UTIs can be caused by poor hygiene, impaired immune function, the overuse of antibiotics, the use of spermicides, and sexual intercourse. The most common cause, accounting for about 90 percent of all cases, is the transfer of Escherichia coli bacteria from the intestinal tract to the urinary tract.
For those of you who have experienced a UTI, there isn’t much you wouldn’t do to avoid another one. While I personally have never had a UTI, my patients have told me how symptoms like pain, burning, nausea, and even bloody urine can be debilitating, and for those who get chronic UTIs, the fear of infection can be enough to prevent engagement in any activities that could trigger one. For people who get them frequently, sometimes a specific cause cannot even be pinpointed. This can be frustrating and scary.
Fortunately, there are a few methods of natural UTI treatment and prevention that have worked extremely well for my patients, to the point where they no longer worry about getting a UTI.
These treatments don’t require a prescription, are inexpensive, and are completely drug-free. While your doctor may not know about them, I hope this article will help you completely avoid UTIs—or at least significantly reduce their frequency and severity. I recommend working with a Functional Medicine practitioner who is focused on treating the root cause of your UTIs.
UTIs can be debilitating, but it is possible to get relief without requiring a prescription. Check out this article for five ways to cure UTIs without antibiotics. #functionalmedicine #wellness #chriskresser
What Is the Standard Treatment for a UTI?
Doctors typically use antibiotics to treat UTIs, and the type and duration depend on your health condition and the type of bacterium found in your urine. (2) Commonly prescribed antibiotics are:
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim)
- Amoxicillin
- Ampicillin
- Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
These antibiotics are often unnecessary and may cause more problems in the future by destroying the beneficial bacteria that prevent pathogenic bacteria from growing. Long-term use of antibiotics can also lead to antibiotic resistance in strains of bacteria like E. coli in the gut, and a UTI caused by these bacteria will be even more challenging to eliminate and can cause more serious issues like a kidney or bladder infection.
Furthermore, antibiotics do very little to prevent the infection from happening in the first place. So, while drugs may be an easy fix for the short term, in the long run, you will continue to be susceptible to UTIs, and these infections may be worse than if you had never taken a course of antibiotics in the first place!
Curing and Preventing UTIs Naturally: D-Mannose
Treating UTIs with D-Mannose
D-mannose is by far the most effective supplement for both treatment and prevention of UTIs. Similar to glucose in structure, D-mannose is a naturally occurring sugar that is found in a number of fruits, including apples, blueberries, and cranberries. (3) This sugar is the reason that cranberry juice has been commonly recommended as a UTI treatment, though it is far easier to get the recommended dosage from a supplement. D-mannose is effective because it attaches to E. coli bacteria, causing them to stick to each other and preventing them from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. (4) The bacteria can then easily be eliminated from the body during urination.
D-mannose, even in large quantities, does not cause any adverse effects, and cannot be metabolized the way other sugars can, meaning this supplement is safe for people with diabetes and others who are avoiding sugar for any reason. This treatment is also safe for children and the elderly.
Symptom relief can be seen as quickly as the following day, and most symptoms of UTI are generally resolved after 48 hours of treatment. Additionally, taking D-mannose during a time where you feel you are most prone to UTIs, such as before intercourse or during prolonged antibiotic treatment, can help prevent a UTI from ever developing in the first place. This is especially helpful for those who are prone to chronic UTIs and want to be able to engage in normal life activities without fear of infection.
The typical dose of D-mannose for UTI treatment is 500 mg, in capsule or powder form, taken with or in a glass of water or juice every two to three hours for five days. It is a good practice to continue taking the supplement even after symptoms have diminished to ensure complete elimination of the bacteria in the urinary tract. This dose can also be taken as a preventive, or prophylactic, method.
While there has not been any peer-reviewed research to support the effectiveness of D-mannose in treating or preventing UTIs, clinical and anecdotal experience suggests it is highly effective for the majority of infections, both acute and chronic. Some of my patients who have used D-mannose as a UTI treatment method have even described its effects as “miraculous”—so it’s definitely worth a shot!
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Four Alternative Treatments for Chronic UTIs
One caveat with D-mannose is that it is only effective with UTIs caused by E. coli infection. While this accounts for about 90 percent of cases, 10 percent will not benefit from this treatment. In this case, supplements that help disrupt biofilms can be useful in treating and preventing UTIs.
Biofilms are an accumulation of microorganisms and their extracellular products forming structured communities attached to a surface such as the lining of the urogenital tract. (5) The development of a biofilm can make infections extremely hard to treat, since they commonly return shortly after treatment is stopped.
The antibacterial resistance of pathogenic biofilms is one of the major reasons why those who get a UTI are highly susceptible to getting more in the future—if the biofilm is not completely eliminated, the infection will eventually return at some point.
