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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Hi, Im from the Philippines and my 7 yr old daughter has recurrent UTI. Antibiotics only help for a while. She ‘s drinking cranberry juice everyday. Her culture last year showed negative. Pls help. Im worried. She has discharges on her underwear most of the time. She doesn’t have fever and doesn’t feel anything. Im hopeless.
Discharges?!
I would guess she has a vaginal yeast infection from the antibiotics, and I would stop the cranberry juice. It’s only marginally helpful with one kind of UTI bacteria, and if it’s sweetened at all, it’s only making the yeast infection worse!
She may not have any UTI bacteria left, but a vaginal yeast infection can present that way, and give positive results for leukocytes on a UTI test strip.
Instead of cranberry, give her homemade ginger tea to drink. Pour 8 oz steaming hot water over 1 tablespoon of grated ginger root, or 1.5 tsp dry ginger powder, let steep for 20 minutes. Have her drink that twice a day, you can sweeten it with honey and dilute it with water so it’s not too spicy, but make sure you get that in her twice a day. It will kill Candida from the inside.
Can you find some activated charcoal? I would have her sit in a small bathtub with enough water to cover the pubic area, and put about half a cup of activated charcoal powder in it.
Also, I would get some coconut oil and apply that several times a day over the vaginal area. It will tingle on contact: that’s yeast dying.
Thank you very much. I will try everything you said on her. Hope it helps!
I can tell you from personal experience that these things work, and they’re safe: they’re what I would use on my own children in this situation. I have five, ages 11-4, so I know what it’s like!
The ginger tea should be easy to get her to drink, and so you know, if she has significant Candida in her gut, she’ll have diarrhea. That means the yeast is dying and being flushed out, so it’s nothing to worry about.
Charcoal pulls yeast right out of tissue it’s embedded in, so whatever you can do to get wet charcoal to that area will help.
Coconut oil kills yeast on contact, but if the yeast has been present for some time, it can be deeply rooted into the surface tissue, which is why you want to treat with charcoal, too.
She should have noticeable relief after the first day.
You can click on my screen name to contact me quickly through my site, if you need.
Can I use virgin coconut oil or the pure coconut oil?
It’s the medium-chain fatty acids in it that kill yeast, so as long as it’s plain, ordinary coconut oil with nothing else in it, you’re good. You want it to be as close to its natural state as possible. You don’t need anything fancy. If by ‘virgin’ they mean they haven’t done anything to it, that’s perfect.
Hello Bekha. I think I have a UTI. I have all the symptoms minus severe pain during urination. I am a male also. Can you give me a simple , no – frills route to destroying this? I have recently started D-Mannose and I do feel relief. I do wonder if there is a sure-fire way to kill most or better yet any type of UTI without antibiotics. Thanks for any help.
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper 4x a day killed my E. coli infection.
If yours is a different strain that doesn’t respond to cayenne in a noticeable way after the first dose, you need to combine raw garlic with olive leaf extract, the strongest kind you can find.
Take 2 cloves of minced raw garlic with every meal: take the pieces with water: do NOT mix into heated food. Vitacost OLE is the best: it’s for sale on Amazon.
How exactly do you take the cayenne pepper?
You can mix it into a spoonful of honey, to make it easy.
I just mixed it with water and took it like that, because I was that desperate. By the end of the first day, I didn’t have a single symptom left, and I’d been in the midst of a nasty flare-up.
I’ve never seen anything act like that on an infection: it was like magic. And it was out of an old, expired jar I’d had for the better part of a decade! I’d been walking past the magic cure in the spice rack, that whole time. I wanted to kick myself, but I’d never heard of cayenne pepper for a UTI.
It only works on some strains of gram negative infections, though.
I have been having uti infection I had a e coil infection in February but I didn’t take the antbic because it was so dangerous but I didn’t know I had e coil they just called in the meds and didn’t call me. I am 59 and have ait of problems kidney, metal in my back, heart murmur, they said I might be pre- dibetic don’t know for sure, osteoporosis. I have not yet took an antibiotic but now I have white bumps inside vagaina, and a lot of pain at the bottom of my stomach on each side. I take Morphine, hydrocodone, multi vitamins, fish oil, vitm D3,and butailbial for headaches. I just started drinking Aloe Vera. I am afraid to take the antbiotics they have been giving me. Can you help me? I went and got the D-Monnose wt cranberry and vitm c capsules it has 1000 of the D- mannose,400 mgg of the cranberry juice powder and 60 mg vitm C. Do you think the infection is still in there? Don’t know what the white bumps are but I’m so worried don’t know what to do. I haven’t took the D- mannose yet don’t know if I should. I have not had sex in over 12 or more yrs. I want to treat this with out thee dangerous antibiotics. Can you please help me.
