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Hi,
I have had bouts of Cystitis on and off for a couple of years, but I noticed there was blood in my urine. I went to my gp who did a dip and said it was a UTI and gave me Nitrofurantoin. I also had a blood test and it showed blood in my urine there. She has now referred me to an Urology clinic urgently. Should I be concerned? The blood is no longer visible in the dip sample but she said to be on the safe side to send me. Is there a specific marker in the blood tests that I should be concerned about? I don’t want to waste the Urology Team’s time but it has me concerned.

Blood in urine is not an uncommon finding and more often than not, it won't be anything sinister BUT it does need investigating. Usually, you'll have a scan and a telescope examination of your bladder (cystoscopy). Common causes are: cystitis (UTI), stones, kidney disease, some bleeding disorders, bleeding from the prostate (in men) and bladder tumours / bladder cancer (which although not the most common cause is clearly the most important to exclude). Like most cancers, early detection makes it easier to treat and cure so well worth getting checked out - it is not a waste of Urology's time!