1. InterFase Plus and Biofilm Defense
This is why the use of biofilm disruptors can be helpful for preventing the recurrence of chronic UTIs. The biofilm disruptors that I recommend to my patients are InterFase Plus from Klaire Labs or Biofilm Defense from Kirkman. These contain specialized enzymes to disrupt the biofilm matrix embedding potential of pathogens, and dissolve the sugar and fibrin components of most pathogenic biofilms. By destroying the biofilms, the recurrence of UTIs despite proper hygiene can be reduced. (6)
2. Lauricidin
Lauricidin is another supplement that may help in treating UTIs, particularly those that are caused by types of bacteria other than E. coli. Lauricidin (a proprietary form of monolaurin) has antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial activity, and is specific against pathogenic bacteria so it won’t disrupt beneficial bacteria in the gut. It is highly effective at combating gram-positive bacteria in the families of: (7)
- Streptococcus
- Staphylococcus
- Corynebacterium
- Listeria
- Bacillus
- Clostridium
It works by disturbing the integrity of the bacterial cell membrane, blocking replication and making it easier for the immune system to destroy the pathogen. Lauricidin is only helpful, however, for UTIs not caused by E. coli, which is gram-negative and has a different kind of outer cell membrane than gram-positive bacteria.
3. Nattokinase
Nattokinase is another enzyme that has been shown to dissolve biofilms. (8) Produced by the bacteria found in the fermented food natto, this enzyme is proteolytic and can help break down the fibrin proteins that maintain the structure of biofilms.
Because of its fibrin-breaking ability, it’s important that nattokinase supplements are not taken by people with bleeding disorders, or by people who are taking Coumadin (warfarin), aspirin, or any other drug that influences blood clotting, unless supervised by a physician.
4. Apolactoferrin
Apolactoferrin (or lactoferrin) is one more supplement that I recommend to my patients with recurrent UTIs. This multifunctional protein lactoferrin is a component of the immune system with antimicrobial activity, and is part of the innate defense, found mainly in secretions and mucosal surfaces. (9)
Lactoferrin has been shown to block pathogenic biofilm development by binding to iron and causing the bacteria to “wander” across surfaces instead of forming cell clusters and biofilms. (10, 11) One study found that the amount of E. coli bacteria in the kidneys and bladder of mice was significantly reduced 24 hours after oral lactoferrin treatment, compared to a control group. (12) More research is necessary to demonstrate the effectiveness of lactoferrin in treating UTIs, but I believe it is worth trying, especially if dealing with chronic UTIs.
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In my screen name I’ve linked a UTI treatment flowchart that starts out with emergency pain relief measures and flows to two treatment plans, depending on your circumstances.
I won’t know if it works till I post the comment, and you can’t edit comments, so forgive me if it doesn’t work.
Hi!
I got UTI on Thursday, Feb. 25. I took AVO for 2 days along with cranberry pills and drinking lots of water. Even green tea with Bragg’s ACV and cinnamon. The pain went away with the AVO pills but I felt slight fever on Friday and Saturday with back pain (maybe from kidneys). Today, I’m not 100% and after reading your article and comments I feel I should get some olive leaf and activated charcoal. What do you suggest and what dosage? Thank you!
Try cayenne pepper first, just in case. It’s effective in most cases, almost miraculously so.
Check out the flowchart in my screen name for detailed instructions on olive leaf and charcoal.
Hi I am presently suffering from an e-choli infection ,I am on an antibiotic.I found your site and went to health store and got olive leaf extract in liquid form I have been taking twice a day for two days.My question is it has a 66% strength of ol(cant remember name at present) how much would be safe to take in a day ,I take 15mls each time .
I havent been taking charcoal tabs as i did not know to get at time
Regards Mary
The dosage varies depending on the individual circumstances; I take it you’re asking because you haven’t seen the results you were hoping for?
Olive leaf is very safe and non-toxic, except to pathogens. If you aren’t seeing improvement in your UTI symptoms within 90 minutes of taking it, that means you have a yeast overgrowth intercepting it before it can get to your bladder.
If you increase the dose, the yeast will begin to die-off in large quantities and you’ll feel sick. If you can’t find charcoal locally, buy activated charcoal capsules online. It soaks up the toxins and sweeps them out of you so you can take as much olive leaf as you need without getting sick.
Another option is to take charcoal alone over the course of one day while fasting and drinking lots of water. That will sweep your gut clean and the olive leaf will then be able to go straight to work on the UTI-causing pathogen.
If you take 3 droppers of that liquid extract in a glass of water, you’ll know in less than 2 hours exactly what’s going on.
Have you tried cayenne pepper?
It’s been highly effective on E. coli infections, in my experience.
These Biofilm disruptors that you recomend, where can you fing them?
Hi, I’ve been reading through the comments and wanted to read them all but there is soooo many, so apologise if this has been covered. My six year old son has a bed wetting problem that we have previously fixed with d mannose. It has resurfaced and the d mannose just isn’t cutting it this time. However I am going to up the frequency over the next few days and hope for the best. I’m interested in using the cayenne but worried about how o give it to him, and will it burn his tummy too much. He doesn’t have any outward signs, and he does have food sensitivities which we obviously avoid. Maybe it’s the biofilm problem? I don’t know, any insight much appreciated.
Olive leaf is the best thing to give children. (I have 5 of them:)
Get some capsules that are 15-20% oleuropein, and open one up over a spoonful of food he likes. Sprinkle a little on it, have him eat it, and continue until you’ve gotten one capsule into him.
Do that twice a day, morning and evening, and keep him away from sweets.