First of all, I would get some UTI test strips and see what’s going on.
Secondly, I would do a course of overnight vaginal treatments with coconut oil: there are instructions in the post on vaginal health in the blog linked in my screen name.
See what the UTI test strip shows when you use it first thing in the morning, and let me know.
I’ve had UTI’s ever since I was in university. It used to be that I’d get 1-2 a year. However, I got a UTI about a month ago and it hasn’t gone away! Symptoms included pelvic pain, bloating, back pain and urine frequency and urgency. I went to the doctor right away and she prescribed me antibiotics, but they didn’t work. The culture showed that it was enterococcus faecalis. The doctor continued to prescribe me different antibiotics that didn’t do anything. I’ve been on SIX different antibiotics since then.
Last week, and after another culture, the doctor now says I have e-coli UTI. After stumbling onto this website, I ordered D Mannose and started taking it today. I’ve had 3 doses so far (1 tsp every 2-3 hours) and I’ve been drinking water constantly. I don’t feel any better — the burning symptoms actually feel worse! When do symptoms start to lessen? Is there anything else I can do? I really don’t want to be on antibiotics again — my body feels so worn down and tired from so many pills.
Even when what you have is E. coli, D-Mannose may not work in some cases due to an intestinal Candida overgrowth caused by antibiotics!
If I give you a link this post will go into moderation, but click on my screen name for things you can do for emergency UTI pain relief. There are other posts about how to eradicate your infection, but start with the pain relief measures.
D-Mannose can cause kidney failure. After taking it for only a few days, I had decreased urine output and my ankles, calves, and around my eyes got puffy. I took a diuretic and I was fine, but people should be aware that it CAN have significant side effects.
Hello Bekah,
Your cayenne and d.mannose treatments worked for me the last time I had a UTI, so thank you for that!
I’ve hit a snag, however.
I got a new UTI from sex and started cayenne and mannose regimen last Monday a.m. (7 days ago). Up until this a.m., it was improving each day. Today, tho, it has worsened a bit. More urges to urinate, mild pain in bladder and urethra areas.
I received a yeast infection at the same time, so I’m also on supplements for that. Following Chris Kesser’s advice, I am currently taking the following:
1. Mannose 1000mg every 2 to 3 hrs
2. Cayenne in honey every 4 hrs
3. Olive leaf extract 20%, 4 caps, 3x a day with meals
4. 1 Garlique tablet 1x a day
5. Interfase plus added yesterday. 2 per day.
6. Probiotic tablets, 100million,
2x day
7. Metrodinazole cream intravag. at bedtime
I’m sorry this is so long. I’m just really concerned about my “backward progress”!
Please, what am I doing wrong??
I would guess that something fed/irritated your infection (sugar, starch, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, too long without emptying bladder).
You didn’t mention die-off symptoms? With a yeast infection, you should also have intestinal candida: if you aren’t having die-off symptoms, either your OLE isn’t effective, or your candida has a biofilm.
I started a wordpress blog to put this info on, for easy perusal, and I’ve just got some of the basics up because I plan to move it to a self-hosted site for greater flexibility, but you should check out the info I put up on it, so far. (especially the entry on vaginal health, and the one on Candida and recurring UTI’s) I already wrote most of this stuff in the comments here, but those are way down the page, now.
I put the link in my screen name.
How are you doing now?
My Klebsiella UTI was treated with antibiotics but I still feel spasms in my bladder and urethra. How do I get that to stop. It’s been 5 months. It’s so frustrating. I feel like there must still be bacteria but every time I go to the doctor they say the culture is negative.
This sounds weird, but an intestinal Candida overgrowth can cause bladder irritation and inflammation, and is super common after taking antibiotics.
I would try cutting out all sweets and drinking strong ginger tea several times a day, to kill Candida, and see how your system responds.
did you ever get better? i have had a uti with this same bacteria and am having some uretral pain and spasms too.
