Comments on: Home Remedies for Bladder Infections

By: Melody

Melody — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:37:32 +0000

For sexually active people make sure you urinate before and after sex for a preventative step. Take some azo cran pills for the pain and drink plenty of water and cran juice. My doctors helped me a couple times that i’ve had bladder infections but every time seems like it takes longer and longer for the antibiotic to work, and actually the last time it felt like it came back the day after i was off the med. Which is pretty much the most depressing feeling ever. I take the cran supplements now 2-4 a day and they’ve helped immensely. Oh yea and if you find you’re prone to getting UITs cut caffeine and extra sugar out of your diet. Caffeine can bring one on for me if i just drink a dr pepper.

By: Alisa

Alisa — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:26:44 +0000

I’ve had UTI’s repeatedly for over a year now. When I first feel one coming on I take Cranberry supplement pills (which are in-expensive, I just get them at wal-mart) and drink plenty of water and/or sugar-free cranberry juice since the sugar just adds to the problem for me. The AZO pills are really helpful also.

By: cassandra ryers

cassandra ryers — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:18:07 +0000

for interstitial cystitus drink aloe vera juice twice a day 4 oz.

By: Megan

Megan — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:00:04 +0000

FYI-occasionally if your bladder is really irritated, cranberry can actually make things worse. I’ve suffered for years from recurrent UTIs and finally had a doctor that suggested ditching my preventative cranberry regimen for awhile. Doing that appears to have helped break the cycle for awhile for me. Also, I have had some success following the dietary restrictions for IC when I have an infection. I don’t have IC, but the dietary advice helps the pain a lot when I have a UTI and my system is irritated (or just plain MAD!).

By: Roseann

Roseann — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:56:26 +0000

I’ve never had a UTI before until I developed my UTI after having a hysterectomy and bowel repair a few days ago. I had been catherized 3 times after surgery because I couldn’t urinate, the last time was so painful. (I never want to go through that experience again for sure).
I was prescribed by my doctor Sulfamethoxazole with Trimethoprim. The muscle pain side-effect was unbearable. I had to stop taking the prescription after the 2nd dose. I have been drinking 5-6 16 0z glasses of water since to try to clear it up and am going to try some of the home remedies. Anything has to be better than the muscle-pain I have now. I read on another web site that Echinacea and goldenseal helps. Since I have those already in my cupboard. I’m going to give that a try also.

By: Ann

Ann — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:49:58 +0000

In July 2009 I was diagnosed with a UTI – had a new job, stressful, and was not taking care of myself. Went immediately to my OB-GYN, where the Nurse Pract. diagnosed an e-coli bacterial infection and subscribed MACRODANTIN antibiotic. I took it for a week. The infection went way, but returned. Over the last 5 month, the Nurse Pract. continued to prescribe MACRODANTIN as it seemed to take care of my symptoms – at least on a temporary basis. In retrospect, I should have gone to a urologist instead of having the same antiobiotic prescribed repeatedly – very stupid on my part.

In any case, I was taking 50MG daily of MACRODANTIN as a “maintenance” antiobiotic to prevent further UTI’s. I had no prior bad side effects from this drug (that I noticed), and did not hesitate to take it. However, I had several days of “wheezing”in my lungs, and determined that I was coming down with a bronchial infection or cold. I kept getting worse, coughing and feeling lousy, and went to the Urgent Care. The doc determined I had a bad case of bronchitas. I told him I was taking Macrodantin, but he didn’t comment. He seemed concerned after listing to my lungs, $600 worth of tests, gave me a Z-Pak (more antiobiotics!) and I went on my way. Several days later I was MUCH worse, wheezing, coughing until I threw up, and not sleeping at all. I was told that sometimes these infections have to “get worse” before getting better. Right.

After six weeks of being terribly frustrated and progressively more ill, (missing work and not sleeping) wheezing, coughing, not breathing well and sick to my stomach – I checked my PDR book (on a whim) for a description of MACRODANTIN. You guessed it! This drug has SERIOUS side effects related to lung functions, and I was furious! I was mostly angry at myself for not looking up this drug when my symptoms started – but I had no idea an antiobiotic would cause lung problems that can be FATAL. So, the daily 50mg of MACRODANTIN I was taking was making me horribly ill!

In any case, I QUIT this drug immediately, and after 5 days, am much improved. I am not yet sleeping well do to “wheezing”, and will have to check with another doc to see if I have any permanent lung damage. Am I angry at the Nurse Pract. that prescribed this drug long term? You bet!