You can buy UTI test strips on Amazon (25 for $12) and test his morning urine every day. You’ll be able to watch his nitrite and leukocyte levels drop like a rock, and you can stop the twice a day treatment when his test has been clear for 3 days.
After that, give him one capsule 2-3x a week to prevent future infection. (It will also keep him from getting colds and other infections)
Hi, thanks will try that. My kids will take anything in any form which is great. I’ve had olive leaf before for colds and flus and it’s fantastic, I wonder now if he’s been dry while taking it and I hadn’t noticed, it’s been a while since any of them were sick so can’t remember. Over the last couple of days I have given him a lot more d mannose and he’s been dry, but feel like he needs something long term, so hopefully the olive leaf will be the answer.
The test strips are a great idea, will be very helpful. Thank you so much 🙂
My kids are like that, too. They eat raw garlic and giggle, “It’s spicy!”.
Olive leaf is a more..socially acceptable alternative. LOL
Interesting conversation, thanks all for your contributions.
I am 33-yo male with a congenital condition that causes incomplete paralysis. I use a wheelchair but have sensation most of the way.
I used to get frequent UTIs, 5-7 a year, especially after I got married and started having regular intercourse. Most infections were of the E. coli variety, and I got a few kidney infections because they ramped up so quickly (I also have reflux as part of my condition so infections can go quickly). In 2011 I found D-mannose, and it was life-changing. I went without an infection of any kind for 3.5 years!
But the infections started coming back about a year ago. I’ve had 6 or 7 in the last year. No E. coli — the D-mannose seems to still be keeping that away. I’m getting other bugs, mostly Citrobacter (one Klebsiella infection). When I treat it with Macrobid, the infection inevitably comes back 3-4 days after I stop. When it’s treated with Cipro, it usually goes away, at least for a couple months, but I’m worried about creating resistance. I finished a course of Cipro 4 days ago, and this morning I woke up, and my urine didn’t smell right, and test strips confirmed I’m beginning to get a new infection — still very early.
The D-mannose of course doesn’t work on these bugs, but it does seem to slow the growth, so I don’t get the infections that explode like they used to. So I upped the dose of that to every few hours today (I use the Now Foods powder).
This current infection, assuming it’s the same as the one that recurred, seemed to have been set off by a cytoscope I had at the urologist 2 weeks ago (think of a catheter with a camera on it). Fortunately, everything “looked” clean and healthy, and I don’t have any bladder stones or anything, but I’m convinced the scope set me off — the timing was too perfect.
The concept of the biofilm matrix is interesting to me. Maybe that’s why I keep getting recurrences of these bugs, even though hygienically I’m doing everything right now. Maybe it’s why the scope seemed to give me a new infection. I’ve ordered the Interfase Plus off Amazon, as well as some Grapefruit Seed extract. I’ve just eaten a couple cloves of raw garlic, and of course am hydrating well.
For the last 7-8 years I’ve been taking Bactrim as a prophylactic. I have no way of knowing how many infections that has prevented, but it seems to be losing its efficacy. I’d like to get off it, and stop getting the UTIs, which causes this endless spiral of destroying my gut flora.
Thanks for reading this far. I guess my question is: has anyone else on here had success preventing recurring UTIs from Citrobacter and/or Klebsiella? Success that doesn’t need to resort to continuing the antibiotic treadmill? Most documentation online is about the most common bug – E.coli, and it’s really hard to find much about other bugs.
I can tell you that 3 women who’ve contacted me about Klebsiella infections have been cured by cayenne pepper.
1/4 tsp 4x a day.
Thanks, I’ll give it a shot. As soon as I get over this stomach virus that came on last night….
Like you didn’t have enough problems, right?!
Got activated charcoal? It’s great for stomach bugs.
Will Wild Oregano oil work on Klebsiella Oxytoca?
Sadly, no..but a combination of olive leaf, raw garlic, and cayenne pepper will.
Get Vitacost or Swanson Extra Strength olive leaf extract, ordinary cayenne pepper from the grocery store and a jar of honey, a few heads of raw garlic, and a bottle of activated charcoal. E-mail me at [email protected] or [email protected] for a precise protocol and additional support; I’ve helped quite a few women with long-standing Klebsiella infections. One of them had suffered for 4 years; she was cured in a week on what I described.
I am finally starting to get relief from the olive leaf and grapefruit seed extract, Bekah had suggested. Many thanks. I discovered I had to reduce the amt. I was taking–was having unpleasant sensation in the kidney area. Felt swollen, and very uncomfortable and kept me up at night. I had a pr. with kidneys filtering a few months ago, which resolved on its own. Maybe that’s why I can’t tolerate the recommended dose. Anyway, doing better and still treating diminished symptoms. For now, just glad symptoms have backed off, so I can live my life!!
I’m so glad you’re feeling better!
Both olive leaf and grapefruit seed are potent detoxifiers, so it’s a really good idea to get some activated charcoal and alternate doses.
In my case, because of my recent personal history, I could take those doses and they killed the UTI I had without causing side effects, but the majority of people will experience a toxin dump.
Keep the charcoal and the supplements 2 hours apart, and it will vacuum up the debris that’s making you feel bad.
