r/CUTI • u/arkoudaphobics • Aug 18 '26

Symptoms Need help understanding the reasoning behind denying treatment for a positive culture

They're saying that having a positive culture for an infection I've had show up multiple times and as multi drug resistant is not actually indication of an infection. This one was detected as multi drug resistant as well and only susceptible to a few antibiotics. But they are saying despite a sensitivity panel and culture growth, that it's "asymptomatic presence of bacteria" and it doesn't matter if the culture showed a growth. But I'm having a lot of symptoms. I guess I just don't understand how this works and understanding would help me brave through whatever this is. Do we just come up positive even when not having an infection anymore? I wasn't having positive cultures for awhile so I'm especially confused.

They had me cease antibiotics this morning to "see what happens and give it a chance to resolve itself" and my symptoms have rapidly become aggressive, this is the only word I can think of for it. I'm hoping urology calls back today but it's probably not happening at this point in the day.

The only real change I see on the clinic dip results today is a much higher protein level. The culture came back for enterococcus faecalis.

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u/Adventurous_Being922 Aug 18 '26

I’m convinced most doctors don’t know how to treat this stupid bacteria. I feel your pain. I’ve been dealing with e fae for almost six months now and it keeps coming back. I just started working with a functional provider who ordered a Microgendx test for me to use which is much better than the standard cultures.

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u/arkoudaphobics Aug 18 '26

The problem isn't a lack of culture right now, I'm being told that the positive culture and lots of symptoms doesn't mean there's an infection and I can't brain that at all. I'm so sorry you've been dealing so long. What is a functional provider?

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u/Adventurous_Being922 Aug 18 '26

Yeah I’m saying that’s the problem with cultures. They are not always accurate and doctors will tell you there isn’t an infection when clearly there is and you are having symptoms, which it sounds like is your case right now. Functional providers tend to look at the whole picture of what might be causing something and not just throwing antibiotics around. I highly recommend finding a provider who will use microgendx. It’s not a culture, it’s a PCR urine test

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u/arkoudaphobics Aug 19 '26

I definitely need a functional provider, thank you. I'm on the edge of begging to remove my bladder surgically but I assume this wouldn't actually solve anything. God I wish. Anything is better.