Sick of constant kidney infections and antibiotics

Kidney and urinary tract
1

I'm 23 and have had trouble with Kidney infections all my life.

When i was little i had trouble with wetting the bed until i was 8years old.

All my life i've had infections, some urine but mostly kidney. When i was 20 I developed acute pyloneprhitis which overnight turned into septicaemia and i was rushed into theatre with suspected internal bleeding.

I've seen specialists in Dorset, Somerset and Gloucestershire and have had loads of scans and xrays which all confirm there is nothing wrong with my kidneys.

The only symptoms i get are pain (always always my left kidney only) and cloudy urine. I seem to get these about once a fortnight - i'm so sick of antibiotics (which dont even work that well anymore) that i've stopped going to doctors and just try to cope with it on my own by drinkingloads of water and taking painkillers.

Its been suggested that i take a permanent antibiotic which i take everyday for the rest of my life - but i'm only 23 and i hate taking drugs for anything.

I worry that when i'm older i will get kidney failure. I just CANNOT beleive that a normal healthy person can get this many infections and nothing be wrong? Or that there is nothing that can be done about it. The specialist in Gloucestershire told me \"It's very common and unfortunately technology hasnt advanced enough to deal with the disorder, so theres nothing we can do\".

I feel sick, tired and emotional everytime this happens and its so hard to cope with work, university, keeping a house and being a single mum to a 2year old when i feel this ill. I manage but it makes me cry a lot.

There must be some explanation or solution???

2

Omg I can relate to your problem. I am 26 and just under 2 yrs ago I got a pain in my ribs front and back, when I went to the docs they said I had a viral infection in the cartilage below my ribcage I was told 2 go home rest up and in about 6 weeks I would be completely pain free. Six weeks went by and my pain was getting worse I'd lost so much weight so went back 2 docs. They finally decided to do blood tests and a urine test. The results came back and they discovered that I had a kidney infection they prescribed antibiotics and painkillers and sent me home telling me in a week I would b completely symptom free. I finished the course of antibioctics and was still in pain, the docs once again tested my urine but this time I was infection free docs were confused and so was I this went on for about 6months I would b free from infection 4 a few days but then the infection would once again b present in my urine. I finally got refered to specialists at Royal Gwent Hospital Newport had no end of tests but everything comes back clear apart from the urine tests which is always showing infections. I have been admitted to hospital twice this yr due to the infections. I have tried a long term antibiotic which doesnt work because I was still getting infections while on it, i've increased my fluid intake, make sure I pass urine regularly and after intercourse. I have also been prescribed an antibiotic 2 take after sexual intercourse because they say its a high risk cause of infection but they dont work either. I am also so fed up of antibiotics, painillers dont work. I am in constant pain every day which gets so much worse when the infection is present. I am unable to work because of this and struggle to live a normal life. I am very emotional due to this and have lost 3st in weight. I just wish the docs could find a miracle cure and I could have my life back.

3

I'm going through a similar experience , with 6 kidney infections in 6 months. Was just wondering, if you were still having these problems now?

4

Hi I am 29 year old from Brisbane, Australia and I was googling how to stop these infections.  I don't even get frequent Urinary Tract like burning etc.  But immediately always goes straight to my kidneys.  The only symptom i get is bad smelling pee.  Also I complained alot of my kidneys being sore until end of last year I fell extremely ill.  They found 2 lumps on my right kidney which made me critically ill with extreme fevers.  I was in hospital for a month and now i have to have on going tests.  They found 2 abcesses on my right kidney and they were large and full of pus and infection.  My body was shutting down.  They had to drain them.  Now about 2 months on, they scanned again and found its grown back.  So this Saturday I have to have an MRI which they now are going to check the flow from the Bladder to the Kidney. 

Since I was a kid I have always had trouble holding my bladder, as soon as I need to pee - I urgently need to pee.  Even as an adult.  I am 30 in May and they still don't know whats wrong (I guess until I became very ill with lumps on my kidney) but they do not know why and how to stop this.

They told me those lumps on my kidney was rare.  And it would be extremely rare for them to ever come back.  And whats happened within 2 months after being in hospital for a month somethings come back.

And right this instant I feel like I have an infection again, sharp pain in my kidney and bad smelling pee and soreness in my bladder.

