Bladder Infection

Hi Anna-

UTI's are the worse!! I also have gotten them and one of the systems is peeing blood. Not fun and scary! Get on antiboitics as soon as you can and if it doesn't seem to be working then run back to the dr.'s office. I had one about 6 monthes ago and it took 3 rounds of anti-biotics to get rid of it, and it went into my kidneys.

Hang in there and be a pain if you have to be.

I had the same experience when I had a bladder infection and the antibiotics took care of it just fine. I don't think you have any reason to worry.

Kidney and bladder infections had plagued me since I was in the first grade (long time ago, I'm now 56!).

Extra water didn't help.

Taking a cranberry capsule daily has solved the problem. I tried cranberry juice, but too much sugar, too much inconvenience, and too costly.

Good luck!

This has happened to my twice in the past year. In my case, it's been kidney stones causes by UTI's. The stones made me pee blood both times. After the stones came out, I had bad infections. Sorry you're going through this!

Anna,
Yes, I had blood in my urine and was scared too. I went to the doctors and they took a urine sample from me. Within a few minutes they were able to tell that it was a bladder infection. The pain and blood in the urine came on very quickly without much warning. My urine sample was red like cranberry juice. They asked if I had drank any cranberry juice and I had not. So, you should be okay if they took the urine sample. The antibiotics worked quickly and the pain went away. I did have to take a very strong antibiotic, but it was worth it. This was just a month ago. Everything is fine now. Hope this calms your nerves.

E.:)

Hi Anna,
I have been through this multiple times and I am SO sorry you have to experience it. Usually you experience blood in your urine as the infection becomes more advanced, but that is normal, especially if you have never had an infection before and don't know what it feels like.
I have been infection free for over a year now. Whooppie! I purchased a supplement from Mercola.com called Clear Tract. The supplement has D-Mannose in it, which is what is in cranberries and blueberries, only it is more potent. I was told to avoid cranberry juice as the acid in it could aggravate my bladder. Additionally, I was told to avoid all sugars (fruit or otherwise) as it will feed the infection. Any time I felt an infection coming on I took the Clear Tract (according to the directions) and the symptoms would disappear. I now no longer need to take it.
Also, I am sure you know that UTIs are a result of e-coli which is naturally occuring in our colon. Needless to say, wiping from front to back will keep the icky critters in their habitat. My doctor also informed me that going to the bathroom immediately after intercourse will also prevent UTIs. Don't want to get into the details here, but I'm sure you understand. Hope this helps.

normal normal normal!!! Oh my gosh - I hate bladder infections. I haven't had one since college thank God! The pain will go away quickly since you have the meds. Good luck! You'll be back to normal in no time. God bless!!!

Hi Anna, I spent Christmas Day in the ER many moons ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. They said I had a bladder or kidney infection and because I was pregnant it was not safe to test further. The treatment is the same so they gave me antibiotics but worked the best was drinking cranberry juice. I HATE cranberry juice but can handle cranapple so I drank it all day for a few days and a couple times a week throughout my pregnancy to keep my kidneys clean. I later learned if you have a bladder infection it can back up into the kidneys so I just drank it so I wouldn't have THAT pain again.
I hope this helps.

You poor thing!!! I feel so sorry for you! I have had the misfortune of having blood in my urine as well. It is not uncommon with either bladder or kidney infections for your body to pass blood in the urine. Try not to stay too freaked out, and I really do hope that you start feeling better!!

Yes, I used to get bladder infections all the time. For some reason I don't anymore, but when I did MAN they hurt and sometimes you think you have to pee but then nothing comes out. And yes sometimes blood in the urine. Looks scary but I was always cleared up pretty quick with the antibiotics. (Can't remember the name but it was a specific one that worked great for bladder infections. Started with a "C") Make sure you take the whole course of what is prescribed. Don't stop just b/c you feel better - it will come back. Drink PURE cranberry juice (Not the sugary "cocktail" stuff) and always, no matter what, get up to go pee after sex. (In case you never heard about this...this is to reverse the flow of anything that went up toward the bladder back down and out so it doesn't cause infection.) Hope it is cleared up quick and you don't get any more! Good luck.

