What may increase your risk for problems from urinary symptoms?

Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your health professional.

Conditions

• Men older than age 60
• Postmenopausal
• Having only one functioning kidney
• History of kidney infections
• History of kidney stones
• History of kidney transplant
• History of nephrotic syndrome
• Pregnancy
• Previous urinary tract surgery
• Recent catheterization or having a catheter currently in place
• Recent urinary tract procedure, such as cystoscopy or a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)
• Sexual abuse
• A spinal cord injury
• Structural deformities of the urinary tract (present at birth or caused by injury or surgery)

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• Exercise, such as running and bicycling
• High-risk sexual behavior, such as a recent increase in sexual intercourse or a new partner
• Using a diaphragm or spermicide for birth control

Medicines

• Blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin, heparin, and aspirin
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Tricyclic antidepressants, such as Elavil or Tofranil
• Medicines to prevent nausea, such as Compazine or Phenergan
• Antihistamines or medicines that contain antihistamines, such as Actifed, Benadryl, Chlor-Trimeton, Dimetapp, or Tavist
• Antiarrhythmics, such as Norpace
• Calcium channel blockers, such as verapamil or diltiazem
• Gastrointestinal medicines, such as Donnatal, Librax, Lomotil, or Pro-Banthine
• Opiates, such as meperidine (Demerol) or morphine
• Psychotropic medications, such as phenothiazines
• Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
• Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
• Radiation therapy

Diseases

• Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
• Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia or idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP)
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Hemophilia
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Kidney disease, such as acute kidney failure or chronic kidney disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Reiter's syndrome
• Sickle cell disease
• Von Willebrand's disease