Those who have experienced a UTI in the past know the telltale signs – burning, frequent urination, and bladder pain. UTIs often also come along with vaginitis (symptoms like itching, pain, or discharge). But what happens when you have these symptoms, and your doctor tells you that you’ve tested negative for a UTI and vaginitis? Or when you test positive but the medications you were prescribed don’t work the way they should?
Why didn’t your antibiotics work?
If you were given antibiotics (or other antimicrobial medications) and they didn’t work, it’s possible that the medication isn’t effective against the infection, the infection is resistant to the medication, or there are other infections present too. If you have a UTI, you may also have an untreated vaginal infection or vice versa, that is contributing to infection in the other area.
Could you have a UTI or vaginitis, even if you test negative?
If you tested negative for infections in these areas, it’s possible that your symptoms are being caused by a less common bacterial or fungal infection that wasn’t picked up on standard testing. There are several ways to test for a UTI or vaginitis but unfortunately the most common tests can have a false negative result, and don’t always identify the best medication for treatment.
How do you test for hidden and hard to treat infections?
For hard-to-treat cases, I like to use advanced UTI and vaginitis testing from MicroGenDx (check out microgendx.com). MicroGenDx’s advanced testing looks for more than 50,000 different organisms, including both bacteria and fungus, using DNA sequencing. This allows physicians to identify and treat all of the infectious organisms contributing to patients’ symptoms. It also tests for antibiotic resistance genes within the bacteria, so physicians can avoid giving you antibiotics that aren’t going to treat the infection.
What about recurrent infections?
- UTIs are most commonly caused from bacteria traveling into the urinary tract from the GI tract, so hygiene and gut health can be very important for those with recurrent UTIs.
- Underlying health conditions, like diabetes or immunodeficiency, can make people more susceptible to infections. If you get recurrent UTIs or vaginitis, make sure you’re up to date on your screening blood work to identify any underlying conditions.
- Pelvic floor dysfunction (muscles that are too tense or too weak in the area that hold up the bladder) can contribute to recurrent UTIs, so consider having a pelvic floor evaluation.
- An imbalance in the normal vaginal bacteria can contribute to recurrent vaginal infections, so restoring this balance can be an important part of treatment.
- Interstitial cystitis (IC), a condition where the lining of the bladder is compromised, has similar symptoms as a UTI but is not caused by an infection. However, those with IC may be more prone to UTIs, so improving the health of the bladder in these patients may reduce the recurrence of UTIs.
Do you experience UTIs or vaginitis and want to get advanced testing to identify and treat the cause? Give us a call and set up an appointment or free consult!
Related article:
https://boisenaturalhealth.com/test-your-gut-microbiome-with-a-simple-stool-sample/