Embarrassing & Uncomfortable...

Avoid sugars and caffiene which can stimulate bacterial growth making infection worse. On the other hand vitamin C will stunt bacterial growth making the infection last a shorter amount of time.

Drink plenty of water and unsweetened cranberry juice.
Try to pee a lot, even when you don't feel like you need to.

taking a daily cranberry pill permanently is a good idea to try to prevent them from coming back.

Don't feel embarrissed hun, it's a normal problem and there couldnt be a better place for wanting answers anonymously and from so many women who can sympathize with you.

I've read over the responses and I don't see anything that addressed why you might be getting them. I know things may have changed hormonally after having kids, changes in hormones can affect lubrication, so let me tell you my experience.
I had a string of Bladder infections, followed by yeast infections (from the antibiotics to fix it) for a couple of years. It was a time when my husband and I were living long distance. We were engaged, and once a month or every couple of months we'd have a weekend of wild intercourse. My doctor explained that the lining to the urethra would get irritated by the intercourse and he used the analogy, that the irritation was like a ladder that the bacteria could climb right up. He reccommended lubrication, and taking our time, not rushing into it before my body was ready, and maybe toning it down a bit.

I guess you've already been advised to drink LOTS of water? You'd be surrised how many women have this problem, so try not to be embarrassed about asking others in your situation what they do.
Good luck!
PS: if I may add this - Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate that wants to provide universal health insurance for all, without insurance companies involved. If the govt can provide health insurance to the President and members of our government, it should be able to do so for the people who put them there.

Alka Seltzer believe it or not!

Hi L.,
Urinary track infections are very uncomfortable as well as annoying. It's good that you have Amoxicillin but to help prevent a urinary track infection try to drink plenty of fluids, water, cranberry juice is suppose to be very good for
that. I know I take tylenol or motrin when I get one. It helps with the pain. Try after using the toilet to clean yourself from the front to the back. That helps to eliviate fecal matter getting in to your vaginal and urinary area. This can and does help to prevent yeast infections. I often will keep baby wipes in my bathroom and use those after using the toilet. It makes you feel cleaner anyway. Are you sure that you have a urinary infection? Or could it be a yeast infection. I know after my 3rd child I got lots of yeast infections. If that is the case you can use over the counter products. If you keep getting yeast infections if that's what it is, you should see a Dr. You don't want to have further problems. Also, if it is urinary for sure don't let that go to long untreated. You may not be getting rid of your urinary infection totally and that's why they keep coming back. Oh another good remedy is to take a warm bath. Tha helps with the pain. Good luck. Happy Holidays, D.

I have struggled with UTI's ever since I started having sex but I have never gone to the doctor's to get a prescription. After years of just drinking a ton of Cranberry juice to get it to go away. I read that taking antibiotics isn't good for someone that gets them all the time b/c the bacteria starts to become immune to it which is then dangerous if it makes it's way to your kidneys. So I wouldn't even bother with the amoxicillin. But that's just my opinion.

Like everyone else said unsweetend crandberry juice and eat lots of plain yogurt. Shop in the organic section and you can find the yogurt with the live cultures. I notice that if I don't drink enough water for some time I start to come down with a UTI. Be sure to drink 8 glasses of water a day (nothing added to it for flavor, just pure waterI along with the cranberry juice. You need to flush out your system. I have taken the cranbbery pills but they didn't seem to do much for me. Plenty of water everyday, which I have a tough time remembering is my best preventative. Plus if I have too much sex i can start to feel one coming on. So then my poor husband has to wait a few days until I feel it is safe. It is probably easier for bacteria to get up there since having your second son. Also be sure to take a shower or bath before having sex with your husband and same for him. This can also help for prevention.

