Dealing with back pain, leg radiation, weakness, and nausea... any advice?

I’m really not sure what’s going on here, so I’m reaching out to see if anyone can help. I went in this morning to get some blood work and a urine test done, and now I’m just sitting here waiting for the results to come back—hopefully, once they show up, we might be able to make sense of this through the lab reports.
To give you some context, I’m an extreme hiker; I head out onto the trails every single weekend regardless of how the weather is looking. My last trip was during some pretty nasty conditions—we're talking heavy rain, snow, and wind... just brutal. When I first got back home, I felt totally fine, but then about four days later, this weird malaise started creeping in, just a general sense of weakness... and by the fifth day, I started getting this sharp pain right in my kidney area. I took a 400mg Ibuprofen and it helped a bit, so after that, I switched over to some Aleve which has ibuprofen in it too, but at a lower 200mg dose... and even with the Aleve, I was still hurting, just significantly less. For a while, I actually thought I was having some kind of kidney attack, but when I ended up in the ER, they asked me if the pain was radiating down my leg. I told them yes, I’d felt this shooting sensation in my leg a few times, and I had been searching for just the right position to sit in to find relief, always needing to keep my leg slightly bent to feel okay. I stuck with the Aleve since it's half the strength of the regular Ibuprofen... I've also been feeling nauseous off and on, especially in the mornings, along with these pains that seemed to hit a little harder early in the day than they did later on.
Today marks the fifth day. I’m still taking the Aleve, and while the actual kidney spot doesn't hurt anymore, it feels more like that dull, bruised sensation you get after a hard impact, so it feels like I'm turning a corner, but... I got up about an hour ago and this strange back pain flared up, the kind of thing I get when I sleep on a bad mattress... I'm feeling it across my back right now, and while it isn't intense, I took my Aleve seven hours ago and it hasn't quite kicked in yet, and this ache feels exactly like one of those nasty muscle strains you get from a drafty room. I forgot to mention that I also just started taking B-complex vitamins for nerve health... the vomiting was pretty bad yesterday, though it seems to have calmed down a bit today... I honestly don't know if this is just a severe flu or something else entirely, because I'm feeling so lost about what's happening. The doctors haven't really shown much interest in giving me any real direction or pointing me toward the right specialist, so if there's any physician here who has a hunch about what this might be or what my next move should be, please, I would love some advice... maybe I'm overthinking this and it isn't as serious as it feels... it's not like the pain is unbearable, though it was way too intense last Friday and Saturday... it's settled down now... I guess I'm just confused about my back—is it just from a crappy bed (since I've dealt with that before) or is it tied to whatever illness this is?
p.s. Even the thought of a cigarette makes me sick to my stomach right now, kind of like when I have the flu, so I can't even smoke.

slybison6 said:I have no idea what is going on here, and I am honestly begging for some help. I turned in urine and blood samples this morning and I'm just sitting here waiting to see if anything useful pops up in the results.
Basically, I am an extreme hiker—I hit the trails every single weekend regardless of how nasty the weather gets. The last time I was out, the conditions were absolutely brutal: rain, snow, wind... you name it. When I got back home, I felt fine. But then, by day four, things started shifting. I began feeling this overwhelming malaise... and by day five, the pain in my kidney area kicked in. I took 400mg of Advil and it helped, so I switched over to Motrin, which has ibuprofen in it too, but at a lower 200mg dose... even with the Motrin, I was still hurting, just significantly less. At first, I thought I was having some kind of kidney attack, but when I went to the ER, they asked if the pain was radiating down my leg. I told them yes, I’ve felt sharp flashes of pain shooting down my leg, and I found myself constantly searching for just the right position to sit because I had to keep my leg partially bent to get any relief. I kept taking the Motrin since it's half the strength of the Advil... I've been dealing with occasional vomiting, especially in the mornings, along with pains that seemed to hit harder early in the day than later on...
Today is day five. I'm still on the Motrin; the kidney pain itself isn't there anymore, but it feels like that dull ache you get from a bruise after being hit—so maybe it's passing? But... I got up about an hour ago and this strange back pain flared up, the kind I usually get when I sleep on a crappy mattress... and even now, my back is acting up. It's not intense, and I took my Motrin seven hours ago and will take more soon, but it feels like one of those nagging muscle aches you get from a draft. I forgot to mention that I also just started taking B-complex vitamins for nerve health... the vomiting was worse yesterday, but it's tapering off now... I don't know if this is just a massive head cold, but I am completely lost as to what is happening. The doctors here have zero interest in actually guiding me toward the right treatment or telling me where I need to go. If there is a doctor on here who thinks they might know what this is or what steps I should take, please, give me some advice... maybe I'm just overthinking this and it's not as serious as I feel... the pain isn't totally unbearable, though it was way too much this past Friday and Saturday... it's calmed down now... I just don't know if this back issue is just from my bad bed (which I've always dealt with) or if it's tied to whatever illness this is...
p.s. Cigarettes make me want to gag whenever I have the flu, so I can't even smoke right now.

