New way to manage muscle spasms

[August West]

My urologist gave me the green light to start macrobid at the first sign of a UTI symptom and and stop taking the macrobid once the symptom goes away. My first symptom is usually a sharp increase in muscle spasms without any other explanation. Doctor said this method does not apply in general but it's fine to manage UTI symptoms.

Before, I would try to increase water intake for several days. If that wouldn't work, I'd wait for lab sensitivities. Two weeks could go by before I'd finally take an antibiotic. In that time, the spasms would grow stronger every day and other symptoms may start too. In hindsight, I'll go as far as to say that all this waiting made the antibiotics less effective. Because waiting enables bacteria to grow stronger and more resistant.

Now I don't wait. First sign and I take a macrobid. Often one pill is all it takes to stop the spasms if I nip it in the bud. I find this to be a very effective way to manage acute leg spasms (of course, it's not the answer for chronic spasms). 36 years, and still learning!

[SCI-Nurse]

Macrobid (Nitrofurantoin) used to be used to prevent recurrent UTI's but most of the time it didn't or the organisms just became resistant to the Macrobid and Macrobid can have serious side effects in some people if taken for a long time.

But if it works then continue it. It just might not be the answer for everyone!
CWO

[August West]

Before my kidney stones were removed macrobid plus potassium citrate daily kept me free of UTIs. After the kidney stones were removed, I still take potassium citrate daily but take macrobid only as needed. Maybe one or two pills a month.

It’s working for me.

[crags]

If a doctor is going to trust the patient in self diagnosing UTI and starting antibiotic, the patient should drop off a specimen before taking the first dose and continue taking the full course if it is the correct antibiotic. If it is not, then another one needs to be substituted. To be self diagnosing UTI and then only taking a few pills I would think would leave one at higher risk for antibiotic resistance as the bacteria can genetically learn to deal with the antibiotic while it is at a concentration insufficient enough to kill it.

[August West]

What my doctor said makes sense to me. More importantly, it's working and it's working better than before when I was going about it the way you say.

[August West]

I think you missed an important part. I'm not treating a UTI perse. I'm treating a symptom (muscle spasms) as soon as possible before the condition worsens and I get more serious symptoms like fever and flank pain. In which case, I'd treat it like a UTI and submit a specimen.

[August West]

Bacteria resistance is an interesting topic. There are two schools of thought:

1. Not finishing a dose of antibiotics kills only weak bacteria but not the strong bacteria. Hence, the strong bacteria multiply or worse they mutate.
2. Taking more antibiotics than necessary provides more time for bacteria to get accustomed to and resistant to the antibiotic. Hence, the strong bacteria multiply or worse they mutate.

I think there are studies that support both cases. Therefore, it really comes down to managing it patient to patient and case by case.