Midodrine Gave Me A Kidney Infection

[imapumpkin]

Sorry, I have to rant because I'm really unhappy that my doctor insisted I take a drug I didn't want to take and now I'm paying for it BIG TIME. On the prescription information about midodrine it says that people who experience urinary symptoms (I have frequent urination) can experience exacerbation of their symptoms. I didn't want to try midodrine, I had serious trepidations about going on it even though my neurologist prescribed it last july and my blood pressure has been really good lately, but my neurologist insisted. So I went on the midodrine and did indeed experience urinary symptoms i thought were just the medication making my already annoying symptoms worse. I upped my exercise the past few weeks so when I started getting flank pain i thought it was probably muscular.

Then the flank pain got way worse and I had to go to urgent care over the weekend and they said I had +3 blood in my urine and promptly put me on Cipro. It had gone beyond just a normal UTI and made it's way to my kidneys...and you don't mess around with kidneys, this could have lead to serious complications.

I usually seek medical attention at the first sign of trouble but because the midodrine told me I would have worse urinary symptoms, I didn't go to the doctor sooner making the infection much worse. I am on my 4th day of antibiotics and I'm miserably uncomfortable. Given that my neurologist is a POTS specialist, I'm surprised that she urged me to go ahead with the midodrine even though I specifically told her about the frequent urination at my last appointment two weeks ago (to which she responded she was so concerned with the urinary symptoms and my lack of period that she insisted i see an endocronologist STAT in case it's a pituitary problem) Shouldn't she know that one of the main drugs shes prescribes to her patients would do that to someone with my symptoms?

I feel frustrarted and uncomfortable. I think my discomfort is also compounded by the fact that I went off the pill for this month to try and prove that my period has only disappeared because I've been on it for 7 years and not due to a pitiuitary problem. My reproductive and urinary systems are both in revolt. I've also since read that midodrine can not only mask a UTI but cause one.

So yeah, it gave me a UTI which developed into a kidney infection. so midodrine gave me a kidney infection. I guess I can be used as a cautionary tale about people who pee A LOT taking note of the risks before starting midodrine.

[corina]

Wow, I had no idea, I never heard this before. So sorry this happened to you pumpkin!

[Raisin]

Thanks for the education! I just went to urgent care with urinary symptoms also. I will have to look into that. I must say that in my case the Midodrine has been a lifesaver re daily functioning. I hope it is not a problem. Pondering.....

[midatlanticdinetuser]

I'm so sorry. This is why I refuse to fill my midodrine. My cardiologist who prescribed it never called me back after I googledthe urinary side effects. So I went to my psychiatrist as and I'm starting wellbutrin and Focalin instead. As a baby step. I have been in your exact situation, ignoring urinary symptoms because I have cystitis and neurogenic bladder...then having to beg my husband to take the day off to take MD to the ER for iv fluids and pain meds and antibiotics. I never want to go through that again and I will not be bullied into anything by doctors anymore!!

[Becia]

Just got out of the ER a few hours ago, where they told me I had a uti and a kidney infection, and the only symptom I had was this insane vomiting I've had for a week. No typical uti stuff, and I'm on midodrine as well. Apparently have had it for some time as well. Only saving grace is the fact I do IV fluids at home and I was managing my hydration half decently, but couldn't stop throwing up, and my Bp and hr the last couple days were insanely out of control.

Never hears of midodrine masking urinary symotoms, but am looking more into this now.

[Bigskyfam]

My old cardiologist said to me after I tried a bb and my BP crashed and I lost my vision temporarily.. Now you are going to take midodrine and add a bb. I said I'd like to wait and do the lifestyle changes and recover from this bad experience she said well if you ever want to work and live again you have to follow the plan. Note... I'm the first pots pt in my neck of the woods.

I will not feel bullied to start any medication

I'm back to work modified and my life modified from being bedbound. Knowing any moment that can change. Maybe meds in the future. But now the side effects might be worse than the daily grind I experience. How are things now pumpkin?

[Wmtate]

Why would you not try Nortera. For me it so far is a miracle drug and I have not felt any side effects. I did not like Midrodrine period

[Bigskyfam]

Nortera?

[xRobin]

fyi, you can buy UTI test strips on amazon and if you think you might have an infection you can check your pee yourself so you know whether or not it's just a side effect, irritation, whatever or if you need to go in and be seen for an infection.

sidenote: I had a UTI this summer with flank pain and a load of other symptoms. My doctor's office said my fever wasn't high enough for it to be a kidney infection but I felt seriously awful, way worse than any UTI I ever had. After it cleared up I still got the burning but the culture was always negative so I bought the test strips. I think it was just irritation from that nasty infection.

[imapumpkin]

I've been doing much better now lately. Still have crazy overactive bladder but my energy has been super boosted by drinking 16oz of water with a Nuun tablet daily. My neurologist says that some patients who do two Nuun tablets a day (8 am and 12 pm with 16 oz of water each) don't even need meds!

