A chronic UTI is a urinary tract infection that either doesn’t clear up or keeps recurring.

 

Patients with an acute UTI are prescribed antibiotics to treat their symptoms but, once the course has been completed, some people find their symptoms remain.

 

They may report their lingering symptoms to their GP who is likely to suggest sending a urine sample off for testing.  Invariably this comes back showing no infection.  The treatment now offered to the patient depends on their GP and how much experience they have of this type of condition. Some patients may be given another short course of antibiotics and some may be told there is no further treatment available.

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But there is a problem and it lies with the tests currently used to detect bacteria in urine.  These tests have been proven to be ineffective but they are the only ones currently approved for use in the UK. Medical evidence demonstrates that the dipstick test can miss up to 80% of bacterial infection and the agar plate test misses up to 50%. Read more about why my tests are negative here.

 

So the patient remains unwell and their symptoms may worsen. They may be referred to a specialist, such as a urologist, who is likely to offer a range of invasive procedures. Read information on common interventions and their effects here.

 

During this process many patients are erroneously diagnosed with 'interstitial cystitis' or 'painful bladder syndrome' Read more about Interstitial cystitis here.

 

Some people will try herbal or alternative remedies, some of which may alleviate their symptoms.  However, the infection remains. ​

 

Urinary tract infections are extremely common and affect men, women and children. They are distressing and can destroy a sufferer’s quality of life if they are not diagnosed and treated effectively.

 

Chronic UTIs ruin millions of lives and it is time for change - please join the campaign to help the Chronic Urinary Tract Infection Campaign to raise awareness of the inadequacies of the current testing regimens. Together we can campaign for change to put an end to chronic UTI’s and ensure that those already suffering get appropriate antibiotic treatment.

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