Thank you so much for all your helpful comments. I have a uti that is incredibly painful when I urinateand a lot of blood. This is my 3rd uti in the last 4 months. My last one was not quite as bad as this I went to the dr and got antibiotics but it never felt like it was completely gone. I’ve had little symptoms now about a month but it has gotten progressively worse the past couple days. I tried the cayenne pepper and it helped the pain slightly but I never felt any warmth of what you described. About an hour ago I ate 1 raw garlic clove and drank about 20oz size baking soda water and currently drinking lemon water. What would you recommend I do to get rid of this? I ate some grapefruit seeds yesterday but it didn’t seem to help and I did only do that once.
I also did the cinnamon drink you posted to help with yeast but that had no effect whatsoever. I just want to make sure the grapefruit seed excract and olive leaf extract will get rid of a uti of this severity cause it’s one of the worst pain I’ve experienced
Olive leaf is about to become your best friend.
Also, activated charcoal.
I’m sure you have a yeast overgrowth after those antibiotics, and those two will completely clear it out and then the olive leaf can kill the UTI.
Every single person I’ve talked to lately with a story like yours has turned out to have a huge yeast colony they didn’t know about. It’s running defense for the UTI, so whatever you take has little effect.
Eat a normal meal, take 4 olive leaf capsules. Don’t eat anything else for 2 hours, then take 3 activated charcoal capsules with 20 oz of water. Drink that amount again in an hour. Do NOT eat anything.
When 2 hours have passed since you took the charcoal, you can eat something and take 4 more olive leaf, with plenty of water.
Repeat for the rest of the day. Make sure that you take charcoal the last thing before bed, with a big glass of water.
Repeat for at least one more day, then you can start taking charcoal twice a day while still taking 4 olive leaf capsules 3x a day until you’ve been free of UTI symptoms for 3 full days. Then take 2 capsules in the morning and 2 in the evening for a week.
The olive leaf will slaughter the yeast and the charcoal will draw out the toxins released when yeast dies, so you don’t become sick as a dog.
If any of this is confusing or unclear, e-mail me. 🙂
[email protected]
I have been dealing with a UTI and am trying to avoid antibiotics. Have tried external tea tree oil and drinking pure cranberry juice as well as eating whole cranberries. Take oil of oregano first thing in the morning. Used to be on Cpro 500 mg to clear it
And how are you doing on that? Any diminution of symptoms?
Externally, the best thing to do is make a thick, wet paste of activated charcoal and apply to the urethra. It’s like the baking soda bath idea on steroids, and much more convenient.
Have you tried any of the ideas listed here yet, like cayenne pepper?
Do I have to make the olive leaf capsules, or can I buy them?
Olive leaf extract in capsules should be available at any health store. You can also use the liquid extract and mix it into a glass of water to take it.
Hi! I developed a UTI almost 3 weeks ago. I finally went to the doctor after a week and culture showed e. Coli. I had great improvement by using a variety of herbal tinctures and something called UT vibrance, but I still haven’t completely kicked the UTI. Any advice?
I’ve had a second culture done and am awaiting results.
The most effective treatment for that would probably be cayenne pepper.
What to do with it? I am having so much pain and im peeing blood now
Take 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, just swallow it with water, get it in you quickly! Also drink 16 oz of water with 2 tsp of baking soda stirred into it, immediately. Repeat in 30 minutes, then cut back to 1 tsp in 16 oz of water and drink that in 30 minutes.
E-mail me at [email protected] if you want and I’ll give you my phone number if you want to talk. I’ve been exactly where you are and I’ll walk you through it.
UTI and Yeast: The Deadly Duo
First of all, it is quite possible to have a yeast overgrowth without having a yeast infection, or spotting other obvious symptoms. A UTI and yeast often work hand-in-glove with one another, and one way to tell that you have a yeast problem as well as a UTI is if you take something like garlic or olive leaf and you feel much more ill a short time later, with little effect on the UTI. It isn’t that it’s not working for you; the yeast in your system is acting like a sort of sponge, soaking up that supplement, buffering its effect on the UTI and giving off toxins as it dies.
In that case, what you need is activated charcoal or bentonite clay; follow the internal dosage instructions on the package.
Alternate your yeast/UTI killing agent with charcoal or bentonite every two hours, and you’ll kill off the yeast AND the UTI without painful yeast die-off symptoms. Charcoal and bentonite both draw toxins out of your system as they pass through; it’s like vacuuming up the fall-out after you’ve nuked the yeast and UTI pathogens.
I’ve been having utis for a few months, I’m currently on Antibiotics and it’s not working. It’s very painful when I go to the urinate, I feel miserable, especially on the weekends.
Any suggestions on what I should use to stop/prevent this.
First thing, try 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. It’s effective in 90% of infections. If it works for you, you’ll feel a tingling in your bladder within an hour; that means it’s killing your infection.
Eat a little something and drink a big glass of water with it, in case it irritates your stomach. Take every 4 (waking) hours for 3-5 days.
If you do NOT experience relief from cayenne, scroll further down the page and read my comments on yeast and on taking olive leaf and grapefruit seed extract.
Feel free to e-mail me if you need further support.
