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recurrent bladder infections?


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Not yet, but I have extremely frequent urination. I'm drinking lots of water. I'm hoping I don't get one because I'm not too excited about seeing my doctor right now. Cranberry juice? I think this may pretty common in BW.
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I buy Welch's 100% pure cranberry juice with no sugar added.  I noticed that sometimes my urinary tract has spasms in it and it might be trapping the urine somehow.  It comes and goes, that feeling that maybe I'll get a UTI. 
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I've had bladder cramping and spasms but whenever I get a urine culture it's always clean. It's the muscles contracting it hurts! Are you sure u have an infection??
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Thanks for the replies :)

 

Yes, I've went to the doctor all three times and had a urine culture, and all three have come back with infection.  He said that if the bladder does not empty fully, it could contribute to recurrent infections.  He said sometimes the bladder walls lose their "muscle tone", and so doing "kegal" exercises can help with that.  He also said that, as females, we have "poorer plumbing" than males do, lol  :o  so infections happen most frequently in women than they do in men.  With the second one, I began taking a cranberry supplement (since I'm sensitive to sugars, I'm not drinking any juices right now) to try and help.  I just finished my round of antibiotics for the second one on May 9th.  So, it's weird to have it again this soon (five days after antibiotics for the last one), and that's why I was wondering/asking!

 

The symptoms for these past two have been weird and different than what I've experienced before; I feel almost feverish, shakey, no appetite, a bit dizzy, and generally malaised (feeling bleh all over).  Also feeling physically anxious, and mentally/emotionally more off & easily triggered than my "usual".  My bladder feels a bit spasmy, and I do have the urge to go more frequently than usual, but nothing else really bladder-related.  Anyone else?  Weird, I know :P 

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I have exactly the same sxs right now.  Bladder, pain when finishing urination, shakey, nauseousness, weakness, and anxiety that isn't my usual anxiety. It's like I am over reacting to the stress of it. Feel too weak to sit in a drs office. May try unsweetened cranberry juice.
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Ok, when I got my cultures, they always came back positive. Sorry original post was not clear.

 

Each culture had new bacteria. The doc was holding off on treating me because I had a Bad GI infection and they didn't want to use antibiotics unnecessarily.

 

I ended up getting catheterized to get a clean catch, and I had NO infection. Some people, woman in particular, cannot get a clean sample so bacteria will always show up..

 

I still had bladder pain, but it was the result of the benzo wd and spasming muscles.

 

So be weary.. You need go get UTI treated, of course, but if you can stand it, ask to be catheterized next time. It's much more definitive. So many symptoms are just wd and get diagnosed as something else leading to an endless stream of medications.

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Ok, when I got my cultures, they always came back positive. Sorry original post was not clear.

 

Each culture had new bacteria. The doc was holding off on treating me because I had a Bad GI infection and they didn't want to use antibiotics unnecessarily.

 

I ended up getting catheterized to get a clean catch, and I had NO infection. Some people, woman in particular, cannot get a clean sample so bacteria will always show up..

 

I still had bladder pain, but it was the result of the benzo wd and spasming muscles.

 

So be weary.. You need go get UTI treated, of course, but if you can stand it, ask to be catheterized next time. It's much more definitive. So many symptoms are just wd and get diagnosed as something else leading to an endless stream of medications.

 

Thanks, Gettingthere :)

 

The first one didn't have visible blood in it, but it cultured as such.  With the second one, I felt kinda icky but decided to "call it's bluff", and ended up heading to the E/R at 1:30am peeing blood (sounds worse than what it was; it was not an emergency, I just didn't want to wait till morning and be that uncomfortable with frequency).  So we know that there was a definite infection with the first two.  The one today, he said it was "borderline", so it could be the start of one, or it could be an unclean catch.  But based on my symptoms and how I was feeling (i.e. feverish, nausea, etc all the stuff I was feeling right before my last two), and based on the fact that I'd just had two recently, he decided to go ahead with another round of antibiotics. 

