UTI? + A buncha stuff.

So, I don't have the best diet, this was explained in another post. Though, I have removed some "bad foods" from my diet, I think I'm still pretty healthy. Well, my whole house is sick sick sick. Wednesday, I took my twin sister to urgent care, she's all stomach sick and has lost seven pounds since then. They said she had a virus and sent her home.

This morning, I woke up at 1:30 PM. Completely unintentional, as I have a 9:00 AM class. I have had my period since Chirstmas, so I called the OBGYN and asked if I could come in. They said doctor was gone for the day, but to go to urgent care.

I showed up to urgent care, they weighed me and stuck me in an exam room. They did a quick pelvic, made me pee in a cup, and took blood. I waited around for two and a half hours and was told, I have a UTI. I have ZERO symptoms of a UTI. I also have an upper respiratory tract infection. I'm sick and cold and gross feeling. I grabbed some burger king, an eight piece chicken nugget, because I had $3. I do not normally eat any fast food, but I was hungry and you can't get anything at the grocery store for three dollars.

I got home and the diarrhea hit me pretty quick, it seems to have ceased, but I think it's probably from the Burger King, because Burger King is not good for you. I had 16 oz of Soy Milk, too.

Basically, I just don't feel well. Any suggestions how to get better quicker? I can't afford to be sick, I have class on Monday.

Ah! You can have a UTI without any symptoms!?!? That's what I've been worried about all day!

I think you can actually buy UTI test strips at the drugstore. So, if you're looking for a 2nd opinion, you could do that. (You too, jblarghp). I imagine they gave you something for that and your respitory infection. Take all your drugs and rest all weekend. You might still be out of it on monday but good enough to make it to class for a few hours. Oh yeah, stay hydrated....it'll help flush out your UTI garbage and rehyrdrate after your diarrhea episode.

Have your sis check on you every now and then and go back to Urgent Care if needed.

Original Post by trendstudent:

I think you can actually buy UTI test strips at the drugstore. So, if you're looking for a 2nd opinion, you could do that. (You too, jblarghp). I imagine they gave you something for that and your respitory infection. Take all your drugs and rest all weekend. You might still be out of it on monday but good enough to make it to class for a few hours. Oh yeah, stay hydrated....it'll help flush out your UTI garbage and rehyrdrate after your diarrhea episode.

Have your sis check on you every now and then and go back to Urgent Care if needed.

Thanks, sounds like a good idea.

Is it okay if I drink unsweet iced tea instead of water?

Original Post by suzymartin:

Original Post by trendstudent:

I think you can actually buy UTI test strips at the drugstore. So, if you're looking for a 2nd opinion, you could do that. (You too, jblarghp). I imagine they gave you something for that and your respitory infection. Take all your drugs and rest all weekend. You might still be out of it on monday but good enough to make it to class for a few hours. Oh yeah, stay hydrated....it'll help flush out your UTI garbage and rehyrdrate after your diarrhea episode.

Have your sis check on you every now and then and go back to Urgent Care if needed.

Thanks, sounds like a good idea.

Is it okay if I drink unsweet iced tea instead of water?

 You can't rely on quick test strips from the drug store for a number of reasons.  It is only half the test.  Someone at urgent care actually looked at it under the microscope so don't rediagnose yourself based on a drugstore strip that may or may not be acurate.

 You can't rely on quick test strips from the drug store for a number of reasons.  It is only half the test.  Someone at urgent care actually looked at it under the microscope so don't rediagnose yourself based on a drugstore strip that may or may not be acurate.

 Well...it's probably the equivalent of a home pregnancy test; usually confirmed by a doctor. It's another option.

Thanks, sounds like a good idea.

Is it okay if I drink unsweet iced tea instead of water?

 Well...of course, I have no medical training or anything but that's what I would do..just sayin'. Sometimes water gets so boring so I have tea a lot too.

If you go to the drugstore, you could tell the pharmacist whats going on and they might be able to suggest something to help. Ask about the test strips if you want, since they validity of them was questioned here, just for a more educated response. Just be sure to tell thim about the respitory thing too and any herbs that you might be taking... Just so there's no conflict among medications.

