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persistent UTI
Has anyone ever experienced this or can shed any light?
I have suffered with recurrent UTI's for years but a few months ago had a particularly severe one which I took 4 different antibiotics some not finishing the course because I felt they weren't working (stupid I know, probably the reason Im in this mess I know). I dont think it ever really went. But my urinary symptoms completley died down after a course of trimethaprim. After about a month I became severely brain fogged and tired and weak and couldn't do anything. I thought I had ME. I had strong smelling urine and occasional twinges when weeing but no normal UTI symptoms. Then after a while it transpired I had a UTI. The sensitivity test said it was sensitive to amox so the doc put me on 250mg 7 day course. The symptoms improved but didn't go. I then had a 5 day course of 500mg amox and the symptoms seemed to lift. I was so happy to feel clear again. 2 weeks later the symptoms have slowly crept back and I am now brain fogged again and have strange urinary symptoms-slight stingy twinge on weeing and lower abdominal pain/gripes but without the fatigue. I got drunk with my friends a few days ago and that seemed to make it a lot worse. I am a 5th year dental student approaching my finals and I cant think straight. I just failed a practical exam and my tutor said I just didn't seem with it. She was right I never feel with it at the moment. It is making me so sad. I feel like I have a superinfection. Oh and now my urine tests keep coming back negative apart from slight white blood cells and the docs keep telling me I am making the symptoms up.
I have suffered with recurrent UTI's for years but a few months ago had a particularly severe one which I took 4 different antibiotics some not finishing the course because I felt they weren't working (stupid I know, probably the reason Im in this mess I know). I dont think it ever really went. But my urinary symptoms completley died down after a course of trimethaprim. After about a month I became severely brain fogged and tired and weak and couldn't do anything. I thought I had ME. I had strong smelling urine and occasional twinges when weeing but no normal UTI symptoms. Then after a while it transpired I had a UTI. The sensitivity test said it was sensitive to amox so the doc put me on 250mg 7 day course. The symptoms improved but didn't go. I then had a 5 day course of 500mg amox and the symptoms seemed to lift. I was so happy to feel clear again. 2 weeks later the symptoms have slowly crept back and I am now brain fogged again and have strange urinary symptoms-slight stingy twinge on weeing and lower abdominal pain/gripes but without the fatigue. I got drunk with my friends a few days ago and that seemed to make it a lot worse. I am a 5th year dental student approaching my finals and I cant think straight. I just failed a practical exam and my tutor said I just didn't seem with it. She was right I never feel with it at the moment. It is making me so sad. I feel like I have a superinfection. Oh and now my urine tests keep coming back negative apart from slight white blood cells and the docs keep telling me I am making the symptoms up.
my opinion is you would benefit from seeing a urologist. I only have experience with staph/strep and ic. You could have any number of things going on. IC made it impossible to live my life and my urologist has made it so I have many good days.
Hi Effie.
"What exactly were your symptoms?" << These have changed over the years. At the time, when I felt the problem I had allsorts, from nausea, to pain in the genitals areas, some of them have caused concern and I am sure the anxiety of this has not helped improve things.
As I said my doctors believe I may have an STD, however I have told them that I have had 1 partner, and we were each others first. I don't quite know how it is possible to get an STD from this. I was diagnosed with epididymitis and as far as I can see I've never completely recovered from this, however it is something that can be lived with in men if it's not affecting your sex life or day to day activities. At one point, for me it most definitely was.
"Were you brain fogged?" << Yes, I found this quite disconcerting. I *think* but I'm not 100% sure, but I think I may have had a problem hydrating around that time as that causes sever brain foggyness for me. But yes I did have it and I felt that having several courses of antibiotics was part of this issue. Unlike you, I tended to get stronger fog as the day went on, not as it began.
"Did you have a culture done and which antibiotics did you take and for how long?" << I was on antibiotics a long time ago so I cannot remember all of the ones I took. This process took around 6 months of switching pills before my symptoms cleared up. I also ditched alcohol completely for about 9 months.
How long have you had this for? On and off for about 4 years. Currently, I am experiencing some symptoms but nothing so drastic I might get a result out of the doctors. Generally I wait until it's bad and then go in.
"Did your urine samples come back as negative but your symptoms remain?" Not in my case, however I wish they would take more samples and test more.
"Do you feel like your brain has never gone back to normal?" I feel OK in my general health, however this "niggle" has seemed to remain.
As I said in my main comment, I found that the antibiotics try to strip out all the good AND bad stuff in my system which caused side effects. So I used lots of vitamins, lots of water to keep hydration high (and to keep flushing your system) some pro biotic foods to see if they helped too.
"What exactly were your symptoms?" << These have changed over the years. At the time, when I felt the problem I had allsorts, from nausea, to pain in the genitals areas, some of them have caused concern and I am sure the anxiety of this has not helped improve things.
