Pregnancy or just an infection?!

Hey there!

I really need some advice...

My period is super late—like, 27 days late. Usually, I’m on a pretty steady 33-day cycle, but it’s been 60 days now and still nothing. I took two home pregnancy tests; one about 10 days after I thought I might have conceived, and another a month and a half later. Both were negative, so I'm pretty sure I'm not pregnant. But there's this other issue going on that's probably why my cycle is so messed up. I went in for blood work and a urine test. My blood work came back totally fine, but my urine was looking a little sketchy.
Here are my urine results:

Spec. gravity 1.020
pH 5
Protein 1/+
Glucose 0
Ketones 0
Bilirubin 0
Urobilinogen NORM
Nitrites 0
Ery/Hemoglobin 1/+
Leukocyte esterase 3/+++

Leukocytes around 50
Erythrocytes 4-5
Squamous epithelial cells 25-30
bacteria LOTS

And the urine culture came back negative, just some saprophytes BK- 10**3

After those results, my primary care doctor put me on some antibiotics—I don't even remember the name, just that I took them once a day for 10 days. I did another urine test after that, and here is what it showed:

Specific gravity 1.030
pH 5
Protein 1/+
Glucose 0
Ketones 0
Bilirubin 0
Urobilinogen NORM
Nitrites 0
Ery/hemoglobin 0
Leukocyte esterase 2/++

Leukocytes 8-10
Erythrocytes 1-2
Squamous epithelial cells 6-8
bacteria LOTS
Mucus LOTS

I'm constantly running to the bathroom—like 20 to 50 times a day. I even wake up all night to go. Right before bed, I feel like I have to pee every 2-3 minutes, doing it maybe 10 times until I'm just totally exhausted and finally pass out from the struggle. It's the same thing when I wake up in the morning. I actually stopped drinking lemon juice because I noticed it makes me have to go even more often. I honestly don't know what to do anymore. I think I might have inherited a prolapsed bladder from my mom. On the OBGYN side, everything seems okay; I had a pelvic ultrasound and a Pap smear a year ago. They told me everything looked fine, except my right ovary shows signs of PCOS.

I am so lost. What is going on and what should I do??

Please help

It’s pretty obvious you didn't collect a clean sample for that urine culture. There is no way it came back completely clear if two standard urinalysis tests already flagged something. If you ran this test shortly after taking a dose of antibiotics, then a negative result isn't surprising at all.

Go get another urine culture done, but make sure you do it before starting any more treatment.
I’d suggest looking into Cystex. Definitely run it by your doctor first, though.
It sounds like you're dealing with a bladder infection, and since the reproductive system is right there, it's likely spread. Getting some gynecological swabs would probably give you more answers. Go see your OB-GYN for that, and grab a Pap smear while you're at it—it's definitely time. Plus, your OB-GYN can write you a referral for the culture. In my experience, an OB-GYN is much better at handling bladder issues than my regular primary care doctor.

You can take Advil to dull the pain, but that's just a band-aid; it won't actually fix the problem.

Angela Wright said:Clearly you didn't get a clean enough sample for the culture. There's no way two standard urine tests would show zero bacteria. If you did it right after taking some antibiotics, then yeah, it totally makes sense why it came back negative.

Just go redo the culture.
I'd suggest trying Azo. Definitely check with your doctor about it first though.
It sounds like you’re definitely dealing with a bladder infection, and since everything is so close together, it probably hit your reproductive system too. You should really get some OBGYN swabs done. Go see a gynecologist for that, plus grab a Pap smear while you're at it—it's due anyway. Your OBGYN can also write you a referral for the culture. Honestly, my OBGYNs have always been way better at handling bladder issues than my regular GP.

I actually got the culture done before I started any antibiotics... because I could tell something was off with how often I was running to the bathroom. My primary care doctor gave me the referral after I asked. Is there any chance I could be pregnant and the home tests are just wrong? I don't have any other symptoms besides my period being late.

amberbear94 said:From a gynecological standpoint, everything is fine—I had a pelvic ultrasound and a Pap smear done about a year ago. I was told that everything looks okay, except for my right ovary, which is polycystic.