5

I can completley relate, my parents took me to the dr because I was still wetting the bed at 10, when I was 14 I had pyelonephritis I was in hospital for 3 weeks and they never sent me for a scan, when I was 16 I was refered to a nephrologist who sent me for scan after scan after scan, I had chronic kidney infections but because only a handful of the urine tests were possitive I was put on massive doses of antibiotics to the point where I am now allergic to all antibiotics, if I get a kidney infection now I have to be admitted to hospital and given antihistemines with antibiotics to try and prevent a reaction, it was only when I turned 20 and was so ill it was effecting my job, I was on the verge of being fired for having so much time off that my drs did anything, I was sent for bladder scans and every other scan imaginable, finally they injected me with dye and took regular xrays of my abdomen which showed that i have 3 kidneys (duplex kidneys) i have 2 seperate left kidneys with 2 seperate tubed which interlink causing kidney reflux and that my right kidney is enlarged and I have a narrowing of the tube as well, it is ridiculous because it took 20 years for me to be diagnosed with something I was born with, I suggest you ask for the test I had done because nothing showed up on any other test, the duplex kidneys themselves dont cause that much trouble its the tubes coming from them because they cause kidney reflux. I highly advise against the antibitoics every day as thats how I became allergic to all of them, go to your GP and ask to be refered for an Intravenous Urography as this may show if you have a narrowing of the tubes causing something, I completely understand how frustrating it is, Dont worry about kidney faliure either has I have suffered for 22 years and my kidney function is perfect its just the tubes from my kidneys causing a problem, I also suggest trying cranberry extact tablets, they have significantly reduced my infections I havent had an infection for almost a year now, all down to these tables, you can get 3 months supply from tescos, thats where i get mine and they really do help, I Hope everything works out for you with this smile

6

Hi

That's horrible, I am glad they know what it is now and can treat it.

I have just had an mri and they found that my kidney seems fine but in the last 3 weeks I've already had another 2 infections. Now they are now considering the bladder. I now have to go for a cystoscopy so they can run the dye through like you mentioned so they can see it through the tubes because something isn't functioning right. Let's hope this is the end of it.

7

I can relate totally to all these and am at the end of my tether totally. I lost my NHS Job in 2010 because of constant Kidney infections and this has been a continuous thing every couple of months until Oct 2014 and I have had kidney stones, and constant kidney infections.  I have just changed my doctor because I am constantly put on antibiotics which make me very ill or just don't work.  Since October 2014 I have passed out several times after feeling very dizzy & sick and have been to my local A&E so many times. I passed a few kidney stones November 2014 (have had these before) and on a visit to A&E following another collapse,  I was given an MRI scan on both kidneys. It was discovered that my left kidney was very swollen and urine was not passing through to the bladder but was backing up to the kidney.  I was sent home following this and told to go back to my GP and again I was given more antibiotics.  Later on visiting another GP at the practise I was given an internal when it was discovered that I have a slight prolapse which I believe was caused because I am in constant pain when I wee and I have been pushing my wee out.  I am in constant pain and for months now I only manage to pass a small amount of wee. I constantly feel like I need to wee and that my bladder is full and my abdomen has been swollen up for months now.  Four days ago the pain in my right kidney was unbearable and I also had shooting pains up my left arm and heart palpations.  I collapsed and was taken to hospital by Paramedics.  Because of NHS cutbacks I did not get the ECG or Kidney scan in this hospital as it was not my local hospital as that one and the next one had closed their A&E departments because they were too busy.  This hospital took no observations whatsoever in the 7 hours I waited on a trolley in the hallway but they did do two urine stick tests (the first one disappeared in the hospital somewhere) and a blood test for glucose. The medic told me in the hospital "We suspect you have a kidney infection again as there is blood in your urine" I was given antibiotics yet again and now 4 days on I still feel no better although I guess I need to give them time to work. They may work but I will still have the problem trying to force my wee out and the constant back pain and nausea and dizzy spells when I have finished taking them.  I asked about having an ECG and kidney scan and was told they were too busy and I would have to go back to my GP and request these tests.  I actually collapsed 5 days ago late at night but decided not to call an ambulance since I had my fiance with me so he kept watch over me whilst I slept.  I phoned my GP's surgery at 8am 4 days ago and requested a phone call back after telling the receptionist what happened the night before.  I am still awaiting that return phone call.  7 hours after the request to my doctors for a call back, I answered my front door to a delivery guy and then collapsed, hence ending up in a nice ambulance and being taken to hospital. I telephoned my GP the next morning again requesting a telephone call back, to explain what had happened and request the ECG & Kidney scan, I did not get a return call yet again.  I expect to lose my current job also because of these problems and i am no longer being paid sick pay anyway.  I cannot live like this and am now becoming very depressed.  What kind of a life is this to be constantly needing to wee (although I don't ever leak if I cough), being sat on a toilet for more than an hour trying to wee, having constant back pain, feeling nauseas, having headaches and dizzy spells?

