bladder infection?

Hi. Since I woke up this morning, I've needed to pee constantly. When I do go, only a little bit comes out and is a bit painful. I'm assuming it's a bladder infection as I had one last year and the symptoms seem to be the same. Also, I was told by the doctor that once you get it, it's a lot easier for it to reoccur. I was given antibiotics for a week last time, which cleared it up nicely.

Now my question is, the health centre is closed for the weekend. How can I get some antibiotics? I read that it should be treated asap, and I don't want this to bug me all weekend.

Reply 1

Sarky

18

It does sound like a bladder infection from what you've said. You could an NHS walk in centre if they have one near you. In the meantime drink lots and lots of water and if you could get some cranberry juice that is meant to be good for bladder infections. :smile:

Reply 2

davestones

1

Go to your local NHS walk in centre, they can issue prescriptions.

Reply 3

Excellent. Thanks guys. Yeah I know about drinking lots of water and cranberry juice. I've read that it can help but you need antibiotics to actually clear it up. So off I go to the walk-in centre near town. Thanks!

Reply 4

pixiepeep

13

If you get it a lot, drink cranberry juice more often. I used to get cystitus (sp?) all the time and since I've started drinking cranberry when I would normally have had fizzy pop or squash I've not had it.

Reply 5

blissy

15

Anonymous

Excellent. Thanks guys. Yeah I know about drinking lots of water and cranberry juice. I've read that it can help but you need antibiotics to actually clear it up. So off I go to the walk-in centre near town. Thanks!

Not necessarily. I'm not saying don't get them (because if it spreads further into kidneys and things it can become a lot more serious) but you don't always need antibiotics to clear it up. Have you tried some of those fizzy cystitis tablets from the chemist?

Reply 6

pixiepeep

13

blissy

Have you tried some of those fizzy cystitis tablets from the chemist?

Those are a god send! If you can't get anti-biotics, or you dont want them, then these are pretty good. Cleared it up for me fairly quickly.

Reply 7

barbie

cystitus is awful. unless it is a proper bladder infection you dont need antibitotics i dont think, when i get it i normally have some of those 24/48 hours treatments from boots where you put some powdery stuff in water and drink it about three times a day. also drink loooooooaaaaads of water.

Reply 8

Fluffy

15

Has your GP ever taken a swab? If you're getting repeated bouts of urge incontinence, then rather than keeping on filling you with antibiotics, your GP should arrange for you to have further tests.

For a start there are other causes, and an antispasmotic might be a more appropriate treatment. Secondly, if you are getting repeated UTIs, then your kidneys are at a very real risk. The problem with kidney disease and infection, is that you don't get any signs and symptoms until most of your kidney has been damaged, and is beyond and real salvage.

The above are extremes, but I used them to illustrate that repeated taking antibiotics isn't a great idea.

I would personally wait until you can see your GP, as prescription of further antibiotics would require knowledge of what you have already been prescribed - the last thing you want to end up with is a highly antibiotic resistant UTI, which could happen, as if you do have a bacterial infection, the population is likely to have grown up from any residual bacteria, not affected by the last antibiotic you received for your last infection...

Reply 9

miss_buttercup

more often than not bladder infections will clear up without the need for antibiotics. Cranberry juice can be helpful - studies have shown that the sugar particles in cranberry juice are 'stickier' than most sugar particles so that when the bacteria causing the bladder infection try to use the sugar particles in the cranberry juice they become attached and you simply wee the bacteria out. The cystitis sachets are really good and often after the 48 hour course you will feel much better. However all the sachets do is lower the acidity of your urine so that the pain is reduced, so if after 48 hours you are still in pain you need to head to the doctor for some antibiotics. The best thing to do is to drink loads of water to flush out the bacteria and/or toxins. hope this helps x

Reply 10

ElWilson

14

Okay, from my experience. Your GP will give you some antibiotics, try taking a bath and weeing in it. (It sounds worse than it is) this clears out your private parts (dunno your sex) so this way your basically uninfected.

This is a drug free antibiotics.

Hope this helps :smile:

please rep me :frown:

lol

Reply 11

Fluffy

15

miss_buttercup

more often than not bladder infections will clear up without the need for antibiotics. Cranberry juice can be helpful - studies have shown that the sugar particles in cranberry juice are 'stickier' than most sugar particles so that when the bacteria causing the bladder infection try to use the sugar particles in the cranberry juice they become attached and you simply wee the bacteria out. The cystitis sachets are really good and often after the 48 hour course you will feel much better. However all the sachets do is lower the acidity of your urine so that the pain is reduced, so if after 48 hours you are still in pain you need to head to the doctor for some antibiotics. The best thing to do is to drink loads of water to flush out the bacteria and/or toxins. hope this helps x

Cranberry juice is supposed to have the opposite effect to the one you describe. It's thought that the juice makes your urine more acidic and affects the ability of the bacterium to attach both to your urinary tract and to each other - they therefore can't colonise and are peed out.