I have had continuous UTI’s for over 3 months now. These have been treated with antibiotics but to no avail. My most recent UTI is from Group B Strep – Beta Hemolytic Strptococci. Any suggestions?
Olive leaf extract will kill it, but you need to get a good kind, like Vitacost, Swanson Super Strength, or Nature’s Way with 20% oleuropein.
Also, raw garlic will start killing it right away, if you’ve got some in the kitchen. Mince a couple of cloves and take them when you have a little food in your stomach, (swallow the pieces with water) and chase with a glass of baking soda water, (1/2 tsp soda in 8 oz water) Take that each time you eat, and with a snack right before bed, and you’ll feel much better right away.
Taking the OLE but experiencing a lot of blotting. Does this mean I may also have a yeast infection?
Yes, it means you have an overgrowth of Candida in your intestines. Feel that gurgling? That’s dead Candida making its way through your system. How long it takes depends on how much is in the way. You can take a natural laxative like aloe vera to move things along faster, but don’t take charcoal till your bowels are moving freely and the bloating is gone.
The good news is, your system is going to dump all that, and you’re going get about 5 lbs lighter in short order.
Also, your UTI improves with almost unbelievable rapidity at that point. Intestinal Candida exacerbates and runs interference for a UTI, so when the Candida is removed, the UTI folds like a cheap lawn chair.
Also, clearing out that Candida reduces your chances of a new UTI by about 90%.
There’s an explanation of how this stuff works and what to expect linked in my screen name.
The Candida you’re discovering now is why you’ve been struggling with these recurring infections. It wasn’t because you were doing anything wrong, just so you know.
I answered you, but it went into moderation even though it didn’t have any links in it.
I’ll try again.
Yes, you have an intestinal Candida overgrowth, which is why you keep getting new UTI’s. Keep going and don’t take any charcoal until your bowels have thoroughly emptied and are running loose.
The bad news is, it may take a couple of days to empty out. The good news is, when it does, your UTI will improve with almost unbelievable rapidity and you’ll lose about 5 lbs in 2 days. Candida makes you retain fluid, and when you kill it, you shed the extra water along with all the toxins, and your UTI symptoms drop to virtually nothing.
Really don’t like the way the OLE makes me feel. Does drinking the cinnamon and ginger tea due the same thing in killing candida?
Yes, they do the same thing..which means they’ll make you feel the same way.
It isn’t the OLE, it’s the Candida. When you don’t have yeast, you can take OLE all day long and feel just fine. When Candida dies, it throws an epic hissy fit. Google ‘Herxheimer’s’ or ‘Candida die-off’ and you’ll see what I mean.
You can drink baking soda water for the nausea, 1/2 tsp in 8 oz water will have you nausea-free in 10 minutes.
You just have to push through, and you’ll feel MUCH better in another day or so: your bowels empty out and you bounce back and feel like a million bucks while your UTI symptoms drop off the map and your waist slims dramatically.
How are you doing, my dear?
Bekah,
I have had recurrent UTI’s for almost a year and it didn’t start till I got married and started having sex. I got married July 4,2015 so I’ve almost been struggling with this for a year. I’ve tried so many different things but always fall back to antibiotics. I’ve tried taking certain things after sex to prevent the bacteria like goldenseal or silver hydrasol. I’ve tried the dmannose as well and notice I still get infections (different bacteria from ecoli) I usually don’t get the regular symptoms of a uti and only notice when I have fatigue, urgency, or get a fever or back pain or side pain but it usually progresses very quickly. Every time I go get cultured it turns out to be a different bacteria. This time it has been klebsiella and I’ve been on antibiotics 3 times in a month but it won’t let up. I am scheduled to see a urologist tomorrow. Usually this Happens about 5 days after if my husband ejaculates inside instead of pulling out during sex so we are also getting him cultured. The only bacteria that hasn’t cleared has been the klebsiella. What combination would be good for me as I also have a sensitivity to cayenne?
Hannah,
I’ve had similar issues with getting UTI’s after sex. It has been the more rare bacteria, including klebsiella several times. It is really starting to freak me out. I’d like to know why I keep getting it. I have grown increasingly sensitive or allergic to several of the main antibiotics.