Look, you are writing a whole damn autobiography instead of giving us the actual facts we need.
What was the temperature at the ER?
Are you having trouble urinating—dysuria?
Fever?
Any history of kidney issues—like stones?

slybison6 said:I have no clue what is going on here, so please, help! I gave them urine and blood samples this morning and now I’m just sitting around waiting to see if the results will show anything useful... if that's even possible via lab reports.
So, look, I am an extreme hiker—like, seriously, I hit the trails every single weekend no matter how crappy the weather is. Last time, I was out in some absolutely brutal conditions: rain, snow, wind... you name it. When I got home, I felt fine, totally okay. But then, by day four, things started feeling weird. Just this general weakness... and by day five, the pain near my kidney kicked in. I popped a 400mg Ibuprofen and it helped a bit, then I switched to Neofen, which is basically just 200mg Ibuprofen anyway... and even with that, I was still hurting, just less so. I honestly thought I was having some kind of kidney attack! Then, when I finally went to the ER, they asked if the pain was shooting down my leg. And yeah, I told them I felt this lightning bolt sensation in my leg a few times, and I kept trying to find a specific position to sit in because I had to keep my leg half-bent just to get some relief. I've been sticking to the Neofen since it's half the strength of the regular stuff... I've been feeling nauseous too, especially in the mornings, and the pain seemed to hit harder early in the day than later on...
Today is day five. I'm taking the Neofen, and the actual kidney spot doesn't hurt anymore, but it feels like that dull ache you get from a bruise after you take a hit, so maybe it's passing? But... I got up about an hour ago and this weird back pain flared up—the same kind of thing I get when I sleep on a crappy mattress... I've got it all over my back right now. It isn't intense, and I took my Neofen seven hours ago, so I should be fine soon, but this pain feels exactly like when you catch a nasty draft. Oh, I forgot to mention I also just started taking B-complex vitamins for nerve health... the vomiting was worse yesterday, but it's settling down now... I don't know if this is just a massive head cold or what, but I am completely lost... the doctors here have zero interest in actually guiding me toward the right treatment. If there is any doctor out there who thinks they know what this is or what I should do, please, give me some advice... maybe I'm just overthinking it and it's not that serious... I mean, the pain isn't unbearable now, though it was way too much last Friday and Saturday... it's calmed down... I just don't know if my back issues are just from my bad bed (since I've always had that problem) or if it's part of whatever illness this is...
p.s. cigarettes gross me out right now, like when you have the flu and can't stand the smell.

what is the writer trying to say?🤷

as for the cigarettes... honestly, good. Glad you're disgusted by them...

vividsailor7 said:You’re spending all your time writing out this life story instead of just giving us the actual details we need.
What was the specific diagnosis from the ER?
Are you dealing with painful urination or dysuria?
Any fever?
Have you had kidney issues before—like stones or lithiasis?

The diagnosis is basically that I have a massive amount of bacteria in my urine. What’s the best way to clear this out?
p.s. Honestly, I didn't even know my official diagnosis until two days ago, so I was just typing out everything I thought might be relevant... sorry if I was being a bit much, I'm really not an expert on this stuff. Best,

slybison6 said:The diagnosis is that I have a high bacterial count in my urine. How do I get rid of them?
p.s. I didn't even know my exact diagnosis until two days ago, so I was just writing everything I thought was relevant... sorry if I was being annoying, I'm not an expert on this. Bye!