It may have stickier sugar, but if you're peeing out that much sugar, you probably have diabetes melitus!

Reply 12

j00ni

9

Fluffy

your GP should arrange for you to have further tests.

It would be quite remiss of your GP not to do MSU & culture and dipstick your urine, but if these do not indicate any serious pathology, and you are not getting incontinence as fluffy says, then I would be confident in your GP's assessment of UTI

Fluffy

Secondly, if you are getting repeated UTIs, then your kidneys are at a very real risk. The problem with kidney disease and infection, is that you don't get any signs and symptoms until most of your kidney has been damaged, and is beyond and real salvage.

I know you were using this as an extreme example, but the chance of a recurrent UTI resulting in serious nephron damage is slim in someone with normal urological anatomy. If the OP is worried, and certainly if she (i assume) gets a further infection, she can have urography studies to check for abnormalities. But for now I wouldn't worry too much :smile:

Fluffy

I would personally wait until you can see your GP, as prescription of further antibiotics would require knowledge of what you have already been prescribed - the last thing you want to end up with is a highly antibiotic resistant UTI, which could happen, as if you do have a bacterial infection, the population is likely to have grown up from any residual bacteria, not affected by the last antibiotic you received for your last infection...

Since this (likely) infection has occurred some time after the last infection, it is much more likely to be a re-infection, not a regrowth of the same infective organism (ie relapse). True it could be the same organism, but it is very unlikely to have grown from a resistant form of the previous infecting organism, given the time-frame involved :wink:

Reply 13

Snowfall

10

ok, well I went to the walk-in clinic, did a urine test and got some antibiotics. I was a little worried as my dad suffered from kidney failure but I had loads of tests done last year and I was fine. I do plan to have a health MOT done quite soon though.

The last time I had it was around early november I think and I've been drinkning cranberry juice on a regular basis.

Anyway, it seems to be getting better already.

Reply 14

dani_88

14

If you've only had it once before its not too much to worry about but if you start getting them frequently ie a few times a year then you need to get to the root of the problem.

If you're sexually active then thats a really common cause for girls getting UTIs and infections down there but it could be loads of other things too like not drinking enough water etc..

Bare in mind that cranberry juice can have the oppostie effect - too much cranberry juice can actually make your infection worse (thats what i was told by my doctor when i last went) and was recommended to just drink one glass a day to help prevent infections returning.

Definitely go see your doctor about it and get the right anti-biotics for it!

Reply 15

randdom

20

I get this sort of problem every now and again and cranberry juice or capsuals have always worked for me. It might be worth trying until you can get to your gp.

Reply 16

Philosophia

2

I'm not joking but drink some cranberry juice! Seriously, it's supposed to be really good for infections of this sort.

Reply 17

Fluffy

15

j00ni

I know you were using this as an extreme example, but the chance of a recurrent UTI resulting in serious nephron damage is slim in someone with normal urological anatomy. If the OP is worried, and certainly if she (i assume) gets a further infection, she can have urography studies to check for abnormalities. But for now I wouldn't worry too much :smile:

Tell that to one of the patients I saw a few weeks ago, getting over a transplant after unresolved UTI problems. Not as rare as all that at all.

--------------

j00ni

Since this (likely) infection has occurred some time after the last infection, it is much more likely to be a re-infection, not a regrowth of the same infective organism (ie relapse). True it could be the same organism, but it is very unlikely to have grown from a resistant form of the previous infecting organism, given the time-frame involved :wink:

Advocating fairly random antibiotic popping are we?

The other reason I would wait and see your GP, or at least get a letter for your GP if ongoing infections are a problem, is so that your GP knows what you have been given and can be factored into any future treatment you might require...

Reply 18

j00ni

9

Fluffy

Tell that to one of the patients I saw a few weeks ago, getting over a transplant after unresolved UTI problems. Not as rare as all that at all.

I didn't say it doesn't happen, just that it is rare. And especially in someone with a history of only 2 UTIs, and who is (I assume) not all that old. True it should always be in the back of your mind, but in the absence of further symptoms it's not worth getting someone overly worried about.

Fluffy

Advocating fairly random antibiotic popping are we?

Not at all, I don't see how you got that from my post :confused:

Firstly, if the OP knows what AB was given in the prior infection, since this cleared it up, it would probably be the best initial treatment option. Secondly, it is likely that the docs the OP saw will have sent off MSU for culture & sensitivities, which will direct any necessary change in treatment. For this reason she would probably be best seeing her usual Dr, but better to get it seen to now if it is causing pain/other symptoms, and either phone her usual Dr on monday or go in if the symptoms don't start to resolve.

Besides I think I am fairly far down the list of people responsible for uncontrolled advocation of AB usage - might want to start with the thousands of GPs who prescribe ABs for a cough :tongue:

Reply 19

I have a UTI I think and have for a few years. I got to visit the doctor and haven't at the moment because I guess i'm too Alpha male for it???

bladder infection?

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