After a course of antibiotics, Candida runs wild in your gut and creates a pathogen-friendly environment, and the vaginal flora gets out of whack, as well. Consequently, UTI-causing bacteria are flourishing in close proximity to your urethra, and need only an opportunity to make their way into your bladder.
In my screen name I’m putting a link to more complete info, and what you can do about it.
Stupid question but how do you access your screen name for more information?
Not stupid, just click on her name at the top of her post its highlighted blue
I moved it to a self-hosted site so I have more options: I love the WordPress layout but it has a lot of limitations unless you want to shell out $$$.
Shoot me an e-mail update when you have a minute! I haven’t checked on everyone yet today because this website thing has kept me busy.
I’ve been using D-mannose for several months now due to recurrent UTIs after intercourse (most of the time). They started when I was younger because of taking baths or wiping wrong, and I was taking antibiotics for treatment sometimes up to six or seven times a year. Of course the antibiotics took care of the problem, but they never prevented it. Now that I’m in college I couldn’t really afford to keep going to the doctor to get yet more antibiotics which is when I discovered D-mannose. I’ve been using it for prevention and I don’t think I’ve ever managed to be so stress free. I made the mistake, however, of missing a dose both before and after intercourse and have found myself with a UTI two days later. I started at five this morning taking a recommended dose of D-mannose pills and have been continuing to drink an excess of water and following up every two hours or so with more pills. Is there anything else I can do to push the treatment along or help dissolve the symptoms? Nothing sets me on edge more than the frequent urge to urinate, the feeling drives me batty and the sooner I can be relieved of it the better!
My comment disappeared 🙁
Maybe it’s being reviewed?
Hope so ~ so hoping to hear back about this.
Thank you for this amazing post, and your dedication to helping people feel better!!
Jane
I had first symptoms about 11 days ago. They were sporadic so I just started drinking lots of water. About 7 days ago I began taking Polyporus and Dianthus, and then added D-Mannos three days ago (though I was taking it wrong … was taking 2,000 mg twice daily, rather than 500 every 2-4 hours). My symptoms are still present, no pain in my abdomen or back. Still the typical UTI symptoms but not so bad. I’m wondering how long it is safe to stay on this regimen, without risking the infection spreading to my kidneys. Should it be clearing up by now on these two supplements and lots of water? I have been to the Dr. It is an ecoli infection, and they are saying that I need to take the Cipro, of course, but I am trying to avoid killing all the good bacteria and leaving the strongest ecoli. Thanks ~
Empty your bladder once every waking hour, and try 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper in a spoonful of honey 4x a day. (With food)
It cured my E. coli infection all by itself: I was asymptomatic by the end of the first day.
Thank you so much for this info! I will try this! God bless and have a great day!
Madam, I am from India. Kindly tell me whether cayenne pepper is same as red chilli powder or different.
I have been using cayenne pepper and honey, along with unsweetened cranberry juice lots of water, polyporus and dianthius, and d-mannos. No burning at urination for a couple of days, except for a couple of times when I didn’t drink enough water to keep flushed. This morning I have low right abdomen discomfort (not really pain … naggy, poking, cool feeling) and now some low right back/upper hip discomfort. Is there anything more I can add? I did very gentle yoga this morning, and enjoyed some sunshine and a walk. Woke up happy and positive, not at all worried about it. I don’t feel terrible, but don’t want it to get to my kidneys. I have a script for Cipro, but the reviews on that stuff are horrible!! I’m afraid to put it in my body!
In my screen name there’s a link to a site I just made, where I put up all the basic information on what to do for an infection, and stuck the most important ones to the top of the page.
There’s one on emergency pain relief, but I think you should check out the Killing a UTI: Phase I and II posts, and the one on UTI’s and intestinal Candida, and vaginal health.
Contact me with any questions!
Hi Bekah,
I wanted to say thanks for setting up your blog. Having all the info together like that is so helpful! I’m using just about everything on the pages … still, if I don’t drink enough water, and especially if I run out of cranberry juice, the symptoms start coming back. I have never hit the nirvana flow with the OLE(SolGarbrand) (and I can’t swallow pieces of garlic due to digestive issues … have to blend and pretty much liquify them) so, I’ve been skipping the garlic. Would that make a huge difference in holding up the process? I’ve never gotten to the charcoal level yet. For people who’ve been dealing with this for years, three weeks must seem like nothing … but for me, it feels like it just keeps dragging on. Hoping to be done with it soon. Thank you again! Do you realize you could sell an ebook or book on this?? Customers: every single woman in the world. That’s a pretty wide customer base! LOL
Okay, there are only two possible reasons why you wouldn’t be responding to the OLE like you should:
1. It’s a completely ineffective brand (what’s the oleuropein percentage?), or
2. Your Candida has a biofilm.
The odds are greatly in favor of #1. If it does turn out to be #2, I have a fix for that..but first study the label on your OLE and tell me what it says.
