UTI / frequent urination

08-14-2003, 09:16 PM

Last year I had a UTI that I believe I had for about a year(!). I was at my doctor for other reasons and while I was there I decided to mention that I urinate frequently and wanted to know why. I got tested for Diabetes and other things and it turned out I had a UTI. I'm 26 and it was the first one I remember having since I was a child. I didn't know I had one because I had NO pain during urination. My only symptom was frequent urination, which I thought was "normal" for me, plus it seems that females urinate pretty frequently anyway, so I thought nothing of it.

I took two different medications, one after the other, to get rid of it and I had traces of blood in my urine so I had to see a urologist. I was checked out and everything turned out fine. Some people have trace amounts of blood in their urine and it can be normal. My questions are, is there anyone reading this who has UTI's WITHOUT pain and if so, how do you know when you have a UTI? I know it's bad if they are left untreated and I think I have one now. Again, I have no pain, but I seem to be urinating frequently. It's like I find myself having to be sure I go to the bathroom right before going out and no matter what, I always end up having to go again while I'm out and the people I'm with don't have to go as often, so that kind of makes me wonder about myself. Even last year after my UTI went away, I still found myself having to urinate frequently. I told my doctor this and he said since I had the infection for so long, there's irritation and I may have to urinate more often for awhile. Now it seems like I have to urinate even more frequently, or at least I'm just noticing it now.

My problem is I just moved and don't have a job yet, therefore I don't have health insurance. Does anyone know of a place I can go for a UTI test without having a family doctor yet that wouldn't be too expensive? I don't want to go to the doctor without health insurance unless I really have to and I can live with this for now, although it's annoying, but I know it's not good if a UTI is left untreated. I've been taking cranberry pills and drinking pure cranberry juice and it seems to help, but I'm still urinating frequently. I'm assuming that it IS a UTI, but I don't know for sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

08-15-2003, 10:41 PM

The cranberry pills or the juice won't cure a UTI once you have it, they're only good at helping to prevent one. I take only the pills - Nature's Way as they're standardized and have an anti-adherence property to them - and have just started taking buffered vitamin C also. You may want to try these and see if they help.

I'm quite sure you can go to a regular doctor and have your urine checked for bacteria, and it shouldn't be much more than an office visit. You really shouldn't let it go as it can go into your kidneys and then you have some nasty problems.

And in asnwer to your question, my first UTI gave me no symptoms other than the same one you had - frequent urination, and seeing as how I seem to go alot anyway, I never gave it a second thought. I only remember one time feeling some pressure, but other than that I think I had it for at least 4 months, if not longer, before my doctor caught it when I went for my pap test. In fact, he was pretty incredulous that I didn't know I had this, as by the time he found it there was blood in my urine. But I wasn't feeling bad so.....But you need to get checked because I've read that you can develope IC from a bad infection or from one that's left untreated. And from what I've read, you reeeeeeally don't want that.

08-15-2003, 11:29 PM

I remember when I had that last UTI, the nurse told me (in addition to the medication I was taking) to drink lots of cranberry juice, so I was under the impression that it also helped a UTI as well as prevented one. Maybe it's just a good idea to keep the infection from getting worse? I don't know...

It seems like the cranberry pills have helped a little because I'm not waking up early to use the bathroom like I was for a few days in a row, but like I said I think I have a UTI, so apparently the pills aren't getting rid of it, like you mentioned they wouldn't. I'm taking CranMax by Natural Balance which I found at the grocery and luckily I just have to take one pill a day. I'm so worried that I'll keep getting these infections and won't really know if I have them or not that I feel like I should take cranberry pills forever. I guess it wouldn't hurt, but I've heard that capsules, which the pills I take are, aren't good for your stomach if you take them very often. I guess I'll have to ask a doctor about that one. Anyway, I'm going to look into finding a doctor and see how much it would cost to do a urine test without insurance.

It's good to know that a pap smear can show if you have a UTI. I didn't know that. What is "IC"? Does it stand for irritable colon? Thanks for your help!

08-16-2003, 06:46 PM

Oh nonono, a pap test won't show a UTI, my doctor just always checks my urine as part of my visit. Sorry if I misled you.

You have what is called 'chronic assymptomatic bladder infections': signs of bacteria in the urine without any symptoms. I did find where they did a study of cranberry juice on women with this type of bladder infection, and they said that despite the weak preparation of cranberry used, the results showed a 58% decrease in the incidence of bacteria and white blood cells in the urine. So I guess it will help to decrease the amount of bacteria but not sure if it will get rid of it completely, the study only reported on a 'decrease', not complete elimination.

IC stands for 'Interstitial Cystitis', a chronic pelvic pain disorder. You can do a search in this urology forum and read about it. Basically, it makes you feel like you have a bladder infection all the time, and from what I've read, it is quite painful and uncomfortable and there's no cure. I think it may be inflammation of the bladder lining? but not sure so do a search and you should be able to find out everything you need to know about it.

Now - get to a doctor

08-17-2003, 01:12 AM

Thanks for clarifying everything for me. :-) What's frustrating is that if I'm getting UTI's without the typical symptoms and may not always know when I have one, I feel like I should be tested monthly or something! Last year I found out I had one by accident and now I'm trying to be more aware of them, but it's still hard to tell. I'll see what I can do about getting a urine test done. Thanks again!

08-17-2003, 09:40 PM

by the way, don't rely on those at-home urine tests that supposedly tell you when you have an infection...I used one once that came out negative, saw my doctor same day, he said yep. So I went home and promptly threw it in the trash.

09-10-2003, 07:32 AM

I suspect i have a UTI right now. I have never been to a gynocologist, and i have no idea where to go to get checked. HELP ME!!

09-10-2003, 09:43 AM

i want to go somewhere where its confidential, i dont want to go to my regular doctor b/c im afraid he might contact my parents.

09-15-2003, 10:10 PM

I don't know where you could go for a UTI test other than a doctor and I would only trust a doctor. What's wrong with your parents knowing? How old are you?

UTI / frequent urination

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