DO NOT TAKE MACRODANTIN for UTI’s, as it is a dangerous drug! My pharmacist admitted this, and suggested that I go to Vitamin Cottage and get CRANSTAT Extra to protect my urinary tract and take a Probiotic to get my immune system back in order. If you get a very serious UTI, see a doctor – but don’t take MACRODANTIN! I am very suspicious of western medicine – they just write out a prescription for your illness, never get to the root of the problem, and send you on your way! You must be your own best advocate, and don’t take any antibiotics unless absolutely necessary – and, check your Physician’s Desk Reference for side effects of any drug before taking them! LIVE AND LEARN!!!

By: Chrissy

Chrissy — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:16:21 +0000

I get bladder infections every other month and the best antibiotic I’ve ever gotten was Leviquin 500mg. (I think thats how it’s spelled)and I buy Azo for the pain. The antibiotic works within 2 days. However you want to take all of it! The Azo takes the pain away while I’m waiting for the meds to work. I grew immune to all the other meds so this seems to be the only one that helps me! Hope this helps for anyone that need it!

By: Karla

Karla — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:28:05 +0000

I have ever only had one bladder infection and I let it go too far because I was scared it was an STD or something, I had never had either before so I didn’t know the symptoms. I went to the doc and it was a viral infection.

Now, within the past week I began having pain during intercourse, which really kills the mood and it put a huge damper for me and my fiancee as we are trying to have a second child. I didn’t think anything of the pains other then maybe my period was coming or possibly it was just the frequent sexual activity. I didn’t have this pain before when I had a UTI so I thought none of it. However, tonight I went to the washroom and I couldn’t get rid of the urge to urinate, I have been up nearly all night now because I cant urinate at all hardly and when I do there is blood in it. So as for home remedies, they may work, but I think they would work much better if you see your doctor first. The doctor can give you some medicine and you can help the process along by drinking cranberry juice or taking vitamins and such.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:54:09 +0000

I had a bladder ifection on christmas eve and i went to the doctor and recieved medication that helped instantly i also got something called azo that is an over the counter medicine, it turns ur urine oraange but it helps then pain when you urinate until the infection clears.

Unfortunatly I just started feeling the infection coming back today, a week after the first infection it is so miserable! I’ve written down everyones remedies and will try a few, but anyone else is major pain get azo it is only about 6 dollars you can find it at any store and you take it 2 pills 3 times a day

By: Mel

Mel — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:20:05 +0000

I had experienced some burning with urination as a child and then as an adult I got one every two months for 2 1/2 years after being dx with hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis in my early thirties. The doctors just kept pushing pills every 2 months with no solution-no feeling for my immune system, contrary to what some of the people on here are saying, being hugely effected from too much antibiotic usage. I was killing my immune system with them. My body became so broken down that if I became simply stressed I got a uti. Couldn’t drink cranberry juice (I always used unsweetened or added stevia) because it exacerbates arthritis. Tried Uva Ursi, manna, bladder wrack, drinking lots and lots of water, cutting most sugar out, and then finally EUREKA!!! I discovered PH Balance. This is the crux of the uti problem. If the ph is out of balance being too acidic (can also be too alkaline but highly unlikely) then bacteria and viruses flourish in the body. I started drinking a freshly squeezed lemon in a little warm water everyday (which I don’t like but it is the most alkaline forming food for our body contrary to people thinking it is acidic–it is outside the body but inside lemons and limes burn into alkaline ash–however-oranges are highly acidic. I also eat asparagus, lots of alkaline forming vegetables, little sugar (I grew up eating sugar regularly and it has been the source of many health problems for me). Lookup “holistic ph balance” in google and you will find a list of foods. As for the damn doctors, I would have gnarled hands, still be having uti’s and constant sickness if I simply relied on their much of the time bad advice. One doctor before I was dx with Hypothyroidism told me the reason my hair was falling out was because I was getting older and I was only 31!! It is a classic sypmtom of the disease. Another told me that I needed to get my mind of myself and have a baby–1 1/2 years later he tells me that I need to immediately get to an endocrinologist because I had SEVERE Hypothyroidism!! They let it get so bad instead of believing me–pushed antidepressants instead! I told another I had been taking probiotics and the rude “B” told me in the snottiest authorative voice “probiotics have absolutely no use in the gynecological community”. I have been studying holistic medicine on my own since I was 20–PH Balance of the body was my Eureka. Hope this helps someone who is in need–don’t let drs push you around-they see you 10 minutes and go on with their life you have to be your own advocate–seek out good holistic doctors or nutritionists. If you start to feel a little itch in your pelvis, heat, fever, tiredness, strong urine odor, dry eyes–please get yourself to the doctor–you don’t want to fool with it but some of the people on here misinterpret others who are giving prevention advice as if they shouldn’t use antibiotics when needed. Western doctors are good for broken legs and acute infections etc.. but for body maintenance they are not. PH BALANCE is Key!!