I’ve had lots of UTIs lately and they seem to keep coming back after I finish my antibiotics?
Lots of UTIs can be caused by some of the problems below. If you think any of these may be happening to you, make sure you talk to the spinal urology nurse.
Technique
- Has your technique changed for IC? You should check out how to perform an IC.
Stones
- Your urine test shows the same bug all the time.
- When you have stones in your bladder sometimes they can get the infection too.
- When you have antibiotics for your infection unfortunately they are unable to get rid of the infection that is in the stones.
- This means that the infection keeps coming back.
- Ask your GP or contact the spinal urology nurse about tests to see if you have stones.
- If it’s confirmed that you have stones, speak to the spinal urology nurse, or ask your GP to refer you to a urologist or local urology department.
Prostatitis
- Prostatitis is an infection in the prostate.
- To treat this infection you need to take an extended period of antibiotics to ensure the organism is eradicated.
- Diagnosis of prostatitis is usually based on ruling out other causes for recurrent UTIs.
- If your urine results show the same bug all the time and your GP has ruled out bladder stones, it’s likely that you will have prostatitis.
Residual urine
- Have you had a sphincterotomy or do you use external drainage such as condom drainage?
- Does your bladder empty large amounts when you’re lying down, and not a lot when you are in your chair?
- Are you finding that you don’t empty as well as you use to?
- Sometime the bladder becomes tired, and can’t generate enough pressure to empty what it need to, meaning that there is urine that is left behind (residual urine). This urine sits in the bladder and is the perfect place for harbouring infection, just like stagnant water.
It’s best to contact a spinal urology nurse. It’s likely you will need some urodynamics to check how everything is going.