Hi Anna -
I'm so sorry you are experiencing such pain. I had that same thing happen years ago.

If you are open to it, there are always connections between illness and what is going on in our mind. Bladder infections are always associated with anxiety and trouble letting go of old ideas. It is a direct symbol of being "pissed off." These are things you can examine and resolve, so that it does not show up as body pain.

Also, cranberry juice, or cranberry supplements, will help with the infection. I always have some on hand if I feel any urinary pain at all... and then of course, I address the mental/emotional reasons that might be causing the disturbance in the first place.

Good luck to you, L.

Sounds exactly like a bladder infection.... give the antibiotics a couple of days and drink, drink, drink, PLENTY of water. When you start feeling better, don't stop taking your antibiotics or else it'll come back with vengeance. Good luck and hope you feel better soon!

Another thing - check your cranberry supplements. Some are REALLY weak. Cranberry max and super cranberry supplements seem to work better for me. Make sure you pee and take strong cranberry supplements after sex.
Glad you're feeling better!

I used to get those when I was in my 20's. What worked for me the last time was to take cranberry pills and drink lots of water and cranberry juice. I didnt even go to the doctor the last time (but please do if you are in pain). It was gone in 3 days. You need to keep your system flushed. Back in the day, it was called "honeymoons disease".

I am a past sufferer of UTI (urinary tract infections) and here is what I did that worked for me.
Following the antibiotics it is really important to remember to drink lots of water and or cranberry juice.
Cut back on caffine - soda's are the worst, with coffee being a close second.
Try adding both cranberry extract and Collius Forskilli to your vitimans. Both discourage the growth of bacteria in the bladder.
Make sure to void your bladder both before and after sex.

The bleeding is caused by the irritation to the lining of the bladder. If the irritation continues after you have completed the antibiotics, make sure to go get retested! Untreated, the bacteria can go into your kidneys. Also, there are over the counter kits you can buy... don't worry!

Hi Anna,
I haven't had the problem for a long time, but I've been there. A homepatheic remedy you might want to try - parsley tea. Get the biggest bunch of parsley you can, wash it well, chop it up, put it in a great big pot, cover with and then add a little more water, bring to a boil. You can then either strain it and drink it like tea or don't strain it and eat it like soup. I like parsley so I ate mine like soup. Just a change from cranberry juice. It took a day, and I stayed home near the potty, but I had relief within the same day.
Good luck!

I had a horrible bladder infection years ago with not only blood, but blood clots in my urine. It definitely can happen with severe bladder infections. Make sure to take your antibiotics and rest assured, it will go away. It is frightening though!

I used to have that happen alot. Take your meds and drink as much water as you can. Now that you know this is an issue for you see your doctor as soon as you have any discomfort whie urinating. Good luck.

DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! (water or cranberry juice, that is)...you need to "flush" the infection from your system & the only way to do that is by peeing. Hope you feel better soon, i KNOW the pain you're in & it sucks!

I get UTIs somewhat frequently, and the blood in your urine is just another symptom. It is a little scarym though, isn't it?!! I'm sure you're sick of hearing this, but drink lots of liquids!
Feel better soon! :)

yes! sounds like you have a bad bladder infection. I used to get them all the time and sometimes i would pee blood. Its just a really bad infection. Stay on top of the anti-biotics and it should clear up. If it doesnt then call or go back to your dr.

Hi Anna,
Great advice so far. Just wanted to add this. I've been plagued with UTIs (Urinary tract infections) all my life and I've learned some tricks to avoid and handle them. First of all, remember the sensation - so you can recognize it more quickly next time. Second, use cranberry juice as a preventative: just a small glass a day actually prevents bacteria from adhering to the walls of the bladder - the research came out on that about 8 years ago. Third, you got to the dr just in time - by the time you begin seeing blood in the urine (and the pain has intensified) you are nearing the point at which the infection will travel up into the kidneys, and that's a lot more trouble to treat (IV antibiotics).