[Becia]

I haven't ever had burning with uti's. It hurt up under my ribs, and I still am vomiting like a mad woman. Hoping I'm keeping at least some of my meds down and hoping I feel better before my dentist appt on Thursday.

[Heartandsoul]

I started with uti symptoms over a month ago. MD wanted to wait for culture before giving me abx .

Due to a snag and then a weekend took 7 days to get positive culture result to get on abx. By then in kidneys. Vomiting, fever, chills, extreme flu like and more. Meanwhile using salt aggravated burning and urethral swelling thus was UNABLE to pee cept a trickle. Started to improve from severe symptoms but still very symptomatic for voiding issue still trickle, urgency (but little production) and more issues. Next culture was negative yet still symptomatic but told to stop abx. A week later feeling so poorly went to urgent care where dipstick revealed heavy bacteria, blood, etc. They sent urine sample to hospital for culture and way over the top positive for TWO organisms. Btw dipstick looks for nitrites said doc and he was puzzled why none. Makes me wonder what dipstick from drug store etc actually looks for to be positive for infection. I did a smidge of research and found that it looks for nitrites only but correct me if anyone finds other info. I only searched a bit.

Meanwhile cuz of salt causing burning I had to give it up. Bp and hr all over the place. (Btw not on midodrine).

So brought UrgentCare results to MD and brought hubby along too for some MAN CLOUT and MD said well I guess if you are still symptomatic she'd give me stronger abx. Been improving but still not voiding well. Btw a week after sick to near death from kidney involvement went to ER cuz no voiding at all yet had been drinking tons of h2o. Must've washed out NA cuz was very low. Also told I was dehydrated. Got saline. On day 9 now of new abx and sort of over all better bet still voiding little and still flank pain.

At latest MD appt was told somewhat dehydrated. Called MD today cuz afraid to stop abx tomorrow. MD says now it must be something else. No extension on abx. Well when I got dx with Lyme bladder was red and inflamed ....urologist peered in there ...ouch....and was going to bathroom 100 times per day. Given dx of NON bacterial cystitis. Interstitial cystitis. But a few months later when dx with Lyme abx got rid of that problem. I don't like taking abx at all but grateful for symptom relief.

Sorry so long a post. Someone I know well is a research scientist and found something printed in NEJM about urine cultures and how they are not always reliable for neg. cultures. During this past month I've had 2++ cultures and 3 neg cultures. I don't know how to cut and paste on iPad but if interested google....

(Common test for bladder infections misses too many cases NPR)

This is for synopsis of NEJM paper.

I write this post in case anyone wonders ...is this infection? Cuz I've had infections but told many things other than infection esp when told interstitial cystitis or clean culture when in fact infection was going on.

I am a very immunocompromised gal and pick up major weird things that are infectious and it takes forever to get dx. This POTS was triggered by last relentless infection for wc I ultimately ended up on 6 wks IV abx. SO NOT on midodrine but much talk about cystitis and uti etc so wanted to put in 2 cents .....just food for thought about dipsticks mainly and urine cultures even though I went long way around.

[Heartandsoul]

Pumpkin,

Just curious. When you wrote over active bladder following infection does that mean urgency with little volume or voiding volumes?

Thank you,

Heartandsoul

[imapumpkin]

Heatandsoul--

Sorry you're having such a rough time of it! Tbh i'm surprised your doctor waited so long to get you antibiotics. When I said that I "still" have crazy overactive bladder, I mean this has been an ongoing problem for the past 6-7 years and not just following the infection. In fact the reason the infection got so bad was because I'm so used to insanely frequent urination that I didn't realize I was having uti symptoms. My overactive bladder issues bring a myriad of problems-- I never ever feel like my bladder is empty. Sometimes I get urgency, but it's more of just always feeling the need to pee. and not much is voided...I feel like I have to strain to empty my bladder and even then it doesn't ever feel there's completely empty. Urologist is stumped (and rather unhelpful) and integrative medicine doctor thinks it's interstitial cystitis (chronic inflammation of the bladder) tertiary to whatever problem is causing my POTS. Essentially there's nothing for me to know but deal with it.

[Heartandsoul]

Pumpkin,

I'm so sorry too for all you have to deal with as well.

To answer about the wait...tSome docs are prone to wait until there is proof thus the 7 day delay in my case : (

I was JUST 3 days ago looking at that Nunn product at WFs. But have not bought it yet. It is great news that your energy has been boosted by you using it.

Yesterday began eating tons of organic blueberries thawed. By early evening I was getting improvement with a few of the voiding issues and today still improved. I will have to give it a few days of continuing eating them to see if it really working. I did add some dried cranberries as well to my regimen yesterday between blueberry helpings but only small amounts of cranberry a time due to VERY high sugar content but every few hours or so I eat about a rounded TBSP. So maybe hopefully both are helping. Time will tell if fluke or real..

Best,

Heartandsoul

[Wmtate]

I am amazed that people are not switching over to Northere from Midrodine

[Wmtate]

Spell. Northera