What meds are safe for UTI's

[whitepine]

I second the Cranberry juice idea! Get the 100% pure juice, it is very bitter, but it really works. You need to drink large quanitities. I would make real cranberry sauce, go low on the sugar, and eat that too! The hippuric acid inhibits bacteria production in the bladder from what I know!
Cranberry ca[psules from health food stores may be good to take too.
I hope you feel better!!!

[unhappystomach]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I was wondering what everyone did as far as doseage with the D-Mannose? The suggested doseage on the box is three times a day for preventitive measures, once (possibly) have a UIT, do you all take the same doseage?

[jennie]

With Mannose, you take a higher dose, a heaped teaspoon, and then again, an hour later. Then 1 level teaspoon every 3 - 4 hours for the first 2 days. Don't stop when symptoms alleviate, so reduce dose to 3 level teaspoons for the next 3 days, or unti you are certain it is all gone, clear urine, no pain, no frequent urge to go and water passing easily.

No cranberry or orange juice when you take it, it is too acid. and e.coli loves cranberry.

That is what Sweet Cures of York say: Their link: www.waterfall-d-mannose.com

[unhappystomach]

Thank you so much.

[jennie]

I'd make sure that your product version says the same, or similar. Mine is from the UK, they are the best, purest product creators in the world. And they are anti-cranberry, there is a link to that section on their web site. They ship to US, if you wish. I do not know the US products, so this note to say, please check it out..

[wjtlet]

Hi - I just had a UTI and yes, Macrobid is what I took (same time as Vanco) - I didnt get a repeat infection.

That doesn't mean it couldn't happen, but my doctor said the risk is very low.

[poltroon]

I did OK with macrobid last year, only the merest hint of loose stools which went away when I was done taking that course.

Also: avoid cranberry juice a la supermarket. It is full of added sugar, and UTIs love sugar - made my infection far worse and then I did have to go to the doc. Capsules (I took Cran-Actin) are better, which apparently work by making the UT lining more 'slippery' for bacteria. I have been wondering if that's so if it might help for sinus infections as well.

[poltroon]

One other thing about preventing UTIs - we all get the lecture about wiping front to back, peeing after sex, etc, the one that makes you feel like if you got a UTI it's all your fault for being careless and/or stupid. But one thing I started doing after I got my last UTI is that I am more careful about washing my hands before going to the bathroom if I have been out with the animals, playing with a young child, or handling food. Maybe it's just paranoia, but it makes sense to me as a possible infection path.

[jennie]

When you take Macrobid, is the course for 7 days, or 14 days? Does anyone take it on low doses (50 or 100 mg) for a month or more after the 1st course?

I was never aware of a UTI, then lo and behold, a sizeable e.coli one has been found. I never had burning, so never thought this is what it was. But it is there, a colony of 100,000, and has to be treated. Now have understood why I cannot sleep through the night, that is one of the symptoms I have only now understood, alonside frequency and urgency.

The Mannose helps me a lot, and it is not until now that I have understood why it works for me. And that I was not taking enough.

Docs are treating with Macrobid, and after 7 days I am okay, but it is not all gone, which is why am asking if others on site are given it for longer? If you know after 7 days that the acute phase has been dealt with, and that's it?

[labgirl]

Some docs are now giving antibiotics for UTI's for 3-7 days instead of the usual 10 days. They have found that since these medications reach such high concentrations in the urine, it's not necessary to treat for the typical 10 days unless there is some other underlying condition. Even though a 3-7 day dose usually kills off the bacteria, the burning and inflammation that the bacteria has caused will still be there and takes time to heal. That's why sometimes after a round of antibiotics it feels like the infection is still there, when in fact it's just the inflammation left behind.

[Bobbie]

I've had 6 or 7 UTI's in my liftetime. The first 2 were before C. diff. I had one the same time I had C. diff. -- also pneumonia & sinusitis -- & was hospitalized. The doc. gave me Cipro (I only took it for 2 days) & other antibiotics for the pneumonia. These probably contributed to my long stine with C. diff. -- 4 yrs. (I also had osteomyletis -- bone infection -- during this time; was put on penicillin & finally IV Vanco for 7 to 8 wks).

I had several other UTI's during C. diff. but refused to take another antibiotic & drank lots of water & cranberry juice, & when I had another urine test, the bacterial count was minimal.

Since having C. diff. I've had several more UTI's. So far, they were all caused by E. coli. The lst responded to 3 days of Macrobid. The 2nd did not & I had a 2nd course of Macrobid. The 3rd & 4th responded to 7 days of Macrobid. (I usually get l infection a year). I drink cranberry juice every morning (all juice; no added sugar), take 2 cranberry capsules every night, & drink lots of water.

I have a condition called Idiopathic microhematuria (unexplained blood in urine). I had a long-undiagnosed UTI many years ago, & by the time my primary care doc. sent me to a urologist (no bacteria cultured out), the uro. said I had had a severe UTI that had caused scarring. He asked me what "cured" it. I said I just drank lots of water, & he replied, "Well, you washed the infection away.

I also have bilateral arterial stenosis (significant blockage in one artery leading to the kidnesy; some in other). (One reason why I exercise a lot & when I am on a plane, I get up and walk the aisles every hour.) The treatment is stents which works l/3 of the time, is unsucessful l/3 of the time, & causes more problems l/3 of the time. It is invasive surgery. There is a history of kidney disease in my family.

See FAQ-UTI's. Never take an antibiotic for a UTI unless you have a urine culture first.