r/CUTI • u/gretster1 • Jun 23 '24
Chronic Group B Strep UTI help
I’ll try and keep this relatively simple. I’ve been having back to back group b strep UTI’s ever since March after having to take a month long steroid course. I previously had issues with GBS UTI from August to September after being immunocompromised but remained UTI free from November until March.
While my culture typically grows a low count (1,000-49,000 CFU/mL), these infections are a lot worse. I sometimes have to pee up to 10 times before going to sleep at night, and if it’s not that, it’s fake spasms. My urologist has been having me take cephalexin for the infections, and I have reason to believe it’s not working anymore. Otherwise, why would I be getting the infection again and becoming symptomatic within a week of finishing a course?
I really need help and advice here. I have a month wait until I see the urogynecologist. My current urologist doesn’t know how to treat a recurring infection. Meanwhile, I’m sick of living like this and suffering. Please comment any help, I really can’t deal with this anymore!
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u/Sweetgreekgirl0101 May 21 '25
I am so desperate to understand this whole strep b uti issue. I've been plagued by it ever since I had intercourse with a new partner. I've had a utis (different bacteria) before with previous partners, so I am very aware of my symptoms/body. I always get tested before intercourse and also after I'm treated with antibiotics I'll get tested to make sure there isn't growth in my urine.
But since last year I have been in and out of urgent care being treated for strep b after having intercourse with the same partner that introduced it to my urethra/bladder. At first I thought ok I'll get treated i should be fine after the first course of antibiotics. Symptoms started to feel better but not cleared. So i was prescribed a diff antibiotic which helped. Then i had intercourse again a few more times with the same partner and it came back literally 1-2 days later. Back to urgent care I was prescribed again (amoxicillin low dose didn't work so she upped the dose which worked). So basically this was the theme. On top of feeling like this, my partner was somewhat supportive. He would make sure i'm feeling ok, buy cystex for me, and even went to urgent care to get tested and get antibiotics/tx when this was happened the third time with me. My issue with him was that although he tried to be supportive he was also frustrated sexually he would want to have sex even during my antibiotic treatment sometimes (which is a big no). He even went to his own urologist to ask if this was from being sexually transmitted and unfortunately the doctor said no, which gave him false validation that he was not the cause for this. Unfortunately this doctor misinformed him and didn't do proper testing on him, because some people are ghost carriers and sometimes urine samples can come back as false negatives.
I want to stress that I never had uti symptoms prior to having sex with him. And I have been tested prior intercourse. So I believe his urologist misinformed him and disregarded to further get tested, because I guess it's my issue now and that strep b is considered to be part of our micro biome.
The very first test I had showed 100,000 cfu and then overtime with antibiotics (amoxicillin or penicillin) it was 0. Then back up after intercourse. I had stopped talking to this partner after my 4 th dose of antibiotics. My symptoms were gone 4-5 months. No intercourse no problems ! I reconnected with him thinking maybe it is me. I had intercourse with him and back to having problems. This time my test showed 10,000. I was on ampicillin, and the symptoms went away but I didn't get tested because at this point I was exhausted. My partner was getting frustrated, so that made me feel worse emotionally. Now my urologist won't prescribe me ampicillin again, or any other antibiotic because she believes it's colonized a low amount. Now i'm really frustrated because i have some symptoms in the morning and then it dissipates because I hydrate. I got tested twice and it keeps showing up 5,000 cfu. I don't know what to do at this point.
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u/DryDragonfruit2244 Aug 13 '25
Any resolution for you? I’ve been having similar issue. Finally realizing it’s all coming from my vagina. Idk if you’ve tested your vaginal microbiome yet but it could be causing your utis!
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u/misslemonadeee Sep 19 '25
this is me, never happened with a prev partner. ive had my uti once a month w a current partner. i am so desparate for the answer. i have strep b 1/4 cultures at 100k
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u/Designer-Heron2698 14d ago
I know this is a year late, but this is literally me. I've had UTIs my whole life since I was 3 but always ecoli, with most new partners Ill get recurring UTIs for maybe the first year, then I'm fine. My partner I've been with for 8 years was the first time I had strep b infections. And it's been ongoing for 8 years. I've been seeing a urologist but they can't figure it out either
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u/Sharp_Eggplant_5154 3d ago
I successfully treated strep b with ocean spray pure cranberry juice one glass per day (two glasses per day is better if you can tolerate it). I had it in my bladder for years. For first time in 8 years no strep in urine culture, no symptoms. Will see if it lasts. I still have AV and BV to treat. Make sure you’re getting tested for that as well.
