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[greenECLECtus28]

As some of you may know I've had an ongoing issue with a UTI since end of April this year I've had three courses of Nitrofurantoin 50mg 4 times a day for a week with a week in between dose and then tested again and kept coming back positive for eColi Doc then switched to Selexid a drug that is not common in the U.K. but has been used successfully in Europe for treating UTI's Ove had 4 courses of this drug first two courses were 10 pills taken over 3 days then two courses of two tablets 3 times a day still showing positive test for eColi after new sample handed in. After the 5th round of antibiotics I was reffered to a consultant first of all before that I kept getting a letter through for a cystoscopy an examination with a little camera that looks at your bladder but this cannot be done when you have an infection so I called up and explained this and advised would it not be better to see the consultant FIRST as I was being reffered because the UTI was recurring anyway they gave me the name and number of his secretary whom I called explained the situation and she very kindly spoke to him and arranged an appointment for me sooner.

Anyway unfortunately in between this I had a fall walking from the kitchen in to the living room and sustained a grade 3 strain which then became infected (cellulitis)  and I ended up in hospital of IV antibiotics for 3 days then a couple of days later was discharged with 2 types of Oral Antibiotics to take for that for 2 weeks while I was in hospital I explained I had this ongoing UTI and was taking Selexid unfortunately they couldn't get the drug for a day and then prescribed the wrong dose which has to be changed by a doctor! So I probably missed about a day and a half the hospital won't let you take your own if you have them in with you they lock yours away and give you then back when you leave.

So needless to say that dose didn't work and another dose was prescribed which made me feel pretty lousy (I was taking ant sickness pills in hospital but didn't want to take them again as there is a thing about how they can increase stroke off hoes my anxiety again) anyway I knew within a couple of days that the infection hadn't cleared as urine was very strong again so when Doc called to advise of results of FBC and LFT blood tests related to my foot (all were ok except for slightly raised ALT level in LFT which of course through me in to a panic and I spoke to the Doc saying should I not get some kind of scan on my liver but she said no and they would repeat the LFT in 3 months)

Anyway she advised not to wait for a week and hand the sample in which I did last Wednesday plus my appointment with the consultant was on Monday morning I was ok and then over the weekend Sat/Sun started to feel unwell again running a low grade fever feeling cold all the time and temp was 37.7/38.3 so took a paracetamol which didn't really seem to bring it down just held it at 37.8/38.

Had my appointment with the consultant on Monday morning right away he advised that the culture had come back positive again and he had prescribed Nitrofurantoin again this time as MacroBid which is two 100 slow releasecapsules taken twice daily I did advise him I was running a fever but he thought this was probably just the infection I had an ultrasound of my kidneys and bladder and all appears normal and I appear to be emptying my bladder ok but he wants to do another he also wants to do a CT scan of my bladder kidneys to check for stones? and to still do the cystoscope of my bladder he also asked if I was post menopausal and advised that he would reccommend I think it was oestrogen to take I can't remember if he said it was a gel but he was writing to my GP about this as sometimes this can help as well he said that unfortunately we are working with the fact that I have an existing condition as well as the possible menopause issues but once we get all the tests back etc we can take it from there he has also suggested that it might be worth putting me on a prophylactic antibiotic at night until things calm down to try and keep me free of infection.

I have been taking the antibiotic since Monday at 11:45 and even though I'm taking a paracetamol every 6 hours my temp isn't really coming down it's staying at 38/38.2 except last night after I took the second Nitrofurantoin and then I took 1.5 patacetamol at 02:45am my temp came down to 37.2 and infact when I woke up again at around 8 am to go to the loo it was 36.8 I fell asleep again and when I woke up at 10:30am I immediately felt cold and sure enough temp was back up to 38.2 I had my breakfast and my next Nitrofurantoin which was due at 11:45 and then took another 1.5 paracetamol. At 12:49 lunchtime but temp still sitting for a while at 38.2 but has just recently come down to 37.8

I also still have the aches and pains especially in my legs is this just the Nitrofurantoin kicking in I thought taking the drug would bring my temp back to normal i.e. 37.2 but it doesn't appear to be doing this or am not giving things enough time? Sorry to harp on I'm just so paranoid about everything these days as it's been quite a year so far and to be honest I think my family is sick to death listening to me going on about what if it's this or that instead of just taking the medication and shutting up 😄

Of course I know that Nitrofurantoin isn't the most pleasant of drugs to take as well so maybe I'm getting some side effects on top of everything else. And of course I have the worry that I'm still not back at work as we only get full pay for 6 months and I'm the only breadwinner in the house

Sorry this post is so long again ladies but a lot has happened

Any thoughts would be much appreciated

[Ju Ju]

I can't comment as I have no experience of this, but feel you need a 

Yes it is difficult with ongoing illness and no answers. Have a good moan here, where we can support you, even if we can't help with practical advice. Hopefully someone will have some insight.

[Maryjane]

I haven't read it as off out now but saw the repeated UTIs bit , I no it's the Daily Mail but it's correct , and what's been known by a tiny handful of specialist for years is at least being acknowledged.


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4851810/amp/How-faulty-medical-tests-deny-antibiotics.html

[greenECLECtus28]

Thanks for your replies ladies and the hug 🤗 much appreciated

Interesting article from the daily wail although the majority was good science the bit about how the sufferer said she was on an antibiotic that is resistance proof don't believe that, and a culture always should be done as just prescribing a broad spectrum antibiotic doesn't work for example one of theGP's at my practice prescribed abroad spectrum AB for over the weekend while my results came back and I ended up in A&E as I was getting progressively worse where the doctor inA&E checked the results from the last culture which showed that this antibiotic would not make any difference as it wasn't sensitive to the organism so she put me back on the ones that had come up as sensitive which is weird cause you would have thought the GP would have done the same thing but there you go 😄

[Katejo]

Thanks for your replies ladies and the hug 🤗 much appreciated

Interesting article from the daily wail although the majority was good science the bit about how the sufferer said she was on an antibiotic that is resistance proof don't believe that, and a culture always should be done as just prescribing a broad spectrum antibiotic doesn't work for example one of theGP's at my practice prescribed abroad spectrum AB for over the weekend while my results came back and I ended up in A&E as I was getting progressively worse where the doctor inA&E checked the results from the last culture which showed that this antibiotic would not make any difference as it wasn't sensitive to the organism so she put me back on the ones that had come up as sensitive which is weird cause you would have thought the GP would have done the same thing but there you go 😄

Hi GreenECLECTUS28   I saw your comments earlier in the week and also read the Daily Mail article. I had early symptoms of a UTI a month ago just as I was due to go on holiday. i saw an out of hours doctor and he gave me a 7 day course of Nitrofurantoin which I didn't really want. It had really bad side effects including the aching limbs. On my return I went back to the GP to get a urine test done. Most symptoms had gone but I wanted to be sure as I have another holiday starting this week.
A week ago a pharmacist rang me and said that there was still a trace of infection and she wanted to give me more of the same drug. I was surprised because I had no symptoms then. i said I really didn't want more and explained that I did have a course of Trimethroprim to take away on holiday as a back up in case symptoms returned. i get no side effects with this AB.  Interesting point in the article about taking the sample mid flow. Perhaps I didn't do that.
In my case part of the problem is psychological. I always get UTI symptoms when I am due to go on holiday and straight after the pharmacist call, i started feeling symptoms again! Just minor discomfort. Now they have cleared up so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
I had a cystoscopy and scan for kidney stones followed by a nephrology appt. a year ago. i got really stressed over it but nothing was found.
I really hope that things get better for you. I really felt for you on reading your account.