Recurring UTI's

[jkate]

I was wondering if there was anyone else out there in bub hub land who has recurring UTI's (Urinary Tract Infections). My first UTI was back in December 1998 and I have been on and off antibiotics since. At first they treated each infection as it came, then when finally realizing it was more serious, I had a heap of tests done to make sure there nothing wrong with my kidneys. I was then put on a course of antioboitcs for several months hoping that my body would correct itself (apparently this sometimes works - not for me :( ) Finally the only way I could prevent them was to have an antibiotic after bding (is that the right jargon :o ). That was in 2000 and I still continuing on with this prevention. I also make sure I always go to the toilet afterwards. I have try cranberry tablets, but is has not work.

It has been suggested that I go to a Nautrapath, but I fear they will say no wheat or sugar (I tried this diet for about a week and nearly went crazy!!). I suppose I want to have my cake and eat it too. I am sick of taking antibiotics, and every now and then they don't work as well (I have take an extra tablet and I drink water all day!!), if I forget then I get a realllllllly bad infection.

Is there anyone out there who has had recurring UTI's, I would love to hear from you. Thanks for letting me :ecomcity:

[pebilz]

Hi Karen

I used to get them all the time. I did go for a stage of a six month stint of them. Essentially I was put on stronger antibiotics and became addicted to cranberry juice. I haven't had one in a few years. I guess what worked for me was drinking the juice every morning, and after sex doing the following:

1. having a cranberry vitamin
2. showering and going to the toilet straight after
3. having a big glass of water and then going to the toilet 30mins after that as well.

I'd also had ultrasounds on my bladder to make sure it was all ok. I had to actually stop having sex too whilst I was on the antibiotics. Also make sure you only ever wipe from front to back when you go to the toilet too.

Other than that I don't know what to suggest. I'd say your body is used to the antibiotics and so they probably aren't having any affect.

Take care. I know how painful and annoying it can be. :hugs:

[jkate]

Thank you so much :hugs:

I did try the cranberry juice and I thought it was horrible - that's why I tried the cranberry tablets.

I do have a couple of questions: Are you still doing those steps, do you take anything to prevent them now, or is everything ok? Were you taking antibiotics when you did these steps.

I am so scared of going off the antibiotics, when I get an infection down they are so server, last time I was 2 hours from home on a sunday and had to go to emergency, giving birth was easier then getting one of these :(

[whatwasithinking]

I swear by the Cranberry Juice - I can't stand the taste but hey the alternative is worse.

[jkate]

I swear by the Cranberry Juice - I can't stand the taste but hey the alternative is worse.

How much do you have, how often and when? Sorry for all the questions :o

[Seekrit]

i gave up going to the doctor (I know, kidney damage, blah blah blah) it got to the point where they wouldn't ask me for a pee test, simply "I have a UTI" would suffice :p

I found I'd get them after.. oh this may be TMI.. "doggy style" position with sex, which caused hit bits to rub my urethra or something, causing inflammation. So we don't do it that was nearly as much.

Cranberry tablets worked for me, I'd take one a day just to keep it at bay.. then if I felt the burning I'd take a couple of tablets and drink Ural 3 times a day.. that seemed to work and I didn't find any kidney problems (if it lasted more than 3 days i'd go to the doctor.)

I remember the first time I had one.... I had NO IDEA back then and panicked that I was pregnant :laughing:

[jamb]

oh jkat i soooo no what you are going through. I had never had one until i met my now DH and only thing i can say is when i got my first uti we were bding like rabbits.

So about 3yrs ago I had my first bout, thought something was just not right down there, had what i thought at the time was pain urinating. Went to dr, on antibiotics for a week. Finished script and 2 days later whammo, the worst pain imaginable. It was so bad that i had to tell my dad (who i was living with at the time :o ), I was beside myself. Ended up at emergency at public hospital who obviously thought it was not a priority despite blood in urine, so paid the $$ at private hospital and put on a drip.

Since then I reckon i have had it about 10/12 times. I go into a state of panic when i feel one coming as i know the major discomfort to come.

I have a lovely dr, who provides me with scripts for future uti's and i try hard to always get one filled. That said, i have had plenty of hair rasing drives to chemists before they shut.

My dr wants to check my bladder for kinks, where she thinks urine may be pooling then getting bacteria as it is not flushed out. I have not had this done as i want to go to sydney and live 4 hours- hard to co-ordinate as we only have 1 car.