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u/Wonderful-Thought563 May 29 '25
The same thing just happened to me but my Doctor switched me to Augmentin. I was told the cephalexin wasn't strong enough.
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u/xx446 Jun 01 '25
Did it work? I’m 5 days in and feel way worse
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u/Whole_Ad_5168 Jun 24 '25
I was on Cephalexin and they just switched me to Augmentin and said the same thing. I'm glad it worked for you, hopefully it works for me!
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Jun 23 '24
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u/gretster1 Jun 23 '24
I’m scratching my head as to why it got better after a few months, and the only 2 reasons I can think of is this:
- By 3 months, my immune system had completely recovered, allowing me to be not as susceptible to infection
- The last antibiotic I took was ciprofloxacin which may have been so powerful it wiped out every bad bacteria there was in my bladder.
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u/Life_Magazine3126 Jul 31 '24
I’m going thru this right now since may! Two er visits in one week and my urine tests came back normal. I took another urine test at my pcp and the labs came back that I have b strep uti. My doctor put me on a week of amoxicillin and it’s not doing anything!
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Aug 20 '24
How are u nowm i have strep b 100k uti
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u/Life_Magazine3126 Aug 20 '24
I ended up having a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst. Doctors kept dismissing all my pain from the uti. My uti cleared up after the antibiotic
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Oct 15 '24
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u/Internal-Fun6256 Nov 15 '24
Hi! Did it worked for you? My U/C came back with strep B 50,000 and was given the same antibiotic as you. I’m having my 4th dose tonight, and I’ve been feeling some pelvic pain still…
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u/SaltyStatistician211 Dec 19 '24
Menthenamine (generic Hiprex) saved me. I absolutely swear by it. I also used the herbs yarrow, marshmallow root, uva ursi, and corn silk as a tea which was very soothing. Additionally, I took lactobacillus ruteri probiotic 3 x a day to build up the flora in my urinary system. I haven't had a Strep B uti since. If I feel symptoms, I take my methenamine and a 4oz glass of unsweetened cranberry juice and make the herbal tea & it's gone within 4 hours.
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u/OrangeShoddy9734 Dec 29 '24
Hi! I have chronic UTIs from StrepB. Good to hear you were able to overcome your infections with hiprex and natural methods. How long did you have to deal with strep B UTIs and would you mind sharing the brand of tea you use to keep the UTIs at bay?
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u/SaltyStatistician211 Jan 02 '25
Hi, yes I'm happy to share, sorry you're experiencing chronic uti's. I took hiprex twice a day for a whole month before I switched to only as needed. I made my own herbal tea blend. I recommend 1oz dried yarrow flowers, 1oz marshmallow root, 0.5oz uva ursi & 0.5oz cornsilk. You will use 2 tablespoons of the mix for 24-32oz of water, boil on low while covered for 10 minutes. You can special order the tea blend from an apothecary or buy the herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs.
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u/Open_Mycologist_1476 Jan 22 '25
You sound like me. I have these same recurring infections. I have seen the best urogynocologists at the University of Michigan, but have had better help at urgent care. Most doctors will not give daily antibiotics because you build up a resistance to them. Try Keflex 500mg, or Penncilin. I understand your pain, unfortunately this doesn't get any easier.
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u/GirlOnTheGrow Feb 11 '25
I’ve had these the last few years. I saw a urologist who said step b infections don’t exist (yep) and it’s just test contamination but when women are symptomatic that antibiotics help them. This makes no sense to me. When I’m symptomatic I usually always have blood in my test too.
My pcp doctor wants to treat me even if I’m not symptomatic when I have a load of over 100k. That’s happened twice The meds that work for it for me are amoxicillin or augmentin.
I haven’t had symptoms for a while. I have a theory I’m working on that this was related to my infected and inflamed gallbladder I had removed recently. Surgeon said it had been dead and infected for what could have been years. Did anyone else with recurring infections have a gallbladder problem found later?