If you haven't done a urine culture yet, ask your doctor for a referral. You can grab a sterile specimen cup at any local pharmacy. When you collect the sample, make sure you use the "midstream" method: pee a little bit into the toilet first, then catch the middle portion in the cup. Seal it up and take it to your local lab or clinic. They’ll run an analysis to identify the specific bacteria involved and determine which antibiotic will actually kill them. Basically, you're going to be on antibiotics. It is absolutely critical that you stay hydrated—as soon as you go to the bathroom, drink another glass of water or tea. Avoid soda, salty snacks, and alcohol. Parsley tea, cranberry juice, or uva ursi are great options. Just a heads-up: if you choose uva ursi, skip the cranberry juice, because one is alkaline and the other is acidic, so they'll just neutralize each other out. Pick a lane and stick to it. Personally, I find parsley tea to be the most effective.
One more thing: while you're on those antibiotics, make sure to eat at least two servings of yogurt or some other probiotic fermented dairy daily to protect yourself from yeast infections down there.

Angela Wright said:If you haven’t gone ahead and done a urine culture yet, you should definitely ask your doctor for a referral. Just grab a sterile specimen cup from any local CVS or Walgreens, and when you go to do it first thing in the morning, try the "midstream" trick—just pee a little bit into the toilet first, then catch the rest in the cup. Once it's sealed, take it down to your local clinic or the lab they recommend in your area. They’ll run an analysis to figure out exactly which bacteria is causing the trouble and, more importantly, which specific antibiotic will actually knock it out. So, you'll likely be on antibiotics for a bit. While you're at it, you really need to stay super hydrated; I mean, as soon as you go to the bathroom, go right back and drink a big glass of water or some tea. Try to steer clear of anything fizzy, overly salty, or alcohol. Personally, I think parsley tea, cranberry juice, or uva ursi tea works wonders. But here’s the thing about uva ursi: if you decide to go with that, skip the cranberry juice, because cranberries are acidic and uva ursi is alkaline, so they basically just cancel each other out. Pick one path and stick to it. For me, parsley tea has always been the winner.
And one more tip while you're finishing those antibiotics: try to have at least two servings of yogurt or some kind of probiotic daily, just to help protect your system from yeast infections down there.

I was thinking about picking up some cranberry tea since it might taste a lot better than that uva ursi stuff. I tried the uva ursi before, but honestly, it's so bitter it makes me feel nauseous. My question is: is actual cranberry juice more effective? And I'm assuming it needs to be pure, unsweetened cranberry juice, right?

slybison6 said:I was thinking about grabbing some cranberry tea since it might actually taste better than cranberry extract. I’ve tried the extract, but man, it’s so bitter it makes me want to gag. Question: is the juice from the tea more effective? (Talking about cranberries here). I’m assuming it has to be pure cranberry, right?

Look, you can just brew the cranberry extract a bit weaker so it isn't such a nightmare to drink, and it still works pretty well.

The stuff they sell as "cranberry tea" is usually just dried leaves from the bush, but the actual good stuff—the parts that help the bladder lining stay less sticky so bacteria can't cling to it—is found in the fruit itself (the berries).

But honestly, those are just supplements. They aren't going to cut it for serious UTIs.

Don't mess around with your kidneys... seriously. Stick to the previous advice about getting a urine culture and getting specific antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.

...

Donna Johnson16 said:you can actually brew cranberry tea at a much lighter concentration so it isn't quite so bitter, and honestly, it still works pretty well.

the thing is, most of that "cranberry tea" you see in stores is really just dried leaves from the bush, but the actual magic stuff—the components that help coat the bladder lining and make it harder for bacteria to stick around—is found in the berries themselves.

but look, let's be real, those are just supplementary aids; they aren't going to cut it when you're dealing with a serious bacterial UTI.

you really don't want to mess around with your kidneys here, so please, take that earlier advice to heart: get a urine culture done and use targeted antibiotics under a doctor's supervision.

...

