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Bladder Infection / Infectious disease question

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Posted 6/16/2007 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone.  When it rains it pours doesn't it.  Our entire family was supposed to go to my sister and brother-in-laws lake home for the weekend and Thursday night all night my Dad was up sick and fever of 103 and still pretty sick yesterday.  I got up and started working yesterday morning and about 10 thought I may have a faint hint of a bladder infection and by 11:00 there was blood in the urine and by noon I couldn't stay out of the bathroom and by 1:00pm I was in the ER and by 3:00 pm urinalysis showed white count of 50,000 (normal is 0 to 1,000) and lots of blood and protein and such.  Never ever have I had one go full blown so quickly.  I'm home today with antibiotics and pyridium and under orders to lay down as much as possible and push fluids, so I'm laying here on my couch with my laptop propped on my tummy (technically  I am resting). 

I have a long history of bladder infections when I was in my 20s and diagnosed cystitis in January but never ever have I had one progress from faint feeling of a problem to full blown so quickly.  Weird.  Not to be graphic but has anyone ever experienced the "I'm peeing knives" issue.  I was trying to explain the 10 out of 10 pain to the doctor in the ER and he said does it feel like you are peeing knives (that's it, I shouldn't have eaten the knives for breakfast in my lupie state).  But that is exactly how it feels, no burning sensation, just PAIN LIKE KNIVES.

Has anyone here ever taken Pyridium before and, if so, how long does it take to get the full effect?  I've now taken it twice and it seems to me it should be working by now.

I know having lupus makes our immune systems different.  Is it common to have infections go full blown so quickly?  Is it because we have Lupus that an infection hits soooooo fast and hard?  I try my best to avoid people who are sick and am almost a germophobe but I guess a bladder infection doesn't come under the category of "make sure you wash your hands" or "cover your mouth when you cough".  I'm just trying to understand the infections we get and how our immune systems take care of the infections.

Posted 6/16/2007 7:33 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, Diane, you are right about how quickly the infection came on - I've never heard of one getting that bad that quickly (maybe it was those knives you ate, lol). I am hoping you go in for a follow up after you've taken the full course of your med to make sure it is cleared up and to make sure there's still not any blood or protein in your urine. I'm not familiar with Pyridium and how long it takes before you'll get some relief. I'd say if you don't have relief by tomorrow morning it would be time to call someone about it. Do make sure you rest, and stay away from all silverware in your lupey state (spoons might be okay though). Take care and I hope you get some relief soon.
Posted 6/17/2007 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
When I had a similar thing happen they gave me a 5 days (2x daily) dose of Pyridium *AND* 2 or 3 days dosage of something specifically to numb the nerves in that area!!! I figured that symptoms came on quickly because we take immune suppressants to keep our immune systems from attacking us abnormally, so that they end up attacking real threats more slowly. Fever, swelling, etc are signs that the immune system has finally targeted the foreign stuff -- takes longer because our drugs dampen down our immune systems. So the bad stuff is doing it's thing while the immune systems takes a nap, you might say. A normal immune system would go on the job at the the first alarm, we medicate our hyper-active systems to make them calm, and then they want to sleep thru several jabs at the "snooze" bar. That said, I don't see any immuosuppressants in your signature, so maybe I'm making it all up??!
Posted 6/17/2007 3:31 AM (GMT 0)
Get some cranberry juice that may help ease the pain some. When I get a bladder infection that's what I drink along with taking meds.

Veronica
Posted 6/17/2007 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
Diane, how are you feeling today? I hope that by now you have gotten some relief and it no longer feels like you are peeing knives. I hope you are getting lots of rest. Let us know how you are when you are feeling up to it. Take care
Posted 6/18/2007 12:47 AM (GMT 0)

Feeling a little better this evening.  Still have a fever (99.5) and still hurts when I "piddle" but not like it was Friday.  I am giving the meds until tomorrow morning and if not a lot better gonna call the urologist.  Thank you for the advice and support.  I'm having a hard time with the antibiotic and my stomach.  Am taking it with food but within a half hour to 45 minutes after taking it am very nauseous.

Lynnwood, in response to your inquiry, no I am not on Plaquenil or anything like that as my rheumy has not let me have any.  I've talked to him several times and still nothing.

All I have to say is thank God I have a very caring and quick-to-action urologist.  When I went to the ER Friday as per instructions from my primary doctor, whom was gonna make me wait to hear back from her towards the end of the had I not called her office in serious pain, I immediately asked the ER nurse if she could call my urologist and he was on the phone with the ER doc within about 15 minutes.  At least one of my doctors cares.  Dealing with this kind of infection, I am not gonna even bother calling my PCP, I'm going straight to my urologist whom I love and trust 200% to do all he can to help me get well soon.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Posted 6/18/2007 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
Diane: Had this problem 2 xs once with very severe staph UTI and now once in a while with my kidney disease. Not fun! and it literally feels like knives. Did they say what type of infection it was? That staph I had was quick like the one you described. I gather the Lupus makes things much worse and quicker than the normal bear. They said my system completely crashed. It was an infection apparently you could only get via stomach surgery - except I never had surgery. I hope they can get your system back up and running. Wish you the best - Kristin
Posted 8/13/2008 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Ladies!  I just want to tell you all that I have had bladder infections all to frequent since I have had my son.  He is now 11.  I usually get one every other month.  And yes, it comes on all to suddenly....anyway, I went on probiotics and now have not had one!!!  I don't even get the burning in the morning like I would usually get.  I am now able to take baths instead of showers, usually a bath would cause one because of the soap in the water.  I have even visited a hot tub a couple of times.  I have been able to live my life again!  What I took was super probiotics from GNC.  I know it is alot of money, it was about 45 for a 3 month supply.  You want to actually get the most expensive one that has the most bacteria in it.  No bad bacteria, the good bacteria that helps you fight the infections on your own.  I actually talked to one of the lab people at my work before I took this and they told me that when you take the antibiotics it also kills the good bacteria in your body that helps you fight the infections, this basically put the good back into me and now I can fight it on my own!

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