Possible UTI but I'm stupid.
Hi everyone,
My symptoms started around February this year. I honestly had very little knowledge about UTIs because I’d never had one before, so when it started with bladder pressure and pain I kind of ignored it at first. Eventually I started getting kidney/back pain too and thought yeah this definitely isn’t normal, for context I'm 28 and I've been very fortunate in the UTI department.
Went to a walk in clinic during a trip home, the nurse didn't send my urine off for culture but she initially prescribed 3 days of nitrofurantoin after a dip test came back with a little blood and increased white blood cells, I felt relief for a short while, but eventually the symptoms returned.
I went to my usual doctor, where she sent urine off for culture testing and got prescribed 7 days of nitrofurantoin — again I felt better temporarily, then the symptoms came back. Third time I was prescribed 3 days of pivmecillinam, and once again I had relief for a bit… then it came back. Culture testing eventually came back and said I didn't have an infection and I was confused.
I recently went back again and the doctor gave me the option of either a longer course of antibiotics or methenamine hippurate, and I chose the methenamine instead because I didn’t really want to keep hammering antibiotics but maybe I've chosen wrong.
What’s messing with my head is I genuinely don’t know anymore whether this is an actual UTI/CUTI or whether the pain has become psychosomatic because I’m so stressed and focused on it. I don’t really get classic burning when I pee, and I had a urine culture come back negative, so now I just feel like I’m losing my mind a bit.
The pain itself honestly feels more like period cramps. Sometimes it’s more left-sided, sometimes right-sided, but there’s pretty much always pressure/discomfort down the middle too. Because of that I started wondering if it could actually be something like endometriosis or ovary related rather than a bladder issue.
The doctors have referred me for a vaginal ultrasound but the NHS waiting list is around 15 weeks, and I’m honestly considering just paying privately because I just want answers at this point.
Does this sound like CUTI/interstitial cystitis/pelvic floor dysfunction/etc to anyone? Or does it sound more gynae related? Should I try and see a CUTI specialist privately or wait for the ultrasound first?
Has anyone been through something similar? I genuinely just want some clarity because this has been dragging on for months now and it’s exhausting.
Any help/advice is appreciated, thank you!