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UTI-Like Symptoms/Possible Alcohol Reaction

I've been having some UTI-like symptoms and am unsure what is going on. I'm a male in my early 20s. My main symptoms have been frequent urges to urinate and discomfort in the bladder area. I first started having symptoms about a month ago. I went in to a pharmaceutical clinic for UTI testing and received antibiotics for five days. The treatment didn't work, so I went into my primary physician and got a different type of antibiotic. However, I tested negative for a UTI at the physician despite still experiencing symptoms. The second type of antibiotics had the symptoms disappear about two days in and afterwards I felt fine. However, I have had symptoms resurge a few days ago. This leads me to thinking something else is going on. What I find suspicious is that the day before my symptoms returned, I had drank some whiskey. I recall doing the same thing before my original symptoms appeared. I'm wondering if my body is having some reaction to alcohol and if I even have a UTI. The fact that I'm male and not sexually active makes it seem highly unlikely for me to get a UTI. Is it normal for these symptoms to occur after drinking alcohol? I did drink enough to get drunk both times, so maybe the amount I consumed was too much for my body to handle. The cap on the bottle is broken, so that might also be a factor.
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20620809 tn?1504362969
You know what? Hard alcohol especially can cause frequent urination because of the chemical reaction to the kidneys, the extra fluid consumption, actually getting dehydrated when you consume liquor. It's well known that alcohol does affect your kidneys and long term use can cause damage. I read an article that talks about the phenomenon of UTI like symptoms after alcohol consumption. It said the acidity changes with the alcohol which leads to this. It doesn't sound like you had an actual 'binge' but this article may be a good read for you. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119342/  

That being said, I obviously don't know. Your doctor didn't make the correlation between alcohol and the discomfort? Protititis is another infection. Did you test positive for bacteria in your urine the first time?
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6 Comments
I’m not sure on the first visit. She gave me antibiotics, but didn’t tell me if I had an infection or not. I could’ve sworn I heard her mutter that it didn’t look like I had a UTI when she was examining the test, but I could’ve misheard. As for my doctor, I didn’t discuss the alcohol with him because at the time I didn’t think that was a possible cause.
How's your caffeine intake?

Alcohol and caffeine are very irritating to the bladder, and also to the prostate.

Limit those, increase your water intake, and see how things go. If you don't see an improvement, ask for a referral to a urologist.
I don’t consume caffeine that often. I did have a glass of Dr. Pepper a week ago, but that was it. I’ve also been peeing a lot during the night.
Definitely follow up with your doctor and ask for a referral to a urologist, then.
Went to the doctor yesterday and the urine test came back negative. Got a referral to the urologist and waiting to hear back.
Good. I'm glad you are following up. Keep us posted!
Avatar universal
I'm starting to think it might be a prostate issue. My parents thought my issue was caused by masturbation, so I held off for about a week. When I didn't feel better, I went back to doing it and a few days later I started feeling better. Does alcohol cause any prostate issues?
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