UTI from hell...is it in my Kidneys? Argh...

[lovelark.livejournal.com]

I've never dealt with UTI's until this past year when the docs put me on a regimen of medicine for a bunch of specific problems, ranging from pain management to neurological medications that I take twice a day. They warned me to drink lots of water. I thought I was. Since starting this regimen though, I've started to get UTIs regularly. The first few went away after a day or so, just after drinking alot of water or juice. But, they've been increasingly more vicious.
I lost my insurance though, and so haven't been to a doc since the beginning of the summer.

This one has been particularly vicious...I keep thinking "ok it went away" when my symptoms get a bit better for a few hours..and then I'll wake up in the middle of the night with it. These past couple days it's been increasingly bad, and last night it pushed me past the breaking point- no sanity.
My urine- I noticed the foul-smell before, has never been quite this potent. No blood though. Good sign.
I CONSTANTLY feel like I need to pee, and when I stop peeing- that's the worst. I can't describe the sensation, but it's....awful.
Last night, the most alarming thing was that I was getting pain, alternating between stabbing pain and aches in my abdomen and my lower back on mostly one side.

I gave it a CRANBERRY BOMB. Two of those cranberry pills, half a package of dried cranberries, a glass of cranberry juice, and a bottle of watter. This morning, all symptoms have lessened a bit, but have not gone away. I was sort of under the impression that once a UTI spread to the kidneys, it was too late for the cranberry stuff to be of any assistance, but then again I could be a complete moron since I'm really new to the whole UTI thing. Maybe my kidneys AREN'T infected, and you jut get lower-abdominal/flank pain with a really severe UTI.     I really don't have the time to go to the doc (first day of classes today) or the money...but I recognize that I probably really DO need to go. Can I wait untill I'm done with class at 6:00 to figure it out?

Thanks gals...you're all AMAZING.

Comments

[bluegrrl314.livejournal.com]

My doctor would never call in the script for me, as they said they needed proof that's what it was. Sucked majorly once, as I knew it was a UTI, but the lab came back negative, even though 2 days later it reared its ugly head...

[jacquelinewas17.livejournal.com]

Sheesh. I hate doctors with their heads up their own butts. Yeah, they've got urine containers to send to the lab and dipsticks, but WE'RE the only ones that can tell you if we're having pain upon urination and that foul "UTI smell". I hate hate hate people that brush that aside! Gah! Sorry for that little rant.

[tirlasutaa.livejournal.com]

I've got a great doc who actually listens to me, so calling in requests isn't a huge deal. When he retires in a few years I don't know what I'll do to find a new one I get along with as well as him. Perhaps, since you said you had classes (college?) you could call the campus health center or just walk in if that's more convenient/cheaper.