I'm so grateful to you and everyone else who shared their thoughts. I actually rushed off to the ER hoping they'd give me a referral so I could get a urine culture done first thing Monday morning, but they told me I should just follow up with my primary care physician on Monday instead, which is what I'll do. Right after leaving there, I ran straight to the pharmacy and picked up some cranberry tea and some Bactrim, just to have them on hand. Even though the box says two tablets twice a day, I started taking just one at a time because the pills seem so huge to me. 😁 Please don't go too hard on me for grabbing medication without a prescription, but I just couldn't sit around waiting even one more second. I've been taking it for seven days now and the pains that were happening have finally settled down, but I've been sweating like crazy... though I haven't run a fever.

slybison6 said:Thanks to you and everyone else who helped me out. I actually went to the ER just to get a referral so I could get a urine culture done first thing Monday morning, but they basically told me to just wait and see my regular doctor on Monday instead... so that's what I'll do. Right after that, I ran straight to the pharmacy and grabbed some cranberry tea and some Bactrim. Just in case. Even though the box says two tablets twice a day, I started taking just one because they seem huge to me... 😁 Please don't come for me for taking meds without a prescription, but I seriously couldn't wait another second. It’s been seven days since all those pains started, and things are okay now, but man, I am sweating like crazy... no fever though...

If you've already decided to start antibiotics on your own, you really need to stick to the full recommended dose—otherwise, you're just doing yourself a massive disservice. Bacteria build up resistance to drugs, and the last thing you want is to "vaccinate" them with tiny doses of antibiotics...

Don't let the anxiety get to you too much. That dull ache in your kidneys often comes with feelings of dread, fear, or tension—it's pretty normal. If you feel better by Monday, still make sure you head in to see your doctor.

slybison6 said:I want to thank you and everyone else who offered advice. I went to the ER to try and get a referral so I could get a urine culture done first thing Monday morning, but they basically told me to just follow up with my primary care doctor on Monday, which I plan to do. Right after that, I headed straight to the pharmacy and picked up some cranberry tea and Bactrim. Just in case, I started taking it. Even though the box says two tablets twice a day, I’ve been taking just one because they seem huge to me 😁 Please don't attack me for self-medicating without a prescription, but I simply couldn't wait another second. It's been seven days since this whole painful mess started; things feel okay now, but I am sweating like crazy... though I don't have a fever.

You just made a massive, reckless mistake 🙄. How on earth do you know that specific antibiotic will actually work? How do you know the bacteria isn't already resistant to it? At this point, running a urine culture is almost pointless because the results won't be reliable. You could have just taken some Ibuprofen to manage the discomfort and limp through the weekend, provided you drank plenty of fluids. Instead, you're blindly popping an antibiotic that might not even touch the problem. If it fails, you'll end up needing a different one, and by killing off all the good bacteria along with the bad ones, you're going to wreck your immune system and trigger a vicious cycle of various infections—not to mention the yeast infections.
Stop playing doctor. At the very least, educate yourself before deciding to treat yourself.
In America, for instance, you can't just walk into a drugstore and grab antibiotics; you strictly need a doctor's prescription. Do you realize how serious of a deal that is?

slybison6 said:So, the diagnosis is in: you've got a massive bacterial load in your urine. Great. Just wonderful. How do you get rid of them? You don't just "wish" them away. You need to deal with this properly before it turns into something much more painful. Usually, that means getting an actual prescription from a doctor—not some internet advice—for a round of antibiotics. Depending on what exactly they found in the culture, you might be looking at something like Cipro or maybe even Bactrim. But listen, if you do get meds, do NOT stop taking them the second you feel better. That is how you end up with superbugs. You finish the entire course, period. And in the meantime? Drink water like it’s your job. Flush that system out. It sounds simple, but it actually works.
P.S. Honestly, I didn't even have an official diagnosis until two days ago, so I was just typing out everything that was crossing my mind at the time. My apologies if I was being a nuisance or oversharing—this isn't exactly my area of expertise. Cheers!

