UTI Negative??

I've been having UTI symptoms for 2 days--cloudy urine, urgency, pain/burning, having to go but nothing comes out....

So I got a urine test, and it came back negative for bacteria.  Wth?  I am pregnant, and I know that pregnancy can cause some of those symptoms, but I was really sure it was more than pregnancy.  These symptoms were worse than the urinary-related pregnancy symptoms I've been having. 

Could this test result be wrong?  I drank a boatload of water before the test--like more than a liter--and I also took Azo.  Did I do something to screw up the test or is a false negative result possible?  I'm really confused.

I don't know, and I doubt you'll get a really medically-sound answer on CC - I would advise you to call your doctor or nurse and ask...

but congratulations on your pregnancy, and I hope you feel better soon!!

Ehh, I told the nurse I was surprised at the result and she told me to just wait and see and call back in a few days if it doesn't go away...  I hate waiting and seeing.  I want to know NOW!!  Haha, I'm a really curious person, and not knowing is the worst.

After my first was born, I had a really bad pain and inability to urinate that wouldn't clear up, and I was testing negative for UTI's.  I finally went to a specialist, and he tested me, again negative, and said that there are strains that are really expensive to test for.  He gave me antibiotics and said it was best just to assume I had an infection and see if they helped.  They cleared it right up.

Not saying this is what you've got - but it happened to me.

The same thing happened to me a couple of months ago.  I didn't have health insurance so I couldn't go to the doctor, so I got a whole huge thing of unsweetened (not the cocktail) cranberry juice and I drank the entire thing in a day and I also ate a yogurt with every meal.  There is also an painkiller for pain down there (normal Tylenol doesn't do the trick), I don't remember what it's called, but if you go to the pharmacy they can help you out with it.  After 2 days, my symptoms were gone.

It is possible for a urine dip to come up negative and still have an infection. The doctors office may have sent the sample out for a culture, which takes several days. Unfortuately, they usually send only the positive dips out for cultures. If your pain does not improve within a couple of days, ask the doctor to send a culture.

In the mean time, Kate's advice to drink 'real' cranberry juice, as well as tons of water is sound. Often if you catch a UTI as it is just starting you can get rid of it with the cran and water method. Azo, the pain med for UTI's can also help with the discomfort, but be careful, as Phenazopyridine the medicine in Azo is class B for pregnancy (means there is not enough information or studies on how it will affect the baby, probably safe, but not known for sure). Also, it can mask the symptoms and allow the infection to spread or worsen.

I don't know about screwing up the test, but seeing as you are pregnant, I would demand that they do another test.  Waiting is not good for a UTI...this is coming from someone hospitalized for 4 days with 103.5 degree fever for a kidney infection. 

Congrats on your pregnancy and I hope you feel better soon!

if you read the AZO packaging is says that taking the pills before taking the test can give you a false negative :/ this happened to me and i had the same confusion.

AZO makes a test kit now if you just wanted to test yourself. It comes with 3 strips so you can do it a couple of times. They say it's best to test right when you wake up in the morning. Good luck!

Original Post by eileenalot:

AZO makes a test kit now if you just wanted to test yourself. It comes with 3 strips so you can do it a couple of times. They say it's best to test right when you wake up in the morning. Good luck!

 Wow, really?  I have been saying I can't understand why they don't make a home test kit.  Where can you get it?

Okay, I got the test kit.  I took the test at the end of the day (I'll try again in the morning) just to see because i'm SO curious, and the result was a strong positive for white blood cells but negative for nitrates.  Sooooo.... it says to test again.  I don't know what to think.  I've had crampy pain in my lower abdomen for two days & some other symptoms.  We shall see in the morning if I get the same result.