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UTI and antibiotics....

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Posted 4/26/2010 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
It's been ages since I got an urinary tract infection, well about 5 years ago actually and it was at that time that I truly found out that I was allergic to sulfa.  I contracted a UTI this morning - woke up at 5am and boy was I burning!  I've been using Azo Standard to help with the burn.  But tomorrow I am going to try to get into the doc - if I can't get into to see her then I may have to go to urgent care because I have a known history of infections in my bladder going to my kidneys.  What is a safe antibiotic to take that is sulfa free and that won't bother my Uc?  I am just starting to feel better after a minor flare and I don't want to go into a full blown flare so quickly.  shakehead
Posted 4/26/2010 1:24 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry to read that you've got UTI, yuck! Probably your doctor should do a urine culture to find out what organism is causing your infection, and proceed with treatment from there. (No point in your starting on an antibiotic that the organism might be resistant to ...) Since the fall, my cultures have shown the presence of endococcus, by the way. The main symptom is occasional urgency and/or leakage. My gastro, who subspecializes in IBD treatment, says that this is a likely consequence of inflammation present in the lower colon!!!!! Getting back to your situation: keep drinking plenty of water to help reduce the burning sensation, etc. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 4/26/2010 1:51 AM (GMT 0)
If I get into see my doc, she will know what I can and can't have but if I end up going to urgent care then I have to know a safe antibiotic. I know of two that I definately can't have - Cipro and Bactrim but other then that I don't know what else is out there for a UTI. I have been drinking tons of water. In fact, we were sitting down watching a movie and I had to keep pausing it so I could go pee - my daughter then tells me "I hate your UTI Mom!" lol
Posted 4/26/2010 4:17 AM (GMT 0)
Sucks Sherry.....I've never taken Bactrim or Cipro. Hope your doc can get in asap so that it can be dealt with quickly.

I had to google Azo Standard...never knew anything like that existed.

The Bentyl should help with some of the spasming unless the Azo S does that too?

Let us know the outcome.

q
Posted 4/26/2010 12:14 PM (GMT 0)
Yes the Azo helps with urinary spasms. I discovered this little gem of an otc med several years ago. I have a history of UTI's so this has come in handy plenty of times. The only thing I hate is that it turns my urine a bright orange and stains everything. They now have concentrated cranberry juice but I don't know if I would be able to stomach that. I hate cranberry juice anyway and just thinking about the concentrate (you dilute with water) makes me shudder! Cipro gives me massive watery D and the Bactrim contains sulfa. The last time I took that (Bactrim) I thought I was dying! Talk about severe intestinal pain phew! It also affected my stomach where it felt like I was being punched in the gut repeatedly.
Posted 4/26/2010 12:54 PM (GMT 0)
After my hip surgery (3 weeks today!) the doc suspected a UTI, but the word hadn't come back from the lab yet - rather than waiting and hav it get worse he asked me if I'd consent to taking a short-term antibiotics, and put me on Macrobid for 3 days. I didn't even research it, just took it... and no blips in the UC. (I did keep up with the probiotics.)
Posted 4/26/2010 1:05 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Songlady. I was able to get into my primary and I have an appt in 15 minutes - I live 2 minutes away from the med center. So I may ask her for this. This hit me with a vengeance because I just got it yesterday and I can feel it already going to my kidneys - ugh!
Posted 4/26/2010 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
I take one macrobid after intercourse...my bladder doesn't empty completely when I pee, so I'm really prone to getting intercourse-related UTIs. Since it's just one, it doesn't mess with my UC, and it keeps the UTIs at bay! I was having one right after another, but haven't had one since I started doing this six-ish years ago.
Posted 4/26/2010 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, I have a UTI - blood in the urine the whole works. My doc prescribed Macrobid and Pyridium for the pain. She said that Macrobid stays in the bladder and is less likely to cause Uc reactions. Man I feel like crap! :(
Posted 4/26/2010 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
ugh...poor you Sherry! Hope the meds work quickly. off to google Macrobid...lol.
q
Posted 4/26/2010 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
Sherry, I hope it works quickly and you feel better soon!!!!
Posted 4/26/2010 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
Do any of you know if a probiotic has to be spaced out with Macrobid?
Posted 4/26/2010 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
I'd say it would be good to do that with any antibiotic.

