Frequent UTIs...I need help! - Urology Message Board

holly424 · 01-25-2008, 08:39 AM

I (like a lot of people it seems) have very very frequent UTIs. It is extremely frustrated when I try to prevent them by doing everything the doctors and medical advisers tell me to do. Use the bathroom after sex, wipe from front to back, drink plenty of water, I even take a shower after sex and drink cranberry juice a lot. But still get them all the time. Just now, I am suffering from the pain of a UTI after having one just about a week and a half ago (I do not think the last medication took it away and I may have just been maintaining it until now). I am worried that it is a further health issue that I am unaware of. Anyone know anything I don't?

Oh, and I also found this and was wondering if anyone tried it with any results??

# Take low doses of an antibiotic such as TMP/SMZ or nitrofurantoin daily for 6 months or longer. If taken at bedtime, the drug remains in the bladder longer and may be more effective. NIH-supported research at the University of Washington has shown this therapy to be effective without causing serious side effects.

# Take a single dose of an antibiotic after sexual intercourse.

knutwich · 01-25-2008, 11:38 AM

Have you ever been tested for an anatomical reason behind your infections? Often when children get repeated infections they are screened for a condition called kidney/urinary reflux. This leads to a lot of infections because the ureters do not stop the urine from going back up towards the kidneys and the urine get stagnant and bacteria grows. My daughter was diagnosed with this at age 2. There are probably a lot of adults out there who have never been tested for it and just have repeated UTIs and don't know why. Most kids outgrow this on their own (80%) but some require surgery. For some people kidney reflux causes a lot of problems and for others it may just lead to a small number of infections (my daughter had 2 infections). The treatment in kids is usually monitering it with tests and taking an preventative antibiotic daily. The only way to screen for whether you have it or not is some type of test called a VCUG where the bladder is filled up with dye through a catheter and then xrays are taken to see if it travels back up towards the kidneys. It also then shows the anatomy of the bladder, ureters and kidneys if the dye travels up there. Ultrasounds can be helpful to determine if the size and general health is good but can't diagnose reflux. It is often also not unusual to find out there there can be issues like an extra ureter that is causing problems. So I suggest you consult with a urologist and ask about having some tests done to see if there is an issue with the anatomy that is causing this. Good luck!