Look, you can't just look at a positive bacteria count in isolation and call it a day. That’s not how this works. If you're dealing with a UTI, you have to look at the whole picture—the leukocytes, the erythrocytes in the urine... you can't just cherry-pick one result and ignore the rest. It’s all connected.

slybison6 said:I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out with advice. I actually went down to the ER to try and get a referral so I could get a urine culture done first thing Monday morning, but the doctor there basically brushed me off and told me to just follow up with my primary care physician on Monday instead. So, that’s what I’ll be doing. Immediately after leaving the hospital, I headed straight to the pharmacy to grab some cranberry tea and some Bactrim. I figured I'd start taking them just to be safe. Even though the instructions on the box say to take two tablets twice a day, I've actually started with just one tablet at a time because those things look absolutely massive to me! 😁 Don't you dare come at me for taking medication without a prescription! I don't have a single second to waste waiting around. I’ve been on this for seven days now, and everything started spiraling once those pains kicked in. Things seem okay for the moment, but I am sweating buckets. I don't have a fever, though.

Bactrim is actually a combination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim—over here in the States, you'll see it branded as Solutron or Synergy.
So you decide to just grab some ABT without even talking to your doctor, and then—to make matters even worse—you don't even follow the dosage instructions? But hey, you’re clearly the smartest person in the room, right? If you're such an expert, why bother reading the instructions at all? What exactly is the point of the label if you're just going to ignore it?🙄🙂🙂
Absolutely appalling.
Look, I wouldn't have handled things that way. If it were up to me, I would have gone with something like Clavibel or Clavocin, or perhaps a quinolone like Cipro or Norfloxacin.

vividsailor7 said:When you're looking at bacteria in the urine, you can't just look at that in a vacuum; you really have to factor in the white blood cells and red blood cells too. It’s all connected.

Bactrim is basically a mix of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim—it's similar to what we see with brands like Solutron or Synergy here.
1. If you decide to just grab antibiotics without talking to a doctor first, and then even go off the prescribed dosage because you think you know better than the instructions on the label, well, what exactly do you expect to happen?🙄🙂🙂
It's honestly a mess.
Normally, I wouldn't handle it that way; I’d probably suggest something like Amoxicillin (Clavibel or Clavocin) or maybe a quinolone like Cipro or Norfloxacin.

I am following the dosage, I just took one of the first ones already. Everything else looks fine according to my lab results, except they noted a high bacterial count in my urine. The doctor at the ER mentioned that my primary physician might tell me to get a urine culture or maybe not, depending on how they interpret the findings... since the labs look a certain way, it's kind of up in the air. Honestly, our healthcare system is such a disaster; if you don't fight for yourself, nobody is going to step up and help you. I definitely don't live in America.

slybison6 said:I’m sticking to the dosage, I just missed the first pill. Everything else looks fine on my labs, except they noted quite a few bacteria in my urine. The doctor at the ER mentioned my primary physician might tell me to get a urine culture or maybe not—it really depends on how they interpret things... since that's how the results look, they could go either way. Honestly, our healthcare system is a total disaster; if you don't fight for yourself, nobody's going to step up and help. And I don't even live in America.

Let's be real: you didn't "fight" for anything here, so don't try to blame the failures of the medical system to cover up your own mistake. It’s not like the healthcare system here is some flawless utopia, but someone smart eventually realized we can't just hand out antibiotics like candy without risking the rise of superbugs.☕
By the way, you aren't actually following the dose since you skipped that first tablet. Now, all you can do is hope you acted like a blind chicken stumbling onto a grain of corn and accidentally hit the right therapeutic level so this actually works.
Good luck!

Angela Wright said:To be totally honest, you didn't really handle this very well, and you shouldn't try to blame your own mistake on how the healthcare system works. It's not like our medical system is some kind of paradise here, but someone smart finally realized that antibiotics shouldn't just be handed out like candy, especially when you're risking the whole mess of developing a superbug down the line.☕
By the way, you haven't actually finished your dose because you skipped a pill. Now, all you can really do is hope you're like a blind chicken that somehow manages to peck up the right grain and hits the mark so the treatment actually works.
Good luck!

Thanks to everyone for the advice. There’s a certain logic to the way you guys are picking on me, I suppose, but honestly, you should probably be a little more gentle instead of being so harsh—if any of you are planning on becoming doctors, that's definitely not the way to go about it—because I'm feeling pretty sick and I'm just not in the mood for this kind of talk. For starters, you don't even know where I live, how many miles I am from the nearest town, or how I even manage to get to a clinic... if I didn't have my insurance card right on me, they wouldn't even bother talking to me at the doctor's office to begin with... so what else am I supposed to do besides handle it myself and head back out on my horse? I'd like to ask the moderators to please delete this thread if possible, because reading these comments from certain people is honestly just giving me bad vibes and making me feel even worse physically... take care.