[email protected]
It may have been mentioned here, but I didn’t find it, so it isn’t a bad idea to bring it up. It is a good idea to know about ways to treat UTIs and even remedies that one can take regularly to prevent new ones. However, our bodies are designed to fight disease with our own very complex immune system. That said, it is important to recognize that sugar, even in relatively small quantities is a deterrent to our ability to fight off infection. Sugar is ubiquitous in a myriad of foods that many of us purchase on a daily basis. Sugar is addictive as are alcohol and narcotics but doesn’t have the stigma attached and you don’t go through withdrawal if you go off it. But never the less it is addictive and there are a huge number of people addicted to it. What I’m saying is, if you have to climb a mountain, why burden yourself with a heavy weight that you don’t need to bring with you? Read labels on foods, quit putting sugar in your coffee, don’t drink sodas. Some of you may find that you won’t need antibiotics or other preventatives if you just improve your own immune systems. White blood cells are 40% less effective at 100 grams of sugar in the blood stream (2 sodas) for as much as 5 hours. White blood cells are the hunters in your blood that look for alien cells like bacteria and destroy them. Give your white blood cells a boost of energy by cutting out all unnecessary sugar in your diet.
Emuh- What about things that turn to sugar such as white rice? My diet is very restricted and white rice is one thing that doesn’t upset my digestion.
I continue to get UTI’s I am a type 2 diabetic and I am allergic to citrus. I drink plenty of water, just because I like water, but I need help because I don’t like taking to many more meds than I already have to take daily. This UTI hurts.
Try 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. If you feel a tingling in your bladder within an hour of taking it, it’s killing the infection.
In that case, take it again in 4 hours, and keep taking it 4x a day for 3-5 days, then once a day as preventive maintenance so you don’t get another.
Cayenne is great for diabetics; it improves the circulation.
I have been plagued with UTI’s for the majority of my life (age 62). Currently, I am going into a full month with one, which has been treated with two different antibiotics to no avail. My culture came back negative. As I write this, I am waiting for a call back from my doctor. I am feeling the same as if I have not been treated. Reading some of the comments, there appears to be a lot of sound advice. My problem is I cannot eat garlic, honey, cinnamon or cayenne pepper due to IBS. I am drinking plenty of water with lemon, taking a probiotic and am meticulous with my personal hygiene. I’m at a loss for “curing” this once and for all. HELP!
Try grapefruit seed extract and olive leaf extract. You can buy the grapefruit seed in bulk powder form on Amazon, and big bottles of olive leaf extract capsules are a good deal on Vitacost.com. You’re going to want a lot, because you have to hit this hard, for at least 10 days. And after that you’ll want it for preventive maintenance.
Take 4 olive leaf capsules and 1 tsp of grapefruit seed powder every two hours, and keep drinking that water. Keep that up till you’ve been completely symptom-free for 5 days. Back off to every 4 hours and keep drinking the water. Do that for another 5 days and then take that dose twice a day for a week.
After that, I would take one olive leaf and 1/4 tsp of GFSE every day as preventive maintenance. These things have a way of recurring on you.
I recently contracted a non-E. coli infection for which cayenne is not effective, and GFSE combined with olive leaf or garlic is working for me. I just gave you the treatment I’m taking, and I’ve been asymptomatic since I started it.
Best of luck!
May I suggest dealing with emotional contributions at this point? I had IBS for 17 years until my mind addressed an abusive memory from childhood. All of my fear associated with abandonment left as did my IBS. Your need for a cure is real because I have been where you are at, but dismissing the negative restraints of doctors may be liberating as well. When I tried natural remedies despite dr warnings I had another breakthrough. Blessings
I have the same thing. I been suffering for years. My cultures come back negative but I still have pain. Nothing works please help me too. Right now I have one. And I guess tomorrow is doc day. Thank u
This seems to clear up if you treat for yeast. Click on my screen name and follow the treatment plan using olive leaf and charcoal, only start with 2 olive leaf per meal.
Take 2 capsules each time for 2 days, 3 per meal for 3 days, the 4 per meal for 4 days, and by then you should be pain-free.
E-mail me if you’re not, or if you have any questions.
[email protected]
I am dealing with a chronic uti, caused by a proteus infection. It just keeps coming back, and I am becoming allergic to several antibiotics. I tried the cayenne pepper suggestion and initially, it was very helpful–the sensation of a continually full bladder was gone. But now it is all coming back.
I’m at my wits’ end, and so is my dr.
Any suggestions on other things to try? I have tried baking soda water, d mannose and lauricidin along the way
What I just told the lady right above you should work for you, as well.
I know just how you feel, because I contracted a new infection and cayenne didn’t work.
My chagrin was only equaled by my outrage. :/
Anyway, what I outlined above is working for me and should for you, so good luck!
Let me know how it goes!
Try drinking water with lemon, fresh ginger cucumber and mint. Let it sit overnight in fridge and drink. My symptoms went away in two days. (I had my symptoms for a month) Prior I kept testing negative for a uti and they said I had some other condition but this water worked. I haven’t had symptoms since.
Hi folks,
At the first inkling of a UTI I take Echenatea tincture (found in any health food store), a dropper full Avery 1/2 hour for 2 hours, then just 2x a day for a couple days. Without fail the symptoms are relieved within 2 hours!