Good luck

Hi L.,
I used to get a lot of urinary tract infections. My mother always told me to drink a lot of cranberry juice and someone else told me to eat yogurt. It did work for me...
It can't hurt to try...
Good luck,
Take care, Jen

Lots of Water. Lots of Cranberry Juice. And they have a cranberry herbal tea that is delicious. Try to drink it without sweetener.
AND, you can find AZO & URISTAT at CVS over-the-counter to relieve pain and discomfort. It turns your pee funky colors, so dont be alarmed. :)

Cranberry juice, cranberry juice, cranberry juice, not cranberry juice cocktail(it has to much sugar in it that feeds the infection), but the straight stuff. Drink as much as you can stand. There is a product called
AZO (i think) it is sold in stores ask a pharmasist. I know your pain sister, i don't remember getting antibiotics for URIs, since they can sometimes be the cause. Your bacteria levels are out of balance, that's the problem. There's something in the cranberry juice that kills that certain bacteria enough to put it back in balance. If it's and on going problem you might want to add cranberries/juice to your diet. But if goes on and on you should see a doctor it might be a sign of a bigger problem.

get yourself some Azo at the drug store. It will take the pain away. drink lots of cranberry juice too.. but if it persists, definitely see a doctor. Amoxicillin may not be the right thing to take. I am prone to these myself and usually Bactrim is the antibiotic of choice!

Take care and I hope you feel better!
M.

In addition to the water and cranberry that other shave mentioned, take acidophilus (sp?). You can find it by the natural vitamins in most stores. The GNC stores always have it. Acidophillus is the natural culture found in yogurts. But most yogurts don't have the live culture which is what you need. It cuts back the yeast in your body that causes uti's.

It's terrible.. I know! Try Uristat (Over the counter - and don't be scared, it makes your urine orange!), cranberry juice, and lots of water! If it doesn't clear up, you'll need to go the doctor and get antiobiotics, no other way!

There is an over the counter medication that relieves some of the discomfort. I can't remember the name of it specifically but its in the femine product area and starts with "Uri"

uristat and similar items are available but you have see a doctor and get the proper meds, it could hurt your kidneys.

I had the same problem and no health insurance either. I took a pill that you can get at Target in the feminine section. It called cranberry yzo...something like that. It say on the bottle that it its made for. It could even be an mild yeast infection. They have a pill for that too. Yza yeast..My spellingis way off,but look near the yeast remedies section at target. Youcould also drinkr REAL cranberry juice. NOT ocean spray ,they have too much sugar and will make it worse.You want the the real stuff look in target,or the health food store.{Wild by Nature } Avoid suger in fluidsas much as possible. Be patient .GoodLuck.

Get yourself to a clinic and get medicine there is no over the counter quick fix help and the antibiotic you have mentioned will not clear a urinary tract infection. Having no insurance is hard but look in your phone book for a clinic around you and call your local hospitals they may be able to help. Remember the longer a urinary trac infections goes untreated properly the higher the risks of other problems. Let me know how you make out. Signing D.

Hi L.: You definitely want to see if you can get into a dr. Try Planned Parenthood or even a free clinic. Until you can do that, get cranberry juice and drink, drink and drink some more. That helps flush out your bladder. You do not want to let this go. It can turn into a bladder infection and if you just let it go then you can really end up sick and for you kids sake, you don't want that to happen. Drink lots of water and the juice. Try Ocean Spray or the store brand. Don't water it down. There is an over the counter item called Uristat, I think that it is manufactured by monistat that you can also try but again, that isn't the remedy. Amoxicillin also is not the antibiotic that will work for a UTI. Give Planned Parenthood a call and let them know your situation and see if they can help you. If it is a matter of not being able to afford health insurance, do you have health insurance for your kids? Try Husky (877) 284-8759. You can also go to their website. I have my son on Husky. Depending on your income they will determine your eligibility. No child under the age of 18 can be denied. Check it out.

But, please get yourself checked out. Do what I mentioned above in the interim for now, but make some calls. Google anyone that you can for the free clinics in your area. All you are going to have to do is pee in a cup and the first thing they do is a dipstick and that will tell them first what there is, blood, white cells, etc. Prior to sending it our for a culture they may send you with a script for antibiotics. But either way the meds that you have wont touch it.

I have been through this before too many times and you need a stronger antibiotic in order to clear it up. If they end up being chronic, you may need some testing.

This may sound a little funny, but make sure that right after intercourse, you always pee. Intercourse alone can cause a UTI. I'm not saying jump right up as soon as you are done to go but at least with in 15 minutes or so, that way if any bacteria got into your urethra, urinating will work its way out..

I hope that I gave you some worth while advice. A UTI doesn't sound like much but it can really turn into much more than what it really is.

Good Luck.

If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know.

L.

Happy Holidays....

