I have blood in my urine

mattsmom81 · Jul 2, 2005

I had blood in my urine as a young woman and they never found the cause. Cystoscopy found an irritated area that the doc finally ruled out to increased intake of ASA recently, along with UTI..

They treated me for a UTI and it cleared up fine... this might be whats causing your hematuria too. Try not to worry til you have to. :)

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jul 2, 2005

You can actually have some very large kidney stones without knowing it.......it depends on where they're located. Stones in the kidney itself rarely cause pain, but will cause hematuria and frequency; it's the ones that make their way down into the ureters and bladder that create the kind of pain you've heard about (and I personally have experienced :crying2: ).

Recently I had a 15mm stone located in the renal parenchyma, as well as what my urologist called a 'rock quarry' dispersed throughout both kidneys. Even after laser lithotripsy, two weeks of nonstop agony with bilateral ureteral stents, and a month of passing gravel, I STILL have one 9mm stone in the right kidney and a new, smaller one forming in the lower pole of the other kidney :angryfire. And I still have hematuria.

Don't borrow trouble..........it's not unheard of, but bladder cancer is actually relatively rare in women, especially one who's young, and has never smoked or worked in manufacturing industries.

Hope this helps. And for goodness sake, don't let this ruin your vacation! :)

mcmike55 · Jul 2, 2005

I agree with MM81. Don't freak until you have much more info.

I swear, nurses are some of the worst pt's!!! :chuckle

Rn2B, I assume that you are female. That in itself is one consideration. Contamination of a sample is a frequent issue. The fact that you waited a month, does help, but a cath sample would eliminate that (sorry).

Type of meds you are one, should be looked at. The ASA bleeding problem is possible. Any kind of trauma to the external urethra, bladder or kidney area is possible. I've seen lots of long haul truckers have hematuria from the bouncing around driving truck.

Your run in with cancer no doubt adds to your concerns, I don't blame you. Even if they did get it all, there is no way that you can't worry about that.

You might try forcing fluids, maybe adding cranberry juice to your diet, not sure but if you have a mild UTI, it may help. Evaluate your physical activity and medications, to see if they could be involved too.

A kidney stone is a possible suspect. It is possible that it's sitting in the renal pelvis, not moving and causing any real pain, but could account for some of your c/o.

If you have not done it already, I suggest a visit to your friendly neighborhood urologist. A KUB, IVP, maybe a diagnostic cysto might be options.

Go on vacation, force fluids, and try to have a good time. You deserve it.

But make a doctor's appointment soon. Hematuria is not a normal condition!

Mike

RN2Bn2006 · Jul 2, 2005

Bless your heart!! You've had it rough! Your information was very helpful. If I know it CAN possibly be something else - then I can put my mind at rest. It's just hard when you type in blood in urine, and all you get it CANCER, CANCER, CANCER!! I will proably be the only person in history to rejoice if they tell me I have a stone! ha ha.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I feel much better.

Paula

You can actually have some very large kidney stones without knowing it.......it depends on where they're located. Stones in the kidney itself rarely cause pain, but will cause hematuria and frequency; it's the ones that make their way down into the ureters and bladder that create the kind of pain you've heard about (and I personally have experienced ).
Recently I had a 15mm stone located in the renal parenchyma, as well as what my urologist called a 'rock quarry' dispersed throughout both kidneys. Even after laser lithotripsy, two weeks of nonstop agony with bilateral ureteral stents, and a month of passing gravel, I STILL have one 9mm stone in the right kidney and a new, smaller one forming in the lower pole of the other kidney :angryfire. And I still have hematuria.
Don't borrow trouble..........it's not unheard of, but bladder cancer is actually relatively rare in women, especially one who's young, and has never smoked or worked in manufacturing industries.
Hope this helps. And for goodness sake, don't let this ruin your vacation! :)

RN2Bn2006 · Jul 2, 2005

Did you have any Lab showing negative for UTI? Mine shows all clear except for the blood.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Makes me feel better. I know I tend to worry, and sometimes I need someone to just set my head back on straight. Sometimes it helps to get my fears out!

Paula

I had blood in my urine as a young woman and they never found the cause. Cystoscopy found an irritated area that the doc finally ruled out to increased intake of ASA recently, along with UTI..
They treated me for a UTI and it cleared up fine... this might be whats causing your hematuria too. Try not to worry til you have to. :)

RN2Bn2006 · Jul 2, 2005

Thanks for your input.

Yes I'm female. Age 35, Wt - too much. Non-smoker. Hysterectomy (so no mentral blood possibility) Don't take ASA. Supposed to be taking hormones, toprol & zantac, but haven't taken any of them for about 2 or 3 weeks.

I do have an appointment w/ Urologist on the 18th of this month. I have a tendency to worry about my health, and yes being a nursing student doesn't help - ha ha. It just seemed everything I was looking at on the internet screamed Cancer, and all those old fears came back - full force. I knew there were other possibilities, and to be honest I've wondered about a stone since the 1st + test - due to mild back pain in kidney area. I feel better - in a stupid sorta way - that it might be a stone.

I just needed someone to tell me not to worry. I know it's unlikely to be cancer - but with my hx I'm always overanalyzing every pain.