However, I recently had a UTI ( I have had about 3 in the last 5 years ) that did not respond as previously. Super cute…of course mass doses of organic (non-sugar) cranberry concentrate, but the best…mashed garlic, cayenne, and raw honey. Course the garlic is a natural antibiotic , the cayenne opens things up, and raw, organic honey has over 5,ooo enzymes. Knocked it right out. (Also, the crazy garlic/cayenne/honey mix knocked out my husband’s Strep throat in 48 hours!)
Thanks for caring…
D-Mannose has never worked for me. I have my urine sent to be cultured all the time and it is always e-coli. I am so frustrated I could scream. This has been going on for a year.
I have tried:
different antibiotics (nitrites goes away while on antibiotics and come back 2 days after finishing antibiotics)
D-Mannose
Cranberry
Garlic cloves
grapefruit seed
Apple cider vinegar
baking soda
colloidal silver WHILE ON antibiotics and when not on them.
Oregano oil capsules
Oregano oil drops
Homeopathy (homeopathic remedies from my naturopath)
Pascoleucyn tincture
Bladder tinctures (from naturopath)
essential oils
and every thing else under the sun. If you mention it, I have tried it and STILL it comes back.
My next try is interfase plus and biofilm defense.
If those don’t work I don’t know what I am going to do.
one UTI per month for 12 months on antibiotics every time has not worked and nothing seems to work. I am about to give up. I would really appreciate a reply from someone who has been in the same situation as me. Thanks
I had an E. coli infection that weathered everything I threw at it for almost 5 years.
Then I tried cayenne pepper; the infection was gone in a few days.
1/4 tsp every 4 hours and that infection folded like a cheap lawn chair.
How do you take the pepper or with what? Please specify.
I just took it off a spoon and chased it with a big glass of water, but you can get capsules of it at the store.
I didn’t have a problem taking it on an empty stomach, but you should probably eat a little something right afterward just in case.
There are more suggestions on how to take it a little further down in the comments.
Ok I will give it a try if these biofilm disrupters don’t work or maybe I can take it with. Something has to work. I’m so frustrated and tired of this. My GP has given up. Urologist just wants to keep throwing antibiotics at me :/
I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry sor you, I am on the same path. D Mannose seems to be working right now.. Have you tried it with the 1 tablespoon every 2 to 3 hours?
LHF
Yes I tried it for many months and it didn’t help (every infection is ecoli)
I go thru the same thing. I’ve had 2 in 2 months. Nothing works for me too all my cultures come back negative but I’m still pain
So, I’m only 13 years old (8th grade) and since I was probably 11, I’ve had UTI’s. The only symptoms I get is the constant earge to pee. Now that I’m older, I know to take care of myself (down there) and stay clean.
Recently I got that pain again, and it seems like whenever I drink water it goes away. But it comes back.
I’ve been to the doctors many times, and we get the same antibiotic over and over again. I’m really sick and tired of it. I go to school everyday, and I have to go on a trip for a week, and I don’t want to have this pain.
I take care of myself, and I don’t know why I keep getting UTI’s, could it be a condition? My doctor says I’ll grow out of it, but I want it to stop now.
It IS possible to have a condition that causes recurrent UTI’s, but if you had that it would have been evident at an earlier age, and the doc would have spotted it by now. It can be common for very physically active people to get a lot of UTI’s (sweat makes it easier for pathogens to travel across your skin); that might be a factor. You might want to change to a natural, glycerin-based soap.
For now, I would recommend taking cayenne pepper if it’s E. coli, and grapefruit seed extract if it’s something else. Both can be taken several times a week as preventive maintenance once you’re UTI-free, and you should definitely do that since you’re prone to infection right now.
Drink lots of water with lemon juice squeezed into it.
Hi Bekah.
You are such a kind and caring person Bekah. I rely love the way you try to help others but have something to advice you, SOME of us have rather abnormal conditions. For instance mine, its kind of diverting from the norm and refuse to tolerate to some types of ‘apparently’ usual or mild stuff, like Epsom salt, Sea salt or even Baking soda; all these make me fill very ill. I know even raw-garlic can be very harmful to some (thank God I’m okay with it).
Last time I tried D mannose, I took 500mg before I went to bed and what happens is, it made me so ill that I felt like I’d taken poison then realised that D mannose contains Magnesium Citrate just like Epsom salt.
I’m glad I only took one capsule of 500mg, because if I’d taken it every 2 to 3 hours as suggested by the blogger (not blaming him) I can assure you that I wouldn’t have been singing song to you right now, that for sure.
So, my advice is, keep on helping but with a lot of caution because I’d hate to hear someone blames you for taking your advice.
I like you babe.
Yes, just like some have a bad reaction to peppers, or are allergic to certain medications..these things are discovered through painful experience. I’ve been concerned about that, too.
I didn’t know I was allergic to Monistat till I tried it (Thank God it was an external rash, not a yeast infection. I would have lost my mind!), and was forced to come up with an alternative, coconut oil with garlic steeped in it.
Pretty much everything I’ve learned is due to having had a negative reaction to something.
The worst part is that you become afraid to try any new potential remedy, because you’ve been traumatized so many times by unexpected bad results! You were trying to make it better, and inadvertently made it worse.
