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How do you know when you have a bladder infection?
Hi everybody,
I learned another new thing a couple of weeks ago. While we may be more prone to UTI’s, we can also be misdiagnosed with UTI’s when we don’t really have them. According to my doc, there is a difference between colonization and infection. We should NOT just jump on the antibiotic bandwagon when a test comes back showing something. My doc said my tests could end up looking like WW3 is going on in there when there is no “infection” at all. He said it is more related to how you feel but it will always be difficult to tell.
Have others encountered this? When I was in the hospital for the intestinal blockage they did a urine culture and put me on antibiotics for it. Now, I’m guessing I didn’t really need them (based on my conversation with my uro surgeon).
Mike
Age 54
10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
1/2014 ct scan results….distant mets
2/2014 ct result…spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph system
My opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of ABLCS or anyone else. I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.6 Replies-
Now if we can just get the uro’s to read it!!;)
I asked my surgeon how would i know if i had a UTI with an Indiana and he said you will not be able to stand the smell for one!! And usually there is flank pain associated with it.
Pat -
Great study! Thanks for posting it.
Age 54
10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
1/2014 ct scan results….distant mets
2/2014 ct result…spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph system
My opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of ABLCS or anyone else. I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.Here’s what the Italians say
Bacteriuria in patients with an orthotopic ileal neobladder: urinary tract infection or asymptomatic bacteriuria?Suriano F, Gallucci M, Flammia GP, Musco S, Alcini A, Imbalzano G, Dicuonzo G.
Department of Urology, Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy. [email protected]OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) and urinary tract infection (UTI), and the local and systemic inflammatory response, in patients with ileal neobladder. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 40 patients who had a radical cystectomy and ileal neobladder. Two urine samples, one for chemical and physical analysis, and cytofluorimetry, and one for urine culture, were collected every 3 months for 9 months after surgery. RESULTS: Of 119 urine cultures, 69 (57%) were positive for bacteria. Only nine of the 40 patients had no bacteriuria on urine culture. Escherichia coli strains were cultured from eight of 10 patients with persistently positive urine. The incidence of bacteriuria was different according to gender. There was a high concentration of leukocytes (0-6 microL) in 118 of 119 samples. The mean concentration of leukocytes in sterile urine culture was 1181/microL, while in patients with ABU the mean was 491 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A positive urine culture is a very common finding in patients with an orthotopic bladder. The most interesting results was the absence of elevated inflammatory indices and/or symptoms, even in those patients with high levels of bacteriuria. Probably this is due to the completely different inflammatory response of ileal mucosa against bacteria than has bladder mucosa. Indeed, the leukocyte concentration detected in urinary sediment was inversely association with bacterial growth in urine cultures. These findings suggest a redefinition of ABU and UTI in patients with an orthotopic neobladder pat
From an email my uro sent me:
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UTIs are always going to be tough to figure out given your urinary system. I would base them more on how you feel than anything else. If you feel pretty good in a few days, I would stop the antibiotics. High fevers, shaking chills, malaise, “crummy” feelings…you should have your urinary system checked and have a high suspicion for a UTI. Otherwise, carry-on as usual and don’t take antibiotics if you feel well. That is a sure way to develop more resistant bacteria.”
Age 54
10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
1/2014 ct scan results….distant mets
2/2014 ct result…spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph system
My opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of ABLCS or anyone else. I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.
While I am no expert (my wife is an RN so I asked her) UTI’s almost always involve a fever even if low grade. I would also guess you’d have burning also.
DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.
Hi Mike, my husband had this issue. For the first 9 months after RC he sometimes felt a little unwell and would get some reflux pain in the kidney and difficulty voiding. We thought these were UTIs. Once he did have a fever also and that probably was a UTI, but he took a course of antibiotics several times (prescribed by the PCP) before the urologist prescribed for him a very low dose of nitrofurantoin, an antibiotic, which he takes each night. This keeps the colonization damped down and he hasn’t had the symptoms since (almost 18 months). The urologist, like yours, did say that if it was a true UTI he’d feel pretty ill so that’s what we’ve gone by from then. If you’re feeling fine I guess you are fine! Hope that helps,
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