Doctors, Cystitis and RAIN Rant!!!!

***Lucy*** · 07-03-2009, 03:50 AM

AAARRRGH I am having the worst day.

Last Wednesday I got an attack of cystitis (a urinary tract infection), I get it all the frigging time so I went to the doctors as usual. They sent off a sample and gave me a five day course of trimethorprim antibiotic. The results come back from the sample and apparently the bug in my bladder is sensitive to trimethorprim so the correct antibiotic has been prescribed. I finished the five day course on Tuesday and last night the cystitis came back.

So I spent all last night awake, not able to stop peeing and in complete agony. I had to fight off a MASSIVE spider (seriously the size of a small dog) at one point to get into the toilet. And then I really couldn't sleep because I was too scared the spider would somehow lift up the catalogue I had squashed it with and charge into my room. (yes, I have irrational arachnophobia!!!)

So after two hours sleep I had to wake up to call the doctors to get a same day appointment. I got one for 9.50 and waited HALF AN HOUR to be seen. I explained to the doctor that the cystitis had come back and he didn't seem to take in what I was saying that it was sensitive to the trimethoprim and that I probably just needed more. Instead he prescribes me Cefradine, which I've never taken before.

I thought it was a bit funny that I'd never taken it before as with the amount of UTIs I've had I've pretty much taken every antibiotic under the sun- EXCEPT the ones in the penicillin family, as I am allergic to penicillin, which it clearly states on my medical records. I get home, open the packet and the leaflet says DO NOT TAKE IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO PENICILLIN.

I do some googling, and this antibiotic will actually KILL me if I take it. Talk about attention to detail doc!! So now I'm waiting for him to ring me back so I can get another prescription, which means I have to pay another £7.20, and get another two taxis costing £4 each there and back. his stupid mistake will cost me £15.20.

Not only that but it's now seriously PISSING it down. And I have to go to the post office before it closes too, to send off some shoes that someone bought off me on Ebay. I wish this doctor would hurry up and ring me back. I'm so mad at him for not asking about allergies! I could have died if I hadn't read that leaflet!!!!

And I need to get on these antibiotics TODAY if they're going to be a five day course again, because next weekend its felix's graduation and also my birthday and I'm going out for two nice meals and I want to be able to have a drink and enjoy myself. Alcohol virtually stops antibiotics from being absorbed in your body so I wouldn't be able to drink. ARRRRRGH.

/end rant.

***Bec688*** · 07-03-2009, 04:55 AM

Awww Lucy that's terrible!

I know how horrible UTI's can be, I used to get them a lot as a child. I am fuming at the incompetency of the doctor you saw! If I've ever been prescribed anything one of the first things I have ever been asked is if I am allergic to anything, I cannot believe he didn't ask or even bother to check your records! You are very lucky you read the leaflet! I hope you get some new antibiotics in time and that you start feeling better soon *big hugs*

***Lucy*** · 07-03-2009, 05:50 AM

he rang me back and said there was only a 10% chance they would affect me...but that's still like, a 10% chance of DEATH!! lol so asked for a different prescription and went to pick it up, but the pharmacy was closing JUST as i got there

so i had to walk in the rain to another pharmacy and they had run out of it, so i walked further to another pharmacy and they had it BUT their pharmacist was out to lunch so i have to go back for it later. it's times like this i really wish i could drive!

i'm sooo tired and wet now! what a day.

***Bec688*** · 07-03-2009, 05:56 AM

Talk about frustrating! There's nothing worse than being sick and having to trudge around town in the wet. I hope you get soem medicine soon! Maybe have some cranberry juice as well, that will help...wait I thin you mentioned before you hate the stuff? lol disregard that advice

***pinksugar*** · 07-03-2009, 06:12 AM

oh no! you poor thing

I'm sorry you're facing so much drama. UTIs are the most evil thing on earth. As a fellow sufferer, I feel for you chicken!

