UTI's just won't go away

I am starting my fourth round of antibiotics for a UTI. I have had them now for several weeks of this pregnancy. I think the first actually went away - but then another came on after a visit to triage and a really bad catheter experience. I've been on three different antibiotics, and am starting on a fourth tomorrow.

I know the abx will help prevent spreading to my kidneys. How do I know that hasn't already happened? I'm pretty trusting of my MFM team, and they are on the ball with this stuff. But I can't help but constantly worry this will lead to PTL or something...

Any others experience this? Thoughts?

 

With my twin pregnancy I had two confirmed UTI's, The first one I took the antibiotics plus a natural supplement called D-Mannose (google it). The next confirmed case I just took the D-Mannose and it cleared quickly. It is absolutely amazing! You can use it while pregnant, breastfeeding and while on antibiotics. I'm not recommending not using the antibiotics, but that you should try this along side until it is under control and then continue with the D-Mannose if symptoms reappear. I use D-Mannose by Quest.

Oh and I want to add that probiotics are super beneficial in replenishing the good bacteria in your gut after antibiotics.
And when I had my c-section with the catheter, I started taking the D-Mannose after they were born while I was still in the hospital.

 

I agree with the pp's about the probiotics. Have you tried cranberry? I couldn't hack the juice so I took the pills...Here's a mayo link if you would like to read about it.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cranberry/NS_patient-cranberry

HTH,

 

I was also going to recommend drinking lots of unsweetened cranberry juice. Another side note is that sometimes they are simply wrong in diagnosing UTIs. My sister had one diagnosed when she was pregnant that last time. She did round after round of antibiotic, but she had no symptoms of a UTI other than these urine samples coming back testing postive. She finally just told the doctors she wouldn't go to the next level of antibiotic. They retested her and she was fine. I had a similar experience, not while pregnant, but with a supposed UTI that was really nothing more than a contaminated urine sample. According to my family doctor it can be really difficult to get a true 'clean catch.' So I would address this issue from that angle as well, just to make sure you aren't taking all this medicine in vain over a problem that isn't there. If you truly do have symptoms going on, or they have taken a more precise sample with a catheter to confirm it (even that can be contaminated though) I would definitely start looking at a dietary angle to tackle the issue. Cranberry juice with no added sugar at all... and eliminating other sugar/yeast sources that could be contributing to the problem. And definitely be either eating lots of yogurt with good probiotics in them or be taking a probiotic supplement to address the issues that the antibiotics will be causing in your intestines!!

 

Have you considered cranberry juice? Not Ocean Spray because it's full of sugar which feeds UTI's but the type that isn't really yummy to drink, it's a little bitter. Trader Joes has a pure Cran juice for about $6.00 a bottle. Trader Joes also sell cranberry suppliments. I took them when I was pregnant with my DD and had no problems with UTI's and haven't had once since I started taking them. It's the size of a multi-vitamin. You may want to ask you OB about the suppliments before taking them to be on the safe side. Mine was fine with it.

I am not a fan of antibiotics but the cranberry has helped a lot. I do have to slam the glass though because it's not sippable IMO. Some people love it!

Try to eat a low sugar diet, UTI's love sugar and it compounds the problem. I hope this helps.

 

I had three positive urine tests for UTIs at the beginning of this pregnancy. Luckily, they have all been asymptomatic. I now take a daily low dose antibiotic although my 4th test did finally come back negative. The risk of the bacteria travelling to your kidneys is much higher during pregnancy than normally. I was resistent to taking the daily antibiotic until I did a little research on what could happen should a UTI travel to my kidneys. From what I read, it seems that you would know if it's already travelled to your kidneys. For me, the possible (very serious) risk to my babies far outweighed my dislike of taking the antibiotic.