I had a recurring UTI. After three rounds of antibiotics, I went to a different doctor who diagnosed me with a kidney stone. He said that stones can harbor the bacteria that causes UTI's. Sure enough, after the lithotripsy (laser blasting the stone apart), the UTI's stopped.

I too have had several UTI's recently. Now I have blood in my urine. I have very little urine as I'm on Peritoneal. A form of dialysis that I do at home. No real pain. I have a call into my renal doctor this morning. On Saturday I was throwing up. Sunday I slept most of the day. I hope I don't have too many of these UtI's.

Yes, cranberry juice like tibbex suggested. There is also cranberry tablets. Plus drink lots of water. Good luck to you.

Secsteve- I feel your pain. I had a bad uti last year from August into spring- it went untreated because my new doctor's lab returned a couple of false negatives. I finally had to go to a urologist to have it diagnosed and treated. I couldn't get over how the folks at the clinic wrote me off... I mean, uti symptoms are pretty specific and telltale. Still pretty aggravated by the whole thing-

Steve, has your doctor sent you to the lab for a urinalysis? Specifically, for a Culture & Sensitivity test? You have to give them a "clean catch" urine specimen. The lab then cultures it to see what grows. Then, a sensitivity test is done, to find out which specific antibiotics will kill that bacteria. As you know and have stated, it makes absolutely no sense to continue taking antibiotics that aren't going to get rid of the problem. I wish you the best of luck!

Like jewelsisfabulous, I also have kidney stones and therefore have frequent UTI's. My stones have never moved but my urologist would put me through the Lithroscopy if I want him to do that. I just did a round of Levoflaxin (can't take the Cyproflaxin) and was not given a yeast pill to take afterwards, so also got the yeast infection. I didn't feel that the antibiotic had really cleared up the whole infection, so I went to my health food store lady who told me to get D-Mannose. She said it clears up the infection without an antibiotic and to also take the 7 Day Rapid Yeast Release. Both of these have worked. I'm staying on 2 D-Mannose daily as a preventative measure and hope that works. I do take a strong probiotic daily and 2 Acidophilus Bifada.

Thanks all for your input.

I am taking Cranberry pills versus juice. The juices, even those that state from cranberry juice, have sugar.

Haven't heard or thought about probiotics, but will look into that. The doc (who I didn't get to see today as there was a screw up in my appointment date) is also have the infectious disease folks contact me as it turns out it could be a yeast infection. Anyone want to guess what may have caused that? Yep, the Bactrim. Nice, huh.

Lindsey_CA, I'll check with him tomorrow about the Culture & Sensitivity test. He's a urologist and I can't imagine he didn't think of that, but at this point, nothing would surprise me.

A C&S test is much more expensive than a simple urinalysis, so the doctor isn't going to routinely order it. But, after two rounds of antibiotics if the infection is still there, it should be done.

And I'm sure you know this, but for those who don't --- (1) antibiotics should be taken on a round-the-clock basis. This is to keep the antibiotic level in your system consistent, to better fight the infection. So, if you are to take one pill three times a day, then you should take one pill every eight hours, not one pill with breakfast, one with lunch, and one with dinner (or at bedtime). One pill four times a day is one pill every six hours; one pill twice a day is one pill every 12 hours. And (2) do not stop taking the antibiotic when you start feeling better, or when the infection seems to be gone. You must take ALL of the pills that were prescribed.

A friend of mine recently underwent a minor sugical procedure so that her bladder completely empties when she "goes" to stop her frequent UTIs. She kids about being a bionic woman in her woman parts. I think it was called a pacemaker...but not the same as a heart kind of course.

A update on the latest.

First off Lindsay_CA you mentioned "a C&S test is much more expensive than a simple urinalysis, so the
doctor isn't going to routinely order it..

Turns out that is what my doctors does. So I'm on Bactrim until Monday and then two other drugs after that. One to make it harder for the bacteria to grow and the other a different antibiotic.

I'm also scheduled for a cystoscopy with CAT scan in two weeks and the infectious disease folks will be calling to schedule an appointment. The last cystoscopy done in the docs office didn't show any hole in the bladder, but this procedure is more detailed. I'm keeping everything crossed that no hole shows up. If it does, that means back to the horse pistol for another repair. Ugh! So keeping everything crossable, crossed.

As much as people hate to believe this, Cranberry juice is NOT the save all when it comes to Bladder, UTI or kidney infections. I think if one doctor or ten doctors tells us as much we should take them at their word. Why wouldn't we trust them to know something so basic? Obviously they have the education and literature to back up their opinions or do they just make this stuff up as they go?

Quite a few years ago I had a very severe kidney infection and on the advise of a friend who told me it was the cure all, I was drinking cranberry juice like crazy. This went on for several weeks and because I was no longer feeling the symptoms I thought I had managed to fight it off on my own. The next time I had to visit my practitioner for something unrelated, he noticed a slight fever and routine tests I need to have done reflected a severe infection in both kidneys. He was livid with me and told me that cranberry juice is good for a lot of things but fighting infections is not one of them. Quite the contrary as it masks the symptoms while the infection continues to fester. He made me promise right then and there to never rely on it again for UT, bladder or kidney infections and to seek medical help instead.

Secsteve, After this new round of testing, I hope you are finally able to find out what the problem is. At least it's a step in a new direction.

I was disgnosed with acute UTI, after a quick visit to Urgent Care on Sunday. I was thinking about a week, I could make it go away with home remedies, NOT! Sunday morning waking up with chills, achie lower back, going to the bathroom many many times, I just got myself dressed and went to the Urgent Care. Yup, acute UTI. Was given a shot in the hip and meds to take twice daily. By Tuesday, finally, I was almost normal. Thankfully my frequency to the bathroom over night is greatly diminished. I will continue taking the meds until I'm finished, and hopefully UTI will be gone gone gone! I did learn cranberry juice/tablets are no cure, but might help in possible prevention.

prevention yes, because it is an antioxidant, but wearing looser underwear will also help prevent UTI's as well.