Feel better.

Original Post by trendstudent:

 You can't rely on quick test strips from the drug store for a number of reasons.  It is only half the test.  Someone at urgent care actually looked at it under the microscope so don't rediagnose yourself based on a drugstore strip that may or may not be acurate.

 Well...it's probably the equivalent of a home pregnancy test; usually confirmed by a doctor. It's another option.

 No it is not the same as a home pregnancy test.  The UTI test that is done in an appropriate setting is a chemstrip which shows the presence of leukocytes (infection fighting cells) and nitrites (bacteria byproducts) in your urine.  If that comes back positive then a trained tech does a microscopic analysis of the urine to determine what of MANY, MANY, factors it might be.  A UTI is only diagnosed if certain criteria are met.  Be careful what you decide to rediagnose because though it is not common you can get urosepsis and die from an improperly treated UTI. 

Original Post by obrules15:

  Be careful what you decide to rediagnose because though it is not common you can get urosepsis and die from an improperly treated UTI. 

 'tis true.

I have had reccurent UTI infections like twice a month for a year and im alive thank you. In order to die from a UTI the bacteria would have to get to your kidneys and cause kidney failure... you would have high grade fever and excruciating pain before that happens and it rarely does. Tea is a diuretic, it will dehydrate you even more. If you dont want water have the strongest, lesser sweetened cranberry juice you can find (most cranberry juices are cocktails with less than 12% cranberry - you can find 100% if you you want to at natural food stores-thats what i did) Cranberry juice is the only juice that stays acidic all the way to your bladder, meaning it will kill the bacteria causing the infection. Plus, it has loads of vitamin C to take care of your respiratory infection. Whatever you do, just drink **** LOADS and sleep! Oh, and pee as often as you need to, keeping it in makes it worst.

Good Luck

Original Post by vicenspice:

I have had reccurent UTI infections like twice a month for a year and im alive thank you. In order to die from a UTI the bacteria would have to get to your kidneys and cause kidney failure... you would have high grade fever and excruciating pain before that happens and it rarely does.

Yeah, it's pretty rare. That Brazilian model that had her hands and feet amputated, ending up dying. It was an undiagnosed UTI and they thought it was kidney stones. Ugh, poor thing....

Original Post by trendstudent:

Original Post by vicenspice:

I have had reccurent UTI infections like twice a month for a year and im alive thank you. In order to die from a UTI the bacteria would have to get to your kidneys and cause kidney failure... you would have high grade fever and excruciating pain before that happens and it rarely does.

Yeah, it's pretty rare. That Brazilian model that had her hands and feet amputated, ending up dying. It was an undiagnosed UTI and they thought it was kidney stones. Ugh, poor thing....

I believe she had Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria which isn't caused by UTI or Kidney infections but can CAUSE kidney infections. Either way, she was misdiagnosed and paid a very horrible price. :(

CRANBERRY juice! drink a lot of it- it is proven to clear out your ut and its good for you too. like coffee or alchohol cranberry juice takes more fluid out of you than it puts in (i.e.- it makes you pee alot) so it will clear you out. if your worried about the calories or sugar in juice- get cranberry pills, its just extract and it has the same effect, but drink a lot of water so it can help get the fluid through you

Original Post by vicenspice:

I have had reccurent UTI infections like twice a month for a year and im alive thank you. In order to die from a UTI the bacteria would have to get to your kidneys and cause kidney failure... you would have high grade fever and excruciating pain before that happens and it rarely does. Tea is a diuretic, it will dehydrate you even more. If you dont want water have the strongest, lesser sweetened cranberry juice you can find (most cranberry juices are cocktails with less than 12% cranberry - you can find 100% if you you want to at natural food stores-thats what i did) Cranberry juice is the only juice that stays acidic all the way to your bladder, meaning it will kill the bacteria causing the infection. Plus, it has loads of vitamin C to take care of your respiratory infection. Whatever you do, just drink **** LOADS and sleep! Oh, and pee as often as you need to, keeping it in makes it worst.

Good Luck

 No you don't need kidney failure -- UROSEPSIS, can kill you and it is simply systemically disseminated bacteria.