Simple and inexpensive to deal with.....Sit down with a chilled bottle of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice and don't get up until the bottle is empty. You might have to drink several bottles before the infection clears. If you don't see results at the end of a week, know you need to see a doctor....Can't afford one, then take yourself over to your nearest hospital emergancy room....or clinic...they have to treat you no matter what your income is.
If you have good results with the Cranberry juice, be sure to add a glass of it to your daily diet to avoid getting these infections.

The one thing that always works is Cranberry Juice. Drink a glass a day and I can almost guaruntee that you'll never get another UTI. There is a chemical in the cranberry that keeps bacteria from attaching to the wall of the bladder giving you the infection. You can also eat cran-raisens (dried cranberries). Trust me it works EVERY time.

Follow what Jesica said. Plus take vitamin C; eat blueberries, drink no-sugar-added orange juice. The added C will help boost your immune system and get rid of the infection quicker. You can also take bluberry and cranberry pills. You can also buy AZO pills an take as directed on the package. You MUST drink at least a gallon of water a day, or you will not be able to fully flush your urinary tract. I found that taking Tylenol and Ibuprofen intermitently works better then taking just one or the other. Even if you don't feel any pain, continue to take the Tylenol and Ibuprofen because you want to keep the inflamation down; this will help pain management and help speed get rid of the infection. Also only wear cotton panties and no tight pants as they can be irritants.

cranberry juice! drink lots!

There is an over the counter UTI pain reliever call Uristat. It works great. Ask the pharmacist for that drug or something similar if you don't see it in the store. DO NOT take an unprescribed antibiotic. If you can't go to a drop-in clinic, take lots if vitamin C - lots, like 2000 mg/day - and drink cranberry juice. Increase your fluids overall. For prevention, pee after sex, immediately, and alway wipe front to back.

I have had numerous UTI's and unfortunatley there is nothing to help the discomfort except for the rx pills that turn your pee diff colors. You can take ibuprofen but we both know that wont really help. I wish you luck getting thru this as it's the most uncomfortable thing ever. I know!
In the future to help prevent them, try to avoid thongs as they can rub from the butt to the front & wipe front to back after peeing. When you pee, be sure to completely empty your bladder. Use anti-bacterial soap and drink cranberry juice. They sell "AZO" in stores which is a cranberry supplement if you dont like drinking cranberry juice like me! Yogurt is good too. As for now, to flush out the bacteria, drink lots of water. Good luck, R.

Cranberry juice works like a charm, but if you find it too harsh, blueberries and blueberry juice are also very good. A smoothie of blueberries, yogurt, and ice is very beneficial and a nice treat.

Cranberry juice or pills. Sorry nothing better. Maybe check out WebMD or something? Good luck!

hi jen, i used to get them alll the time... #1 thing to do is pee after sex, even if you only squeeze out a little. and get pure cranberry juice concentrate from the health food store. its a little bottle. keep it in your fridge, it works great as long as you start drinking it as soon as you feel an infection coming on. what i do is not water it down at all, it is gross... i do shots of it as often as i can stand as soon as i feel a uti coming on, i do a couple of shots, wait 20 min or so, then drink a lot of water. couple of hours later, repeat. it is very strong, i wouldnt do this if you have stomach issues, i would water it down. dont drink regular cranberry juice, or any other juice, the sugar just feeds the bacteria. (also, some other moms mentioned yogurt. i know yogurt is good for a yeast infection, however i dont know why it would be good for a uti, especially since it has lots of sugar, too. maybe plain yogurt? might help prevent the yeast infection that can be caused by the antibiotics)
however, if your infection is already full blown, i would get a prescription asap, it can get worse, lead to kidney infection, etc. what about a clinic? i dont know anything about the otc meds the other moms mentioned, maybe they will work instead? as far as i know, they dont ever go away on their own, you have to deal with it. once you are prone to them, it doesnt mean you will be forever, i dont get them anymore, but prevention is your best bet, always do the peeing thing. good luck, D.

Hi L.,

Cranberry pills will help you immensely! You can start by taking 2 or 3 for the first few days and then I would take 1 or 2 pills a day on a regular basis to keep the infections away. Cranberry is great for the urinary tract, it's high acidic content is what helps clear it up, along w/antibacterial effect. You can probably find the pills at any vitamin shoppe, make sure it has an expiration date on it. You can also drink Cranberry juice, but it needs to be 100% juice w/no sugar added (which is pretty hard to find nowadays).

