Hi, I had to go to the docs for some more antibiotics for yet another water infection, and because my usual doctor was off sick I had to see a different one, which caused me to be a little more anxious than usual ( white coat syndrome, stupid I know but cannot help it) anyway I asked if stress or anxiety could be the cause of my reoccuring water infections, to which she said yes.
Has anyone else heard off or suffer from the same problem ?
My 10 yr old has had 5 this year, had her at hospital last week, she advised her not to drink flavoured water or fizzy drinks, my cousins daughter gets them often but since cutting out fizzy drinks she doesn't get them much now
There will be a lot of other health benefits from your daughter not drinking fizzy drinks. Hope you can persuade your cousin to stop them too.
Dee
Hi thanks for your reply, if it works that's good
I drink loads of pre boiled water with and without a slice of lemon and 2 coffees a day and sometimes tonic water. I will try cutting it out though. Xthanks
Sorry but this medic is the kind my wonderful female surgeon urologist would mutter angrily is advising you inappropriately.
She has zero tolerance for any medic who plays the stress/anxiety card without having fully investigated the patient in order to identify the causes underlying recurring urinary tract infections
Of course stress & anxiety play a role in the character of signs & symptoms related to any medical condition, but stress & anxiety aren't the sole causes of a medical condition. Yes, stress and anxiety can exacerbate the character (e.g. the intensity and duration) of a medical condition....but for any doctor to blame recurring illness on stress & anxiety is very poor practice
I suffered decades of what my gps told me were "normal" UTIs. These infections came on very quickly & very severely with blood, pus & tissue in the samples. Even so my gps just gave me antibiotics...eventually they gave me a home emergency supply of antibiotics and had me test my own urine samples with a gp surgery standard urinalysis strip kit.
Finally in my 50s brilliant medics figured out I have lupus. Then my mother admitted I'd been diagnosed with lupus as an infant but she kept this diagnosis secret & forbade my doctors to tell me. So when I moved to the uk at 21, the NHS was unaware of the immune dysfunction underlying & causing almost all my chronic multisystem health probs including my decades of recurring so-called "normal" UTIs.
Shortly after the NHS recoverd my lupus diagnosis & I'd begun to respond well to prescription lupus meds, I insisted my gp refer me to urology for investigations of my recurring persistent UTIs. Urology consultants were horrified I hadn't been referred sooner. In effect, for decades, my gps had been negligent, just feeding me antibiotics & making no attempt to really figure out an underlying cause & leaving me to figure out how to lifestyle manage my predisposition to UTIs.
We now know that all those decades my UTIs involved my kidneys (pyelonephritis) as well as my urinary tract....and that chronic lymphopenia + systemic lupus + early onset Sjogrens have been & continue to be underlying these infections. Immunology & urology have me on daily antibiotics indefinitely...i haven't had an infection for several years. And the stress + anxiety levels in my life are just as high as they were before hand
I'm not suggesting the causes underlying your water infections are the same as mine. My case is unusual! I'm just suggesting you learn all about UTIs, how to lifestyle manage in order to avoid these infections, and, if your infections continue to occur once you're sure you're doing everything you can to prevent these infections, I hope you'll insist on referral to urology for the investigations you deserve
Apologies for going on at such length, but this subject is close to my ❤ for obvious reasons 😉
Here is a good NHS link to advice on UTIs:
nhs.uk/conditions/Urinary-t...
And here is what this link says about lifestyle management & prevention:
Preventing UTIs
If you get UTIs frequently, there are some things you can try that may stop it coming back. However, it's not clear how effective most of these measures are.
These measures include:
avoiding perfumed bubble bath, soap or talcum powder around your genitals – use plain, unperfumed varieties, and have a shower rather than a bath
going to the toilet as soon as you need to pee and always emptying your bladder fully
staying well hydrated
wiping your bottom from front to back when you go to the toilet
emptying your bladder as soon as possible after having sex
not using a contraceptive diaphragm or condoms with spermicidal lubricant on them – you may wish to use another method of contraception instead
wearing underwear made from cotton, rather than synthetic material such as nylon, and avoiding tight jeans and trousers
Speak to your GP if these measures don't work. They may suggest taking a long-term course of antibiotics or they may give you a prescription for antibiotics you can use as soon as you experience symptoms of a UTI.