Just make sure you always urinate to clean out the urinary tract after you swim, have a looong bath, have sex, etc. and you should be able to avoid a repeat UTI. It's just a matter of keeping the tract flushed out so that bacteria can't travel up to the bladder and get a foothold. Drink plenty and pee plenty and you'll be fine. The other culprit is tight fitting pants (that ride up the crotch) - really irritating and not so attractive, either, I guess.

Hang in there - the pain should subside soon if it hasn't already. Best of luck! :-)

My guess is you've had lots of responses now. I know how scary that blood in the urine is. However, unfortunately, I've had enough experiences with urinary tract infections to guess that you are now feeling fine. Hope your antibiotics took care of it as fast as mine have been helped in the past. Drink lots of water now, cranberry does help to prevent it, too. Make sure to urinate after sex to clean out the urethra, and get medication next time at the first sign of that what will now be a familiar pain.

Hello anna. you are definitely not alone. First off, you are lucky to have only spent three hours in Urgent Care. LOL But seriously, this happened to me (the first time) when I was 16. I was scared to tell my dad because I thought I had an STD and didn't know what to do. I finally opened up to my mom, and told her of my concern. She said it didn't sound like an STD, but a bladder infection. Turned out to be a urinary tract infection, and the antibiotics and pain meds cleared it right up. It is a very painful thing to go through, but treatable. The thing is to try to avoid it. I have always been a cranberry juice freak, but am even more so now. I haven't had one in many, many years. I know you said you were only worried about the blood, so I just wanted to let you know that it's ok if you take care of it. :)

I'm so sorry this is happening to you, it's not fun. About 4 years ago I had the same problem consistently for about a year. I kept on being told it was a bladder/kidney infection. After numerous antibiotics, the pain, blood, the infection continued. I finally visited my hubby's urologist and his diagnosis not only healed the infection but continues to keep the infection from coming back to this day. I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, a bladder disorder that will always be with me. He personally created an herbal type medication that I've been on ever since and it has saved my life. I will have to be on it for the rest of my life. I take one in the morn and at night and has absolutely no side affects. Although i still have outbursts now and then, I can tell when an episode is coming and double up on the meds and have had success in keeping the symptoms from erupting into something larger.

I am only sharing all this info to perhaps save you from many months of pain and suffering. I don't know where you reside, but the doctor is:
Dr Floyd Katske MD Urologist of 23928 Lyons Ave, Newhall California

Best to you......

hello i am happy ur feeling better i had a bladder infection when i was pregnant with my daugther it was painful

when I was pregnant with my first I was plagued with Kidney stones and bladder infections. I was scared to death at the first sign as it was blood in the urine and of course while pregnant any blood is SCARY. I was put on antibiotics which worked initially, then it came back and had to spend two nights in the hospital to monitor the baby while they did IV antibiotics. The only way to keep it at bay was continuous antibiotics until I ggave birth, then it cleared on its own; the baby was just taking to omuch space and making it hard for my kidneys to function they said.

Antibiotics *should* clear it up within a day or two, but you'll have to do the full does (10 days). If it doesn't clear it up, they may have to use a different antibiotic. You should be feeling better very quickly or you know its not working!

I know you have resolved this, but I didn't see anyone mention the analgesic Phenazopyridine, now available over the counter and marketed as "Uri-Calm." Hopefully there will not be a next time, but just in case...it is worth it to have some of this on hand. These pills turn your urine bright orange and are staining to undies and toilet seats, but oh, what sweet relief when it hits your system in about 20 minutes. After a couple of pees, you should not be feeling that intense pain upon urination. Good luck and may you never have another dreaded UTI.

Yes, i have had this and it is awful! I have even had tissue come out which is supposedly from the bacteria in the bladder, making the lining shed-yikes! Take your meds, eat yogurt so they do not give you a yeast infection! Drink tons of water and take cranberry pills! Thats whet i o. I hope you are feeling better soon!