Drink lots of water through out the day, and when you have to go to the bathroom, go, don't hold it.

I hope this has helped, just an FYI, I am a Master Herbalist so I'm not just throwing things out there & I've had my share of UTI, which are no fun! Good luck!

R.

Hi L.

I'm sorry that you are going through this...

I shop direct from a manufacturer that has pure cranberry that has worked wonders for friends of mine that have needed it. It's not more than $14 or so for the month's supply i believe.. i don't sell it but can send you to their site, not sure if this is the right place to post that - feel free to email me at ____@____.com

You should drink plenty of water and cranberry juice is supposed to help prevent it but you really need to get to a doctor. It can get worse, more painful and actually begin to bleed. you should not be embarrassed - lots of women get cystitis.

D.

For the pain/discomfort, you can try uristat or Azo tablets. You will pee red/orange but you will feel better. You can also take cranberry extract in pill form or liquid form to help prevent UTIs, or drink cranberry juice--this will help acidify your urine and tract making a less hospitable environment for the bacteria. Acidophilus helps restore the body's natural balance of bacteria so may also help. Never hold your pee, drink plenty of water, always make sure you empty your bladder completely when you pee (lean forward to help express the bladder), wipe front to back when you use the bathroom, and pee immediately after sex (and it goes without saying, that any hand, tool, etc. that goes down there should be washed first). I used to get UTIs all the time and doing all these things has brought the incidences down significantly.

If you're taking antibiotics, please take them all as directed because bacteria can become immune and an untreated or treatment resistant UTI can turn into a painful kidney infection which can cause serious problems.

Canberry helps. you can either drink a lot of juice, or get Cranberry pills instead and take one every day to avoid getting the infection. Good luck to you.

L.:

you can use otc Uristat, it won't cure you but it will take away the discomfort right away. Also if this is a recurring problem you should drink cranberry juice everyday, cranberry has something in it that coats your bladder and doesn't let bacteria stick you will see the difference. Also drink lots of water.

Hope it helps.

O.

A lot of people will tell you to drink cranberry juice -- this does work but it should be 100% pure cranberry juice, NOT juice cocktail (ocean spray is not 100% juice). Also, there is an over the counter medication that has worked for me called CYSTEX. It treats the pain AND the infection. Check out this site for more info: http://www.dsehealthcaresolutions.com/Pages/CystexHome

Good luck!

Hi L.,
All I can say is cranberry, cranberry,cranberry! Go get concentrated cranberry in gel caps at the health food store. They usually carry it in drugstores as well. I use to get UTI's when I was younger. My daughter (who is 30) gets them from time to time. The cranberry works better than the antibiotics I think and eases the pain as well. Drink LOTS of water and you can't overdose on the cranberry, so take a bunch and flush out your system.
Hope this helps,
M.

Hi L.,

I used to get Urinary track infections all the time. I concur with all those before me who have already told you that Uristat an over-the-counter drug is very effective. It is usually found next to feminine products in the drug store (if you are to shy to ask the pharmacist. I found that if I paid attention to my body and took it at the very first sign of an infection that is upon the very first painful urination. Then it never became worse and the symptoms usually subsided within 4 to 24 hours when taken as directed.

Then I started reading more on the topic in some medical books. Some things you maybe should consider; 1) do not use soap to wash there just use warm running water, 2) shower instead of taking baths, 3) ask your sexual partner to be very clean or help him be clean, 4)Avoid excess sugar in your diet, 5) be careful how you wipe as sensitive as that subject is it needs to be discussed wipe from front to back or use squirt bottle of warm water to cleanse the area everytime you relieve yourself either front or back. UTI's are caused by bacteria and bacteria only grow where they have a friendly environment in which to grow. Maybe that is the reason bidet's are so popular in Europe. If you don't know what a bidet is, it is a wonderful little basin that sprays you clean after you relieve yourself and then you just pat yourself dry. Cool huh?

About me I am a 48 year old Mom of 2 boys 29 and 26. Post Menopause. Haven't had a problem with UTI's in some time, but occasionally these things still pop up.

Good Luck and I hope you feel better L.

There is a pill called Uristat that you can buy without a prescription. I am currently taking it because I have a bladder infection. It helped with the pain right away. I bought mine at RiteAid in Naugatuck. My doctor recommened it and said that I can't take it for more than two days.