8

I know it makes no sense but it could be your spine, if your l4/l5 disk is buldging out pressing on the nerves then it effects your bladder and bowels, after collapsing you could have damaged the disk and you could have no other side effects, I didn't, it was a freak chance it was discovered i knew I had a bad back and had a prolapsed disk l5/s1 but I had no symptoms of the other disk and it was only discovered when I had a nasty fall and ended up in hospital because I couldn't walk where they did an MRI and it was picked up but it had never been picked up in any other scans, it's worth asking as you could have no pain what so ever and no other symptoms but if you have fallen and now you can't pee it's a possibility, it doesn't help the kidney problems but could be an answer to the bladder problems if antibiotics haven't started to work after 4 days, hope you get some help soon

9

Thank you Lowri79390 you could well be right. I was attacked several years ago and my lower back was damaged but as that was 20 years ago I had no treatment. I have also had two falls on my back a few years ago and that was when the kidney problems got worse.  I have arthritis anyway and have had back pain for as long as I can remember.  I am seeing my new doctor soon as he receives my records so will mention this.  Thank you so much, this could well be the answer.  I already have a walking stick because there are times I just cannot walk at all or very far with the pain in my back and stairs are usually not even managable. I also do have bowel problems my old doctor thought I had irritable bowel.  I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and hope that you are well yourself now. Have a great day x 

10

Hi, im a 40 year old male whom has had two years of problems with urological issues and infections and having antibiotics after antibiotics. The recent kidney infection happened in sunday and had to phone NHS 24 (dial 111) and they sent me to the out of hours GP and she did a urine test and showed infection present. I also had a pain in my right side like a sore back and within 2 hours of taking the antibiotic the pain had gone. Further blood tests being conducted.now, will know next week what the results are.

I would suggest that you get urine test bottles and urine test kits off ebay and do the tests yourself.

For women the infections can come from toilet seats or partners. The best thing is to disinfect toilet seats and toilets and stop having intercourse for a period to see if that helps. Women have a shorter urethra and this means that kidney infections happen alot more.

A for hospitals. I suggest that you move address and GP practice (dont bother complaining about the GP as they are self employed!). If anything contact your local MP and get their help. If anything, it shows up hospitals unable to cope and this can mean change.

Only by complaining or making changes will you get help.

Also, use flash with bleach, this works great to kill germs! If you have pets, they can transmit infections to humans aswell.

11

Hi peter39930 sorry to hear you are also having problems. I am now with a new GP & getting better.  Thankfully I can pee better now but still not fully.  I also have very bad joint pains a gluten intollerance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol & low vit D all discovered by my new doctor. I am still off work & on the verge of losing my job.  I have more faith in my new GP & even to have him listen to me, explain fully to me and not to write out a perscription for antibiotics before I even get in the door to see him has helped me mentally.  I haven't been outside my front door in nearly 7 months other than to hospitals or to see my doctors as I am constantly needing a toilet and am in too much pain.  I also get thoroughly exhausted even doing simple tasks but sleep when I can although constant pain means I don't sleep fully. I have no pets and don't have to worry about toilet seats other than my own and my doctors & the hospital's!  I do have a partner although he is more of a carer when he visits at the weekends and I have no problem with catching an infection off him as we don't have a 'normal' life & haven't had for almost 7 months now. I also don't have any pets so no worries on infections there. I do know now that there is a history of polycystic   kidney problems in the family, but my first visit to A&E determined I do not have polycystic   Keep us posted on your blood test results and hope you feel better soon.  

12

Hi, Im sorry to hear that you are still having problems. It does sound like the Kidney that is at fault. I had a kidney infection last week. There was a sharp pain in my right hand side, sweating, high fever etc and I had done a urine test that showed blood, protein, basically everything high. Telephoned NHS 24 and went to see the out of ours GP and this was the same result. I was given antibiotics and within an hour or two the pain in my side was gone. This confirmed it was a kidney infection and that things could have got worse.