Thanks for your thoughts

Paula

I agree with MM81. Don't freak until you have much more info.
I swear, nurses are some of the worst pt's!!! :chuckle
Rn2B, I assume that you are female. That in itself is one consideration. Contamination of a sample is a frequent issue. The fact that you waited a month, does help, but a cath sample would eliminate that (sorry).
Type of meds you are one, should be looked at. The ASA bleeding problem is possible. Any kind of trauma to the external urethra, bladder or kidney area is possible. I've seen lots of long haul truckers have hematuria from the bouncing around driving truck.
Your run in with cancer no doubt adds to your concerns, I don't blame you. Even if they did get it all, there is no way that you can't worry about that.
You might try forcing fluids, maybe adding cranberry juice to your diet, not sure but if you have a mild UTI, it may help. Evaluate your physical activity and medications, to see if they could be involved too.
A kidney stone is a possible suspect. It is possible that it's sitting in the renal pelvis, not moving and causing any real pain, but could account for some of your c/o.
If you have not done it already, I suggest a visit to your friendly neighborhood urologist. A KUB, IVP, maybe a diagnostic cysto might be options.
Go on vacation, force fluids, and try to have a good time. You deserve it.
But make a doctor's appointment soon. Hematuria is not a normal condition!
Mike

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jul 2, 2005

Paula, I went through the very same thing when I had my first set of kidney stones........everything on the 'Net pointed to cancer!! I was soooooo relieved when the radiologist who was doing my CT scan asked me if my urologist had ever mentioned stones (he hadn't) and told me that was what I had. I got off the table and almost kissed him, I was so happy!! :chuckle

RN2Bn2006 · Jul 2, 2005

OK, so I'm not crazy!!!! Glad to hear someone else has felt the same way!

Here's to hoping for stones for me- cheers! (glasses clinking):chuckle

Paula, I went through the very same thing when I had my first set of kidney stones........everything on the 'Net pointed to cancer!! I was soooooo relieved when the radiologist who was doing my CT scan asked me if my urologist had ever mentioned stones (he hadn't) and told me that was what I had. I got off the table and almost kissed him, I was so happy!! :chuckle

mattsmom81 · Jul 2, 2005

Wishing you good luck on your urologist visit...and praying your news is good! Actually to answer your question, my urine was questionable for infection the doc said...so he covered both bases: we stopped the ASA and he gave me an antibiotic and it cleared right up.

I do remember he asked me how I knew for sure this (gross blood) was coming from my urethra. I got kinda pissed and told him even though I was only a student nurse, I knew my anatomy...LOL! The sensation of passing the blood vs urine had a burning to it.

Interesting to hear of the stones as etiology...and it may be true wiith me as well. 6 months later I went to the ER with terrible pelvic/flank pain and although they never found it, they speculated I may have passed a stone.

Luckily no further problems. Hope yours goes as well Paula. :)

RN2Bn2006 · Jul 2, 2005

Thanks mattsmom81

Wishing you good luck on your urologist visit...and praying your news is good! Actually to answer your question, my urine was questionable for infection the doc said...so he covered both bases: we stopped the ASA and he gave me an antibiotic and it cleared right up.
I do remember he asked me how I knew for sure this (gross blood) was coming from my urethra. I got kinda pissed and told him even though I was only a student nurse, I knew my anatomy...LOL! The sensation of passing the blood vs urine had a burning to it.
Interesting to hear of the stones as etiology...and it may be true wiith me as well. 6 months later I went to the ER with terrible pelvic/flank pain and although they never found it, they speculated I may have passed a stone.
Luckily no further problems. Hope yours goes as well Paula. :)

Nurseinthemaking · Jul 30, 2005

I have Chronic Kidney Stone Disease and everything you are describing is everything I have dealt with.

I even woke up one morning peeing blood. I thought I was bleeding out. It scared the crap out of me. I got on the internet and the first thing it said was the same thing you saw. Consider it to be CA. I about died. I couldn't believe it, I just knew I had Ca. The ER did a CT on me and found massive amounts of stone throughout my whole urinary system, at this point they all seemed to be moving, just causing alot of pain.

2 weeks later I was in the OR for a Lithotripsy. That was my first time to have one removed. Let me tell you something. My doc looked at me weird when I was telling him where the pains were. They were low, very low. I felt like something was poking at me on my pubic bone, it burned to an extent and I was cramping all the time. He swore it wasn't a stone that was stuck but the 2nd CT said otherwise, so he had to eat crow and do the lithotripsy.

Stones are weird. You hurt, then you don't, then you hurt like hell, then you don't, then you cramp, then it hurts in the flank, then it hurts lower, sheesh it will drive you insane. Sometimes its agonizing sometimes it isn't. The only symptom I have that is consistant is my right flank hurts EVERY single morning I wake up. Sometimes it takes the wind out of me to get up and sometimes it doesn't but it never fails, if I have slept on the right side, I am going to know it because of the pain. He still can't figure that one out.

I think he finally got aggrivated with me, I had been in 6 months in a row, crying to him, because I needed something for pain, they would go in and do a KUB and/or an IVP and he would see several in both kidneys and one or 2 down in the ureters. He finally had me do a series of 2 Urinalysis and sent those off to Litholink out of Chicago. Now finally after years and years and years of suffering with this, they determined I have hypocalciuria and hypooxaluria and elevated sodium in my urine. SO...diet change AGAIN and he is putting me on hydroclorathiazide and potassium cytrate. I go in for more lab work after being on the meds for 2 weeks and then 2 months after starting the meds I have another round of a 2 day urnine collection.

So I guess what I am saying is blood in the urine can mean anything and NEVER go to the internet to determine your DX. It will scare the crud out of you. Hang in there.

Oh one more thing, I think the reason it took so long (almost 20 years of blood in my urine and on some case urine in my blood :) )to finally get on a path to recovery is because these Dr's kept throwing me in the "too hard to fix" pile and I kept having to find another doctor to help me.