Do others have recurrent bladder infections, e coli? I never had them before the PMR and prednisone, and I have no symptoms, just horrible urine odor. The urologist tested this last time and it was 100,000 so am on antibiotic, the 3rd one.
so it is odor, test, antibiotic............odor, test antibiotic., etc. Is this common? thank you--your site is very helpful. I'm down now to 10 mg. and find i get tired easily.
I have the symptoms of a UTI often, but tests are always clear. I think it is Pred - linked. It seems very caustic. I am intolerant of acidic and spicy foods, D - mannose over the counter remedy seems to ease things as does Oestrogen cream for females.
Same here
D-mannose
Hi composition,
For about a year and a half before I had GCA symptoms I had recurring UTIs. Every 2 or 3 months. They were bad ones too. I don’t get them anymore. Somehow I think it is all related, maybe I just had over all body inflammation and it made my bladder an easy target for bacterial colonization?
If it’s E. coli you should know that a supplement called D-mannose works. E. coli love sugar and D-mannose is a type of sugar. However it seems to have the effect of breaking apart the clumps of bacteria and breaking down their outside so they flush out of you. I can attest that it works. On the first hint of a UTI I take it now.
Best f/m
Yes it seems to be an issue for some of us. I have literally been on antibiotics all year, not to mention a long time before that. When I stop the nightly antibiotic I get another infection within two weeks. Been to kidney specialist, he reckons the Pred has a lot to do with it. I have tried all the things people talk about, d mannose, oestrogen, nothing seems to work for me. Though they do work for some people, so may be worth a try. Good luck.
This comes up a lot. Mannose is often suggested and I gather it manages to break down the fairly antibiotic proof biofilm of bacteria that set up camp in the bladder. Biofilms are getting a bit more attention in research as they seem to be an effective way of bacteria protecting themselves, though I don’t think it has filtered into the mainstream doctoring yet. Like SJ I’ve had the symptoms many times, with the occasional positive, but tests say clear. I have found that high dose calcium and Pred cause me cystitis which I think is just chemical so I’ve reduced the calcium dose and made sure my urine was always dilute or pay the consequences. I wonder if infection can set in due to chemically inflamed bladder plus a degree of immunosupression, and possible sugar spikes.
The chalky consistency of Calcium deposits really irritate my bladder. I was taken off them and eat a Calcium rich diet. I still take vita D and K.
Yes that has happened to me too. Had a year or more of almost constant UTIs but things are much better now after being put on vagifem....cut it down to about one a year.
Hi, l have pain in my back in the kidney area, l’ve had multiple infections & had numerous courses of antibiotics.
I’m currently on a 3month course of Nitrofuratonin with two weeks to go, No Difference! I return to see the Consultant in December to see what’s next?......
I have had no irritation or issues going to the loo, just the pain in my kidney area.
MrsN
Yes I’ve had repeated UTIs for the last 7-8 months. Sometimes ecoli, sometimes proteus. GP has referred me to kidney consultant but no appt received yet.
Has played havoc with my tapering schedule this year, as I try to be clear of any other infections etc before starting a taper. Had hoped to have reduced from the 12.5 I was increased to back in May but still stuck there! Very frustrating.
infection interfering with marker numbers 
Do steroids mask infection
Plantar Fasciitis..is it common in PMR or just common?
Another question about infections!
