How many times have a sat in tears pondering the pain I’m experiencing and trying to figure out what is going on. 

I mean seriously. I know how to wipe front to back and will smack anyone who tells me that it the way to prevent a UTI.  Intimacy is such a huge question mark depending on my pain level, so the likelihood it isn’t that causing this huge increase in pelvic pain, so what is it? I’m just going through another histamine flare up? Did I do something horrible, like eat a banana or a peanut that caused the flare? Or is it a legitimate UTI? 

Well there are a couple ways to check for a UTI.  Unfortunately, none are really perfect.

At home, you can purchase UTI strips.  Here are the three brands I recommend.  Note, that if you keep them in your bathroom,overtime the moisture from the shower will cause them to no longer work accurately.

All UTI strips are the same.  They test for LEU and Nitrates.  The box clearly states when to contact your doctor.  But let’s go over some things that are not on the box.

I use the UTI strips regularly even though I know the limitations.  It helps me narrow down what is going on and how to respond to my current flare.

I always get a positive for LEU. It is essentially white blood cells and when I’m in a flare histamine is rushing to that area.  So, for me, that one doesn’t really help me out.  However,it is important to note that you can have an infection if the LEU is positive but the NIT is negative.  Hence why I state at the beginning that the home tests aren’t perfect in determining where your pain is coming from.

Now the nitrates do.  90% of all UTI’s are from E. coli that lives in our gut.  A positive on the nitrates patch means that the type of bacteria in your urine is giving off nitrate gas when it multiplies, which is what e-coli does. When this is positive, is when I take the possibility of an infection more seriously and contact my doctor to do a urinalysis. 

However, it can still be positive and not be from your urine at all but from a vaginal infection.  One easy way to test for a vaginal bacterial infection is to purchase a strip of ph test.  Take a quick tip and insert into the vagina.  Twist 5 times in each direction and then pull it out.  Press the cotton swab onto the ph test strip. If your PH is acidic between 3-4, then you most likely do not have a bacterial infection.  However, you can still have a yeast infection. 

Right about now you are probably wanting to pull out your hair!  I get it.  The female body is ridiculous!