UTI or urinary retention and inhalers

Update: Tezspire injections started. But took 5 months after insurance prior authorization went through. No one told me that insurance would pay for it. Why? The doc’s practice didn’t want to pay for it first & get reimbursed. So all the infections & steroids during the summer were because of MONEY. I was told quietly by a nurse that if it didn’t kick in by 6 months it might never will. I just had my 5th dose. O2 keeps going down. No recent steroid use. But now it’s been 2 months since he tried to push through a script for a new rescue inhaler.
OY!! Word of advice to anyone: chase it. No one at the insurance company gave me the direct response (started in May ‘23) until August. Had to squeeze everyone & play dumb at judicious times to get to a supervisor type to explain.. I have another “situation” that is going to make things worse, gotta get surgery. Oh, & try a sleep study. They’ve tried helping my breathing (sarcasm here), & just finished figuring out my O2 levels were dipping into low 80s when I slept. After 6 sleep studies. Sorry for TMI.. just tired.
Thanks for reading this all if u did. Hopefully something helps someone.

I have asthma since childhood, and have enjoyed many years without anny major issues until I had Covid 2 years ago. Since then, I've had chronic bronchitis and asthma issues. Over the past 2 years I've been taking Albuterol plus various inhalers and medications. Nothing effectively works long term. Last fall I was put on Breo (200/25) and it worked for about 5-6 months, then it didn't. I was recently put on Trelegy and it works great except for the side effects that started 16 days later with bladder pain and urinary frequency. I was told to stop it and go to my primary care to make sure it wasn't a UTI. Interesting. I'm 75 yo and have had very, very few UTIs, so I can't wait to see how this turns out. I just thought I'd share my experience with inhalers.

Best I can tell, your link takes me to a very long article related to reproductive rights. I see nothing about COPD and urinary issues.

@jcold5619, you're quite right that the link from WebMD is no longer valid. I have removed it.

Here is a study looking at the relationship between inhaled, long-acting anticholinergic medication (LAA), commonly used for moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and urinary tract infection (UTI),

- Inhaled Long-acting Anticholinergics and Urinary Tract Infection in Individuals with COPD https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27732117/

Thank you for the follow up.

Have a great afternoon.

Jim

I have just started using Trilogy for what my pulminologist prescribed for asthma. At the same time I have had UTI. The pulmonologist is now looking for another reason for the "asthma." I will have an echocardiogram and stress test and then a CT. In the past year I have been diagnosed with heart arrhythmia. I'm seeing my general practitioner Monday to determine if my incontinence and UTI and he will refer me to a urologist - for possible surgery for the UTI frequencey -have had 3 in this year.
Meanwhile - I am wondering if all of these issues could be related to long term COVID and if using Trilogy may be causing these symptoms.

Just diagnosed w/asthma & COPD (stage 2) & very worried about UTIs.
Had them chronically for 7 yrs. Know that if you go to medical facility over possible UTI they must do a culture WITH SENSITIVITY. The culture identifies the bacteria. The SENSITIVITY tells what will kill it. Needed because too many antibiotic-resistant strains nowadays. I kept getting e coli resistant to everything but Cephalosporins, follow-up UTI of pseudomonas/klebsiella aruginosa - susceptible to everything BUT Cephalosporins. Then 500 mg of Keflex 3x/day for 10 days failed to kill the e coli. Luckily the ER doc gave me a shot of Rocephin, a 3d generation Cephalosporin, which killed the e coli, and a walkin gave me Keflex to kill the pseudomonas.
I already have interstitial cystitis, a urinary disease w/no cure, & the UTIs were killing me. I went back to my distant IC specialist & he fixed me in 1 visit - put me on Hiprex. It prevents (but does not cure) UTIs. Didn't know there was such a drug! Life-changing for me.
After a test using an Albuterol nebulizer I feared I was getting a UTI. Never using that again. Too big a risk. And pulmonologist prescribed steroid inhaler but over $500!!! Trying to find one that's affordable that won't mess up my bladder.

'm 85 years old and have had UTI's for many, many years. I cannot use Bactrim because I'm on warfarin for DVT"s. So far Amoxicilin has worked for me. I would start another UTI around a month after the last one. (sometimes sooner) FINALLY I came across a senior forum about UTI's and D-MANNOSE (i use AZO brand) and since starting it, I haven't had a UTI this year which has never happened before. People swear by this and now I do too. I also have Asthma and COPD and on Symbicort twice a day and Albuterol for flare ups. Once in a while I have a problem with a sore mouth (thrush) and then I rinse with baking soda and water and it goes away after two rinses. I did notice an increase in UTI after starting Albuterol some years ago but D-Mannose has taken care of that. I also have a rinse bottle I use every time I go potty. I put a squirt of peroxide in a pint bottle of water. I'm saving up to have a Bidet installed. I did get tired of being asked if I wipe front to back though.

Just have to ask! How is your fluid intake......extremely important. Acidic fluids if tolerated, like cranberry juice can be helpful or there are cranberry tablets as well. Curious to know, have any of the physiciansdiagnosed why you are having all these UTIs? The medication in the inhalers called anticholinergics can cause urinary hesitancy so don't be surprised if it takes a little longer to initiate flow. Drink fluids!!!!!!!

Hi, @labloverfl - just wondering how things are going with your inhalers? What did the doctor make of your bladder pain and urinary frequency -- was it linked to inhaler use?

@barbharps, did you find out if your inhaler was connected to the incontinence and UTI frequency?

@still4writin - I have also found the cost of inhalers painful. I have two plus a rescue inhaler for my asthma. I've not yet found any that controlled my symptoms well and were affordable. We've just had to adjust our insurance selections accordingly to account for the inhaler costs. Did your pulmonologist have a suggestion for an inhaler that would be affordable and not mess up your bladder?