Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection, a Difficult Problem to Address

Urinary Tract Infection or UTI for patients with Polycystic Kidneys like me is not a simple problem. It is considered a complicated case of UTI when UTI happens to males, what more when that male person has Polycystic Kidneys. And it is recurring from time to time. And also, the culprit organism is difficult to recover from urine culture even when taken during a prolonged antibiotic-free state.

What makes UTI difficult to treat for patients like me is because the culprit organisms are not easily accessed by antibiotics. They may hide in the numerous cysts. And only few antibiotics are said to penetrate the cysts. Quinolones, a class of antibiotics which includes Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin is a good antibiotic for UTI in this case. But instead of the usual 1 week duration of treatment, what is recommended for my case is at least 14 days or longer. After which a prophylactic dose is given once a day at night to prevent the UTI from recurring for quite some time. All of these is done with a nephrologist's supervision of course. During the treatment course, I take a probiotic drink to supply my gastrointestinal tract with good bacteria that may have been killed also by the antibiotic.

However, the threat of superbugs or antibiotic-resistant bacteria is very real and that is the disadvantage of prolonged antibiotic treatment.

And that is the dilemma here.

If I don't take antibiotics for a long time, I end up with UTI which sometimes result to hematuria with numerous pus cells also.

If I take it really for a long time also, I risk making the bacteria resistant to what I am taking.

I hope studies regarding the use of antibiotics in UTI of patients with ADPKD or ARPKD will be conducted also.

For now, the right balance of taking antibiotics for a long period of time and having an antibiotic holiday should be determined with this in mind.

In relation to the Holy Week, it really feels like a cross that I always carry with me knowing I have this UTI. But with the cross comes salvation, and I know these will all come to pass. I offer everything to Him.

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