Like when I tried tea tree oil for a different skin infection…I found out I’m allergic to that, too. 🙁
Lemon juice in water is the best thing to drink regularly to bring the pH up for a UTI; I hope that proves beneficial for you.
Hi. How much lemon juice mixed with how much water.thanks
About two teaspoons per 8 oz of water will give you relief. You have to take something to kill the UTI as well, but lemon water (counterintuitively) will raise your bladder pH and discourage the pathogens.
Oh, and could you share a little more about what has worked for you and what has not, for the benefit of those with similar issues?
This topic is so dominated on the Internet by cranberry and D-mannose (effective for some, but by no means all) that it’s difficult to find a resource covering a wide range of personal experiences with a variety of remedies.
Thanks so much!
Hi I get utis once in awhile but find that cranberry never worked. I found out a few years ago I am allergic to cranberries so to hear that there are other things I can try is great. I thought I had no options. At this moment my little girl has a uti. She is 3+ years old and it is late at night and I want to be able to help her anyone have any ideas.
Have her drink lemon juice in water; that will give her a lot of relief.
Olive leaf extract powder sprinkled on her food from an opened capsule will kill the infection.
Raw garlic is great too, but it can be hard to get a 3 yr old to eat it.
Olive leaf is easier to hide.
NOW has a 100% pure powder D-Mannose version (no capsules), so no magnesium citrate or anything else.
Chris, I have chronic UTI’s and been on various antibiotics to treat e coli bacteria. Tried D-Mannose and it seems to work but when I stop taking it for a week the ecoli comes back. Researched Interface Plus to help reduce bio-film in bladder. I have been taking for a few days but my question is how long should you take Interface and D-Mannose for?
I don’t know about Interface, but cayenne pepper kills E. coli infections.
Hi
I am from Delhi, India. My wife had had uti for 3 months and was on antibiotics – amikacin injection and another oral one. Not much improvement. As soon as she was taken off antibiotics, pus cells in urine increased. For the past ten days tried cayenne pepper as you suggested -1/4 spoon every four hours. the pus cells are lower now at 18-20. Earlier when she started pepper it was 20-40. She has been on pepper for 10 days. what do you recommend? Can c. pepper be taken safely for a longer duration? Even though she is off antibiotics there are no visible symptoms like chills or urine retention. Earlier whenever antibiotics were stopped she would start getting chills. now they are gone. but the pus cells are still there. Please guide.
Go to the market and get some grapefruit. Take the seeds out, grind roughly in a mortar or crush them, and have her swallow at least a dozen crushed seeds a day, with a lot of water.
Grapefruit seeds have powerful anti-bacterial agents and should clear that infection the rest of the way.
I’m currently testing them on non-E. coli infections that don’t respond fully to cayenne, and it’s looking good so far.
There are powdered supplements of it on the market, but it would probably be quicker for you to find fresh grapefruit.
Oh, and yes, she should continue to take cayenne (and/or 5 cloves of raw garlic a day) while taking grapefruit seeds.
Cayenne can be taken daily as long as she’s not on any blood-thinning medication.
How is your wife doing now?
Did she try the raw garlic and grapefruit seed?
she is much better, thank you….she is continuing with c. pepper….will go in for a urine routine test again in a few days and will let you know if there still are pus cells…tried it but garlic does not suit her…she gets an upset stomach with loose motions…grapefruit is not available in Delhi (India) ….will orange/lemon or kinu (mandarin orange) seeds work as well?
I understand, garlic is strong stuff.
Can you lay your hands on olive leaf extract? It’s wonderful for all types of infection, but it’s also a potent yeast killer, so if she has a yeast build-up in her gut, it’ll kill the yeast before it kills the UTI.
Activated charcoal will take care of that, if she has die-off symptoms; I left instructions on it toward the top of the thread.
Also, feel free to e-mail me!
thanks…will try charcoal as olive leaf extract might not be available
Charcoal will clean out her gut from the yeast that’s probably poisoning it, after antibiotics.
If you can find a way to get even a little raw garlic into her system, that would help. You could mince it and mix it into hummus, or something. It’s a potent blood-purifier.
Oh, and loose bowels after raw garlic typically means that the liver is being cleansed of toxins. It doesn’t keep doing that forever, just until the liver is cleansed.
If you can’t find olive leaf, e-mail your mailing address to [email protected] and I’ll ship you a bottle of 300 from a company here in the U.S.
I hate that your wife has been in pain for so long.
Hi Arvind, I am also from Delhi, India. I want to what cayenne pepper. Is it Red Chilli Powder or something different. Please inform me.
Red chili powder is a mix of things. This is from a cooking forum:
“Cayenne is made from a specific, hot pepper.
Paprikas are usually made from milder peppers — sweet paprika is even available, which to me does not taste even a little spicey.
Chili powder, however, is rather different — it’s a mix that includes dried ground chile peppers (often both cayenne and paprika), cumin, garlic, and oregano.”
If that’s all you have, you could try it, just make sure to drink a glass of water with a little sodium bicarbonate in it, right afterward.
Remember that cayenne pepper is a wonderful cure for some types of gram-negative bacteria, but has little effect on others. The best things to take for a wide range of infections are raw garlic, and olive leaf extract. The latter can be difficult to obtain in a quality, high-strength form, but raw garlic from the market will work every time. You want to take it on a full stomach, and drink a glass of baking soda water after it, as well.
