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I haven't had a Urinary tract infection in quite a while but I seem to have developed one. It isn't bad, I bought some cranberry tabs. at the store. They seem to be keeping it under control but if I miss one dose, it seems to catch hold again, anyone have any suggestions of a better brand. I dont want to take anti biotic if I dont have to. The last one I had was over 2 years ago, I took anti biotic at first but it came back. Then I bought some cranberry tabs off the internet. They did the trick. I read on the internet that it is usually caused by e-coli. Now that is a gross thought for me since I am not eating any meat. So is it from my potatoes, veggies?

I also read on the internet that drinking 1 t. of baking soda in a glass of water is also helpful. I am also going to check out the health food store, see what they might suggest.

Any suggestions?

Um, no, the e. coli is from contamination when you have a b.m., not from what you eat.

I've had the problem for around 10 years (started due to an infection given me at the hospital) and from the above-mentioned issue (in spite of scrupulous attention to detail).

Cranberry helped some, but I found a super-concentrated form of cranberry which has done the trick. I purchase it at Wal-Mart. It has the words "cran-max" on it, although that's not the name of the product. The Cran-max form crams like 25x the normal amount of cranberry into the tablet. Causes a few problems with constipation, but I can handle that. I've not been bothered by the problem in over a year now and haven't had to take cranberry in some time.

I'll try to remember to check my bottle at home and get you the actual name of the product.

Nettie

The internet didn't specify where it came from, I am also quite careful but obviously this came from somewhere.

I got the tabs at Wal Mart, didn't see any other ones but I was in a hurry as I had to be somewhere.

Thanks for your help, I will check out those cranberry tabs. Yeah, constipation I can live with, not this.

Jan

It seems you are reluctant to go to an MD and get an antibiotic. I am curious about this since a little UTI can become a serious infection affecting the kidneys etc. if it is not treated well.... Do you have some reasons to fear being assessed by an MD and taking an antibiotic?

Antibiotics aren't always the best cure.
The problem with antibiotics is that they kill all the beneficial bacteria in your body along with the bad. Plus, your body becomes immune to antibiotics over time, thus lessening the effectiveness of the antibiotics. That's why you need a natural remedy. I personally will try natural first, doctors as a last resort. I found a few websites that tell you how to treat it naturally. How the bacteria die off,etc.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/natural- ... l-you.html

http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/bladder_infection.html

http://www.natural-remedies-for-you.com/

Hope they help.

Thanks for sharing the links, Daffodil! I was not aware that many people would try to combat a UTI without antibiotics. If I had a UTI I would probably opt for conventional treatment. I can imagine that if one has had several problems related to antibiotics, she would be less willing to take them. I am grateful that I have never had a UTI or a serious problem with an antibiotic.

I can't raise my left arm all the way up due to side effects of antibiotics (Cipro) that I took for UTI about 4-5 years ago. The pain and muscle weakness seem to be permanent.

My mother-in-law almost died a few months ago from antibiotics she took for a sinus infection.

Another friend ended up in the hospital for 4 days last month due to antibiotics leading to a massive blood infection.

Oh, and they're known to suppress the immune system.

I try to avoid them...

Nettie

Thank you for all your responses. The last time I had a UTI, I did take anti-biotics they worked, but then it came back within a few days after I stopped them. So I researched it & found out all about cranberry. I ordered the cranberry tabs & took them & it never came back & it was a lot worse that time. This time, just a little buring, right at the end. But this am I am feeling much better so hopefully it is either gone or going away.

If it was really bad I would definitely go to the MD.

Again, thank you for all your suggestions.

Nettie, they gave you cipro for a UTI? that's what I had for cellulitis the second to last time I had it...I mean, it's a powerful anti-b, isn't it? did you have a killer UTI?
whew!

Yes, but it was for Klebsiella, not e.Coli. I've had chronic UTI's since 1998, but I"ve been mostly painfree for a couple of years now.

And now, because of the side effects, I can no longer take Cipro or anything else in that family.

Nettie

Thank you again for all your posts. My UTI is almost all gone, it was never very bad to begin with. FWI'sW, I hate Dr's. I do not trust them. And I know if I had gone, I would have been given an anti biotic. In 2002, when I was diagnosed with a necrotic hip joint & had to have my right hip replaced, I had to take a huge dose of anti-biotics. Ever since then, I try to avoid them. And even when I took them the last time for this, it still came back. Since I had such good luck getting rid of it the last time, I just thought I would try again. I am also drinking cranberry juice, 3x's a day, it is sugar free, not artificially sweetened & a ton of water. I used to be able to buy the concentrate at Trader Joe's, but the one where I live doesn't carry it anymore.

Tomorrow I am going to start taking the t. of baking soda & I am also going to try to find the same caps I took the last time so I have them on hand if there is a next time.

Jan, I know how you feel about doctors. I feel the same way. I avoid them unless it's a dire emergency.
Cranberry juice is a powerful healer. I've used it in the past and it's a good cure all. I always look for natural remedies and they definitely work much better than pills with toxic side-effects.

Wow, this post is so timely. I just developed one the other day. I have only had one prior....and it was a doosey!

Not that the internet is the best place for facts, but I've read that the cranberry pills are great for avoiding UTI's. I also read that once you develop a UTI, that the cranberry pills won't cure it. They can lessen the symptoms, but the infection is still there.

My mom has Alzheimers and gets them constantly. My DH was kidding me that I'm hanging around her too much. The elderly have completely different symptoms than we do.

My urologist told me that it had been anecdotal that cranberry helped cure UTI's, but that it had been finally proven to be true. It was written up in one of the medical journals he read. I told him that it was the only thing that helped me, and he wanted to know more. I happened to have a bottle of my cranberry tablets in my purse, and he eagerly asked to see it - and he wrote it down. This was about 2 or more years ago - and that's the last time I saw him. Never needed him again, after about 8 years of the usual treatments with antibiotics which only worked for the short term.

And BTW, it was the Cran-Max version of the tablets that finally did the trick. Prior to that, regular cranberry tablets only lessed the symptoms. The newer, more concentrated tablets seems to have been more effective at eradicating them.

I just looked at the bottle. It's made by Spring Valley, called "Highly concentrated cranberry 500 mg." I got it at Wal-Mart.

Nettie

Interesting stuff, geoffreylevens. Thanks for all the info.

And Nettie, I did not find the cranberry tabs you talked about at Wal Mart. The ones I bought are AZO Cranberry with Immune Boosting Probiotic & Vitamin C. It says to take one dose of 2 tab. a day, not to exceed 2 doses. The cranberry is 900 mg, Lactobacillus Spongenes, 100 million CFU's.

They seem to be doing the trick.