[Question #6831] Chlamydia symptoms for a female?

64 months ago

(Female, 29) To start, I’ve already been to the doctor and given a urine test for UTI and chlamydia. I’m waiting on results and I’m worried. I just wanted to ask a question because I’m anxious.

For a good while (I honestly can’t remember how long it has been), my urine has smelled weird in the morning. At first, I thought it was a UTI, but I wasn’t having stinging like I have in the past. I’m not always great at drinking water so I kinda shook it off. I’m diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive and I figured I was just being paranoid. Plus, I get nervous about going to doctors about UTIs because sometimes I am being paranoid. The last time I thought I might have one, I didn’t have stinging and the doctor essentially scoffed at me even though I explained that I get them pretty regularly and sometimes I don’t really have pain. Anyway, my point is that I just shrugged it off.

But it hasn’t gone away. It’s kind cloudy too. Again, this is mainly in the morning. The rest of the day, my pee doesn’t have that smell like in the morning. I should also mention that I feel like when I wake up in the morning, I feel the pressure to pee more than usual. But again, no stinging pain. Maybe a little discomfort. I don’t feel urgency the rest of the day.

I’ve started to get concerned that it’s Chlamydia. I haven’t really had irregular discharge that I can remember until the pst couple days due to what I believe is a yeast infection (I also get those and BV relatively often). I had to digitally check my discharge and it seems a little bit chunky, which I assume is yeast. I know chlamydia can produce an abnormal discharge, but I don’t believe it would appear this way and I feel like I would have been having that issue more than 2 days ago since I’ve been having the urine smell issue for a while. My question is, how often do women with chlamydia present with smelly urine in the morning? Is it more likely to be dehydration or a mild UTI?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

64 months ago

Welcome to our Forum and thanks for your questions. I'll be glad to comment. I appreciate the details you have provided regarding your history, they are quite helpful. A few more questions may help me in responding to your questions as well-

1. Have you been tested for chlamydia recently? When and what were the results?

2. Do you have recent sex partners? How many over the past several months? Casual or as part of a committed relationship?

Having asked those questions- some initial thoughts. Chlamydia infections in women are notoriously difficult to detect on the basis of clinical findings. Most infections are asymptomatic and symptoms such as vaginal discharge are typically not overly helpful. The most prominent symptom that you have noted however, an abnormal urine odor and cloudy urine are not symptoms typically present or associated with chlamydial infections. OTOH, these are symptoms commonly associated with insufficient liquid intake. While you wait for your test results (which will be most helpful), I would suggest that you set a daily goal of drinking at least two quarts of water or other liquid daily. A UTI could also certainly cause these finding.

I hope that these comments are helpful. EWH

---