Is it possible to confuse a Kidney Infection with a Urinary Tract Infection?

Question

I went to the doctor because I was feeling sick to my stomach and shaky and dizzy and I hadn't eaten in 3 days. She took my blood and told me I had a UTI. From what I read on line it seems more like I have a kidney infection. She prescribed me antibiotics and they are not helping. What should I do?? Thanks.

Answer 1

A kidney infection IS a UTI, but a UTI isn't necessarily a kidney infection

Answer 2

You can't mistake a UTI for a kidney infection but you CAN mistake a kidney infection for a UTI because a lot of the time UTI's actually cause kidney infections. So they may have just tested for the UTI and saw that it was positive so they didn't check for anything else when you possibly had a UTI and a kidney infection. Take your antibiotics they perscribed you and if over a few days you're not feeling any better call your doctor and let them know you need to be tested for a kidney infection. Kidney infections usually are really painful, on the side of your lower back kind of wrapping around your side.

The antibiotics for a UTI are not strong enough to get rid of a kidney infection so you will know after a few days.

Do you have a fever? Usually kidney infections come with higher fevers (102-104F)

GOOD LUCK, hope you feel better, kidney infections are no fun at all.

<hugs> Toni Lynne

Answer 3

They're quite similar infections, and usually a kidney infection results from a UTI. Often an infection in the bladder or urethra moves up the urinary track to the kidneys. The whole area can be called the 'urinary track' so a kidney infection could come under the umbrella of UTIs, but UTI is more commonly associated with infections like cystits.

Most of the time, the antibiotics prescribed would treat both. In my experiance they normally only kick in for UTIs after a few days.

Keep taking the course, if at the end you are still unwell, see your doctor again and tell her. Ask her, if you are worried about  a kidney infection.