Uti's Why And What To Do

A Biblical phrase comes to mind as in:
“ASK and ye shall receive”.
In my world, if a doctor isn’t going to get a cut of the pie, they won’t order the pie.

 

Now I'm wondering if my problem could be my liver. I sometimes will get a pain in that area and so does my wife. I take one or two Tylenol 8 Hour Arthritis every day for my left shoulder osteoarthritis pain and I just read that that can affect the liver. She may (may) take Tylenol during the week to help her sleep. And, our (almost) daily diarrhea can be caused from the Metformin we take.

However, first things first. Lower the PSA or know what going on by doing tests/taking a scan.

 

Milk Thistle is a support to liver etc, I've been taking it for 20 or more years....No UTI's here...a friend who is gone now, had a long history of UTI's and she found UT Answer to work good for her.... I think I have the name correct.

 

One of our acquaintances has been hospitalized with Strep bovis group UTI. Has anyone here had any experience with this? The bug is associated with colon cancer and endocarditis.

 

@Don Alaska - no never heard of this. Does not sound good at all.

 

I hadn't heard of it either. Our acquaintance was discharged when she stopped vomiting enough to keep down food. She is on an antibiotic but I don't know which. Apparently the organism is susceptible to most, but then so is Strep pneumoniae and it kills thousands every year. I found it interesting that it was associated with other much more serious diseases. From what I read, the biggest danger from this bug is sepsis.

 

@Cody Fousnaugh any word on your PSA and abdominal pain? I am concerned about you.

 

The VA Hospital, which is 33 miles north of us, called yesterday and told me that the earliest date to see a Urologist would be in January 2025. First, we are going to drive 33 miles for me to see one. It seem sort of weird that with my PSA number of 18, which is considered "high", apparently isn't that serious. I also read, online, that a high PSA number is not ("not") dangerous at all.

I'm trying, note, I did say "trying", to get an appointment with a Urologist that is 8 miles from us. The Urology was open yesterday (Monday), but nobody would answer after waiting for some 15 minutes. I even sent them an Appointment Request and still haven't heard from them.

I did send my NP (Nurse Practitioner) a private message at the VA this morning telling her what the hospital told me, concerning the January 2025 Appointment. I told her wife and I were sort of stunned, but that just may be the way it is here whether it's the VA or Medicare Urologist.

Beginning to sound like the only way I will be seen is to end up going to a local ER or Urgent Care?

Thoughts?

 

@Cody Fousnaugh I don't think I would trust Doctor Google on the validity of the PSA test. While a high PSA value it not necessarily indicative of cancer, a PSA value of 18 is cause for concern. It sounds as though your NP believes your high PSA is due to prostatitis (UTI), but it still needs to be checked out.

Here is what the Cleveland Clinic has to say about elevated PSA values.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/15282-elevated-psa-prostate-specific-antigen-level

 

Sorry, meant to say "we are NOT going to drive 33 miles for me to see one".

 

My NP has already given me an antibiotic to take for 7 days, of which I did. I went into the clinic last Tuesday for another blood/urine lab. Read my VA online report two days later and it states my PSA was still at 18. Even with the milage to the VA Hospital, which we won't drive, I can't get an appointment there with a Urologist until January 2025. Now I'm trying to get an appointment with a Urologist thru Medicare. Sent one Urology Office a message requesting an appointment, but haven't heard back yet. Calling them was a waste of time a well. If we can't get ahold of them, we will go to their office before they close, during the week, and see about an appointment.

However, just what do I do if I can't get an appointment until January 2025 with any Urologist? Just continue to drink 50% less sugar Cranberry Juice and taking a Biotic daily in the AM. Just wondering, it there that many men and women who want to see a Urologist???

 

Well, John, since I have Medicare A/B and a Medicare Supplement, I don't have to travel 33 miles to see a VA Urologist. My point is, since I have both VA and Medicare, I can use my Medicare. I haven't been to a VA Hospital for any kind of treatment since 1997, however I do use a VA Clinic to have labs done and a consultation with a VA physician about the lab results.

And, on top of that, waiting until January 2025 to see a Urologist seems to be insane to me, but due to the population here, that just may happen.

 

@Cody Fousnaugh I hate to keep bugging you, but I suspect your NP doesn't know what she is doing with regard to prostatitis. Seven days is never enough even for the simplest of prostate infections. I am not even sure that whatever antibiotic you were given was the best choice. Ciprofloxacin was the antibiotic of choice once as it penetrates the tissues better, but that may have changed. You are being treated as if you had a "regular" UTI, which prostatitis is not. I am not even sure that prostatitis alone will boost your PSA to 18. If you go to a walk-in clinic and get a referral to a urologist, it may speed the process up a bit.

Here is more from the Cleveland Clinic:

How are bacterial forms of prostatitis treated?
Antibiotics can kill bacteria that cause bacterial types of prostatitis. People with acute bacterial prostatitis may need 14 to 30 days of antibiotics. Some people need antibiotics through an IV (into your vein) in a hospital. Surgery to drain an abscess on your prostate may be necessary, but this is rare.

Treating chronic bacterial prostatitis is more challenging. Most people need between four and 12 weeks of antibiotics. If this approach doesn’t work and your symptoms come back, your provider may prescribe a low-dose antibiotic to prevent recurrent infection.