Most of the advice given to you is on point! Drink lots of water. Take your antibiotics with water, not the cranberry juice. Cranberry juice (pure) is great for prevention. While you are on antibiotics, don't use the over the counter meds. Monitor how you feel after the first couple uses of the meds. It should start feeling better fairly quickly if you have the right meds, but make sure you run the full course. Keep the area clean - wipe front to back, rinse after sex, etc. I hope you feel better soon.

Was there a lead up to this? Sometimes sex can cause this if you had a full bladder or other body fluids get in. Drink lite cranberry juice, water and tea and take a probiotic. Eat PLAIN yogurt, no sugar added. Good luck.

Hi Anna,

Yep -- totally normal. I do want to add a couple of things to all of the already excellent posts.

1. You can also drink a ton of cranberry juice as an alternative to taking the supplements. The juice acts as a mild diuretic to help you flush our your bladder and also lowers the pH of your urine slightly to make it more acidic. This makes the environment less hospitable to the bacteria.

2. As with any infection finish ALL of the antibiotics prescribed, even if you start to feel better in a day or two (which you should). If you don't finish taking the antibiotics you run the risk of creating an environment that encourages the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (for whatever antibiotic you've been prescribed -- I'm guessing Bactrim). Even though recent studies in sepsis suggest that most infections are cleared within 5 days, until this has been definitively substantiated, stick with the 7 - 10 day regimen.

3. Start eating yoghurt with live acidophilus cultures. This will help to keep your intestinal fauna stable and counter the diarhea that can result from antibiotics. You should continue taking eating the yoghurt for at least a week after stopping the antibiotics, too.

I hope you feel better soon!

R.

Sounds like a bladder infection to me! You will feel a lot better soon with your antibiotic. Drinking a lot of cranberry juice will help, too. Don't forget to eat a lot of yogurt or drink a lot of kefir (plain is better if you can stand it) so that you don't wind up with a yeast infection on top of your bladder/kidney infection.

Good luck!
:-) D.

Wow! The only time I've ever urinated blood was when I had kidney stones. If they're sure you just have a bladder infection, the medication will take care of you pretty quickly. The best part is when the pain goes away. Just watch out for lower back pain...even if it's dull...to be sure you don't have stones, too.

My poor little girl got this once when she was about two years old from sitting too long in a bubble bath. THAT made me feel REALLY guilty! Never again! (At least she didn't have the bleeding...that would have broken my heart.)

Don't let any of this scare you. It's all quickly fixed. Just be sure to do what the other mamas said and keep up the cranberry juice as a preventative. Get well soon, Anna!

Best wishes,

M.

Hi Anna,

I think you are right to be scared, and the thing about urgent care, is that you are being treated by whoever is on staff at the time....they may or may not have knowledge in the area needed.

A friend of mine (age 43) went to the ER with a bladder/kidney infection....they sent her home with antibiotics when she should have been given IV antibiotics. He died within two days. Please do not wait....get your primary doctor to act, or go to the ER and get more effective antibiotics.

Yes, this has happend to me before, about 7 years ago. It turned out to be just a bladder in fection but going to the bathroom was a PAIN!! The meds will take it away, I was given these real big horse pills but they worked wonders in just the first few doses. Now, I drink a lot of water and cranberry juice on the regular and it has never happened to me agian!! No soda or any other juice!!

call Santa Monica Homeopathic store and ask for Kristin or Greta they can help

Yessssss!!! It happened to me 3 times when i was in my mid twenties. I have never been prone to bladder infections or any other type. I was peeing blood & it felt like my bladder would fall from my body. Mine was called "honeymooners" disease by the doc. He said it is from having sex with a man who is not the right "fit". He was bruising my bladder. I broke off the relationship...he was a good guy too...i never had the problem again. It cleared up quickly each time with antibiotics & he gave me pain relieving pills.

I have had 15 bladder infection since the birth of my first child 6 years ago, before then I never had one! Blood in the urine is VERY common in bladder infections...and if your back hurts at all you may have a kidney infection.