I hope it gets sorted out and you feel better soon

***pinksugar*** · 07-03-2009, 06:15 AM

dude, you have to cultivate a liking for cranberry juice! seriously, the relief it gives you will convert you for life. Drink like, a litre and you will see how much better you feel IMMEDIATELY

***Lucy*** · 07-03-2009, 07:12 AM

thanks you two

lol this is the thing, i've had 5 attacks of cystitis in the last 5 months.. i took up drinking cranberry juice the last time you guys all told me to. i STILL hate the stuff! but i've been drinking it at a rate of a whole box over two days, and if i run out i have cranberry capsules to take as well.

yet i still get infections!!!! aaargh.

oh well. i had a power nap and now im waiting for my mum to come home and take me down to the pharmacy again. i'm just annoyed that i've wasted nearly a whole day rushing round just trying to get my hands on the some antibiotics that won't endanger my life!! lol

***Adrienne*** · 07-03-2009, 07:21 AM

I think I'm one of the few who actually like cranberry juice for it's flavor lol.

Lucy, I am seriously pissed at that doctor of yours. What if you had not read the leaflet and you would've been in that 10%??!! That's why they have those statistics for.

I hope you get to feeling better soon and everything clears up

.

***bella1342*** · 07-03-2009, 08:54 AM

Aww i'm sorry Lucy.. that sounds terrible! Thank God you noticed that the antibiotic he prescribed you contains penicillin. I hope it goes away quickly.. I hate those infections!

***Aprill*** · 07-03-2009, 09:03 AM

Have you ever taken Levaquin? That's what they prescribe here and it usually does the trick. Drink lots of water to flush the bacteria

***Lucy*** · 07-03-2009, 09:18 AM

the antibiotic i'm on now is ofloxacin which is in the same group as levaquin google tells me. fingers crossed it does the trick, because the infection came back after trimethoprim the doc said it might be only partially sensitive to it so best to try something else.

lol the leaflet warns against operating heavy machinery while using it, i hope i don't get any weird side effects!!!

***Aprill*** · 07-03-2009, 09:21 AM

it is very effective and strong, that it makes you tired. So whatever day you take them, get some rest

***Dragonfly*** · 07-03-2009, 10:12 AM

Holy cats - I don't know what is worse, a huge spider or a uti!

You mentioned that you have had five infections recently. Is there something new in your life that you could be contracting the infections from? I know you've been in a fairly new relationship - could he have an infection that keeps getting passed to you?

***Lucy*** · 07-03-2009, 01:26 PM

carolyn i've been tested umpteen times for chlamydia- the NHS get paid every time they test for it so basically every time I have a sample taken they test it, but before that I'd been doing regular chlamydia swabs myself because that stuff is ALL OVER the north of england. they've always come back negative and that's apparently the only sti that displays cystitis-like symptoms... plus i'm pretty much 99% sure i'm clean of everything else- and my boyfriend has always had safe sex before he met me so i think an sti is probably ruled out.

but i know what you mean though, 5 infections over the last 5 months when the only thing that has changed over that time is a new relationship does ring alarm bells. the only thing i think is that i'm having regular sexual activity which does aggravate it- but i have had infections before when i was single- just from sitting down on a train for three hours and holding in pee.

i just have a super sensitive bladder.

apparently one bad attack of it (which i had in december, when i was actually passing out blood, ew) can damage your bladder so badly it takes three months for it to heal and regrow its good bacteria. so the attack i had in december will have made me prone to the attack i had in february, which will have made me prone to the one i had in april... etc. the doc did say that one of the ways to escape a really bad cycle like this is to simply not have any sex for 6 weeks so my bladder can get back to normal. but i don't know if that will work, as i say i got it just from holding in pee before even when i wasn't being sexually active.

***Dragonfly*** · 07-03-2009, 02:53 PM

Has anyone suggested taking Vitamin C every day (as directed) to acidify your urine. This helps to destroy bacteria.
Also, taking acidophilus will help regain normal bacterial flora in your body.
Both are available at health food stores.

***Lucy*** · 07-03-2009, 03:17 PM

i drink orange juice every day anyway and i hear vitamin c tablets can affect the birth control pill i take. but i'll look into the acidophilus stuff once i finish this course of antibiotics actually, i've probably killed off a lot of good stuff taking all these antibiotics!

Sherbert-Kisses · 07-05-2009, 02:22 AM

Oh hun *hugs* I know the feeling I'm really prone to UTIs too.
Doctors over here simply don't care anymore...
I was off work for 6 weeks earlier this year with depression & stress and everytime I went to the doctor rather than trying to do anything to help he was just like I'll give you another sick note for work then.

Cranberry juice is very good for UTIs btw, I always have cartons of it just in case. Make sure it's 100% pure though.