UTI but negative culture??

[ParisJeTadore]

Has anyone had this happen to them?

I never had a UTI until the first time I was pregnant. I also get them before my cycle returns (perhaps it's hormonal?). Anyhow, I am 8 weeks pregnant, started with uti symptoms (an urgency to go constantly, that full feeling in my bladder...) on Friday which is common for me in pregnancy so went to get tested. I was floored when the clinic called to tell me that my culture came back negative. How is this possible? I am currently on antibiotics and plan on finishing them but am afraid the symptoms aren't going to go away.

When I left a urine sample I had drank A LOT of water beforehand. Do you think it could have diluted the sample? I am so tired of feeling lousy and running to the washroom constantly and just want to feel better

 

[Nadja86]

I went to the clinic for cloudy urine at the beginning of my pregnancy and the strip came back positive for a UTI so I took a round of antibiotics. But the symptoms never improved and the culture also came back negative. My doctor assured me that the cloudy urine was unrelated and I didn't bother getting retested. I'm still having cloudy urine a few months later and not thinking much about it.

Your symptoms could also be related to pregnancy, especially if they haven't improved after several days on antibiotics. If I were you, I would finish the course and go back in a week or so to get another culture to be sure, and make sure not to have drank too much water. By that point, the antibiotics will be out of your system (if you test earlier than that, the culture will come back negative), and you'll know what's really going on.

Do you have any burning or anything like that? Back pain/fever?

 

[brunette&bubs]

Same thing recently happened to me.

I am not for sure pregnant yet...

Last week went in for what I was 100% sure was a UTI (I get them frequently)...pain with urination, cloudy, smelly, and a few blood drops at the end of urinating.

She did a dipstick test when I first got there and it was negative. She said that those are only 50% accurate. Then sent to lab and she said it was positive a few days later.

She said diluting your urine can DEFINITELY have an affect.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

I went to the clinic for cloudy urine at the beginning of my pregnancy and the strip came back positive for a UTI so I took a round of antibiotics. But the symptoms never improved and the culture also came back negative. My doctor assured me that the cloudy urine was unrelated and I didn't bother getting retested. I'm still having cloudy urine a few months later and not thinking much about it.

Your symptoms could also be related to pregnancy, especially if they haven't improved after several days on antibiotics. If I were you, I would finish the course and go back in a week or so to get another culture to be sure, and make sure not to have drank too much water. By that point, the antibiotics will be out of your system (if you test earlier than that, the culture will come back negative), and you'll know what's really going on.

Do you have any burning or anything like that? Back pain/fever?

No, I don't have any other symptoms then a constant need to go, pressure in my bladder and discomfort. Also, this is probably uncommon but every time I have had a uti the antibiotics take a full week or longer to work. Usually on day 4 I haul myself back to the doctor to tell them they aren't working, have a retest, and get a negative result.

Same thing recently happened to me.

I am not for sure pregnant yet...

Last week went in for what I was 100% sure was a UTI (I get them frequently)...pain with urination, cloudy, smelly, and a few blood drops at the end of urinating.

She did a dipstick test when I first got there and it was negative. She said that those are only 50% accurate. Then sent to lab and she said it was positive a few days later.

She said diluting your urine can DEFINITELY have an affect.

Thank you for mentioning that. Wish I had thought about downing so much water before going to the clinic. I think my first inclination is to drink tons of water so that it flushes out the bacteria but I really wonder if that worked against me this time.

 

[brunette&bubs]

It definitely could have...even though my doctor said the dipstick was negative she still prescribed me antibiotics based on my symptoms.

If you are still having pain, go and insist another test and don't dilute your urine. TBH though, my uti went away without the medication and this was the only UTI I've had with blood in my urine. Just drank lots of water.

 

[LilRed Mel]

Hi ladies,
I'm a medical scientist and have worked in the UTI field.
When a negative culture occurs, it's usually because the patient is already taking antibiotics and they have cleared the bacteria.
The dipstick would come up as positive because of the immune system acting in response to the infection.
Drinking plenty of water does help any UTI.
Hope that makes sense.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Hi ladies,
I'm a medical scientist and have worked in the UTI field.
When a negative culture occurs, it's usually because the patient is already taking antibiotics and they have cleared the bacteria.
The dipstick would come up as positive because of the immune system acting in response to the infection.
Drinking plenty of water does help any UTI.
Hope that makes sense.

Both dipstick and culture came back negative and this was BEFORE I started taking antibiotics.

 

[brunette&bubs]

I'm confused. They use the same urine for the dipstick as they do to send off to the lab...

 

[ParisJeTadore]

I'm confused. They use the same urine for the dipstick as they do to send off to the lab...

Yes. You only give one sample which is first tested with a dip stick, then sent off to a lab to be cultured.

 

[brunette&bubs]

Right...I guess I don't understand LilRed's comment.

 

[LilRed Mel]

Sorry for the confusion.
A negative dipstick and culture is a negative UTI result overall and I would re-test if there were symptoms.
Drinking water will clear a UTI infection without the need for antibiotics. It just takes time.
If the dipstick is positive at the Drs it can still produce a negative culture.
Usually Drs might say a dipstick is positive because there is protein or white blood cells in the urine. There may be no bacteria at all.
Also if the sample isn't refrigerated or tested within 12hours it could affect the overall result.

There are many variables. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[brunette&bubs]

Makes a lot more sense. Thank you

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Thank you for clarifying

I am off to my obgyn today to have a retest for peace of mind. Stopped drinking much water an hour ago so hoping for more accurate results.