Why Does Age Matter?

That sounds strange, my DH had a UTI and was prescribed antibiotics by the chemist and he is in his mid seventies.
I would have asked the chemist why this is the case. Or speak to your GP if you have one - we only ever get nurse practitioners but tbh they could probs also tell you why.

I have heard that women over 64 shoukd only be prescribed by a gp. There is a medical reason why.

This happened to my SIL (mid 60s) and she was distressed by it. Is it some thing to do with being femail too?

I don't think it's exclusively female. But sepsis and/or confusion as a complication of UTI is quite common in the over 65's even if otherwise fit, also if the infection goes to your kidneys it's more likely to cause mild kidney failure in older people.
So I think although most cystitis is still uncomplicated, because there are these complications associated with it the GP needs to check for early signs of them before prescribing antibiotics & sending you away.

I think the standard antibiotic for UTIs is to be used with caution if over 65

As some replies above make clear, age matters because age makes a difference and sometimes that could be dangerous.

Hope you can get a quick GP appointment.

I used to get it now and then, and if caught very early - as soon as the first symptoms appeared - I found that the cystitis relief sachets you can buy in supermarkets now now, would see it off very quickly.

The only time I needed antibiotics, was after a dose of it while on hols in Cyprus, when I couldn’t get the sachets anywhere, and nothing any pharmacist recommended was any good.

So it was a case of GP and ABs as soon as I was home, after a spoiled last couple of days. Needless to say, I don’t go anywhere without a supply of the sachets now, and always keep some at home.

Lots of simple medications via pharmacists should be used with caution in the over 65s. As valdali points out and GPs take this into account.

What are the sachets in supermarkets?

I take d mannose if I feel that I’m coming down with cystitis. You can get it from Holland and Barrett or online from But I do think you need to see a doctor. If you can’t get an appointment I’d take a urine sample to the doctors and insist that someone tests it. Do it in the morning because sometimes they get sent away. You can also buy test strips from a chemist or online to check if blood is present.

I buy them online from sweetcures. They post them very quickly because they know how desperate people are to start using them.

Having worked in a pharmacy I can answer your question. At that age it can be other thing that mascaraed as cystitis or even thrush. There is a reason for it.

MayBee70 a bladder shreds cells all the time so blood could be present on a test strip and not be indicative of anything serious!

I have had the same thing happen for UTI I was 68 at the time can't understand it

NannyC1

MayBee70 a bladder shreds cells all the time so blood could be present on a test strip and not be indicative of anything serious!

The test strips show the amount of blood on a scale, though, so a miniscule amount wouldn’t necessarily show that there’s an infection. I always kept some in my medicine cupboard when I went through a phase of having UTI’s.

Also, if you are not already using it, vaginal estrogen helps prevent cystitis by restoring vaginal pH balance, reducing harmful bacteria and improving vaginal tissue health. All of which help lower the risk of infections.

I presented at the GP numerous times with UTIs, eventually she sent me to a urogenital specialist who said I had vaginal atrophy. I was prescribed vaginal estrogen and have never looked back , no UTIs since using it.

This happened to me recently, the pharmacist couldn't prescribe but she could contact my GP's and request a phone call for me.. That then involved a trip to the GP, urine sample and eventually an antibiotic prescription..

I tried getting antibiotics from the pharmacy last year only to be told that at 69 I was too old. On their advice I called the GP.........."'no appointments available, sorry" was the receptionists response. She did advise me to call NHS 111 as the suspected ear 'infection' was compromising my balance.

I call NHS 111 and received a call back from a Doctor who immediately made me an appointment at the local Urgent Care Centre. On arrival, the waiting room was heaving and a sign on the notice board said 'waiting time up to 4 hours for walk-ins'. My bum had hardly touched the seat when I was called through, examined and given a prescription.

Amazing service by NHS 111 and Urgent Care but the look on the faces of all those in the waiting room was priceless. The point I am trying to make here is, follow the right channels and you do get seen.

On the few occasions I've suffered with this I've always used sachets bought over the counter but can't remember the name, they worked very well. Good luck.

Its a lottery ever getting through to the gp and as for an appointment don't hold your breathe.

Cystitis - Non Prescription Medication
Potassium Citrate Mixture 200ml. Effective Cystitis Relief. ...
Cystopurin Cystitis Relief Sachets – 6 Sachets. Helps Relieve Symptoms Associated With Cystitis. ...
Cystocalm Cystitis Relief – 6 Sachets. ...
Aqua-Ban Tablets – 30 Tablets. ...
Canesoasis Cystitis Relief Sachets – 6 Sachets.

knspol

On the few occasions I've suffered with this I've always used sachets bought over the counter but can't remember the name, they worked very well. Good luck.

Cystocalm from SAVERS, much cheaper than other branded cystitis relief sachets but exactly the same ingredients.
And very effective

Thank you all for your comments. I rang 111 and a Doctor rang back within the hour. He said if things were no better by this morning to contact my surgery and he would put notes on my record. Rang the surgery today, given an Advanced Nurse Practitioner appointment and he prescribed a 3 day course of antibiotics. The dip test did show something to do with white blood tests and he has sent it off for further tests in case I need a different antibiotic.