I was wondering if anyone experiences recurrent UTI's as a consequence of not being adequately medicated? My most recent blood test is above and I would appreciate anyone's advice.
Recurrent UTI: I was wondering if anyone... - Thyroid UK
Recurrent UTI
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JBL312
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I don't have much experience with UTI's but one thing that works for me - P-5-P.It's a natural form of B6.
I may be off here but I have heard this is usually due to low levels of Estrogen
Yes you are correct and often a vaginal pessary is given for these issues or a cream - I met a lady in the waiting room of a hospital who said she had been 'cured' of her UTI's due to using these - you can get these meds from GP.
SlowDragonAdministrator
yes frequent UTI a recognised consequence of being hypothyroid
Also over active bladder
medicalnewstoday.com/articl....
Your Ft4 and Ft3 thyroid results show you need dose increase in Levo
How much are you currently prescribed
When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested
I currently take 125mg of levothyroxine and 32.5mcg of t3. It's been a few months since the ones you mentioned were tested, but I supplement B12 and D. I'm also on hrt and use estrogen pessaries as suggested by other members.
Was test done as recommended….early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
T3 ….day before test split T3 as 2 or 3 smaller doses spread through the day, with last dose approximately 8-12 hours before test
if yes ….perhaps consider increasing Levo by 12.5mcg 4 days a week and retest in another 6-8 weeks
Yes, I took the levothyroxine 24 hours before and last of the t3 11 hours before. Do you mind me asking, why 12.5mcg 4 times a week?
Well that’s a SMALL increase in dose of levothyroxine of 50mcg PER WEEK
you could try larger increase of 12.5mcg per day ….but better to adjust slowly when fine tuning
Thank you so much. I will follow your advice.
Yes.Yes. Yes. I was on a few rounds of antibiotics and it just would clear. Once I raised my own thyroid dose there was no trace of UTI .
Many have previously mentioned....
D-mannose is a natural sugar that may help treat and prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). It works by blocking the activity of a specific type of bacteria that causes UTIs. The bacteria stick to the sugar instead of the bladder walls and are flushed out with the urine. D-mannose may be used as a supplement in addition to antibiotics, but it should not replace traditional medical treatment. If you have a UTI, consult a healthcare provider4.
May help whilst you up your thyroid levels 🤗
I can only tell you my experience. When everything was going wrong about 25 years ago, I started having recurring UTI's amongst every symptom in the medical dictionary lol. So much so I was referred to hospital consultant (who didn't do anything). However at the same time I consulted private doctor, had a full set of tests resulting in me being told I need T3 and also I had pernicious anaemia (B12 deficiency) so was started on T3 and B12 injections. Within a short while lots of symptoms went and I also never had a UTI again. 20+ years later GP decided I was not getting any more B12 injections because I do not have PA. A couple of years after that I started to recognise certain symptoms had slowly come back, one being recurring UTI's. Have now been diagnosed that I actually do have PA and started on injections again. Hopefully this will stop the UTI's like last time. I have still been taking T4/T3 combination, so the only difference in my case was the B12.
Your story is really making me wonder, over ten years ago, I started having constant UTI's, not once was I blood tested, just given antibiotics, one doctor in the practice would issue me with extra antibiotics to keep on me, I suffered terribly with painful, vaginal atrophy, they wouldn't give me HRT (even though I'd had a hysterectomy at the age of 40), one young female doctor thought I needed educating in how to wipe my bottom. At the age of 59, I was diagnosed with Graves, changed doctors, given HRT, after advice on here started taking B12 and B complex and I am feeling so much better, although not right. If only they would give women full blood tests, as soon as they start appearing at the doctors around that age!
Yes, I do but not sure if it's related to thyoid. I have to take antibiotics every day to prevent them and if I try and go without I have another infection within days. I read about the D-mannose and bought some but apparently that only prevents e-coli and I tend to get proteus
Are they definitely UTI's? As in positive dipstick and positive culture results?
If not, and it just feels like a UTI, then consider whether it could be GSM (genitourinary syndrome of menopause). You don't have to be post-menopause to suffer from this. I'm only mentioning it as your age is shown in your profile. 🙂
Local oestrogen is well worth using if this is the case.
Yes they're confirmed UTI's. I had a hysterectomy at the age of 43 and immediately started oestrogen gel. I also use a vaginal oestrogen. The last UTI was really stubborn too. It took 6 lots of antibiotics to clear it. I'm trying to clear this one without having to resort to antibiotics.
Please be careful trying to avoid antibiotics I got Sepsis due to a delay in waiting for a lab result to see which antibiotic was required and ended up fighting for my life in hospital. If it is that stubborn you should be admitted to hospital and given IV antibiotics to really clear it once and for all - I would say that your thyroid hormone is low (T3) which could be causing these UTI's - which antibiotic are you using as they don't recommend (London Hospital big boys) Trimethoprim any longer for UTI's as it doesn't seem to have the clout needed to hit the bug.