Please don't delete this thread. The main reason everyone's jumping down your throat is because so many people out there are doing the exact same thing—playing doctor and deciding their own treatment plans, especially when it comes to antibiotics. It’s dangerous for them and everyone else... If someone stumbles onto this post and decides *not* to self-medicate because of what they read here, then this whole thing was worth it. If you were the only one acting this way, it wouldn't be an issue, but it's everywhere. Even people who know better, living right in the middle of places like Chicago or NYC with doctors just a block away, do it...

...

slybison6 said:I’m sticking to the dosage, I just took one of the first ones already. Everything else looks fine on my lab results, except they noted quite a few bacteria in my urine. The doctor at the ER told me my primary physician might tell me to get a urine culture or maybe not—it really depends on how they interpret the results, since both options are on the table... so he might just say skip it. Honestly, the healthcare system here is a total disaster; if you don't fight for yourself, nobody is going to help you. And I don't even live in America.

1. Why didn't the ER doctor prescribe an antibiotic for you?
2. You keep saying you're "sick," but if we're being honest, what exactly is the illness? Bacteriuria isn't a disease. By your logic, if someone robbed a bank, they shouldn't be punished just because they have "famous bacteriuria."
3. Why on earth did you decide to take Bactrim?
4. I don't know what kind of support you were looking for here. Were you expecting some comforting line like, "Oh, it'll all be fine, you didn't do anything wrong"? Well, newsflash: it won't.
The healthcare system might be a mess, but that doesn't give you a free pass to act this way.
PS. I think Angela Wright wrote a solid post, though honestly, she was being a bit too soft.
PSS. Reading this kind of nonsense—or hearing it in person on the subway or the bus—does just as much damage to my sanity as it does to anyone else's.

slybison6 said:Thanks for all the advice, everyone. There’s some logic behind why you're tearing me down, but honestly, you should try being a bit more compassionate instead of just being blunt—especially if any of you plan on becoming doctors, because this isn't how you handle people. You don't know where I live, how far out in the sticks I am, or how I even manage to get to a clinic... if I didn't have my insurance card on me, they wouldn't even talk to me in the US healthcare system. At this point, it feels like my only option is to handle everything myself and just ride my horse out there. Can the moderators please just delete this thread if possible? Reading these comments from certain individuals is honestly doing more harm to my health than the actual illness. Bye.

I'm sorry if what I wrote hurt your feelings, though I'm not quite sure which part hit a nerve. I was just giving you my honest opinion and explaining my reasoning... frankly, I don't think it's fair to pin your inability to process facts on me. I don't get it—why come to a forum for info and advice if you can't handle the answers? I feel bad for you, truly, but that really isn't my burden to carry.
And since I work with cancer patients who are significantly sicker than you are, and whose struggles with navigating the US medical system are exponentially greater than yours, I find your attitude pretty offensive. Especially considering both myself and vividsailor7 reached out with nothing but good intentions. Also, what does your zip code have to do with the reality of the situation? If you aren't capable of processing the information shared here and it's causing you this much distress, then maybe don't come looking for advice in this manner. You clearly want to follow your own intuition regardless, so I can only conclude what someone much sharper than me realized almost immediately:

Robin Gray8 said:[/B]

what the author is trying to say🤷

and🤷
This whole thing turned out to be a complete waste of time.
Best,

slybison6 said:..mods, please just kill this thread if you can. Reading these people is honestly giving me bad vibes and making me feel physically sick... peace out

Thread isn't getting deleted. We don't pull threads just because someone asks. Everyone here has the right to chime in with their take, whether you actually like what they have to say or not. It’s up to you if you listen or ignore them. Plus, the rules in this PDF clearly state that this forum isn't a substitute for seeing a doctor.

I'm with everyone else on this one—and yeah, I know it sounds harsh—but I think you messed up. You really shouldn't be popping antibiotics without a prescription from a doctor.