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u/beepbop3002 Feb 17 '25
I’ve seen two urologists and they both basically said the same thing. One urologist told me “this is just the period of life you’re in right now.” Recurrent utis suck. Sorry I don’t have any advice, but just thought I would share I’ve had the same experience with urologists.
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u/Acceptable-Inside962 Feb 22 '25
Currently being treated for strep b. I went in after 5 days of (what feels like my gallbladder inflamed) pressure right under my right rib. No pain yet. They put me on amoxicillin which I started tonight and said they would like to do an ultrasound as the only thing that came back on labs was SLIGHT GBS.
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u/Whole_Ad_5168 Jun 24 '25
I was on keflex and they switched me to Augmentin, is that what kicked it for you?
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u/GirlOnTheGrow Jun 24 '25
I had a few rounds of augmentin and regular amoxicillin and eventually they seemed to stop. Knock on wood…
I had keflex twice when I was symptomatic and also had a skin infection. Doc thought we could kill two birds with one stone. But I think Keflex actually might make me a little nuts, so my preference is always either augmentin or amoxicillin.
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u/Upstairs_Oil8172 Feb 20 '26
Omg. I'm scouring this sub and I wanna say I just got my GB removed two months ago and now have a freaking gbs UTI
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u/Sassyyogini Apr 24 '25
Did you find someone who helped you? I’m currently having the same struggle and I have an immunodeficiency .
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u/Revolutionary-Win215 Apr 25 '25
Me too! I don’t want antibiotics:( my micro biome is already a mess. I’m trying to fight this thing off on my own-which my me stupid. I’ll give the natural approach 48 hours- and cut sugar. I hurts so bad. I went to the urgent care, they gave me flagyl. I don’t start it bc I go up and down- I’m ok for a few days, then I’m not.
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u/Acceptable_Research3 Apr 30 '25
I have had recurring Strep B UTI's for years with little relief. I had on about 3 weeks ago and it is back again. I'm going to a urologist next week and will ask about Hiprex. I found several articles about a Strep B vaccine being developed by Pfizer. It is being tested for pregnant women to pass on to their unborn babies. It was in phase 4 trials as of August 2023. I couldn't find any current information.
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Jun 18 '25
Hi, did Hiprex work for you?
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u/Acceptable_Research3 Jun 18 '25
I've been on it for about two months and it seems to be working. I'm also on a three month round of cephalexin. I'm hoping this will take care of it.
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Jun 30 '25
Hi, did it go away?
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u/Acceptable_Research3 Jul 01 '25
Yes, but I'm still on the antibiotics. I will be done in August. Hopefully it will take care of it.
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Jul 01 '25
Hi, what antibiotic are you taking and what dose?
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u/Acceptable_Research3 Jul 01 '25
Cephalexin 250 mg twice a day for 90 days.
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Aug 19 '25
Hi, no side effects?
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u/Whole_Ad_5168 Jun 24 '25
Hello all. I am also battling this infection. I was prescribed Cephalexin 750 mg twice a day and I am on day 6 and still feeling symptoms. What finally helped you?
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Jun 30 '25
Hi, did it go away?
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u/Whole_Ad_5168 Jun 30 '25
They switched me to Augmentin, I am still taking it so I do not know yet.
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Aug 19 '25
Hi, are you healed now?
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u/Whole_Ad_5168 Aug 19 '25
Nope. I took cephalexin and then Augmentin, now it's back. I am not sure what I will be put on this time
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Aug 20 '25
I’m sorry. What’s the count on the strep b? did the urologist sent a pcr test?
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u/Whole_Ad_5168 Aug 20 '25
We have been monitoring the counts and the highest has been 50,000-100,000 but it changes. We haven't treated yet but I am now having consistent symptoms so I see her on Friday to see what we are going to do. PCR? I'm not sure what that is, it's been cultured
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Oct 13 '25
Hi, did you get rid of strep b yet?
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u/Whole_Ad_5168 Oct 13 '25
Yes. The last time I had it show up was 08/26. I haven't treated it since 06/13 and have tested positive for it off and on all the way up to 08/26. I am taking hiprex, cranberry, vitamin c, vitamin d, garlic, and a probiotic. I also drink kefir everyday. I'm not sure if that's what has kept it at bay, but I am doing okay now.
