UTI?

Jack D

Premier Member
#1
If you don't know what a UTI is you can probably stop reading here. I am wondering if long distance riding increases the chances of getting a UTI. In 2015 I was riding my FJR from Albuquerque to Hurricane, Utah, a distance of ~525 miles. I typically make this trip a couple of times a year. About 300 miles into the trip I got a bad case of chills and trembling. I stopped and called my Utah friends to come get me and then lay down in the dirt next to my bike. After a couple of hours I finally decided I could continue the trip. Omitting details I met them about 100 miles from their home. One friend rode the FJR while the other friend drove the truck and I rode passenger feeling quite sick. The next day I went to an urgent care center and was diagnosed with a UTI. I took anti-biotics and stayed in bed for 2 days before I could get up and do something. Fast forward to February 7th of 2020. My wife and I were having lunch at a pizzeria when I suddenly had chills so we went home. That night my wife checked on me and I was unresponsive so she called 911 and an ambulance took me to the ER where I almost died as they were having problems getting my heart started. I stayed in the ICU for 7 days as I had sepsis. The medical staff thought the sepsis was caused by a UTI. The sepsis ate a hole in my heart's mitral valve which caused me to have open heart surgery. I prefer to not have my chest cracked again so I am wary of UTIs now. I am wondering if my habit of 12+ hour days riding increases the liklihood of another UTI. I typically ride with a pad to catch any urine drips. That too might have an affect. So I would like to hear from other ld riders about their experiences with UTIs and if they have reason to believe that long hours in the saddle is a contributing factor.
 

Avi Azrieli

Premier Member
#2
Sorry to hear of your painful experiences. I'm not a physician, but a Google search reveals a possible connection between physical inactivity, (i.e. sitting in the saddle for a long time) and Urinary Tract Infections. See, for example, this research in Nursing Times:
Sitting and inactivity may increase risk of urinary tract symptoms
https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/r...se-risk-of-urinary-tract-symptoms-21-03-2018/

Besides UTI, there are many other risks to sitting for long periods. Some might be fatal, such as blood clots, some are more long term. See:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005

LD riders should be physically active on the bike by moving around the saddle, changing position often, stretching arms and legs, standing up (if you ride the 'right' bike :), etc, as well as more intense activities during fuel stops. Attending my first rally years ago, I remember Shuey Wolfe regaling us with descriptions of his various aerobic and strength exercises while moving at highway speeds.
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#3
I think you need to have a serious chat with your GP. If ~500 miles can cause problems, 1,000+ almost certainly will. I don't want to discourage someone from pursuing a hobby, but I would definitely suggest erring on the side of caution. You don't want to be 750 miles away from home and have heart problems on a motorcycle. That's as good of a recipe for disaster as I've ever heard.

There are ways to stay "active" on a motorcycle, but we are talking about grocery shopping levels of activity, not hiking through the woods levels of activity. In the big picture, it's still a sedentary activity.
 

Jack D

Premier Member
#4
I think you need to have a serious chat with your GP. If ~500 miles can cause problems, 1,000+ almost certainly will. I don't want to discourage someone from pursuing a hobby, but I would definitely suggest erring on the side of caution. You don't want to be 750 miles away from home and have heart problems on a motorcycle. That's as good of a recipe for disaster as I've ever heard.

There are ways to stay "active" on a motorcycle, but we are talking about grocery shopping levels of activity, not hiking through the woods levels of activity. In the big picture, it's still a sedentary activity.
Thanks, I am not pursuing a new hobby but deciding whether to continue with my old one.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#5
How much fluid are you taking in while riding? I understand the mixed issue of not wanting to have to stop and pee, Vs the need to hydrate and keep fluids moving thru the system. The other thought is are you riding the stock seat?
 

Jack D

Premier Member
#6
Thanks for all the replies. I had one private message from an ld rider that had a UTI during a ride. Nobody else has said that they had ever had a UTI. With regards to a stock seat, I have had only one bike that allowed me to ride long distances with the stock seat which was a GL1800. Every other bike had a Russell Day Long, I have recently tried a couple of the Russell Sport seats because of my short legs but they are not working for me so I will be returning to the Day Long. Here is the reply I wrote to the sender of the private message:

Actually I have only had 2 that I know of and only one of those occurred while on a motorcycle. The second one, if it really was a UTI, went septic and was quite serious. I have ridden 300-400 thousand miles since I started street riding in 1998. From your IBA number I would assume that you have also racked up quite a few miles. You have only had one during a ride as have I. I am thinking that with those numbers that motorcycle riding is not a cause. I used to drink water at gas stops but decided that wasn't the best way especially when gas stops might not be for 3-400 miles. So I started using a Camelback bladder in the rear pocket of my Klim jacket, I have the hose flopping around in my vision which reminds me to take drinks frequently.

Thanks again for the replies.
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#7
Good to hear you are around to still be able to enjoy life for awhile longer.

I urinate & hydrate at each stop. I'm not a medical Dr. , or PA, etc. but I understand drinking plenty of fluids and urinating frequently ( flushing your bladder ) helps prevent UTI's.

Riding a MC doesn't seem to be any more inactive than spending a day sitting in a recliner.

Of course if you question your Dr. , he will advise you not to take long rides since you were doing that before you went to the ER, but that doesn't mean it was the cause - it could just be a coincidence. I say this because I would think it takes days to develop a serious UTI , not only 300 miles.

I would keep riding and take cranberry pills starting a few days before the ride and the day of the ride.
 
#8
Retired Critical Care RN here and this is NOT a medical prescription in any way but I was taught in Nursing School that Cranberry juice was a good 'preventative' or 'lessened the risk of UTI's'.

Several years ago I started a super long ride that I have planned for over months to include 22K+ miles in 30 days that would have included a B2b, the Key West to Prudome Bay, all of Canada's rideable provinces and territories and a c2c.

The day before the ride my low back started to hurt and I passed it off as back pain due to packing the trailer I was going to tow on this Voyage. After doing the Mexico to Canada portion I took a day or two and visited my brother in Seattle cuz the back was still bothering me. I proceeded into Canada enroute to Prudome Bay but couldn't do more than 350 miles a day ---- the back was hurting, the weather damp, chill, and rainy in BC so I passed the chills I was feeling as being cold---- out came the heated gear and still I couldn't break that 350 mile/day barrier.

Long ride was aborted and I eventually made my way back home. Back was still hurting but I wasn't chilling anymore in Utah where I lived at the time!

Got a couple of adjustments at the local 'bone cracker' but still the pain persisted. Eventually, I had to go back to work and as soon as I leaned back in that office chair my pain level shot up through the roof---- Went home sick.

Next day I went to my regular doctor who listened to my story, gently pressed on the right side of my lower back and told me I probably had a KIDNEY infection (known risk due to one of my Diabetes control meds). I started the prescribed antibiotic and by the 3rd dose at 12 hour intervals my back pain was gone.

I had never had a kidney infection before and haven't again since I stopped that particular med and had endured that pain on the right side of my back just above my pelvis for almost 6 weeks.

Long story short---- don't self diagnose and if the pain lasts more than a few days get it evaluated!
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#9
Ya, I know exactly what you are talking about. It happened to my good friend and Great Lakes 100 riding buddy who was diabetic. He died as a result of his kidney infection.

My general rule of thumb is : If any condition doesn't improve in 3 days, then see a doctor to be evaluated.