FWIW, probiotics kept my munchkin from getting diarrhea on this course of augmentin (which is known to be really hard on the gut flora) he just finished up. The other two times he's been on it, he's gotten horrible diarrhea. This time, we gave him a double dose of probiotics, and it seemed to work. He took augmentin at breakfast and supper, and we gave him one of my probiotics (sprinkled it on applesauce or yogurt) at lunch and his bedtime snack.
Posted 4/27/2010 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
Songlady, I wonder if your UTI came from the hip surgery catheterization. I worry every time I hear of a female having to be stopped up with a urine catheter-- because of testimony I once had to listen to during jury duty on a personal injury trial. (An older woman was suing a management co. for injuries sustained from a fall in the building lobby, and her doctor testified that she had to spend a couple extra weeks in hospital due to UTI she contracted from catheterization while bedridden with said injuries, which were multiple fractures. Yipes! That is soooo scary!) Sherry, I'm glad you got in to see your own doctor ASAP-- hope the Macrobid wipes this bug out right away. Sounds like we should all keep this med in mind ... for better, for worse. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 4/27/2010 2:30 AM (GMT 0)
Red-I have a sulfa allergy as well, and I'm also allergic to penicillin. I usually end up on levaquin or cipro. I may have taken macrobid at one point but I'm not sure. Hope it works.
Posted 4/27/2010 1:46 PM (GMT 0)
the last antibiotic I took that didn't seem to hurt (wasn't flaring at the time and didn't cause any issues) was Zithromax or Z-pack.
Posted 4/27/2010 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
If you don't like cranberry juice, you can take cranberry capsules. I don't know if they are as effective. Usually something taken in liquid form is more effective than capsule form, but don't know if that applies here.
Posted 4/27/2010 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
Old Hat - Yes, I got it from the catheterization. As I said the doc had me start the macrobid even before the lab results came back, so I had hardly any discomfort - lol and at that point so many things were so much more uncomfortable, my UT was not high on my radar screen. So... the macrobid worked, all ended fine.
Hope it works as beautifully for Sheery!
Posted 4/27/2010 6:12 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone. I am starting to feel better and I haven't had to use the Pyridium today. I am still having abdominal pain on occasion with slight nausea. I am even able to use the bathroom today with very minimal to no burning. The macrobid worked pretty quickly - maybe because I got it taken care of so quickly.
Posted 4/27/2010 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Great news!! hope it continues to improve daily.

I've had only one major bladder infection and a flare at the same time...Oh my!!! owie!

q
Posted 4/27/2010 11:21 PM (GMT 0)
I wished I could claim this was my first one! LOL I've actually had approximately 30 in my lifetime. I started getting them when I was 16 and I'm now 40.
Posted 4/27/2010 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
Sherry, not to be nosy, but do you think yours are related to intercourse? If so, really think about taking macrobid after intercourse. It really, really, really works for me. And just taking one doesn't mess with my UC.
Posted 4/27/2010 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
I meant to ask you about that FG. By taking the macrobid after sex, do you think it might not be as effective if you were to get a UTI? And no, not always are my UTI's related to after having sex. I get them very randomly at different intervals.
Posted 4/27/2010 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
My doc didn't think so. It's used to keep the bacteria buggers from getting hold at all, so it's not that likely to cause a resistance, like would happen if I were to not finish a course or something.
Posted 9/30/2011 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
I just wanted to post to thank the universe again for this site. It seems like at every low point of my UC, I have come here and found information and comfort that was badly needed.

After a 2+ year dry spell I finally met at guy that I wanted to be intimate with (no small feat given the mind games that UC has played with me about sex). Years ago I got several UTIs and eventually started taking an antibiotic after intercourse to prevent them (I think it was bactrim, but am not sure). Now that I have UC I'm terrified of taking antibiotics because of the risk that they could set off a flare. So now here I am, ready for the sex life I finally have and today I wake up thinking I'm developing a UTI (my body is going crazy because I also just got my period, so I don't know yet - total added bonus of emotional roller coaster to deal with).

I've been in a panic all day, but coming to this site and realizing that other people have gone through this and that it will be ok makes me feel better. I will go talk to my MD about getting preventative Macrobid if I don't need to go get some tomorrow.

Thanks, fellow UC survivors.
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