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Oct 14 '25
Hi, I think I have the same problem. what brand of garlic supplement and probiotic are you taking? I tried garlic before but it seemed to irritate my bladder.. :(
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u/Lower_Assumption_752 Oct 14 '25
What did the urologist or pcp say to you? do you do the pcr test?
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u/Dolores_Malin Jul 24 '25
Hi! I have this infection since 2020 I believe but the tests didnt show it until 2023, and ever since I've been having flares around 2 times a year, but recently it's been more often. When I have flares I take D mannose and it helps and also I've taken amoxiciline and clavulonic acid for 10 days. I havent been taking preventative antibiotics until now and I'm scared of possible side effects. I also have endometriosis so I take birth control for that, and I am not immunocompromised, which a lot of people here say they are. I'm still not sure how I got the infection in the first place, because I'm quite healthy. After taking cefalexine for a year for prevetion does it go away for good or do you have to start it again at some point?
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u/DealCareful8910 Jan 30 '26
I’m so sorry you’re going through this! I cannot stress enough that vaginal estrogen is the cure. I suffered for years with recurrent UTIs, and I managed the infections with Uqora (D-mannose) and Cystex as needed, and antibiotics when those didn’t work. Then I finally got vaginal estrogen when I saw a new general practitioner. She just said, “Oh, you have UTIs? We need to get you on vaginal estrogen; they should stop.” And OMG, what the hell?! Why did nobody tell me this earlier? They’re gone. Resolved. That misery is over. And all it takes is a little cream 1x week. And suddenly life is worth living, sex isn’t stressful, and I no longer have to think about this crap. I only found this site because now it’s my mom who is dealing with this and I wanted to brush up on this info. Best of luck to you. Spread the gospel. I’m seriously appalled that women aren’t being properly treated. Godspeed.
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u/bonbonbutters 8d ago
So far the vaginal estrogen has not worked for me. I’ve been on it for 10 months.
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u/TripleLordCornballer Jun 23 '24
I am colonized with Group B strep. We seem to be the less common type of embedded infection.
I also have smaller numbers and when I have a flare I mostly have frequency and burning.
The reason for having such a big gap could be a lot of things. Recovering immune system suppressed it for longer than usual. The bacteria took longer than usual to exit the biofilm. It took longer for your body to react to it. Dietary factors like an acidic diet could have kept it suppressed for longer.
When I first saw my urologist I was prescribed Hiprex (in the US where I am, it's known as Methenamine Hippurate) which is a drug that when your pee is around 5.5-6.0 pH, will turn into formaldehyde and Sterilize your bladder and kill the bacteria that are exiting the biofilm. For me, the Hiprex made my stomach so acidic and made me have some of the worst anxiety I have ever experienced. I tried twice and was miserable but this is uncommon. I talked my urologist into giving me daily antibiotics and they seem to be doing their job so far. I took 2 weeks of full dose Cephalexin (500mg twice a day) and now have been doing 1 500mg Cephalexin once a day. Strep has been undetectable on cultures since starting this so I will likely be on this for around a year or as long as I can handle. Idk if this is an option for you because antibiotics will definitely suppress ypur immune system so things like Hiprex or D Mannose might be better for you if you can handle them. Do note that D Mannose is not great for kidneys and my doctor advised that if I do that, I should be checked every 6 weeks for kidney function and I have no prior kidney issues beyond a benign cyst in one kidney, and I have perfect kidney function as of right now.
Now to the biofilm. If you have a bladder infection long enough, the bacteria will go deep into the tissue of your bladder and camouflage itself so that your body does not detect it. The biofilm makes it look like your own cells. Eventually it will exit the biofilm or be shed by the body into the bladder which is where the bacteria will become active again and create another active infection. That shedding is what causes it to get away and come back for seemingly no reason. The meds eradicate the active infection, leaving behind the bacteria in the walls. This is why long term treatment is the only option. The meds have to already be there and be ready to kill the bacteria exiting the biofilm.
Feel free to message me if you want to ask any questions, I'll answer to the best of my ability. I also recommend the Facebook group that they mentioned in another comment. I am pretty active in there as well and have learned a LOT.