There's currently little evidence to suggest that drinking cranberry juice or using probiotics significantly reduces your chances of getting UTIs.
🍀🍀🍀🍀 coco
PS I laughed when I read your comment re "white coat syndrome"....I have this condition too...🤗....sometimes we've got to laugh 😉
Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate it, I have set my goal to Google as much as I can re water infections. I do often wonder why, and then after the antibiotics when I am feeling fine In that area again I forget. The other thing you reminded me of was my medical records, I asked for them about 6 months ago now .. so I think I'd better chase them up too, how long did it take you to get them ? Thank you again, Andi hope you are are keeping well (((( as well as can be expected anyway)))) xxx
I like the way you're thinking!
Since my arrival in the uk at 21, I've always kept note of the medical attention I've had, and requested copies of reports & test results. And once my lupus was recognised, I became even more conscientious about archiving my medical records etc.
1 important point re urinary tract infections records:
strictly speaking, urology hopes gps will make sure patients with recurring infections supply mid-stream urine samples (MSU) for lab testing so that when patients are referred to urology there are lab results indicating the type of bacteria involved in these infections. My urologist was v disappointed that during my decades of recurring infections, my gps had only sent 1 or 2 urine samples to the lab! Now immunology & urology make sure I always have samples tested.
Here is the NHS Choices link explaining about MSUs...your gps should supply you with soecial red lidded sample pots for fastracking your lab samples:
nhs.uk/chq/Pages/how-should...
When my lupus was recognised by the NHS in 2011, my elderly mother confessed she'd kept the secret of my infancy lupus diagnosis etc. I'd never even heard of lupus, so the whole thing was a big revelation to me. My nhs clinics have all been v receptive to this info from my mother....they said the extent of my multisystem debilitation fits perfectly with my lupus inflammatory process beginning so early in life.
Good luck 🍀🍀🍀🍀
Hi I think I will have to Google lupus now aswell, I haven't a clue. 😁
Thank you for your advice I am going to take it onboard, although I don't know when my bladder is full .. or empty as I have damaged nerves .. thanks again 😀
i was refused my records" because it would mean breaching? confidentuality between drs and consultants" .i am so glad you mentioned this i was not well at the time and didn't even question this and since then i have forgotten all about it. Back to the gp post haste for me. ps it was something to do with me having lupus ,crohns,athritis,will have to rack my brains now lupus is a pain in the butt i had pheunomia with fluid around the lungs causing sepsis week before xmas . ps think i have just replied to 2 different post here. whoops sorry still not quite right in the brain dept i am blaming lupus fog lol
Thank you for your reply, I hope your feeling better, I'm not sure what to do about my records, I don't know what the next step is, and I only want them for my own satisfaction and to see what investigations have shown so far.
Records can be requested and you will normally need to go through them with a health professional so that they can interpret anything you feel is confusing or you are unsure of. As regards you being refused access to records due to breach of confidentiality between Consultant and GP - this is absolute nonsense. You are entitled to see your notes, but usually under medical supervision, so that it does not cause you any stress by what you read and the doctor can interpret for you. It is called the Data Protection Act that you are entitled to know what has been written about you and if it is wrong, get it changed!!
Thanks zeezee, I am going to make that my job on Monday, I have asked for them but not chased it up, so now I am inspired, and my peesticks are on there way( hope I have ordered the correct ones )
Great news - let me know how you get on.
The urine sticks should have segments for;
white blood cells,
nitrites,
blood
protein
amongst others, but these are the most important ones if you are interested in UTI.
The white blood cell levels should be read together with the amount of nitrites, protein and blood in the sample to see if you are starting with or have an infection. There will usually be a leaflet with the sticks which you can read to help you to read them correctly.
If the white blood cells and nitrites are high, then you will very likely have an infection and if you have blood and protein this is indicative of an infection.
Because I have kidney stones, I can have white blood cells on their own, as it can in my case it shows just inflammation, but if the sample is also high in nitrites, then off the doctor I go, I will have an infection going on. This is when the doctor will need to look into it further and send off the sample. These sticks will however give you more advance notice before it becomes a bad UTI and start to creep up towards your kidneys.