I shower after bding (very romantic, not). I drink 1.5ltrs water a day, and suffer if i dont. Avoid alcohol :( as this seems to be a trigger.

Best thing a local dr up here gave me is Hiprex tablets. No idea if they have side effects for long term use but they seem to be great in warding off uti's. I take one if i feel suspicious and so far so good. They VERY bitter but much much better than a uti. Not sure if they are script or not.

Sorry for long post, i just had to reply as i know how horrible uti's are. Good luck.

oh- and ditto to Seekrits sex position warning.... sorry if TMI but if i have prolonged friction i am more likely to get one- makes sex very technical lol!!!

[jkate]

Thanks Seekrit :hugs: I so wish I had something like bub hub back when they first started, I just dont know if taking the carnberry tablets and doing something like you do would work. And I am so scared to try :o

With my old doctor, I could walk in there and say I have an infection and she would totally trust my judgement, she would still do a test anyway, just to be on the safe side.

I never thought that different positions might be a cause, might have to keep note :D

Oh what to do, do I dare try not taking the antiboitcs and do the cranberry tablets, juice, shower routine and ural (which I had so much of that it use to make me feel sick). :confused:

[Seekrit]

My doctor confirmed the sexual position BTW LOL she asked me if we'd had sex the night before and I said yup and she goes "there you go!"

Other things advised (while I remember) drink plenty of water, wipe front to back, wee before and after sex.. I'm very lucky that I didn't suffer one thorught my pregnancy

[jkate]

Thank you jamb (saw your post after I posted my previous one) :hugs:

I havent heard of Hiprex before. I take at the moment Ibilex ( a prescription anitoboitc). I am so over taking them.....but I think that no matter what I do that I am never going to be able to have sex without worrying if its going to cause an UTI :banghead:

I never expected so many replies to my post, was being selfish and thought I was the only one out there! Silly I know, I know its common to have UTI's, but didnt relise how common it was to have recurring painful UTI's. I havent had one for a few years, and if I feel like one coming on I know how to prevent it, I just dont want to take drugs for the rest of my life!! :banghead:

[melbryan]

I live with UTI's and have doen since I was a little girl. I have had all the tests and gave up on antibiotics.
My saviour has been lots of water and going to the toilet after sex. I wondered why it was hard to concieve cause I was standing up straight after sex.
It's very painful and I wish there was a magic cure for me but there wasn't. Alot of the posts on this thread have really good advice, try all of them and see which one helps.
Good luck.

[Lallas' Mum]

I had a history of UTI's in the past. But I have been UTI free for quite a while now. Though I am at home wincing in pain as I have a kidney infection but according to my Gp I can blame the third child I am currently expecting as the kidney infection never started in the urinary tract.

Anyhow here's my list of lifestyle changes and helpful hints.
Cranberry juice or tablets (which is apparantly due to the high amount of vitamin C in it).
Limit intake of coffee and alcohol as it dehydrates you. Also avoid too many sugary drinks like softdrink,juices and cordials.
Water, water and more water.
Go to the toilet after sex but also shower. I found the shower added to the mix really helps. It also helps if your partner is clean (not sweaty) before sex and has clean hands and if your feeling a bit grotty beforehand jump in the shower with him. It could be your new starting place for 4play?!? Positions have never made a difference to me but the clean partner has!!
Cotton undies and NO G-strings. This was also a major improvement factor for me. If you're doing sweaty activity like gym work or sports wear a panty liner to soak up any sweat and stop your nether regions getting sweaty- this is a big bacteria breeder and it is bacteria that we need to stop.

There you go I bet you think your sex life is over and your turning into an old lady. That's what I used to think. But I went from being like you with constant infections to not having had a UTI for three years now. I never (touch wood) got a UTI with any of my pregnancies either which is when you are apparantly most prone.

Good luck to you. I hope some of these things might help.

oh I just thought of one more thing - change to a sensitive brand of washing powder and softner just in case it is causing you some trouble.

[Seekrit]

Karen - the worst one I got when I refused to go to the doctor, was that my bladder would cramp when I peed and that meant the infection had travelled past my urinary tract. My doctor gave me plenty of tut-tuts :shame: and told me the dangers if I had a kidney infection.

So if the UTI doesn't ease I see the doc, or as soon as I feel my bladder cramp I'm there.