Discharge (bloody, purulent...), white wash... - general questions

Girls, help.... I’ve been having this reddish-brown discharge for almost two weeks now and it just won't stop. It looks like the last few days of a period. A couple of days before this started, I had a cough and ran a fever for three days; that part passed, but the discharge is still hanging on (maybe everything got messed up because of the cold?) 🙄 My period was supposed to start around the 16th, but it hasn't come because of this discharge instead. Usually, my cycles are super regular every month, so I have no clue what this could mean. Pregnancy is definitely out of the question, and I’m not really feeling any specific pain or anything. Please help if anyone has dealt with this. 🙂

Well, I'm back. Time to vent a little bit.
The outcast has returned. Honestly, I’ve just had enough of all this and I really don't know what to do now... 🙂
How is this even possible?

Could this be because of the wrong treatment? Like, what if it didn't actually help me at all?

So, did you actually get a swab or a urine culture done? If you haven't, you really shouldn't be guessing with this—self-medicating like this can honestly just make things worse. When you were on those antibiotics, did you take a probiotic? Antibiotics kill off the good bacteria too, which throws everything out of whack, and they love to mess with your balance. Especially vaginally, where *Candida* tends to really settle in and take over.

And what does the discharge look like?

melloworca6 said:So, did you actually get a swab or a urine culture done? If you haven't, you really shouldn't be guessing with this—self-medicating like this can honestly just make things worse. When you were on those antibiotics, did you take a probiotic? Antibiotics kill off the good bacteria too, which throws everything out of whack, and they love to mess with your balance. Especially vaginally, where *Candida* tends to really settle in and take over.

And what does the discharge look like?

I haven't had a swab or anything else done yet. I know it’s hard to explain, but it was my first time ever having an exam and I was just... a little bit out of it. If I hadn't been alone, I would have asked how anyone could possibly know for sure without tests, since those symptoms could mean so many different things. I went to the doctor on February 10th, and I started the medication that very same day... the course lasted ten days. And yes, I’ve been drinking all sorts of kefirs and yogurts and whatever else... It doesn't seem like a fungal thing, though. Sometimes the discharge is heavy, other times there isn't any at all, but the worrying part is the color... it's yellowish or greenish, I can't quite tell exactly. I'm just so afraid it's going to keep coming back...🙂

She’s asking for a swab and a urine culture. Tell her you feel better now and you aren't about to start guessing which antibiotic to take. Mention the pain too—since you already told her it hurt during the exam—and don't let them brush you off.

I went to see my OB three months in a row. I refused to let them sweet-talk me into thinking it was "normal" for an ovary to ache occasionally (mine was killing me, and it definitely wasn't normal), and thank God I stood my ground because it turned out I had an ovarian infection. Untreated infections can lead to infertility, so don't mess around with this.

melloworca6 said:She’s asking for a swab and a urine culture. Tell her you feel better now and you aren't about to start guessing which antibiotic to take. Mention the pain too—since you already told her it hurt during the exam—and don't let them brush you off.

I went to see my OB three months in a row. I refused to let them sweet-talk me into thinking it was "normal" for an ovary to ache occasionally (mine was killing me, and it definitely wasn't normal), and thank God I stood my ground because it turned out I had an ovarian infection. Untreated infections can lead to infertility, so don't mess around with this.

She actually knows... I couldn't help but flinch a little from the pain, though I think she took it pretty lightly... But at least I have some answers (I think?)... I have some small cysts on that ovary, so that’s probably why...
I know, I really do... but I just blindly trusted that what was prescribed would work... 🤷
Yesterday, I drove down there myself just to try and get an appointment... I didn't call ahead because I know how the receptionist acts when they're busy... just sets the phone on the desk and walks away to do something else... but I didn't have enough time to sit there for two hours just waiting to be heard... so I'm heading back again today...

My primary care doctor sent me off for a urine culture, but I'm wondering... what exactly can they find from that? Honestly, I’m really not looking forward to this whole ordeal. If it turns out this isn't even a urological issue—though with this discharge, I have my doubts—I'll be stuck dealing with doctors for a long, long time... 😢
She actually told me she gave me antibiotics just as a precaution and that I should have seen the doctor sooner. But the fact that she didn't mention anything about seeing my GP to anyone else... well, I might as well have just checked my horoscope for advice.

If there’s anything actually going on in your urine, the lab results will show it. Just make sure that when you go in for a culture, you use your very first pee after waking up—the midstream kind. My advice? Give yourself a quick wash before you collect the sample. Ever since I started doing that, my results come back sterile every single time. Before that, I used to get those annoying false positives even when I was doing the midstream thing correctly. They’d send me off for an antibiogram just to identify the bacteria, only for the antibiogram to come back totally clean because there wasn't actually anything in the urine to begin with.
You can pick up sterile specimen cups at any pharmacy, so just grab some. It costs next to nothing, and you can just take care of business properly at home instead of dealing with those disgusting public restrooms. Honestly, my stomach turns every time I have to use one of those places; people are animals, and they leave their bloody cotton balls from blood draws scattered everywhere.🤮.

