1. < Kidney & Bladder

UTI or urinary retention and inhalers

Posted by mchristmas @mchristmas, Dec 5, 2020

Anyone experience having re occurring utis due to starting inhalers. I was diagnosed with asthma this year and I’ve tried 3 different inhalers with long breaks in between and each time I get an awful uti or urinary retention symptoms. At this point my utis are becoming antibiotic resistant. On research studies it says it happens with inhalers containing ipratropium and salbutamol. My pharmacist believes it’s because of the steroid in the inhaler but my urologist and allergist haven’t run into this problem before. Does anyone know of names of inhalers that I could use that won’t cause this problem?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Kidney & Bladder Support Group.

slh5757 | @slh5757 | May 23 1:49pm
In reply to @cehunt57 "I hate it when a med or treatment for one thing leads to side effects or..." + (show)
@cehunt57

I hate it when a med or treatment for one thing leads to side effects or problems in another area! Have you reported this to your provider? Perhaps there is an alternate med or dose that will alleviate the problem? I wouldn’t just stop the med on my own without seeking advice from the prescribing provider.

Jump to this post

Thank you. I will report to my Pulmonologist next visit but in the meantime, I do have other things that I use for mild asthma wheezing/shortness of breath that do not have side effects. I was really experimenting with the Spiriva for something that would help with nighttime asthma so I would not wake up and need to use a rescue inhaler, Xopenex. That is only periodically and usually when I have eaten a food that I do not tolerate.

REPLY
hicopd | @hicopd | May 24 9:40am

Muscarinic Agonists like ipatropium and tiotropium are known to potentially cause urinary retention.

Yupelri is a different muscarinic agonist that is only via jet nebulizer and NOT supposed to cause urinary retention if your provider wishes you to try it. I took it for a while.

I’ve been taking Dupixent and Trelegy since November 2024 and so far, it’s been a great combo for me. Trelegy does have a muscarinic agonist though, so may be tough for folks prone to urinary tract infections. The combo has helped keep me free of exacerbations.

REPLY
elaine21 | @elaine21 | Jun 20 9:58am
In reply to @rowun4 "Update: Tezspire injections started. But took 5 months after insurance prior authorization went through. No one..." + (show)
@rowun4

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.

Jump to this post

I’m very worried of using Tezspire. Looking into the medicine it only has been out since 2022, therefore, they don’t have enough data to say what the side effects are. I don’t have COPD nor asthma. I do have allergies and get monthly shots, but my chronic cough does not go away. As you, they want to do a sleep apnea study. I don’t see how that’s going to cure my chronic cough. So frustrating!

REPLY
1 reply
rowun4 | @rowun4 | Jun 20 11:33am
In reply to @elaine21 "I’m very worried of using Tezspire. Looking into the medicine it only has been out since..." + (show)
@elaine21

I’m very worried of using Tezspire. Looking into the medicine it only has been out since 2022, therefore, they don’t have enough data to say what the side effects are. I don’t have COPD nor asthma. I do have allergies and get monthly shots, but my chronic cough does not go away. As you, they want to do a sleep apnea study. I don’t see how that’s going to cure my chronic cough. So frustrating!

Jump to this post

Do the sleep study, but make sure they test for hypo ones..(low oxygen levels when you sleep).
After 6 sleep studies someone finally decided to have a pulse ox monitor attached monitoring throughout the study. They found I barely slept, but every time I did my o2 levels crashed. Now that they have me on oxygen during the night.. no more morning headaches and feeling drained.
It all can be a pain in the butt or daunting, but the diagnosis & management.. it can add years to your life & prevent other problems in the future.

REPLY
Mentor
Cheryl, Volunteer Mentor | @cehunt57 | Jun 21 10:30am
In reply to @labloverfl "Hi there, @lisalucier, @barbharps very sorry for the late reply. Yes, the Trelagy was the cause..." + (show)
@labloverfl

Hi there, @lisalucier, @barbharps very sorry for the late reply.
Yes, the Trelagy was the cause of the bladder pain, etc., and the pulmonologist I was seeing was not helping me, so I found a new pulmonologist that I really like and is much more aggressive in treating my asthma. We went over my history and did some tests and based on the outcomes (it seems I also have bronchiectasis) she put me on Advair HFA 230-21 mcg. It has helped a lot, but I'm still getting breakthroughs. The next step is getting me on Dupixent that I will start on in the next week or two. I'm hopeful this will work, but I'm a little concerned about possible side effects, so I'll just have to see how it goes.

@still4writin, unfortunately I don't think there are any easily affordable inhalers. I've lost count of the various ones I've been on. They either did not work for me or presented side effects that did not resolve. Good luck with finding one that work for you.

Jump to this post

@labloverfl I noticed you mentioned “bronchiectasis” as a diagnosis that you have. I believe there is a group &/or discussion that pertains to this. You might find it interesting and helpful. The volunteer mentor is @sueinmn.

REPLY
Kathleen | @kabob | 6 days ago

Urinary issues are a side effect of many types of inhalers we use, due to the medicines used to open up our airways, etc. (check yours). That whole antibiotic thing can be a nightmare. I get it! You have my sympathies. I have been using something called D-Mannose - comes in powder or capsule. It can help with one type of bacteria that can cause UTIs, but not all. I have had no new Urinary infections for the past 2 years (knock on wood). Do some research, and of course check with your health care provider. I sure hope you can find a solution!

REPLY
1 reply
Kathleen | @kabob | 6 days ago
In reply to @km6 "I take Mannos twice a day. You should be able to find it in a good..." + (show)
@km6

I take Mannos twice a day. You should be able to find it in a good health food store.
It helps prevent uti. And lots of water

Jump to this post

Yes, D-Mannose has helped me too - no UTI's for the past 2 years! It is useful for one type of bacteria that can cause UTIs.

REPLY
bettyz | @bettyz | 6 days ago
In reply to @kabob "Urinary issues are a side effect of many types of inhalers we use, due to the..." + (show)
@kabob

Urinary issues are a side effect of many types of inhalers we use, due to the medicines used to open up our airways, etc. (check yours). That whole antibiotic thing can be a nightmare. I get it! You have my sympathies. I have been using something called D-Mannose - comes in powder or capsule. It can help with one type of bacteria that can cause UTIs, but not all. I have had no new Urinary infections for the past 2 years (knock on wood). Do some research, and of course check with your health care provider. I sure hope you can find a solution!

Jump to this post

I am in the midst of an antibiotic-resistant uti myself, use Symbicort, Albuterol and an Incruse inhaler for copd. I had noticed the urine retention problem when I hadn't been able to leave a sample. A wonderful doctor at an Urgent Care agreed with my inhaler theory & put me on cranberry pills - not juice but pills - to change the pH of my urine. He said it would help prevent the bacteria from sticking to the bladder. I will be comparing the cranberry pills to D-Mannose, really appreciate your post, Kathleen.

REPLY
anna17 | @anna17 | 6 days ago
In reply to @anna17 "I finally started using it too and so far (9months) no UTI's. I usually had two..." + (show)
@anna17

I finally started using it too and so far (9months) no UTI's. I usually had two or more a year, I'm only taking one a day. Is that how you started out?

Jump to this post

Yes I only take one a day and lots of water during the day. I also use my
home made BIDET (a dish detergent bottle with peroxide and water in it) and
baby wipes after a BM then rinse well. I'm also wearing pads for pee leaks
and put liners on them and change the liners frequently during the day.

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.