretty basic, that's why it is been sent to the lab. Try not to worry. x

[Shell1967 in reply to nomoreheels]

Nurse sent it to lab and came back normal so no infection.would the lab check for things other than infection if there's blood in it would you know? I thought they would just check for what nurse requests like a urine infection ? Xx

[Shell1967 in reply to nomoreheels]

Sorry mine came back from the lab as normal too,but I thought it was just no infection.would they test and make sure for other things too if blood is in it do you know ? She gave me a course of antibiotics as a precaution so I've taken them for nothing !! Xx

[nomoreheels in reply to Shell1967]

Not necessarily, she may have just been covering bases if she felt your frequent trips to the loo was indicative of a slight infection. The lab would perform a full check. Were your white blood cells count (WBC) slightly raised or higher than normal do you remember?

[Shell1967 in reply to nomoreheels]

No only thing showing was the blood.do you know what lab tests for as I thought it was just what Dr or nurses ask for ? Xx

[nomoreheels in reply to Shell1967]

You're on MTX so need to have drug monitoring bloods, just to check everythingls tickety boo, is that what you mean? It also serves as a history of how well (or not) MTX is controlling your inflammation etc. If you mean urine test if you promise not to read too much into it I can send you a link? X

[Shell1967 in reply to nomoreheels]

I mean the urine test.the nurse sent it off to

Check for infection and if the lab only got requested to look for infection would they not take any notice of blood being in it or would they say blood seen ? As my result said no further action and I thought it meant no infection but would it mean no blood was seen too ? Xxx

[nomoreheels in reply to Shell1967]

Well, I suppose it would depend on whether she requested a specific test or a complete one.

[Shell1967 in reply to nomoreheels]

Right got ya now😊I would hope she would have asked for a complete test to check everything and not just infection but I don't know.wonder if I could find out xxx

[nomoreheels in reply to Shell1967]

You could ask her. Try not to worry though, it could be as simple as the disease itself causing the traces of blood & like I've found & as others have said it's quite normal.

I hope you don't take this wrong way & I'm only suggesting it as you've admitted to us that you have health anxiety, have you considered asking to be referred to a psychologist? My h who's the last person you'd expect to ask for help did after 2 major ops last year left him in a bad place of acceptance & he's found it very helpful.

It's something to consider, there is help out there. x

[Shell1967]

I remember talking to you ladies at the beginning of my RA can you remember me 😊

[nomoreheels in reply to Shell1967]

Yes we've spoken before & I remember you but I think you joined before me, I'd been lurking in the background because I had trouble joining. I lived in Spain & at that time for whatever reason it wouldn't let me enter my details to be a member, the site was more basic back then!

[Pinkbungelowgirl]

Hi Michelle,

Thought I'd let you know that I have been showing blood in my urine for along, long time. I saw a specialist at the hospital who's wife was a Rheumatologist as it happened. I had yearly checks with him for years.

In my case the very small amount of blood in my urine was due to my RA and the level of inflammation in my blood being high. My kidneys were affected by coming into contact with inflammation whilst filtering to create urine and so I was advise to drink plenty of fluids, obviously not alcoholic ones.

Being hydrated is, as we all know, good for us. Though it is always a balance act to be near toilet facilities. It sounds like you are being monitored well enough.

Good luck with the PIP forms. Dealing with them is stressful enough.

A good friend of mine tried Reiki to help her stress levels. It's something I must find out more about.

Where did I leave that bottle of Vodka?😄

[Shell1967]

Hello and another relief sigh from me 😊thank you so much I have been trying to drink lots of water and in turn makes me pee more !! I have a problem when I lay down at night thats when my weeing starts mainly lol.i can go then have to go again and again.i have blood tests regularly yes but I freaked when the Drs said my sample had come back negative for infection.i worry so much about my health and it scared me.im not sure what you mean about the pip forms ? 😊😊thanks so much and I need a bottle of wine 🍸👏

[Shell1967 in reply to Shell1967]

My kidneys have always shown in blood to be ok.my last esr was 5 but I have been having a bit of a flare in random joints Lately.i should never Google as weeing a lot and blood in urine says bladder cancer everywhere and I'm even seeing it on the tele so I'm thinking someone's trying to tell me something ! Health anxiety is just cruel xx

[medway-lady]

I know this is awful but I laughed when reading this as google is no patients friend and I think technically on google I'm not far from death every day, but from various causes depending on that days aches and pains. So trust the nurse and panic not. If the test was so reliable they would not send the sample would not be sent off for proper testing would they ?

I forgot to add last year I had black pee spent all morning worrying then opened the cupboard door to pick another nibble at the black fondant icing that was left over after using on a cake, and red from beetroot. lol xxx

[nomoreheels in reply to medway-lady]

Be sure your sins will find you out! Bet it was alarming at at the time though.

[Shell1967]

It's ok I could laugh at myself too 😊but I'm very worried as suffer health anxiety badly !!! Yes the result came back negative but she was

Asking for the sample to be tested for infection.im sure that's all they would look for wouldn't they ? If they saw blood in it would they inform back? Thank you xxx

[02tkwillx]

Please try and not worry I had the same problem. I was beside myself with worry, I had lots of urine tests and they all had blood in them, I couldn't see it but it was picked up in the dipstick test.

I had a camera to look in my bladder and scans on my kidneys and everything was perfect.

I was told in the end that this somethings just happens due to having RA. I have been on biologic treatment for 8 months now and a recent urine test still showed up blood. I'm not worrying no more it's just part of my condition. I hope your results are good too X

[Shell1967 in reply to 02tkwillx]

Thank you so much xxx

[Jackie1947]

Hi. I've had blood in urine for donkeys years that shows up on a dipstick. I had investigations all negative but was advised if I can see blood in wee to come back. Nothing to do with Mtx though.

[Shell1967 in reply to Jackie1947]

Thank you it's only cos I read blood in urine can be a side effect of mtx.thankyou for taking the time to help me xx