 

I've definitely experienced some bladder symptoms in withdrawal, so I'm guessing that it's affected the muscle tone of the bladder and, as the doc said, my bladder hasn't been emptying fully.  And if it hasn't been emptying fully, than it would make sense that an infection could reoccur.  Just gotta "push harder" lol and kegal it up for a while I guess :P  I've taken my first pill at around noon today, and I'm feeling icky still and a little more anxious than usual, but that's how I usually feel with a bladder infection.  It could take 24-48 hours before I'm feeling better, so I'm choosing to sort-of ignore the ickiness.  If it doesn't go away by then, than I'll be back in to look into things further.

 

Thanks for responding :)  Glad to know that I'm not alone in this :)

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Please be aware that among the most common antiobiotics prescribed for bladder / uti / kidney infections are a class of drugs called "Fluoroquinolones."

Most commonly prescribed would be Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and Levafloxacin (Levaquin)

 

I strongly recommend against  anyone on a taper or withdrawal or current benzo use taking these antibiotics. They are direct GABA-A antagonists and can throw someone into very severe W/D's. (I speak from experience, as well as this is medically documented). Benzo users are simply at a greater risk for adverse reactions to them.

 

Additionally, besides the W/D symptoms they cause, they also carry an FDA "Black Box" warning, which is the strictest warning that any medication can be given before it is pulled from the market. This warning was given because of their propensity to cause tendon damage and rupture.

 

They are "broad spectrum antibiotics," and they are very powerful.

 

Yes, they definitely have a place in the medical world, and millions of people who take them experience no/minimal side effects. But as I mentioned, those of us on benzo's or having recently gotten off of them can be more predisposed to a litany of problems with this medication. Open dialogue with your doctor is a good place to start if they consider prescribing these for you.

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Thanks Jamal, I have an appointment tomorrow and was wondering about the type of antibiotic to be cautious about.

 

Healingnow

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Please be aware that among the most common antiobiotics prescribed for bladder / uti / kidney infections are a class of drugs called "Fluoroquinolones."

Most commonly prescribed would be Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and Levafloxacin (Levaquin)

 

I strongly recommend against  anyone on a taper or withdrawal or current benzo use taking these antibiotics. They are direct GABA-A antagonists and can throw someone into very severe W/D's. (I speak from experience, as well as this is medically documented). Benzo users are simply at a greater risk for adverse reactions to them.

 

Additionally, besides the W/D symptoms they cause, they also carry an FDA "Black Box" warning, which is the strictest warning that any medication can be given before it is pulled from the market. This warning was given because of their propensity to cause tendon damage and rupture.

 

They are "broad spectrum antibiotics," and they are very powerful.

 

Yes, they definitely have a place in the medical world, and millions of people who take them experience no/minimal side effects. But as I mentioned, those of us on benzo's or having recently gotten off of them can be more predisposed to a litany of problems with this medication. Open dialogue with your doctor is a good place to start if they consider prescribing these for you.

 

Thanks Jamal,

 

I was already aware of this, and have this class of antibiotic listed as a severe allergy inn my medical records ;)

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Ive had one but it was a doozy. Now Im kinda paranoid and keep thinking I have the symptoms again. Im drinking lots of fluids. I read somewhere that benzos (and their withdrawal-) can cause urinary retention and therefore possibly cause infections.

east

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No prob, Healingnow... and as mrsalw mentioned, many of us are already aware of this possible interaction. Its been discussed on these boards numerous times. Its what brought me here to join.
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I had a succession of UTIs in early withdrawal, all with noticeable blood in the urine. After several courses of ABs, I tried to go without the ABs but ended up with kidney infection which required more ABs which may have caused liver cholestasis.

 

The good news is that the infections have dropped away at 8 months off but I wouldn't hesitate to treat with ABs when treatable bacteria is present.

 

Hope it clears up for you soon, it's a lousy business.

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I had a succession of UTIs in early withdrawal, all with noticeable blood in the urine. After several courses of ABs, I tried to go without the ABs but ended up with kidney infection which required more ABs which may have caused liver cholestasis.

 

The good news is that the infections have dropped away at 8 months off but I wouldn't hesitate to treat with ABs when treatable bacteria is present.

 

Hope it clears up for you soon, it's a lousy business.

 

THANK YOU FOR THIS. ;)

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