Thank you,, so far I haven't had an infection for a month, but airing on the cautious side I have ordered them .. thanks to you xxx I will let you know how I get on ..... And probably seek you help😄x
Coco what a brilliant reply to the query and hope Pollyanna will take your advice on board.
Thankfully I don't suffer from this but I have family who do so will pass on your advice - see you haven't just helped one person. Take care 😘🤗
Ah toolie: you've made my day 😘😘😘😘
Hi
I was told that my constant nausea was due to my anxiety and offered anti- depressants. I knew this was not the case and went to see another GP who took me seriously and did blood and urine tests. It turned out I had a severe UTI and was on the verge of kidney failure and this was making me feel constantly sick. So please question your GP and if it does not seem right, get another opinion.
Anyone suffering from recurrent UTI should ASK to be referred to a Consultant, if the GP does not offer to. Please be aware it is your right to seek a second opinion from a Specialist, if the GP's recurring actions are not working and dealing with the condition. I was in the same position with recurrent UTI, however I asked to see a Specialist Urologist. The Urologist completed X rays and found I had a staghorn calculus ( a stone that completely filled up one of my kidneys that was storing infection). The repeated antibiotics only served to reduce the infection and then it built back up again. If I had not asked to see the specialist when I did, the kidney may have been lost, as it was touch and go as to whether they would have to remove the whole kidney. I am OK now due to a very good Urologist, but this serves to explain that Doctors often misdiagnose or pass off symptoms when they should do more tests.
Thank you for your reply I think I will try and probe a little further next time I get one ( which I expect won't belong) ... I just asked my doctor for anti sickness pills to deal with my horrid sickly feeling and actually being sick on occasions... Not nice.. unfortunately due to my back and nerve damage and probably my pain pills I only feel the pain when it becomes intended .. and it's bad really really bad .. also it makes me wool tired ..Along with the lack of appetite and poorly/sickly feeling.. well I think it's that.. funny I got rid of the last UTI about a week ago and the thought of it even makes me shudder... I hope your feeling ok and have got rid of the pesky problem for good. And thank you again for your reply x
Hi Polyanna
Just some more information - my mother had recurrent urine infections, feeling sick constantly all the time, non stop and bad back pain. She was put on pain killers for her back and told it was something to do with her backbone that was causing the pain. My mother never questioned doctors and so she just put up with the pain and the sick feeling she had all the time, as she thought is was to do with her back pain and the doctor had seen her. I do not want to worry you unduly, but they only found out that my mother had kidney stones, a very bad kidney infection which was the cause of her back pain and the nausea and sickness was from her bad, urine and kidney infection. Unfortunately, my mother was admitted to hospital when she got so bad and died from the condition. The autopsy showed she had died from the kidney infection, which had been misdiagnosed as back pain by the doctor!!!!!!!!!! This is also why I am so concerned with people having recurrent urinary tract infections that they are PROPERLY DIAGNOSED with X rays. This information ALSO saved my life, when I had similar problems and did not take the doctors word for what was wrong with me. It at the very least saved one of my kidneys. I am OK now, but have to have regular annual check ups at the hospital to make sure I am not making more kidney stones. But I have urine testing strips and I regularly test my urine, just to be sure as I was told by the Consultant that any infection, linked with slight dehydration, would be the ideal climate to make more stones. I therefore have to make sure I am not dehydrated and drink plenty.
This is why I am so concerned about others getting the right diagnosis when getting recurrent urine infections, as my mother died and I nearly lost my kidney, both due to misdiagnosis by different doctors. I might also add that I have a degree in Pharmacology and worked in hospitals, so I am well aware of symptoms, diagnoses and drug treatments, so was able to put this to good use in my own condition, which allowed me to understand and question doctors more closely and know when they are wrong. Never, never accept a doctors diagnosis, if your body is telling you something is wrong and the doctor is not successfully treating you and the condition is getting better.
If there is anything at all, that I want to get over to people, it is that you know your own body and how it normally feels and when something is wrong. Question the doctors, demand a second opinion if something is not right and get the tests you need so that you can get the treatment you need before it gets too bad.
Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate you taking the time to share. I am believing that I am getting the UTIs due to stress and anxiety, the thing is .. if I bring this up again with my regular doctor, and ask again "Are they due to stress as with my cold sores" before I get another one he will shrug it off and say "you aren't here for that" but the thing is with my bladder not having a measurement gauge, and me being on painkillers and gabapentin which helps quiet my damaged nerves, I don't actually feel it until it's quite bad ( v. Cloudy stinky and bubbly) what would you do? In my shoes
Hi Pollyanna
I would advise that you get some urine test strips which can be bought off Amazon for a few pounds. These are the strips that the doctor uses to see if you have an infection. They come with instructions. All you do is dip the strip in a fresh urine sample and you will be able to see if you are developing a urine infection. It will then help you to get the help you need from the doctor before the infection develops into something more serious. Also you must drink more water so you are constantly well hydrated to keep flushing your kidneys. If you are on medication for pain and cannot feel the pain develop, you must help yourself by other means and this means regularly dipping your urine to test for infection.
If you cannot ask the doctor a question and get a respectful reply, try a different doctor until you find someone who will listen to your concerns without dismissing them and will give you advice and reassurance and explain things a bit more. Stress has been shown to weaken our immune systems, so there may be a link, you never know, but I would try to drink more water if you get regular infections as this will always help. If you get regular infections it may also be a good idea to ask for a referral to the hospital, which is your right to seek a second opinion, so that they can investigate this more fully. The Consultant will be able to do some more tests to identify why these regular infections are occurring. Having spent so much time in Urology, both working and as a patient, there are lots of reasons why you could be having all these infections, but you need further tests with a Consultant to get to the bottom of it all. You may be like me and have kidney stones, or it could be something to do with the urinary tract structure, but only further tests would identify the reasons for this. It sounds as if the GP is fobbing you off. A couple of times with antibiotic treatment is OK, but regular and repeated infections need more investigation.
Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate your input, I tend to drink about a pint of coffee and 2+pints of water (pre boiled as I like it warm) and 1cup of tea a day.. funny thing is that when we (my partner and i) get on the scales, and do our BMI's I always come up as being low on water. Not sure how true those scales are, but my partners is always ok,. He has been using these scales for years being x RAF .
As I damaged my nerves in my back in don't have any feeling in my bladder until it is painful I. My urinary tract. I was unaware that you could buy the test strips ,. So I am very great full and will get into with purchasing some now. I hope that you have got your sorted. You will have let me know what they have done.
Many thanks again x
My kidney stones are stable right now and have now been for the last 4 years, but I have to make sure I test my urine every few weeks to make sure I do not have any infection , as an infection would make them grow again. I also have to have an X ray every 2 years now, just to make sure I am not recreating my big stone or staghorn stone that filled up the whole of my kidney before. I have not really had any infections now for a couple of years, as I monitor it with urine strips and if it looks like it is borderline, I increase my water intake. I think the strips are so good because you can monitor yourself and not have to bother the doctor unless there is a clear infection to be dealt with.
It sounds as though you are drinking a fair amount, at around 2 litres per day, but coffee/tea can dehydrate you as they have chemicals in them that stimulate the kidneys to produce more urine, so this could be why you are slightly dehydrated on the scales. My Consultant told me to drink at least 2 litres of water throughout the day and not let myself get thirsty at any point, as this is when you are already dehydrated.
It is good that you are looking into the strips, as this will give you more warning in advance that you are starting with a urine infection, particularly as you are on pain medication. You can then get help sooner before it gets out of hand.
Hope you feel better soon.
I suffer the same problem was put on antibiotics finished them on 24 December infection was back on 28th December been like this for iver a year now Got doc appointment for nxt tuesday different doc so fingers crossed.
Hi when I have one, the antibiotics seem to work at first and reduce the symptoms but if it comes back straight away you have to go back asap and the doc should send your sample off and make sure that you get the right antibiotics for the right infection, that has been my experience with the pesky problem. X
He sends it off so i should be on right antibiotics will let you know on tuesday when i have been back xx
I had two water infections earlier in the year the second lot of antibiotics did the trick and I drank loads of Robinson's barley water
Chest infection
Swimming and water based activity 🏊🏾
Burned my hand with freshly boiled water on Saturday. How to keep clean and treat it?
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