Urine sample test

[jenny39]

After the last 13 years and all my tests coming back normal except ear swabs the last 4 years howing pseudomonas aeruginosa I had been back to my gp after still not feeling well and getting the same old antibiotics as I only have cipro left to treat it. The last time my GP asked me to do ear swabs, throat swabs, sputum and a urine sample. Yesterday I went for an appointment thinking it was usual results only to find out I had 2 different bacteria not picked up before.

The first one was beta haemolytic strep group c and the second was from a urine sample and was Citrobacter Freundii. The Citrobacter is resistant to a number of antibiotics the same as pseudomonas aeruginosa. I have been given a 5 week course of Trimethroprim to take before I get seen by an infectious disease specialist. I already saw one in March who discharged me straight away and took no samples only bloods. I had been on a course of cipro and I think he was wondering why I had been referred and refused to investigate. The beta haemolytic strep group c I have been given penicillin to be taken every 6 hours for 10 days.

Does anyone know much about these as I did a google which my GP admitted they had to do as never heard of the Citrobacter Freundii and the strep group C I had a search and it seems to affect mainly animals and not humans but my GP said that is quite common. Maybe she meant other types of strep infections. I know there are different strep groups and it definately says strep group C on the letter. Has anyone else here had these and what symptoms have they had.

Reson I asking here is this all started after I picked up a hospital infection for appendicitus with complications of an intestinal obstruction. I had a urine catheter put in by a nurse as an emergency and a few days later had celulitus spreading down one leg. The hospital admitted I had picked up an infection but couldnt say what. Since then Doctors have said to me if you had cellulitus then its definately pseudomonas and I am wondering if these other co infections I must of also picked up.

I used to also work in the pet industry and as a veterinary nurse at the time I first became ill but mild symptoms which was same time as that operation. I am wondering if I could of got any of got the strep group c from my job. Its all puzzling me the more pieces of this jigsaw I find.

 

[Shoshana]

@jenny39

That is very interesting, and thank you for sharing it with us.
I do not have any info on that to help you, but please keep us posted on how you fare with the treatments and appointments.

 

[Moof]

The only one of these bugs that's familiar to me is pseudomonas, as it's often a cause of swimmer's ear. I've always been a bit of a water baby, and I had two or three doses of it when I was a kid. Cleaning or drying the ear canals with cotton buds or similar is the worst thing you can do, as it makes you much more prone to ear infections – I ended up with it as a youngster through ignoring the advice of my swimming coach never to put anything smaller than my elbow in may ear!

I hope you manage to get to the bottom of it all, and I'm sorry I can't contribute any more helpful knowledge/experience/etc.

 

[bertiedog]

The first one was beta haemolytic strep group c and the second was from a urine sample and was Citrobacter Freundii. The Citrobacter is resistant to a number of antibiotics the same as pseudomonas aeruginosa. I have been given a 5 week course of Trimethroprim to take before I get seen by an infectious disease specialist. I already saw one in March who discharged me straight away and took no samples only bloods. I had been on a course of cipro and I think he was wondering why I had been referred and refused to investigate. The beta haemolytic strep group c I have been given penicillin to be taken every 6 hours for 10 days.

I am looking into how Citrobacter Freund can cause problems because it has cropped up in Genova Stool Tests for me since 2012 (not great tests before that) and its still showing up in the UBIOME test I did at the beginning of this year. Apart from severe IBS symptoms I keep getting what appears to be a painful UTI but when tested at my local hospital I am told nothing grows but I tend to think they would not be looking for Citrobacter.

To be honest I am not at all sure where to go from here with this but I am very fed up with the pain from both of these conditions as they often stop me from being able to get off to sleep. Both have flared in the last month after a period of extra stress from a fall.

I would be very interested if you did find out anything further and hope you do get some help. I should mention I am steroid dependent due to adrenal insufficiency and I am sure this contributes to the growth of various pathogens.

Pam

 

[jenny39]

I am looking into how Citrobacter Freund can cause problems because it has cropped up in Genova Stool Tests for me since 2012 (not great tests before that) and its still showing up in the UBIOME test I did at the beginning of this year. Apart from severe IBS symptoms I keep getting what appears to be a painful UTI but when tested at my local hospital I am told nothing grows but I tend to think they would not be looking for Citrobacter.

To be honest I am not at all sure whether to go from here with this but I am very fed up with the pain from both of these conditions as they often stop me from being able to get off to sleep. Both have flared in the last month after a period of extra stress from a fall.

I would be very interested if you did find out anything further and hope you do get some help. I should mention I am steroid dependent due to adrenal insufficiency and I am sure this contributes to the growth of various pathogens.

Pam[/QUOTE

Hi Pam

I have since this post had an appointment with my neurologist who has now put on my hospital records that I have chronic infections as cause of seizures. I also had an appointment a few weeks ago with the neuropsychiatrist and when she saw the amount of infections over the last 6 months and causes of antibiotics she then said "I think I know what it is causing all this." She went on to say "I think it's your vitamin levels due to epilepsy drugs." I laughed and replied " that's funny because I bought with me a letter with my test results from my active b12 taken back in 2011. Prior to this in 2006 I had megaloblastic anaemia and neurologist asked my gp to find out cause and treat." The gp said "you are already on folic acid" and didn't give me any b12 injections. It was after this I got really ill with infections and could feel brain and spinal cord inflamed. The neuropsychiatrist has now done tests and should get back to me about treatment hopefully this week. If I don't get anything I will self treat with b12 injections as I said to her "my b12 levels may be high as I have been using methylcobalamin lozenges." The citrobacter has not gone completely as I still get bladder jerks. I will see my gp next few weeks if I don't get anything back from hospital. I have got info from pernicious anaemia site about treatment.

I recently also saw an infectious disease specialist and had loads stuff ruled out including Lyme and Q fever.

It's a non stop battle and then the psychiatrist asked if I had gone back to work. I said " I am not ready to go back to work unless I get some further improvement." She then replied " I don't think you want to work." I then said why would I be doing voluntary work where they refuse to let me do much as they can see I will get worse the more I do." She then went all quiet and changed the subject as usual.

I am on epilepsy drugs for 35 years. Tegretol I have been on for around 30 years but am now on a low dose. This is what she suspects is the cause. When my bloods showed as megaloblastic anaemia the neurologist said in letter that he didnt believe it was epilepsy drugs and asked my gp to find the cause but he didn't. As my follow up bloods were very low end but normal it was then brushed aside and forgotten about. I am also on keppra for around 11 years which goes through my kidneys. Because of bladder infections I am being taken off that drug. Other drug is pregabalin but been on that around 7 years for my nerve pain.[/QUOTE]

 

[bertiedog]

Thanks @jenny39 It sounds like you have still got a lot to contend with unfortunately. I note that you say the citrobacter still hasn't gone because of your bladder problem and I also have developed bladder issues over the past few years. It has flared badly recently together with IBS whilst the tooth/gum infection set in and made me feel so ill.

At the moment I am going to try Oregano plus Uva Ursi which came up on the Genova report and Symbioflor 2 as a probiotic. Of course I am also taking lots of basic supplements in addition.

Hopefully you will get some more help soon so that you feel better and get everything under control.

Pam