As I said my doctors believe I may have an STD, however I have told them that I have had 1 partner, and we were each others first. I don't quite know how it is possible to get an STD from this. I was diagnosed with epididymitis and as far as I can see I've never completely recovered from this, however it is something that can be lived with in men if it's not affecting your sex life or day to day activities. At one point, for me it most definitely was.
"Were you brain fogged?" << Yes, I found this quite disconcerting. I *think* but I'm not 100% sure, but I think I may have had a problem hydrating around that time as that causes sever brain foggyness for me. But yes I did have it and I felt that having several courses of antibiotics was part of this issue. Unlike you, I tended to get stronger fog as the day went on, not as it began.
"Did you have a culture done and which antibiotics did you take and for how long?" << I was on antibiotics a long time ago so I cannot remember all of the ones I took. This process took around 6 months of switching pills before my symptoms cleared up. I also ditched alcohol completely for about 9 months.
How long have you had this for? On and off for about 4 years. Currently, I am experiencing some symptoms but nothing so drastic I might get a result out of the doctors. Generally I wait until it's bad and then go in.
"Did your urine samples come back as negative but your symptoms remain?" Not in my case, however I wish they would take more samples and test more.
"Do you feel like your brain has never gone back to normal?" I feel OK in my general health, however this "niggle" has seemed to remain.
As I said in my main comment, I found that the antibiotics try to strip out all the good AND bad stuff in my system which caused side effects. So I used lots of vitamins, lots of water to keep hydration high (and to keep flushing your system) some pro biotic foods to see if they helped too.
i am tempted to try to get hold of more antibiotics a different type but there is no bacteria in my urine (apparently) so now I am wondering if the uti is the cause of the brain fog. i dont know what to think. i think i am just going to try another type but I just dont want to do anyhting to make this worse, I have read everywhere about candidal overgrowth being a cause for brain fog and antibiotics will be making that worse!
Eliminating my symptoms has reduced the brain fog but I have many other health issues that could contribute to my symptoms. I had a seizure last year that messed up my memory so I don't remember everything in detail. ICN can offer alot of advice and support, try following their list of foods to avoid and see if your symptoms improve. Alcohol is a major no-no with ic. I've had some of my worst flares after only one drink. Also I take an otc acid reducer called Prelief. It's a little expensive ($15 for 60) and you may have to ask the pharmacy to order it because they usually don't sell enough to keep it in stock. As far as the strep/staph, the only way to know is to have cultures done for both and research what antibiotics work.
were you on the antibiotics constantly for the 6 months?
How long were you on the antibiotics before you started improving?
Has the brain fog gone now? Do you ever get the brain fog back?
Did you have the infection for a while without knowing about it? I originally had a nasty infection at xmas which I died down and seemed to turn from acute symptoms to chronic symptoms and I didn't realize I still had it.
Can IC cause brain fog?
What helped the brain fog (anything other than the antibiotics?)
Did antibiotics that had worked stop working? amoxycillin worked a few weeks ago but then it came back and now amoxycillin has made no difference.
Did you have to drop out of work/college/uni when you were going through this? I feel like I can't carry on with this brain fog
Thank you so much for replying.
How long were you on the antibiotics before you started improving?
Has the brain fog gone now? Do you ever get the brain fog back?
Did you have the infection for a while without knowing about it? I originally had a nasty infection at xmas which I died down and seemed to turn from acute symptoms to chronic symptoms and I didn't realize I still had it.
Can IC cause brain fog?
What helped the brain fog (anything other than the antibiotics?)
Did antibiotics that had worked stop working? amoxycillin worked a few weeks ago but then it came back and now amoxycillin has made no difference.
Did you have to drop out of work/college/uni when you were going through this? I feel like I can't carry on with this brain fog
Thank you so much for replying.
were you on the antibiotics constantly for the 6 months?
How long were you on the antibiotics before you started improving?
Has the brain fog gone now? Do you ever get the brain fog back?
Did you have the infection for a while without knowing about it? I originally had a nasty infection at xmas which I died down and seemed to turn from acute symptoms to chronic symptoms and I didn't realize I still had it.
Can IC cause brain fog?
What helped the brain fog (anything other than the antibiotics?)
Did antibiotics that had worked stop working? amoxycillin worked a few weeks ago but then it came back and now amoxycillin has made no difference.
Did you have to drop out of work/college/uni when you were going through this? I feel like I can't carry on with this brain fog
Thank you so much for replying.
How long were you on the antibiotics before you started improving?
Has the brain fog gone now? Do you ever get the brain fog back?
Did you have the infection for a while without knowing about it? I originally had a nasty infection at xmas which I died down and seemed to turn from acute symptoms to chronic symptoms and I didn't realize I still had it.
Can IC cause brain fog?
What helped the brain fog (anything other than the antibiotics?)
Did antibiotics that had worked stop working? amoxycillin worked a few weeks ago but then it came back and now amoxycillin has made no difference.
