5 posts shown.
Maria Fisher46 said:First things first—enteropathic arthritis doesn't always have to be polyarthritis. That’s rule number one. Sure, it usually shows up right alongside inflammatory bowel disease or maybe a bit later, but sometimes it actually pops up before the gut issues even start. But let's just say, for now, it doesn't look like Type 1 enteropathic arthritis, where you'd have that specific genetic predisposition.
If we're talking about reactive arthritis, though, you should know that a certain number of patients don't actually have any prior symptomatic infections... so, just because you've never had issues with your gut or urinary tract, it doesn't mean you can rule out reactive arthritis.
And finally, just because you have a genetic predisposition for something, it doesn't mean you're definitely going to develop the actual disease.
There's a big difference between frequent urination caused by taking diuretics and actual incontinence. It might be a good idea to have an infectious disease specialist take a look at you.
Doc, just so you know, my issue with contaminated urine culture samples is sorted, so I'm telling you this so you can decide whether to use the results or not. Last week I went back in for another sample, but this time I didn't sit there and let them explain the procedure to me for the millionth time... instead, I was the one explaining to *them* how I could provide the most optimal sample. When I mentioned that my first morning pee is usually around 4 AM, some cleaning lady wandering around the lab goes, "Well, I guess you should just stick the sample in the fridge so bacteria doesn't grow in the heat between then and 9 AM." Good grief... and I was busy heading to school. Thanks for all the effort, cheers, Mary
Maria Fisher46 said:It’s not entirely clear from your inquiry whether you’re currently dealing with any symptoms—like burning during urination, discharge, or whatever else—basically, what exactly is the reason for the urine culture?
The whole point of this culture is just a follow-up with my urologist after kidney surgery... if the bacteria count comes back too high, like over 10^5, then I'm stuck taking more antibiotics.
This time things were a bit rougher—burning, constant trips to the bathroom, even some bleeding... so my primary care doctor figured a follow-up culture after ten days on Klavocin was standard procedure. But honestly, doctors hand out antibiotics like candy these days, so I definitely need a second opinion... 🙂
Hey, I'm Mary,
I'm 64. About 5.5 years ago, I had surgery on my kidney—cancer, but thankfully no metastasis—and ever since then, I've been super prone to UTIs. Up until a year ago, it was mostly E. coli and Proteus mirabilis (counts between 10,000 and 100,000). When it hit that 100,000 mark, I’d take Cefixim once a day for a week, or just try to chug water and hope for the best.
About a year back, I ended up in the hospital with a nasty respiratory infection and had to use a catheter for five days. They put me on six IV doses of Sumamed and twelve Klavocin tablets.
Six months after that, I did a urine culture. The results showed 10^6 CFU/ml—gram-positive cocci and an equal amount of gram-negative rods. The note basically said the sample wasn't great and the bacterial isolate should be considered colonizing flora.
My doctor prescribed Klavocin twice a day for ten days.
Now, two months later, the results look almost identical, though the bacteria dropped slightly to 10^4.
The lab insists I contaminated the sample. They won't hear a word about how my diabetes, hypertension, and diuretics make things difficult... honestly, I'm waking up to pee nearly every two hours at night. There is zero chance I can properly clean up right before giving a sample because if I don't make it from the bed to the toilet in ten seconds, well... it's a mess. And that's also why I can never catch a perfect midstream flow.
Please, I need advice: how am I supposed to provide a "clean" sample when dealing with incontinence? And do I really need to go on another round of antibiotics?
Thanks,
Mary
Thanks for the tip, definitely worth a shot... I mean, what's a few more weeks? It's not like my body's gonna get any more toxic in 4-6 weeks than it already is anyway...
Hey, I'm 62 and my diabetes is pretty much under control, but man, this numbness in both feet is killing me... plus my legs always feel freezing. I've tried everything—soaking in different baths, rubbing on creams and gels, even swallowing all kinds of Ginkgo supplements. Nothing works. From what I gather, you can't just find something like Penthal here on the market, though I know some folks back home used to swear by it when it was actually available there. Does anyone know how one might go about getting a medication like that? Or does anyone have any actual experience with it? mira