Hi cheerful,
Sounds like you might have a urinary tract infection. Let us know what the doc says. Drinking unsweetened cranberry juice will help to keep you from getting them in the future.

They found blood in the urine; right now they're treating it as an infection. I'll know more next week. I'm on antibiotics now.

Hi cheerful,

I think it's common to find some blood in there, when there's been alot of inflammation. And with your symptoms, it was probably sort of far along. I'm curious.....what did they put you on and for how long? I hate being on antibiotics, as they always mess up my GI tract and give me yeast, but the last time I had a UTI, I only had to be on them for 3 days. Be sure to drink tons of water! I hope you feel better soon cheerful!

She gave me Macrobid 100mg; take twice a day for 5 days. I'm drinking a lot of water and cranberry juice.
If it was far along, I wonder if that's what has been causing my headaches for the past week.

Hi Cheerful,
That wouldn't surprise me at all. Throughout my life, whenever I had a UTI, I also had a headache. So hopefully, they will all go away too! (Although I also get headaches with antibiotics.....so they may not go away until next week).
Some people know the minute they get a UTI, (with burning on urination), but for me, it was very slow in presenting. I didn't even associate the headaches with the UTI, until I started getting lower abdominal pain, and got tested for it. I'll keep my fingers crossed that your headaches disappear.

Thanks!

Careful with cranberry juice....most are really sweetened to be palatable. Unless it's unsweetened it's really not worth it (and most people cannot drink it unsweetened).

Vickey-MN

I bought the Light cranberry juice - sweetened with Splenda instead of sugar. Does that make a difference?

If you have a bladder or kidney infection, the acid in the cranberry juice can irritate the lining even more. It's not the same thing as a healthy urinary tract system where the acidity of the juice will hinder the bacterial growth.

So, if you seem to be getting worse, check with your doctor. It may be that he/she would want you to stop the cranberry juice. Keep drinking lots of water.

I don't feel any better than I did on Monday. Waiting for the antibiotics to kick in. Will stop the cranberry juice and stick with the water. I'm amazed at how many trips to the bathroom I've made.

Call your doc ASAP. You should have been feeling much better within 24-36 hours. Anything more than that and you either have the wrong antibiotic or wrong diagnosis or both.
Don't wait till after the weekend.
Improperly treated UTI can lead to kidney infection and kidney damage.
Most times I've seen Cipro prescribed for UTI now and is supposed to be the drug of choice.

I think, but I am not sure that Macrobid is a sulfa drug. If so, it will take a little longer to act. You should see results by the time you finish up the pills. If you still have problems, check back with him. If Macrobid is a sulfa drug, it might make you feel yucky.

Cipro is an antibiotic that is often used, but some doctors are beginning to be relutant to prescribe it if something else will work. It can really mess up the normal intestinal flora.

My doctor's office just got the results from the urine sample, and said I did not have an infection. They will have my doctor call me to see if I have to come back in.

Are you still having symptoms?

Just constantly going to the bathroom. No more odor. Now, don't you know I got my period again (1 1/2 weeks after the last one, which was 1 1/2 weeks after the one before). I hate menopause!

Are you going to see the doctor again? Were you having a period at all or spotting, when you gave the urine specimen with the blood in it?

I thought my period was over at the time. I'm waiting for my doctor to call me about all this.

I don't want to frighten you, but have learned that blood in the urine is the first sign of bladder cancer. If another urine tests determines blood in the urine, I strongly encourage you to ask for a referral to a Urologist.

My Sister's primary care doctor kept giving her anti-biotics (same symtoms you describe) for nearly two years...finally referred her to a specialist who immediately found a tumor in her bladder. She just had surgery with diagnosis of Adenocarcinoma, which he said means it most likely stems from another part of the body.
More exams, tests, etc. are scheduled. The specialist also told her if she had come sooner it probably would not have attached to the bladder wall. If it grows into the muscle it gets much more serious.

Good luck!

Cheerful........I agree with grittymitts. That's what I was afraid to bring up. It's extremely important for you to follow up on this.
Maybe retest your urine test, and then go from there. But don't let the doctor's office blow you off. Take care Cheerful, and keep us posted.
P.S. Did anything like yeast show up on the urinalysis?

I wouldn't put off seeing a specialist, but in the meantime, try eating a spoon full of celery seeds. They taste a little bitter, but tolerable. They really do work.

Houseful, what do the celery seeds do? (I would imagine you would want to be sure not to have diverticulitis before eating those!). Just curious what they can do for us. Thanks.

I am not an expert, but one thing I know is that it acts as a diuretic without changing your sodium to potassium ratio. It is good for overall urinary tract health as well as "supposedly" lowering cholesterol.

I suppose having diverticulitis would be an issue, but does grinding seeds up help?

How's it going Cheerful?

My doctor has not called me back to follow up, so I'll have to call her today. Thanks for asking. Been having headaches for the past week; I think it's all hormonal. I'm having a hard time dealing with menopause and all the crappy symptoms. But, I know I'm not alone. These forums are a big help.

Hi cheerful,
I would be fairly aggressive with your doctor following up on this. You may have something else going on, other than the hormonal thing.
Hopefully, its just the hormones! I swear, some of us just have an incredibly hard time during perimenopause. I know I, personally, went insane. :) It was the hardest time of my life. But I'm here to say it DOES get better! Hang in there!

This was a lousy week. First a migraine that lasted for days, now I got another UTI. I wouldn't be surprised that this is all menopause-related. Today I'm feeling really run down.

Hi im from the Recipe Exchange Forum....If your insurance covers it insist that you want a referral for a Urologist if you dont need a referral find the best Urologist in your area. I would definately see a specialist specifically for your problem 99% of the time a General practitioner will send you out when a chronic condition occurs...dont wait get to the specialist better safe than sorry...all that antibiotic in the system is no good if its not treating the right thing. I agree menopause gives many weird effects to the body but just assuming thats what it is can be dangerous,let a specialist decide. Good Luck

According to the test results, the UTI was caused by
e coli. I have to give another sample next week after the antibiotics are finished to see if it's still hanging on.

Hi cheerful,
Here are common yeast infection signs.

Burning feeling during urination: Excessive yeast can get into your urethra, potentially causing an intense burning feeling during urination. This symptom can often be very acute and painful.

Itchy vagina: A yeast infection is the result of an imbalance of the natural flora in your vagina. One result of this imbalance is that the yeast may block production of normal secretions which keep your vagina moist. Your vagina or vulva may become itchy and dry as a result.

White Discharge: If you notice a discharge around the mouth of or inside your vagina, this could be indicative of a yeast infection. The discharge would likely be white and look a bit like cottage cheese. This discharge will likely be odorless, but do not let this fool you: it could mean you have a yeast infection.

Painful Sexual Intercourse: If sex has become painful lately, this could also be the result of a yeast infection. The yeast coats the walls of your vagina, causing a painful sensation when foreign bodies enter the area.

Of course, any of these symptoms could indicate some problem other than a yeast infection. It is a good idea to check with your doctor to verify your concern.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mouth Yeast Infection