UTI --your experiences and advice? Help, please

SchnauzerMom

Hello everyone,

I know UTIs are something many of us deal with occasionally, maybe even frequently. This present infection has really knocked me down. Started on Friday, and I see doctor today for regular appointment, so hope to get effective meds. (usually get them every 3 or 4 months)

Please, how do you deal with these infections?

moth

I've had 2 in the past 6 weeks....

These are the things I'm trying to prevent the next one - don't know if they'll work.

- i suspect a lot of the problem for me is that my urinary sphincter is very weak because I've been coughing for months due to a lung met and when I cough I become incontinent. I believe that sphincter doesn't close effectively at other times so I think this is part of what's allowing things to get up there. I wear disposable liners only when I go out. At home, cloth ones and change them pretty much constantly. I believe the disposable is not as soft against the tissue & might be irritating.

-moisturize the entire vulvar tissue. if it's dry it will rip and tear and provide portals for bacteria to hang out

-peri bottle, bidet or hand held shower to clean

-pat dry with soft cloth, avoid tp as much as possible

-no baths/hot tubs/swimming

-always pee after intercourse

-never hold your urine - go when you need to go (or before!)

I'm considering buying new undies. Just reluctant about it as I very recently dumped a whole bunch out and bought stacks of identical ones that fit and I like. They have cotton in the crotch but they're polyester on the outside. I've read several urologists say it needs to be all cotton.

some people recommend supplements etc to acidify urine but I'm not going that route atm

SchnauzerMom

Moth, thank you for your good advice. I've read it carefully, and will read it again. You've endured two of these infections in the past six weeks!!! That is very rough! What antibiotic do you take? Usually I have ciproflaxcin, and it takes two or three days to feel better. This one has flattened me--hope the meds take effect soon.Took my first pill around noon. Curled up with heating pad.

Thank you again for taking the time to post--it really helps!

moth

first time i had Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole which I've had before and worked very quickly - I felt better 2hr post first dose. This second time my MO prescribed cephalexin which took more like 24h to really kick in.

If you have the horrible spasm of the urethra which feels like a hot poker being shoved in there, a gel ice pack in a towel on the crotch actually did sort of help. I needed it the first day and night.

Someone on another thread where I was whining about the UTIs has since told me about pyridium which does nothing to treat the uti but is a bladder pain reliever. in some places it's apparently OTC. I'm going to find if it's otc where I live and if not, next time I'll ask the MO to add it to the rx. Since you're having pain, maybe call your pharmacy and see if they have pyridium.

hugs

SchnauzerMom

Moth, thanks for the additional information--it will help!

I had a lovely private message from Beesy, and she said I could post it here,so I will try. Here goes:

SchnauzerMom,

I have been troubled with UTI's for 36 ½ years (bet you can guess how long I've been married!). I have had some infections that lasted for months--with a bacteria that is rarely seen in the urinary tract. I now see a woman urologist in Houston who only treats women and I've done better than all the years before. The two biggest products I use at her direction to try to prevent UTI's are:

cranberry

D-mannose

The cranberry with vitamin C obviously creates a hostile environment for bacteria. I had tried it years ago, but the amounts weren't high enough to help and I quit. The D-Mannose is a simple sugar (that will not affect your blood sugar), but attracts bacteria in the bladder and pulls it out with the urine. Again, I had tried to use it on my own for years, but learned from this urologist that I was using it improperly. The correct way to use it is when you have that "iffy" feeling that you may be starting a UTI, start taking D-Mannose (2 capsules every 2-3 hours) and drink a lot of water. Previously, I had tried taking it every day, prophylactically, which is not necessary, and I was taking just a little each day. Taking it as I suggest above helps flush the bacteria. My experience has been that I avoid more UTI's more than I don't, which is a record. What's particularly impressive about this is that I went through menopause very early and instantly (at age 41) and was warned that lack of estrogen would only worsen my problem. Since I've been doing these two things, I've seen serious improvement, and for what's it worth, it's helped several other friends who started to struggle with UTI's post-menopause.

Obviously, this is not going to help you in your current situation, but I hope it would help you in the future. I didn't want to violate Stage IV rules of posting, otherwise I would have posted on the thread where you posted your question, in order to help others. If you want to copy what I've written and post, that is completely fine with me.

I hope it helps you, Schnauzer--I sincerely hope you start feeling better soon. :-) Beesy