I have been having recurrent kidney infections every 6 months since graduating from college 4 years ago. I ve been in and out of hospitals with pyelonephritis - my symptoms have included low grade fevers, debilitating back spasms, chronic fatigue, swollen eye lids, and (obviously) positive urine cultures. My last episode of pyelonephritis was in mid-June, and I wound up throwing up and becoming very ill. I was put on IV antibiotics, and then treated with other antibiotics for 3 weeks. My urologist did a cystoscopy after one week of antibiotics, and he said my bladder looked normal, but he had to remove several polyps from my urethra. He said that they could either be the cause or effect of my infections, but it appears they may have just been the effect (as I now have another infection). He did not view, or scope, the ureters or the kidneys. Now, about 3 weeks after finishing my antibiotics, I am getting the same back spasms in my right, and my culture tested positive for Group B strep. I have no idea what is going on, but it s taking longer and longer for antibiotics to kick in (sometimes they don t even work, and I need rosephin shots). On a possibly related note, I ve been struggling with some autoimmune disease-like symptoms over the past year - I would like someone to figure out if all of this is related! I ve been feeling general malaise nearly every day - drowsy, confused, drained, and generally ill. I have been diagnosed with horrible dry eye (the driest she has even seen, and I m only 26). I ve also been having skin problems... dryness and scaling (as well as melasma, and I m not pregnant, never have been), and for the past three weeks I have had red blotches all over my stomach (a couple on my side). And, I have lost so much hair in the last year. I wind up losing at least a fist of hair every day. I ve been tested for several things... the only things doctors have found that are out of the ordinary in my blood work are a low WBC count (4.0), a high cortisol level, and an elevated rheumatoid factor (52). I m negative for all STDs, and many diseases like Lyme, Ehrlychia, Mono, etc. I do have a partially duplicated right ureter (that is where 90% of my spasms begin - on the ride side flank/back). The duplication comes out of the kidney, and then they join before reaching the bladder. Is there anything you can think of that might be causing these infections? They are making me lose my zest for life - I m a professional athlete, and I ve had to stop all activity because of these. I am so desperate for an answer... please please help. Thank you so much for your time.