I honestly have no clue how to even go about this, since I first need to see a doctor just to get a referral or something... 🤷
Or does it not strictly have to be after urinating? Is it actually possible for that kind of discharge to be linked to urological issues? This is the first time I've even heard of such a thing...

When are you planning to head in for those referrals?

I get my blood and urine tested pretty regularly, so I can tell you how it works with my doctor.

I usually just swing by a CVS or Walgreens and pick up a few collection cups to keep at home—you don't need a prescription or anything for that, they’re just sitting there on the shelf in any pharmacy. I make sure to see my doctor the day before to have her write the referrals for the blood work and urine test. Then, I show up at the clinic during her morning hours, usually between 7 and 8 AM, because that's when they draw blood and collect samples. I always coordinate it so I catch her in the afternoon to get the paperwork ready, then come back the next morning to get everything done. The nurse draws my blood, and I just hand over the cup I filled at home. I told her straight up that I can't wait around at the clinic; once I wake up, I have to go, and trying to hold it that long would make the sample totally unreliable. She told me it didn't matter—as long as I put my last name and ID number on the cup, we're good.

The rule is either use your first pee of the morning or don't urinate for at least 4 hours beforehand (the longer, the better). They say that first morning pee is the most accurate since it's the most concentrated.

I mean, maybe you don't really need to worry about it yet if you aren't having actual symptoms, but you still want to rule out any issues. What you actually need is a Pap smear. You’ll have to see a gynecologist for that and basically beg them to do it. If you go to a private clinic and pay out of pocket, expect it to cost you around $333. That’s why people try to squeeze every bit of value out of their insurance referrals—it adds up fast.

melloworca6 said:When are you planning to head in for those referrals?

I get my blood and urine tested pretty regularly, so I can tell you how it works with my doctor.

I usually just swing by a CVS or Walgreens and pick up a few collection cups to keep at home—you don't need a prescription or anything for that, they’re just sitting there on the shelf in any pharmacy. I make sure to see my doctor the day before to have her write the referrals for the blood work and urine test. Then, I show up at the clinic during her morning hours, usually between 7 and 8 AM, because that's when they draw blood and collect samples. I always coordinate it so I catch her in the afternoon to get the paperwork ready, then come back the next morning to get everything done. The nurse draws my blood, and I just hand over the cup I filled at home. I told her straight up that I can't wait around at the clinic; once I wake up, I have to go, and trying to hold it that long would make the sample totally unreliable. She told me it didn't matter—as long as I put my last name and ID number on the cup, we're good.

The rule is either use your first pee of the morning or don't urinate for at least 4 hours beforehand (the longer, the better). They say that first morning pee is the most accurate since it's the most concentrated.

I mean, maybe you don't really need to worry about it yet if you aren't having actual symptoms, but you still want to rule out any issues. What you actually need is a Pap smear. You’ll have to see a gynecologist for that and basically beg them to do it. If you go to a private clinic and pay out of pocket, expect it to cost you around $333. That’s why people try to squeeze every bit of value out of their insurance referrals—it adds up fast.

I can't make it in during the afternoon shift today, but my mom knows a nurse who works there, so I'll try to get that referral through her and hopefully get this sorted quickly.
I found a specimen cup at home; it's still sealed, so if the referral comes through, I'll be ready for tomorrow.
I'm honestly so worried I won't get this done in time... I'm traveling at the end of May, and if I have to wait for her to agree to the swabs, I might be waiting until 🕺... And things could get messy while I wait, because unfortunately, seeing someone privately just isn't an option for me right now.
I'm still kicking myself for not doing this sooner. In my opinion, I should have gone immediately... with these symptoms, it could be anything, and you really shouldn't mess around with stuff like this.

You can just call them and ask them to send over the referral; you don't necessarily have to show up in person. I always go myself, though, because if I don't explicitly tell them exactly what I want, they forget half of it. And for me, getting everything done at once is pretty important. Otherwise, I’d just give her a call, say I need referrals for urine and blood work, and swing by during their morning hours.

I went today, tomorrow I’ll bring a urine sample so we can see...🍿

👍

Anyway, just watch out for those yeast infections and don't let them get the best of you. 😉

Will they need any extra tests if they find something in my urine sample?🤔

Bris is a must-do, regardless of what your search results or urine tests show. If they find anything in your urine, they’ll send you for an analysis and an antibiogram just to figure out exactly which bacteria is causing trouble and what it responds to.

I’m already feeling so stupid and guilty because I keep demanding things and calling them, but I know I’ll just have to anyway 🕺
How long does this actually take? Should I call tomorrow to ask about the results, or is there still more development needed or whatever...

Call about the results; they should be ready the same day (at least in my experience if you go pick them up yourself—if you wait for them to arrive via mail, you’re looking at the next day)

I got my results back yesterday, everything is sterile 🤷