Thanks for your help madam. I have a very strong willpower and can consumer even 8 to 10 cloves of minced raw garlic with water at a time.
8-10 cloves…I’m pretty sure that’s a superpower. O_O
Be careful to drink 8 oz water every waking hour and empty your bladder once an hour: that’s a lot of garlic and you don’t want to strain your kidneys with the sulphur.
I would suggest taking that much over the course of the day, not in one dose, with the largest dose taken shortly before bed.
You don’t want to take that much for more than a few days at a time, lest you put too great a burden on the kidneys.
Dear Arvind, I am also from Delhi, India and suffering from recurrent UTI. I want to ask you from where to get Cayenne Pepper in Delhi as this is not well known here and the grocers had no idea about this when I asked about it from them. I would also like to know whether it is same as Red Chilli Powder or not? Anyway, please tell me from where you got it in Delhi.
Hey,
I’ve had a UTI, lots of blood in my urine, aching bladder and lower back ache. I was put on trimethroprim for 7days, doc said he could only find trace amounts on infection (I had been drinking 2.5ltrs). After a day I was much better, after the second day the back ache had gone, my urine was clear, but the deep ache in my bladder wouldn’t go. After 5days I gave up, throughout I was taking Dmannose and probiotics with cranberry. I have just taken my first 1/4tsp of cayenne, liked the taste actually 🙂 But then my bladder started burning more, quite painful and urination has increased, will this get better, does it mean its working? Really hoping this does the job as I have a candida overgrowth in my guts which I’ve been fighting for a year and more anti bis would just destroy all my hard work beating it.
Many thanks for any info.
I experienced increased warmth the first time I took it, and thought I’d made it worse. But, the next time I went to the bathroom I could already see a big improvement.
Cayenne should be killing that yeast, too, but I would suggest you drink a glass of baking soda water and either eat a tablespoon of coconut oil a day, or if you have cinnamon in the house, take a tablespoon of it and steep it in 12 oz of steaming hot water, and drink when it cools. Cinnamon absolutely slaughters yeast.
Feel free to e-mail me, and let us know how you do!
Also, do you think the D-mannose is helping at all?
If you don’t notice a difference, it’s not E. coli, and you should take grapefruit seed extract. If your local store doesn’t have it, you can crush the seeds yourself and take them.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/grapefruit-seeds-treat-antibiotic-resistant-utis
Hi Bekah,
I don’t think it is ecoli no, it hasn’t helped at all apart from maybe sooth a little. Today I went to a health food store as my back pain became quite intense and the GP won’t give out more anti bis without doing a culture (sensibly I might add). I take grapefruit seed extract daily as part of my candida regime, along with vit C and probiotics and other vits, so getting this UTI means something must be quite up with my immune system. Anyway, they suggested I take Uva Ursi, I’ve taken 4 tablets so far today and the back pain has eased somewhat, also just drunk a glass of baking soda water. Fingers crossed, thank you for your response.
Wow, that is a hardcore bug!
What effect do you think the cayenne is having? Has the initial response abated, and did you get relief from it?
Please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] if you want; I’d love to help you sort all this out.
I’m astonished that you’re still struggling with either yeast or a UTI, given what you’re taking.
Hi Bekah,
Thanks for your help!! I’ve had recurring UTIs since I was a teen. I’m 25 now. I’ve had a low grade UTI for almost a week and it’s really bad right now. I’ve tried D mannose in the past and it hasn’t worked. It didn’t work this time. I’ve been drinking apple cider vinegar and baking soda with water everyday for the past 5 days. I’m going to try the grapefruit seed extract, cinnamon and cayenne. Let me know if you have any other tips! Thanks!!!
Okay, if D-Mannose isn’t working, it’s not E. coli. According to my own case and the feedback I’ve gotten, cayenne slaughters E. coli but has little effect on other UTI-causing pathogens. Grapefruit seed extract seems to be the best for those; I would try large doses of that, first, along with the baking soda water, or lemon water.
Raw garlic is also efficacious no matter the infection type; it would be a good idea to take a clove with every meal.
Best of luck! Let us know how you do.
Thanks for your help and quick response!!! 🙂
My pleasure!
Every minute counts, with a UTI. :/
Whenever you’re in pain, drink a big glass of baking soda water and take raw garlic. Those invariably reduce pain no matter the infection type.
Let me know how the grapefruit seed works!
Is grapefruit seed extract ok to use if I’m on a bp med that says no grapefruit?
This is an excellent question!
The problem with grapefruit and certain medications lies in the presence of furanocoumarins in the juice and peel of the grapefruit.
Here’s a link about it..
https://www.pureencapsulations.com/media/Grapefruit%20Seed%20extract.pdf
Those two types of furanocoumarins are mostly found in the juice and rind; they’re far LESS present in the seeds.
But, I would ask your doctor to look the research and give an opinion, and stick to olive leaf extract in the meantime. It should keep you pain-free as long as you take it, even if it doesn’t eradicate the infection completely.
Here’s a great informative link…
http://medicinalplants.us/herb-drug-interactions-grapefruit
How is she doing now? Did she try the garlic and grapefruit seed?
I hope she continued to improve!