Another UTI

[Gabriella7]

I have been sleeping a lot with more fatigue this month. I had to make an appointment a month ago with a urologist after having so many ITI's this year that my PCP wanted me to see another specialist. I decided to go back to one here close by that I used over 10 years ago before the MS dx was official.

The IVIG infusions with all the antibodies don't help with the UTI's. I am retaining more than 100cc's of urine after I empty my bladder so on Wednesday I was in his office and that's what they found. He looked at the urine but didn't see an infection and scheduled a cystocopy for Thursday. He told me I don't have bladder cancer which was a blessing as I was on Actos for diabetes for several years. Now they have found it can cause cancer! The lawyers have infomercials trying to get people on the law suits here.

However, on Thursday he did see the infection after looking again. He went ahead with the cystocopy procedure but couldn't do the dialation because of the infection. It is going out for a C & S test and in the meantime I'm on Augmentin to treat the infection until the sensitivity test comes back next week.

Either I'm incontinent or retaining and I just hate MS. I've tried all the bladder products for leaky pipes and nothing works for me. I asked about self cathing but he told me not to do it. In the meantime, I'll take the antibiotics and hope for the best. I'm also having problems with bowels and have a colonoscopy scheduled for December. Sometimes when the urge hits I make it and sometimes I don't. I put that off as far in advance as possible to hopefully get to feeling better before that procedure.

I did remember to ask about the Botox procedure that the FDA approved but he said he would not recommend I have that as it would cause more infections due to the retention factor. This is probably way more information than anyone wanted to know but it might help someone else with MS so I hope it does. Be frank and open with the doctor regardless of the facts.

Hope Peg does well........

Gabriella

[Virginia]

Gabriella, UTIs can be a hard thing to deal with. What a lot of stuff you have been through. I wish he would let you self cath because that would do away with the retention, but I guess the infection has to be dealt with before anything else can be done.

I have never self cathed, but I saw something on TV recently and it appeared that it makes it much easier than it use to be. I thought at the time I could do that. Before I had wondered if I could self cath.

I also hope the colonoscopy will be alright. But I know what you mean about hating MS. I just hate it. It makes me tired, then because of it I have to take medicene that makes me more tired - and on and on.

Rant when you feel like it. We will just rant along with you.

Viginia

[Kittianne54]

I was dx'd with PPMS 10/01. After repeated UTIs, my MS neuro sent me to the urologist. She specializes in neurogenic bladders. I have the typical ms issues, retention and frequency/urgency. At this point, I self cath for the retention ( retention was at the point that after emptying my bladder, and feeling 'empty' -the scan showed that I was retaining an average of 500cc). I was terrified at the thought of self cathing, but it turned out to be quite simple. I cath about 4x a day.I go on my own first, then cath- I usually get as much from the catheter as I do initially on my own!

I also have urgency. I take oxybutynin (ditropan) for that. It causes dry mouth and constipation, but we've experimented with other bladder meds, but they didn't help the urgency ( caused by bladder spasms) as much. I still use Poise pads as a necessary precaution for leakage.

Next, I take a prophylactic antibiotic every night. I still get an occasional UTI, but one or two a year is a lot better than six or more!

I get Botox injections in my leg, not for the bladder. I also have the baclofen pump for my spastic leg/s which has been known to help the bladder for some, but it doesn't for me.

Just last week I suspected a UTI and my husband had to run a urine specimen into the urologist's office for a culture, and sure enough...another UTI.

[Gabriella7]

Another Hint

Hi Kittianne, Welcome Another preventative that this urologist is still recommending is to use Betadine Solution on a cotton ball and just dab it on the vaginal area and the urethal every day. It kills germs and he said we naturally have germs on our skin all the time regardless of our using soap, etc. in cleansing.

Gabriella