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Urinary

WombWarrior

Why is it that in gynecological practice, persistent urinary symptoms in women-like urgency, frequency, and discomfort-are so often attributed to UTIs even when multiple cultures come back negative? Is it possible we’re missing underlying gynecological or neurological causes that aren’t taught as standard? For those who’ve had “UTI” symptoms that didn’t resolve with antibiotics and whose tests were negative, what alternative diagnoses did you eventually get, if at all? Are there overlooked connections to things like pelvic floor dysfunction or hormonal changes that mainstream gynecology downplays? Interested to hear from both patients and professionals who question the reflexive UTI diagnosis and have experience with less conventional explanations.

gyngoddess

Absolutely, these symptoms can be challenging and too often get labeled as “UTI” by default. It’s increasingly recognized that conditions like interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, pelvic floor dysfunction, and even perimenopausal changes can mimic or cause the same symptoms. In practice, a multidisciplinary approach-considering urogynecology, pelvic PT, and sometimes neurology-often leads to better outcomes than repeated antibiotics. Bringing up these possibilities with your provider can prompt more targeted evaluation beyond standard urine cultures.