That bolded part is your answer!
PCOS typically involves extended cycles (which are frequently anovulatory). My own cycle used to run long—usually around 33 or 34 days, which is longer than average—but there was never anything visible on my ovaries until suddenly, bam, my period is 46 days late (and I know for a fact I'm not pregnant). I went in for a checkup and, lo and behold—polycystic ovaries (one more pronounced than the other). This is all standard stuff with PCOS, so my advice would be to get a full hormone panel done to see which specific hormone is acting up. Based on those results, your doctor will determine the next steps: birth control, medication to induce menstruation, and so on.🙂

A lot can change in the year since your last Pap smear. You didn't mention getting any swabs. Have you actually tested for: aerobes and anaerobes, Chlamydia, HPV, mycoplasma, or ureaplasma? (The latter can be quite tricky and sometimes mimics bladder issues). A Pap smear won't pinpoint exactly which of those little organisms you might be dealing with, plus it's been a whole year. Regardless, you should get those tests done; otherwise, it isn't a truly complete gynecological exam, just a basic Pap and ultrasound. Get everything cleared up so they can give you the right treatment based on the cultures, but honestly, regarding the delayed period, I am fairly certain it’s due to some kind of hormonal imbalance, given that you have a polycystic ovary, which directly impacts your cycle.

Sophia Wells72 said:Here’s the lowdown on your question!
With PCOS, you usually deal with super long cycles (which often mean you aren't even ovulating). My cycle used to hang around day 33 or 34, which is definitely longer than average, but my ovaries always looked totally fine on scans. Then suddenly—bam—my period is 46 days late (and I know for a fact I'm not pregnant). I rushed straight to get an ultrasound and lo and behold—polycystic ovaries (one was slightly more than the other). That is totally standard for PCOS. My advice? Get your hormone levels checked to see which one is acting up. Once you have those results, your OBGYN will know exactly what to do, whether it's birth control, meds to jumpstart your period, or whatever else. 🙂

A lot can change in a year since your last Pap smear. You didn't mention getting four different swabs done. Did you test for: aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, chlamydia, HPV, mycoplasma, and ureaplasma? (Ureaplasma can be a real pain and even mess with your bladder). A Pap smear won't tell you exactly which of those little monsters you're dealing with, plus it's been a whole year. Either way, go get those tests done; that's the only way to have a complete gynecological checkup, not just a Pap and an ultrasound. Get everything cleared up so they can give you the right treatment based on the swabs. But honestly, regarding the late period, I'm positive it's some kind of hormonal imbalance because you have polycystic ovaries, so it's directly messing with your cycle.

I never thought having polycystic ovaries was such a big deal, and I was even on birth control for three years (Jasmine). I stopped taking them about nine months ago. I had a few regular periods after that, but my last two have been late. They never used to be.

Mine aren't either—I used to have regular cycles, and while they've somehow returned to normal without any intervention (call it a miracle, I guess), I still officially have PCOS—having gone through two ultrasounds in just three months. It’s classified as a syndrome rather than a disease, which makes things a bit more complicated when you're trying to conceive—though, honestly, it varies wildly from person to person. You can technically have perfectly regular periods and still deal with PCOS; conversely, you might have a cycle but not actually be ovulating. If I were you, I'd get your hormones checked—for instance, my LH levels (luteinizing hormone) are completely off, and since that's what governs the whole process and those ovarian follicles, it's a big deal. I’ll probably end up needing to go on birth control, which feels like just masking the underlying issue—which, frankly, is already a bit exhausting to deal with—but I suppose it's necessary until I find a proper alternative solution.

Regarding the infection and the urinary issues, you really need to get swabs done—a Pap smear alone won't give you the full picture.

Typically, once you stop taking the medication, your cycles tend to stabilize for a little while—but then, if you’re dealing with PCOS, things eventually drift back into chaos again.

Is it actually possible that all this is happening just because I’m running a little dry during sex?...

amberbear94 said:I had a urine culture done before starting any antibiotics... mostly because I noticed I was hitting the bathroom way too often and felt like something was off. My primary care physician gave me a referral for the culture after I brought it up. Is there any chance I could be pregnant and getting false negatives on home tests? I don't have any other symptoms besides my period being late.

Look, anything is possible, though being pregnant while dealing with a bladder infection is definitely not the best hand to be dealt.
Just go see an OB-GYN to clear up the pregnancy question and get that infection sorted out.