Recurrent symptoms of UTIs or UTIs that don't produce positive urine cultures

[PMRpro]

I thought some of you might be interested in this article from the Guardian this morning:

theguardian.com/society/201...

[jinasc]

It is well worth reading.

The minute I get that 'burn' I head for the Bi-carb.

One teaspoonful in as little water as possible make sure it is dissolved, drink, repeat two hours later.

Yes, another Grandma or old wives tale but...................

[Longtimer in reply to jinasc]

Also a product that can be bought I think it was called MIst-Pot-Sit...or something like that....now in tablet form OTC I think....

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Longtimer]

Mist Pot Cit, (mixture of potassium citrate). It alkalises the urine. Precautions with anyone on restricted sodium/potassium for whatever health reason. Also should not be taken with Nitrofurantoin.

[Marijo1951 in reply to jinasc]

Yes, I've found this works too, but I'm not as badly affected as those in the article.

[Longtimer]

Very interesting, a shame nothing much has changed since the 50`s!...maybe now testing for it will....

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Longtimer]

The options for testing are there - it is medical attitudes that need to change. And I wonder how much that is still to do with the fact most UTIs occur in women...

[jinasc in reply to PMRpro]

most UTIs occur in women... ahhhhhhhhh

That reminds me of PMR and no movement for many years, yes 90% were women.

[Longtimer in reply to jinasc]

Perhaps we are shouting loud enough!!….

[Longtimer in reply to jinasc]

Meant to aren't....

[scats in reply to jinasc]

So much of it sounded familier... patients educating themselves and knowing more than their doctors!

My solution, at the FIRST suspicion drink as much water as possible, at least a litre and a warm bath. If that fails bicarb. Been lucky so far

[Longtimer in reply to PMRpro]

I have always thought that....many years ago in my 30`s I had several attacks, and went into hospital for a bladder stretch....never had a problem since....fingers crossed!

Don`t know if that is done now?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Longtimer]

I've had 3, one 35-ish years ago, one in the UK about 18-ish years ago and one here about 5 years ago. After one - no problems for at least 10 years and then they slowly reappear.

[Longtimer in reply to PMRpro]

That surprises me....never hear it mentioned anymore....maybe a medical name I now don't recognise...I

Will never forget what the doctor said to me afterwards..... "I have stretched your bladder big enough for a double decker bus to get in!" .....I didn't reply, there was no answer to that....hopefully you won't have to have it done again, but you know what to mention next time....the number 21 bus please!😉

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Longtimer]

"urethral stretch" is what they usually call it - just the door, not the garage...

[Longtimer in reply to PMRpro]

Love it!👍

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

😂😂😂 good article

[karools16 in reply to Longtimer]

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Telian]

Very.

[Twopies]

I am speechless. Utterly speechless. In the u.s. maybe about 10 years ago there was a researcher, not a doctor who espoused this same theory. His recommendation was long term antibiotics for several months to fully remove the bacteria entrapped in the walled off cells. He used a broth culture (not available in labs, at least at the time) to isolate the bacteria that didn't show up on a regular lab test. Enterococcus was his usual finding. Many, many women tried it and were cured. I was not--after 7 months of antibiotics, they started to have an adverse effect on me so I quit taking them. Some people have said that I have been "phloxed"--sickened by the unconventional use of long term antibiotics. Who knows?

Anyway, the researcher and his biggest promoter were banned from the interstitial cystitis forums for advocating his use of long term antibiotics. Now when I see it in the guardian, such a respected journal, after all these years, I'm stunned.

There's another theory that if you carry a certain gene, you may be subject to blood in your urine and bladder pain because you likely are carrying a virus that is treatable with a short-term anti-viral. But the gene testing is very expensive, not covered by insurance here. Just good theories about why so many women have "functional cystitis" that may not be functional at all.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Twopies]

I can only tell you that there is someone on another forum who has been treated successfully in this way in the UK.

It isn't the problem of using long term abx for recurrent UTIs - that is a fairly common procedure. It is the fact that not all UTIs are found by doing the normal culture procedure.

[Twopies]

Exactly, that's my point, sorry if I was unclear. This man used another culture procedure that was not used in any other labs; that's how he found the presence of bacteria, utis, that the other labs missed.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Twopies]

Sorry - I perceived it the wrong way round...

[karools16]

Am thankful that I never get them, nor can I recall ever having any. At least something to be grateful for.....1 less on the list of 'add-ons'. My sympathies to those of you who do experience this.

[Linny3]

Thank you, very informative

[Jackoh]

Thanks for this