Yes me - 13 years of hell and two bouts of Sepsis where I was 1 hour away from not making it ! I was not on T3 at the time just T4 and I was eventually under a urogyney consultant at a London Hospital who was disgusted I had had to suffer for so long before being sent to him - I had gone to local hospitals but you need the big boys in my opinion to cope with major issues like I had - anyway - he recommended taking one antibiotic every night to keep the bug under control because it was virtually a superbug embedded in the bladder - but the real thing that helped the situation was getting the thyroid adequately medicated. I told him I had improved because of this and he said Oh yes thyroid deficiency can cause this - thank you for telling me - I also 'cured' a choline metabolism issue by being on T3 - fish odour syndrome which was a nightmare too - all went when on T3. Please ask if you have any questions as would like to help you as been there bought the T shirt etc. etc.
can you say which London hospital you went to?
I wasn't sure I could mention names but here it is - a truly wonderful man who is so very kind and understands our problems and really wants to help - he is amazing.
It's terrible how long we have to suffer before we're listened to. I took a urine sample to my gynaecologist today and was told they don't have the facilities to test it and to go to the gp! She did, however, refer me for a kidney scan and camera in my bladder. I had prolapse surgery (the controversial mesh!) nearly 10 years ago and it seems that's failing now. Its really interesting you said about the fish odour. I only get it when I eat fish, but it's so awful, I avoid it altogether. I wonder if I need to increase my t3. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences.
If you are suffering with fish odour after eating fish it could be that you are not metabolising choline within the liver -(the liver is heavily implicated in thyroid deficiency) - which is the problem in fish odour syndrome but in saying that most people get a smell of fish in their urine if you have eaten fish - the issue to watch out for is whether this is a new problem if it is then something has changed. So sorry to hear about your prolapse I too have one back and front which is manageable at the moment but uncomfortable at times. Can I just give you a tip - I was told in the days when I had a bladder examination to take a course of antibiotics before the exam - as it can really stir up bugs that can be a problem - you will be probably be told it isn't necessary because 'antibiotics' are a no no now - but I am sorry I agree with the days when things like this were told to us - avoid Ciprofloxacin - or Trimethoprim but I would ask your GP if he can prescribe an antibiotic for say a week in advance of the exam - Cephalexin is a great anti bacterial antibiotic - he may say it isn't needed but fight your corner !
It can also happen if one is supplementing with high Selenium.
Sorry what can ?
Selenium supplements. If one takes too much can cause fishy smell breath or even fishy body odor.
Hi again the bladder has a very high need for oestrogen see below:
thanks for mentioning this, as I too get phantom uti’s, ie no infection and they come at random. The doctor said it could be the autoimmune condition sjogrens. I was high in estrogen, so brought it down with dim, wild yam cream and calcium d glucarate. From what I’ve read here, maybe i brought it down too much. It’s a mindfeild, because before that I was getting actual infections and thought it might be embedded, so I just became celibate to avoid the pain. Now I learn you can get them because of your thyroid! Can’t win
Hi it needs to be mentioned that low thyroid hormone affects collagen and collagen/muscle strength is very important in bladder issues - high oestrogen can cause the thyroid hormone to be depleted - we need some but not too much ! T3 hormone is the active hormone and you could be low or not converting.
Thanks for clarifying, yes I’m low, even though I’ve brought my oestrogen back to normal
Yes! With bells clanging loudly!
Original cause many years ago...undiagnosed low T3.
It developed into embedded/ recurring uti which is now playing Merry-H
Tried all the usual treatments but it just flares up every few weeks
Currently floored by another lot of bugs leaving the lining of the bladder and having a party...now awaiting results of a microscopy test
You might find the late Prof Malone -Lee's book "Cystitis Unmasked" helpful
Your thyroid levels are too low but I guess your medics only look at TSH which is unreliable. Yours is low so you'll likely be told you are overmedicated......stuff and nonsense!
I suffered for over 10 years with repeated UTI’s lots of tests and treatments but they went away when I started on HRT. I presume now I was menopausal even though just 40 at the beginning and no other obvious symptoms.
Falling levels of oestrogen is likely the cause of recurrent UTI's. Mine vanished when I started adding some Ovestin cream each night. I'm on HRT anyway but I needed the localised vaginal cream to fix the infections. It helps to keep the vagina flexible and moisturised too. I THINK you can buy Ovestin over the counter now but if not, just ring and ask the surgery to prescribe it for you.
Dr Louise Newson did a Sunday Live Instagram on this a few weeks back. She too needs to use the cream (or pessary, can't remember which she's on) to stop constantly having UTIs despite HRT.
I use both oestrogen gel and a gel pessary (I find it less messy than the cream). My doctor prescribes it for me and it definitely helps with any dryness.
Vitamin D
According to 2 sources
Various studies have reported associations between low serum vitamin D and increased risk of UTI [ 14, 15 ], with one particular study concluding that serum levels of vitamin D lower than 25 nmol/L can constitute an independent risk factor for UTIs in pediatric populations [ 16 ].
Vitamin D Status and Its Rol…
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
New data suggest that recurrent UTI is associated with a low serum level of vitamin D. Researchers retrospectively identified 93 premenopausal women with a medical history of recurrent UTI (defined as ≥3 UTI episodes over a 12-month period) and 93 age-matched (±5 years)
I haven't copied the whole document as quite long but it is worth mentioning the D and thyroid hormone are connected so if thyroid hormone not adequately met then D - zinc magnesium - B vitamins etc. etc. will go low. No more than 1,000 IU's though as excess calcium issues than result.
Very interesting.
