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Is This A Common Thing?!

Hi everybody! :) hope ur all doing well!!

I was in the ER on Wednesday with terrible lower abdo pain but the ct scan came back clear so they discharged me. I just received a call from the hospital telling me I have an upper and lower UTI and they are calling me in antibiotics.

I have NEvER in my life contracted a UTI before. Is this a common occurence with Crohns Disease? What are some at home remedies to relieve this terrible pain? Is theere anything potentially dangerous I should be looking out for?


HELP!! PLEASE!!
 

Trysha

Moderator
Staff member
Hi Peanut,
When you were at the ER did they take a urine specimen for bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity? Also they should have done some bloodwork

The ER should tell you which bacteria were isolated and the antibiotic necessary to treat
it as indicated by the lab result.
A UTI can be very painful and it essential to be treated with antibiotics to avoid
potential complications., which can be serious.
The pain will diminish with the antibiotic treatment but you may need an analgesic while it takes effect, you need to ask your doctor about it.
Also you could ask about increasing fluids to help wash out the infection.
This can be incidental to the crohns.
Feel better soon
Trysha
 
Thank you Trysh for the quick reply!! :)

Yes they did do a full cbc which showed elevated whit cells as I presume it would... they also mentioned that there were trace amounts of blood and pus in the urinalysis. He prescribed me ciprofloxacin... is that the usual treatment for it?

And what types of meds should I take that are safe for IBD?
 

Trysha

Moderator
Staff member
Hi Peanutt
It is good to see your system has kicked in with the elevated white cells
Looks like the lab picture of an infection, the ciprofloxacin is a good idea and should deal with the infection quickly.
You should soon be feeling better and make sure to take the antibiotic as prescribed for the full course.
Hopefully you will be followed up after the antibiotic is completed.
Hope it all works out well for you.
Trysha
 
Thank you!! Sorry for all the questions I'm just new to this whole thing!

I'm glad to hear the cipro should clean it out and help alleviate the symptoms... and thanks again for all the information. Its always good to learn more!
 

Trysha

Moderator
Staff member
It is always good to ask questions-----it is in doing so that we can expand our knowledge base.
It works both ways to expand the mind and process information.
It is in this way that computers have evolved.
Best wishes---feel better soon.
Trysha
 
Hi Peanutt
Sorry to hear about the UTI. They are not uncommon in Crohnies. You've had a CT so hopefully that's ruled out a fistula? Inflammation in the bowel can cause pressure and urine back up in the bladder which allows the infection to develop.
Rest up as much as you can. I used to get the chills with the UTIs so tucked up in bed with a hot water bottle over my stomach was a good place to be. Drink lots of fluids: cranberry juice and lemon barley are good to reduce acidity.
If the antibiotics are working, you should feel a difference in three or four days.
 
Thanks for the advice Grumbletum!!
Since having tha CT scan and it came up clear I am assuming (and hoping!) Lol that there was no evidence of a fistula... I have been worried about that also bc as we all know sometimes imaging tests miss things!!

For now ill just heed everyones advice and hope for the best! :)
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
Ural, or something similar, can be very helpful at reducing the pain and burning associated with UTI's

Unfortunately some women are prone to recurrent/chronic UTI's for no obvious reason and they can run in families. It is also unfortunate that the urethra in a woman is only about 4cm long, so very easy for bacteria to travel up to the bladder. I know most of the following suggestions aren't relevant to what you are asking but they might be something to think about to help prevent them in the future.

Cranberry capsules are quite effective for many women as a long term way of reducing the amount of UTI's you get.

Also Ural sachets, when you first get that feeling that a UTI is starting, can stop one in it's tracks.

Nylon underpants or pantyhose without a gusset can cause issues for some women, probably more so with thrush but also UTI's. Stick to cotton underwear and gusseted stockings. I know it sounds like an old wives tale but tight clothing can cause UTI's for the same reasons as nylon stockings can...it creates a warm, moist, non breathable environment.

If you wear pads then that also creates a warm moist environment that is ideal for fungal infections.

Perfumed soaps and powders can cause irritation and external infection which track up into the bladder and cause infection.

I know when you have a UTI and are going to the toilet frequently, and it feeling like you are passing razor blades, the temptation is to drink less but the more concentrated your urine becomes the more irritant it is to the bladder.

The contraceptive pill can cause UTI's in some women due to the hormonal changes it causes.

Urinating shortly after sex helps to flush away any bacteria that may have entered the urethra during sex.

HTH!
Dusty. xxx
 
Thank you for the information, Dusty!! All things I would have never thought about on my own!! Luckily since I am on Depo Provera shots for severe endometriosis/birth control, I have not had a period in over a year (its lovely!)... at least that's one thing to cross off of the causes! Anything helps! :lol:

I am going to make a trip to the pharmacy around here and pick up those cranberry capsules. Is this one of those things that once you have one, you're more prone to others?

The fun is never ending :)!! That's for sure!
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
Is this one of those things that once you have one, you're more prone to others?
In your case I would say no. Once this one is successfully treated I don't see that it would make you prone to further ones unless the same set of conditions arise again, whatever they are!

Dusty. xxx
 
Grumbletum and Dusty are correct in recommending fluids, especially water. I've always been slightly prone to UTIs because I don't drink enough water. I think, too, that because a lot of us have absorption problems due to the Crohn's, we're really supposed to drink even more water than the average person. If you're not getting enough water during the day, that can be a huge contributing factor to getting UTIs -- that's why I always got them growing up. If you've got a Brita pitcher or anything like that, a good rule of thumb is to try to drink an entire pitcher per day (so I've heard). If you feel the pain of the UTI coming on, try the cranberry capsules or juice.

Sucks to be a woman sometimes!
 
Cipro is an ok antibiotic, I'm surprised they didnt prescribe the one that starts with M. I used to get that all the time. I was prone to UTI's long before Crohns came along, but it definitely continued on during the Crohns. The pain can be so excruciating, I feel for you peanut!!! Cystex is an over the counter supplement that I take every other day to avoid UTI's, and it is amazingly effective. When it was first recommended, I took everyday for a year or so because they had been so frequent, havent had a single UTI in three years now :)

The other thing though about frequent UTI's is that you may need an ultrasound to make sure everythings ok, I've heard stories about ureter canals collapsing or shrinking. Its an easy outpatient procedure to open the canal back up.

Also, during this UTI - if your pain gets worse, you start vomiting, or the pain doesnt get better after only a few days - you need to call the doc. An internal UTI is no joke, the infection could very quickly move to your kidneys which is a whole new ballgame of antibiotics.

I definitely recommend Cystex, Walmart and most pharmacies carry it. I hope your pain eases up :)
 
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