I’ve managed not to have one for 3 years now but I disobeyed some of the “rules” for preventing them the other day, and sure enough. Every time I get one I feel like just this sense of urgency like I can’t think straight or talk or function properly it’s such a painful feeling. I can’t form good thoughts or stick with a train of thought because my brain keeps going back to the pain. And nobody understands how urgent it actually feels. I start to envy men and think how amazing it would be to live however you want and never experience this. I literally don’t know how I made it through work today. And don’t worry, I’ve had infections this painful before. But they are insanely painful don’t you think? Like I seriously think they should prescribe people meds for the pain for UTIs, it’s that bad. Are other people this affected by them or is my bladder just sensitive?
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Heck, I can’t even think straight if I just have to pee really bad.
You’re not crazy though. UTI symptoms can mimic the symptoms of dementia. A few years ago, my mom was hospitalized for what they suspected was dementia. Few days in, no it turned out to be a UTI and she was treated with meds and released.
My MIL was going through some issues last year, due to a back injury, and then she started having issues with memory and such. Admittingly part of it was due to the medications she was taking, but, she also had a UTI which also contributed. Niece who is a nurse confirmed that this does happen.
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/unlocking-the-cause-of-uti-induced-delirium/
I haven’t had one in eons so I can’t speak for myself, but I’m not surprised to hear of your experience. My MIL has dementia, and it is made exponentially worse when she gets a UTI. It’s the first thing that doctors look for when an elderly person takes a sharp cognitive decline as opposed to assuming they’re just advancing from Stage II to III or what have you.
UTI’s are serious and can kill you if they go untreated and get that bad. People don’t realize how serious they can be. They also trigger an inflammatory response which can affect the brain and cause confusion. I work with the elderly and the confusion and cognitive impairment is a very common symptom of their UTI’s. As for men, they get them too! It is not just a woman thing. You need antibiotics. Please go to the doctor and take care of yourself asap!
Is getting a UTI that common?
I had one a few years ago, and my (adult) daughter had to stay with me in the exam room. It was scary.
There are pain meds specific to UTIs. I’ve been prescribed something called Phenazopyridine (there’s also an otc brand called Azo). Essentially it is an analgesic that targets the urinary tract and turns your urine bright orange for a few days. You’re supposed to only take it for 2 days in a row, just long enough until the antibiotics make a noticeable difference in the infection.
In my experience it works incredibly fast when you drink a significant amount of water with it, so I highly recommend.
Beware, this medicine is not a replacement for an antibiotic and will not aid in actually clearing the infection. It will only help numb the pain so you can live your life until the antibiotic kicks in and knocks it out.
In addition to the antibiotics, have you used those over the counter UTI pain pills that coat your bladder and temporary turn your urine red? They are incredible at giving relief.
P.S. if you have sex with men, they can pass UTIs to you. Men typically don’t have symptoms but can still pass them to you. Them showering immediately before sex can help
It’s never happened to me, but a lot of people don’t realize that UTIs can absolutely affect your cognition. It’s not seen as much in young, healthy people. But I work in nursing homes and whenever a patient starts falling more, becomes delirious, or has significant behavioral or cognitive changes, it’s often from a UTI. Most people don’t realize how serious UTIs are! These cognitive symptoms are more common in the elderly but doesn’t mean young people can’t experience it too! Definitely go get it checked!
I also had a terrible UTI once that lasted long and the throbbing pain prevented me from functioning properly. I’ve tried everything under the sun and the only thing that cleared it up for me was D-mannose capsules.
UTIs make people crazy.
Little old ladies brought in for a UTI scream like a banshee their first night till their antibiotics kick in. They have no control over their actions, don’t know where they are, why people keep poking them with needles, or why they can’t go home.
I’ve personally seen several cases in older people where it mimics Alzheimers/ dementia pretty quickly. (In one case, a family friend with Alzheimers was totally out of it by her standards, and a day or 2 after meds she was back to normal).
I am not sure of the connection between bladder and brain, but damn, it’s a strong one.
had one at 19 that left me in bed in a dark room for a week! couldn’t handle light, only sound. couldnt eat, only drank a few bottles of sprite. mom had to drag my sick delusional ass to urgent care.
Anytime I’m worried about anything, it’s hard to think about other things. I also suffer from UTIs, despite being a very clean and hygienic person. In my case, my urologist said I essentially just have “a sensitive bladder”, but it can also be genetic (thanks grandma).
UTIs can be serious if left untreated, so it’s valid to be worried about them. Once I ended up getting a UTI right around Christmas a few years back. That year, Christmas Eve landed on a Thursday, and Christmas on Friday. Which meant that my doctor’s office was closed for like 4 days straight since they weren’t open on the weekends, and I was unable to go to the doctor’s office. I ended up going to urgent care on Christmas because I was peeing blood. It was horrible. It felt like I had horrible period cramps, but I was definitely NOT on my period. It’s a scary feeling.
I’m on a low dose antibiotic that I take sorta as needed. I take them as infrequently as possible, and I take cranberry gummies daily which help a lot. There’s also an over the counter pain relief you can get specifically for UTIs. They won’t treat the UTI itself, but it’ll help soothe your bladder while you’re waiting for the antibiotics to work their magic. It’ll turn your pee a scary color (I think either like dark orange or red), but that’s normal. I definitely recommend getting that if you’re in pain. Just make sure you’re still getting a round of antibiotics and finishing them.
May be dumb question but since I never had UTI and I’m just drawing conclusions from stories I read and from friends: do you guys have sex without condoms? And/or using lube with glycerin? Because so far those 2 has been the main causes as I noticed. I’m really just curious if it’s only a pattern amongst the people I know or it really is the main culprit.
I’ve never had one (I’m a guy, it’s rarer) but my 90+ grandma had some serious delirium because of one. It’s related to kidney function, I think. So aside from “the pain is really distracting” they can potentially actually give you a kind of temporary psychosis.
I’m also insanely prone to them. My gyno recommended D-mannose supplements. It makes your urine less hospitable to certain types of bacteria that are known to cause them.
Kinda like how xylitol works on the bacteria in the mouth, this stuff works on the bladder.
I’ve only had one mild uti since starting, vs getting several a year. I wish it was more common knowledge because UTIs are awful, I wouldn’t wish them on anyone