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Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance
Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance Takes All of Us

Released: November 04, 2025

Anonymous Patient
Anonymous Patient
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Key Takeaways
  • Antibiotics are a shared resource, not an endless one, necessitating conscientious stewardship to ensure ongoing availability.
  • Patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals must work together to achieve accurate diagnoses, appropriate prescribing, and adherence to treatment to slow the march of antibiotic resistance.

I never imagined that a “simple bladder issue” could lead to years of surgeries, infections, and antibiotic resistance. Here’s my story and what I hope you as a healthcare professional (HCP) can understand from a patient’s perspective.

After trying different medications for bladder control, my urologist recommended Botox injections, then a sling surgery, and later a revision. Before those procedures, they had implanted a device in my sacrum to help with incontinence. It never worked and instead caused unbearable leg pain. When the device was removed, I learned it had been contaminated with MRSA. What followed was 30 days of 3-hour antibiotic infusions and a wound vac. By the end, I was exhausted, frightened, and still struggling with infections that wouldn’t stop coming back. 

That’s when I learned that fighting infection isn’t just about getting antibiotics—it’s about protecting the ones that still work. 

That first infusion felt like crossing an invisible line from something “simple” to something serious and frightening. The infection wasn’t just in my bladder anymore; it had reached my kidneys. I was exhausted and scared, and angry that something so common could spiral so quickly. 

Living With the Burden of Complicated UTIs
The physical toll was obvious—pain, fatigue, and constant trips to the bathroom—but the emotional impact was worse. I had to plan my days around bathrooms and lab appointments. I avoided travel and intimacy. Every slight fever or discomfort made me panic: Is it back again? 

My medical journey became even more complicated when a pacemaker/defibrillator was implanted against my wishes after a complication during a Botox procedure. It was the height of COVID, and my husband couldn’t be there to advocate for me. I felt like I had lost control of my own care. Looking back, I realize how little was understood about the link between my autoimmune diseases and incontinence and how much suffering might have been avoided if that connection had been recognized earlier. 

In the community of people with complicated UTIs, I discovered I wasn’t alone. Women shared stories of antibiotics that no longer worked, weeks of catheterization, and complications like kidney stones or hospitalization for sepsis. Some described cycling through sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin, and cefdinir only to be told their bacteria were resistant to all 3. Others found themselves on prolonged courses of IV therapy because of sulfa allergies or chronic conditions, like Sjögren’s, chronic kidney disease, or Parkinson’s, which can complicate bladder emptying. 

The frustration echoed through every post: delays in getting urine cultures, inconsistent prescribing, and confusion about whether the problem was autoimmune, hormonal, or purely infectious. People compared preventive strategies—cranberry capsules, D-mannose, methenamine, topical estrogen—and debated when it was safe to stop antibiotics or to insist on culture-guided therapy. 

When Treatment Choices Narrow
When treatment choices narrow, the frustration is overwhelming. After so many rounds of antibiotics and surgeries, my UTI became antibiotic resistant, and I was dependent on a catheter for months. Each new prescription brought more fear; what if nothing worked? I began tracking every culture, drug, and side effect myself, because no single doctor seemed to see the full picture. 

That record became my lifeline. It helped me ask better questions: 

  • Which antibiotic is my culture actually sensitive to? 
  • Can we reevaluate whether this is infection or just inflammation? 
  • What can I do to prevent recurrence without more resistance to drugs? 

Looking back, I wish someone had explained how each new antibiotic changed the balance inside my body and that sometimes “more” wasn’t better. Understanding antimicrobial resistance sooner might have spared me months of recovery. We patients must learn to be our own advocates in a fragmented system where our care often depends on which HCP we happen to see.  Taking this level of control is often the hardest part.

How HCPs Can Help
Antimicrobial resistance is both a global issue and one that’s deeply personal. Each prescription, each missed follow-up, each delay in getting a culture shapes future treatment options. Patients in our community ask for simple but powerful changes: 

  1. Culture before prescribing. Too many antibiotics are started “just in case.” Rapid tests or empiric antibiotics may be necessary for severe symptoms, but a confirmatory culture should follow. When it doesn’t, resistant organisms continue to multiply undetected.
  2. Review prior microbiology. Many patients bounce between urgent care centers and primary offices. Accessing shared records could prevent redundant or ineffective prescriptions. 
  3. Communicate clearly about side effects and duration. Because of side effects, some patients stopped taking antibiotics early once they felt better. They didn't understand that incomplete treatment allows resistant bacteria to come back stronger. 
  4. Address underlying causes. Structural or neurologic bladder issues, catheter use, or vaginal atrophy can perpetuate infection cycles. Collaboration between urology, gynecology, and primary care can break that loop, leading to less use of antibiotics.
  5. Treat the person, not just the pathogen. Chronic infections bring anxiety, isolation, and shame. Small gestures, such as explaining test results and validating fears, restore trust and adherence. 

How Patients Can Help 
Fighting antimicrobial resistance takes all of us. Patients have an important role:  

  • Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Finishing the full course is mandatory, not optional. 
  • Don’t self-start treatment with leftover pills or demand antibiotics “just in case.” 
  • Stay hydrated and follow preventive guidance. For some, that includes topical estrogen or bladder-training therapy. 
  • Make your own list of infections, cultures, and antibiotic responses. Take it with you to discuss when you're having a problem: "This keeps coming back. Please take a look at my list here." Also take a copy for yourself to make the discussion easy. 
  • Advocate respectfully for culture-guided care: “Could we check the infection's sensitivity before we decide?” 

As one patient put it, “I learned the hard way that my bacteria outsmarted me every time I took an antibiotic I didn’t really need.” 

A Shared Responsibility
Antimicrobial resistance thrives in silence and fragmentation. Patients, caregivers, and HCPs each hold a piece of the solution. We can work together with accurate diagnostics, appropriate prescribing, and adherence to treatment to slow the march of resistance. 

For those living with recurrent or complicated UTIs, that partnership can mean the difference between oral therapy at home and IV therapy in a hospital bed. 

Final Thoughts
I am not an HCP, but I have lived this experience. The next time a culture is ordered or an antibiotic is prescribed, I hope we all pause to remember that these drugs are a shared resource, not an endless one. Every pill taken wisely, every infection prevented, and every conversation that builds understanding of the problem is a small move toward progress in the larger fight against antimicrobial resistance. 

Your Thoughts
In your practice, what are your biggest struggles with appropriate antibiotic prescribing, and what steps do you take to try and mitigate them?