Did you have to drop out of work/college/uni when you were going through this? I feel like I can't carry on with this brain fog
Thank you so much for replying.
here were my symptoms: frequent urination, incomplete emptying, abdominal/pelvic pain, uti symptoms worse than any uti I had ever had, and yes brain fog. I also had blood in my urine but no "infection". If you think you have ic you have to see a urologist to diagnose. They do a laporoscopy under general anesthesia and look for hunners ulcers. As for the staph/strep bacteria's, I don't remember what antibiotics she put me on but I do remember that I went back and forth between two diff ones for almost 6 months before it was completely gone. You have to ask for cultures for staph/strep as they don't typically do them. If they find it and treat you insist on a culture everytime you give them urine untill you've had two clear cultures. E. coli is the usual cause of uti so you have to ask for specific cultures for staph/strep. If your symptoms get worse after drinking alcohol or fruit juice, including cranberry you may have ic. There's a support forum called ICN; interstitial cystitis network. They have an area for people not yet diagnosed and they have all been a major help/support to me there. I have been on there for years and it has been a major help for me in my journey with ic. Do you have any auto immune issues as well?
thank you so much for posting as I feel like I am going mad with these symptoms which no-one seems to have with a normal UTI the brain fog is making me so depressed all the time.
What exactly were your symptoms? Were you brain fogged? Did you have a culture done and which antibiotics did you take and for how long?
How long have you had this for?
Did your urine samples come back as negative but your symptoms remain?
Do you feel like your brain has never gone back to normal? I pray that mine will I cannot function as normal like this never mind be a dentist. After a 2 week course of augmentin i felt like my brain was back to normal but it took a the whole 2 weeks of slight improvement each day.
l but after one night of drinking alcohol I deteriorated. Now I am coming to the end of another 7day course of augmentin and my symptoms are still here. I am still brain fogged, it hurts BEFORE i wee and my wee is really really strong in a morning no matter how much water I drink.
I have been drinking ridiculous amounts of water every day, tried cranberry juice and d-mannose but they dont seem to help.
The brain fog occasionally clears sometimes in an evening but is always back the next morning. I cant bear it.
What exactly were your symptoms? Were you brain fogged? Did you have a culture done and which antibiotics did you take and for how long?
How long have you had this for?
Did your urine samples come back as negative but your symptoms remain?
Do you feel like your brain has never gone back to normal? I pray that mine will I cannot function as normal like this never mind be a dentist. After a 2 week course of augmentin i felt like my brain was back to normal but it took a the whole 2 weeks of slight improvement each day.
l but after one night of drinking alcohol I deteriorated. Now I am coming to the end of another 7day course of augmentin and my symptoms are still here. I am still brain fogged, it hurts BEFORE i wee and my wee is really really strong in a morning no matter how much water I drink.
I have been drinking ridiculous amounts of water every day, tried cranberry juice and d-mannose but they dont seem to help.
The brain fog occasionally clears sometimes in an evening but is always back the next morning. I cant bear it.
Hi effie, I know as a male I cannot speak directly about those symptoms, however I will add my experience. I have extremely similar symptoms to you. I had a bad UTI for a guy and while several tries on antibiotics helped, the symptoms have never truly gone and I relapse into them from time to time.
In my case I go into a detox mode for a few weeks before visiting the doctors as they are convinced I have an std or something. Either way, I find the following helps me: cranberry justice, flax seed oil, plenty of fresh fruit and veg, lots of water. Unfortunately alcohol and a lot of nice foods have to go on the back burner until it clears up to a satisfactory level. Have you tried any of this?
In my case I go into a detox mode for a few weeks before visiting the doctors as they are convinced I have an std or something. Either way, I find the following helps me: cranberry justice, flax seed oil, plenty of fresh fruit and veg, lots of water. Unfortunately alcohol and a lot of nice foods have to go on the back burner until it clears up to a satisfactory level. Have you tried any of this?
yes you can get them in your bladder. If your dr won't do a culture ask for a referral to a urologist. I dealt with constant urinary symptoms for almost two years before my dr got tired of me "complaining" and referred me to one. I have interstitial cystitis as well and I felt like my kidneys were gonna explode, I couldn't empty my bladder, and it felt like I was peeing acid. Pay attention to what you eat. If acidic foods cause your symptoms to get worse you may have ic. Alcohol will also make it worse. Ice on urethra helps if you have burning. If I were you I would get in to see a urologist. My dr thought I was making everything up too and finally referred me to other dr's to shut me up.
no I dont think so because the original culture was just e.coli...can you get strep/staph utis?
if anyone has ever experienced anything like this I beg you to post because I honestly feel like I cant carry on with my normal day to day life with this brain fog and the docs are just like you have had a UTI its no biggie. They dont even think I still have one even though I still have urinary symptoms because the tests are negative
if anyone has ever experienced anything like this I beg you to post because I honestly feel like I cant carry on with my normal day to day life with this brain fog and the docs are just like you have had a UTI its no biggie. They dont even think I still have one even though I still have urinary symptoms because the tests are negative
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