I have had continuous urological problems for two years, mainly due to medical incompetence and a stricture in the urethra caused by the Cystoscope procedure where they had done unneccessary surgury.

I am to go for a Urethroplasty in the coming weeks and I hope to get the blood test results in the next few days.

For your condition, it sounds like the kidneys are to blame and you need a referral to a kidney specialist for further tests (like I am going to get hopefully). I would not depend on the A&E departments test results as they are always rushed and not guaranteed. If you have a history of polycystic condition, then this gives you a chance of getting a referral to the specialist. Take their word for it and not A&E!

High blood pressure is a result or can be a result of kidney problems.

 Dont be afraid to take antibiotics as this will save your life. It saved my life alot of times during these two years.

Kidney disease is what your symptoms sound like and you need it dealt with before last stage which is Renal Failure. It is possible if you dont empty your bladder properly, then you may have a stricture in your urethra and this is causing urine to pool.

One other thing. I would suggest that you go to Tesco and buy 1000mg Vitamin C, this boosts your immune system and also changes the PH in your urine and kills bacteria in your urethra. They dont cost much and it is worth trying.

Also the womans Urethra is very short and an infection is quickly passed from the uretha to the kidneys in a short time, not like mens!

My brother just died at the age of 45 of renal failure and I am hoping it is not genetic, but something else responsible.

All the best and please keep me posted aswell!

13

I done some research and have come across a natural way to help kidney infections. It is called D - Mannose. Anywhere I read on the intenet, all the reviews are all positive. They're are reviews by people who have suffered like you and it has near enough cured them. Im going to buy this product soon and hopefully it works for me too. Thought I would mention this just in case it helps you and anyone else.

14

Thank you so much Trudi30077 I looked it up and it's getting good reviews so I think I ill join in in buying it now to find a stockist!  Lets hope it works ok for us x

15

Philomena you must address your vitamin d deficiency. Umpteen systems in the body function badly with low vitamin d and having a good level can make you feel generally more healthy and able to cope with specific health problems. Supplements are available from Boots and on the internet. The UK recommended levels are woefully low and you need to take sufficient to get them up quickly. There is lots of info on this on the net.

16

Thank you madge07350, you hit the nail on the head totally.  My new doctor discovered I had no vitamin D at all in my body. Because I have had stage 3 skin cancer, I only go out with layers of suncream and sunblock on, plus with being ill I hadn't been outside my door other than hospital appointments or doctors for around 7 months.  I now have increased vitamin D in my diet eating shitake and portobollo mushrooms and take vitamin D supplements.  I am feeling much better.  I also take organic cider vinegar, lemon juice and a teaspoon of manuka honey with boiled water every morning first thing.  This seems to wake up my system and I am not having so many problems with kidney infections. I stopped caffeine for it seemed to irritate my kidneys so drink lots of water and only freshly squeezed juices throughout the day.  Thank you for your advice xxx

17

You need to take at least 3000iu a day in supplements in order to get it up quickly. There is very little in mushrooms and it is vitamin D2 not D3 which our skin makes from the sun. Your level should be about 100- 125 nmol. Even on 3000iu a day it will probably take months to acheive this level without sunshine. You should take magnesium alongside. Sometimes large doses of D3 can make you jittery and constipated. The magnesium prevents this.

18

Hi Madge I clearly haven't been taking enough vitamin D at all which is why I still feel so tired and ache so much.  I have spent a bit more time without sunscreen walking to work (I have been back at work 3 weeks now) so am topping up a bit but the doctor told me to take 2000iu daily.  I haven't noticed any difference in my tiredness or aches in the 6 weeks I have been taking them.  Thanks for all your helpful advice xxx

19

Hi Peter39930 was just wondering how you are doing now?  I did have another kidney infection a couple of weeks ago but thankfully the antibiotics have sorted that out for me  I am having further blood tests for my calcuim and vitamin D levels as it was discovered I had no vitamin D at all.  Other than the tiredness and aching joints my kidneys do seem to be better.  

20

2000iu is not enough, but it is the recommended upper limit in the uk so your doctor is unlikely to say take more. I live in France and was given a loading dise of 600, 000iu when ny deficiency was diagnosed. I do not think these high dose ampoules are available in the UK. You need to insist on another test to see how your level is coming along and adjust your dose accordingly.