Help!! Like my recent question about re-occurring ovarian cysts, I have suffered from re-occurring urinary tract infections since high school (may be the two are connected?). I have been on and off antibiotics for years, poked and prodded for years and I am beyond frustrated! I have been to on urologist at this point who gave me a tentative diagnosis of IC because she couldn't really come up with anything else. However, after talking with my doctor, I found out that with IC there are symptoms, but not a positive culture. I have had only one culture that did not come back positive and that culture had quite a bit of blood in it. This problem has gotten to the point of an infection developing every 6 weeks or so and becoming increasingly painful (I almost went to the ER with the last one). I am due to see a different urologist next week, but an worried that I will just get the brush off again. At this point it seems that my only option is to go on preventative antibiotics for an extended period of time. This is something I will do if I need to, but would really rather not. Has anyone else experienced this kind of thing? Any advice or other options I can pursue? I am so, so tired of this and really, really frustrated.
And, yes, I do everything I should - drink close to a gallon of water on most days, drink cranberry juice, wear cotton underwear, etc, etc, etc. Please help!
I have started a daily routine of a glass of cranberry juice and an acidophilus supplement. Since starting this I have not had any problems. I also visiting a urologist who gave me a standby antibiotic should something develop. Hopefully things are going to keep looking up.
I have been there,my doctors were also dumbfounded-what I found that helped prevent them the most is to make sure and empty your bladder before and after sex,sounds crazy but it helps,also make sure and buy 100% pure cranberry juice without sugar in it.Hope this helps,good luck!
L.,
Did you find a solution to your chronic infections?
J.
I am an RN who has worked with Dr Preston Smith, a pediatric urologist in Knoxville, TN. He is MD that owns Potty MD, a website for urinary and bowel problems and addresses potty training issues. Now I know that you are potty trained, haha, but I know how intelligent he is and he actually knows a lot about adult problems as well. I really think that he may have some different suggestions about what is causing your problem, they still may not be the right answer, but it is worth a try. His site is www.pottymd.com , you can email him a question, tell him H. White sent you his info.
Instead of drinking cranberry juice you might try the pill form. I bought the Mega Potency Cranberry that you can find at Walmart. Two pills is the equivalent of 10,080mg of fresh cranberries. I actually had a urinary tract infection when I started taking them and it got rid of it within 2 days. Anyway, I hope this helps.
I know your post was from 2007, but I have to respond and hopefully it will send you the msg! I had the same deal going on as you- went to a couple of urologists, tried a mild preventative antibiotic, tried laying off the caffeine, chocolate, spicy foods, alcohol, etc. Tried peeing after sex, blaa blaa blaa, every single piece of advice. Then I discovered I have an aunt who had the same problem. She has a doc who told her about this herbal pill called "Cysta-Q" that you have to order online (might be in stores by now?) but it seriously saved my life. It's like a miracle for constant bladder infections and hyper-sensitive urethras! Go to their website and read about it. Anyhow, you can take it every day with your vitamin, or you can take it whenever you feel the burning coming on, which is when I take it. It's got Quercetin (sp?) in it, which I think is the magical ingredient that helps flush your system of bacteria. I'm trying to share this with everyone I know, because my life is no longer miserable from this!
