Hell is... living with a child wtih a UTI

[LynnS6]

I'm in hell!

Dd has a urinary tract infection. It hurts her to pee. So, she's doing her best not to until she absolutely has to, and then we have an hour of screaming and crying until she can't hold it anymore.

We were at the doctor's on Friday. I spent an HOUR in the bathroom, trying to get her to give a sample. With dd screaming and crying the whole time. She couldn't relax enough to do it. So, the doctor assumes that she doesn't have a UTI because UTIs make you have to urinate more, right? Apparently, the doctor doesn't have kids with as much muscle power as mine!

We take the sample jar home. Finally after 2 more hours of whining and moaning and dancing around the living room, she can't hold it back and we get the sample. (At least I had foresight to put the sample catcher in the toilet ahead of time.) We couldn't drop the jar off until Sat. AM.

She FINALLY got started on antibiotics yesterday evening. I sure hope they work fast! She's been up 2-3 times a night because she had to pee and it hurt.

I have decided that if I end up in hell, it will look a lot like this. I can't pee for my child. I can't even help with the pain. What's your hell?

[Drummer's Wife]

I have never had to deal with this, but it sounds awful Hope it clears up asap!

[Eeyore35]

Your poor daughter. ad poor mom-it's hard to see your kid in pain. The antibiotics should work fast.

I've had few UTI's and my daughter has had 2. The first was the worst again, a delay in getting treatment as th dr iddt thik it was a UTI.

the 2nd one, she was told she had a bladder infection, I took her in,she peed, doc confirmed it and wrote a script.

[ssh]

They make an analgesic that works on bladder infections. It's Pyridium and is sometimes prescribed to children. It turns your pee orange. Here's a link http://www.drugs.com/cons/pyridium.html . It is over the counter. Peeing in a warm bath might hurt less too.

[Frootloop]

Originally Posted by ssh

They make an analgesic that works on bladder infections. It's Pyridium and is sometimes prescribed to children. It turns your pee orange. Here's a link http://www.drugs.com/cons/pyridium.html . It is over the counter. Peeing in a warm bath might hurt less too.

I was just going to suggest the exact same thing! Pyridium or OTC Uristat can work wonders on urinary pain. I've been on Pyridium for 3 years due to Interstitial Cystitis, which causes urinary pain very very much like a UTI. It's the only medication that has given me any sort of relief. Poor kiddo.. I feel horrible for her.

[midwestmom]

Oy. Poor kiddo and poor mama. Those hurt. Fortunately, abx do usually work very quickly. Should be kicking in now. Many hugs.

[elmh23]

The only relief I get while peeing with a UTI is by peeing in a warm bath. Gross, yes, but it feels SO much better!

[lilyka]

UTIs hurt so bad!!!! I cannot believe the Dr. made you wait! insane.

things that help. heating pad. also tylenol can help a little if they want give you the stuff for ITI pain. drink lots and lots of liquid.

[Oubliette8]

I'll second the Uristat. They sell it near the monistat in most places. Its just a pill and the effect of turning your pee orange is really kind of neat. I didn't learn about it until I was an adult, but its really, really works. I'm not sure its labeled for use in kids, so you might run it by your doctor first if you're unsure.

[limette]

hot bath or hot water bottle between the legs always helped for me. the meds always kicked in quick though.

[LynnS6]

We're out of hell!

I'll push harder on the warm baths next time - she was just so afraid that was going to hurt too, she didn't want to try.

Thanks for the tip about Uristat and/or Pyridium. I'll ask by name if there's a next time!

Originally Posted by lilyka

UTIs hurt so bad!!!! I cannot believe the Dr. made you wait! insane.

Actually, I don't blame her. She's not antibiotic happy, and if it had just been vaginitis, then the diaper cream samples she gave us should have helped. I really don't want to contribute to antibiotic resistance. Especially since dd and I are both allergic to penicillin, so we've got a more restricted class of drugs we can use.

[UberMama]

I am glad she is doing better!!!

I get a UTI once a year, and for sure every pregnancy, it's just due to something with my urinary tract. But boy, I am in misery when I have one. I tell people I'd rather be in pit induced labor than have a UTI. :/

[lonegirl]

Make sure she is getting probiotics while on antibiotics...or you'll have to deal with a yeast infection too

[tjjazzy]

my hell? i live what she's going through every.single.month b/c my bladder doesn't empty properly. i so feel her frustration. poor poor girl i generally don't get pain though; i just have to pee constantly. it's horrible.
otherwise, anytime kids are sick it's hell in our house!

[tjjazzy]

Originally Posted by lonegirl

Make sure she is getting probiotics while on antibiotics...or you'll have to deal with a yeast infection too

especially if she's on Macrobid (i don't know if kids can take it though?) if she's on Amoxicillin, she'll likely be alright. it's slower acting though. did she get the pain pills too? there's a pill that turns your pee orange but makes everything feel SO much better right away. even if you don't have pain really, it seems like it calms the bladder and makes it feel much better.

[lilyka]

Originally Posted by LynnS6

We're out of hell!

Actually, I don't blame her. She's not antibiotic happy, and if it had just been vaginitis, then the diaper cream samples she gave us should have helped. I really don't want to contribute to antibiotic resistance. Especially since dd and I are both allergic to penicillin, so we've got a more restricted class of drugs we can use.

even if you didn't start antibiotics right away she could have done the test. once it is confirmed they do an antibiotic challenge test and identify which bacteria caused the infection so that you do not waste time on the wrong antibiotic. it seems like this took about 3 days and thus contribute to antibiotic resistance. that way you could have been ready to go as soon as you were sure. (I never waited for antibiotics. we guessed, started and tried that in hopes to shorten it). also once it travels to the kidneys you really do wish for death. Mine always progressed really fast though and the last one there was blood in the urinie almost immediately. it was horrid. I thought at first I was in labor and begged for an epidural. it was so much worse than the worst back labor I had ever experianced.

I am really glad she is feeling better.

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by lilyka

even if you didn't start antibiotics right away she could have done the test. once it is confirmed they do an antibiotic challenge test and identify which bacteria caused the infection so that you do not waste time on the wrong antibiotic. it seems like this took about 3 days and thus contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Well, you can only test if you have a sample to test! Dd would not go in the doctor's office. We sat in the little bathroom for darn close to an hour with her wailing.

So, while I wish the doc had started antibiotics sooner, I understand why she didn't. Once we had a sample into their lab, she was on antibiotics within 8 hours.

[MtBikeLover]

Glad she's feeling better! The pain from a UTI is unbearable for me...I can't imagine how it feels for a child.

I have had really good results with cranberry juice. I get a bottle from the health food store and down as much of it as I can tolerate. The burning is gone within a couple of hours. I keep drinking it for a few days just to make sure the UTI is completely gone.