I just had a lady with a really bad antibiotic-resistant UTI complicated with a vaginal infection and an intestinal Candida overgrowth get completely cleared out and cure in 2 weeks, so something is definitely holding you up.
Cured*, rather. Typos kill me..
I just realized I forgot to mention about the garlic..yes, garlic makes a HUGE difference. The thing about it is, intestinal Candida makes it less effective: it seems to deflect it somewhat. It’s helpful, but not as much as it will be when you’re cleared out.
You need to get some really good OLE ASAP, preferably Vitacost capsules because they really are the best, and when you’ve done some major Candida killing, you can bite the bullet and take garlic, and it will be massively helpful in finishing this thing off.
In the meantime, take 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder 3-4 times a day to kill Candida. Don’t go hog-wild on the stuff: it’s toxic in large quantities..but it’s awesome in the amount I listed. You should feel it affecting you within a few hours. Also, coconut oil kills Candida: try to get 1 tablespoon into your system per day until you get more OLE.
ARGH.
I just looked up that Solgar brand. It has *13.5 mg of oleuropein per capsule*.
Vitacost has 90 mg per capsule. You would need to take 7 Solagar capsules for every 1 Vitacost capsule, which is the potency my dosage recommendations are based on.
No wonder you’re still suffering: I’m so sorry! Check out my post on deciphering OLE supplement labels..or just buy Vitacost.
(They should so make me an affiliate. LOL)
hi Bekah.
im 27 year old man. i had a pcnl surgery of kidney stones 4 months before, after that i got infected with e-coli infection. i have 5 uti,s in just 4 months, im so worried. i m fed up of taking antibiotics many doses. it do not kill all the bacteria. im so worried. can you help me plz.
Click on my name, my dear!
You’re going to need lots of activated charcoal, good OLE, oregano oil, and probiotics, to start.
My two-year-old has had a UTI for several months. She is been on two rounds of anabiotic’s and it goes away for a short time then comes back. I can’t get her to take anything that doesn’t taste good. Do you have any suggestions? I just don’t know what to do?
I would get a bottle of elderberry syrup and Vitacost or Swanson olive leaf extract capsules, and mix a little powder from an opened capsule into a spoonful of syrup and have her take that.
Get one capsule worth into her the first thing in the morning, and the last thing before bed.
Continue until she’s tested negative for infection for 3 days.
Thank you I will right away! Forgot to mention the test strips show leukocytes only
That means she has a gram positive infection like staph, strep, or enterococcus. OLE is excellent against those: it even kills MRSA.
Make sure you get a good brand; most of the ones sold in local stores are virtually useless. Vitacost capsules are the best, with Swanson Super Strength coming in second.
I have been using d-mannose for about a year now. Although it helps to get rid of my infections quickly, it doesn’t seem to prevent them. I end up getting one every second day from the smallest things like holding in for too long or even drinking too much coffee. I have a probiotic twice a day for prevention buy it would be so good to know how I can prevent them and be normal again.
I’m currently 21 and I had kidney stones two years ago. At the time my doctor gave me 9 courses of antibioticsin just 3 months because he didn’t know what was wrong with me. My new urologist tells me it will take time for my immune system to get strong again but it has been so long and nothing seems to change. Now I’m always living in fear of getting a UTI from nearly anything.
That means you have a low-grade infection all the time, that flares up whenever it has an opportunity, like when something feeds it (sweets) or irritates it (caffeine), or it’s able to breed rapidly because it’s been left in the bladder for a while.
You need to empty your bladder every waking hour, and take raw garlic, olive leaf extract, and cayenne pepper to kill the infection once and for all.
Have you tried using Femdophilus as a vaginal suppository? Also, have you adjusted your diet using the elimination diet technique? The last thing I would do is try the Gaps diet. Best wishes for healing!
My 2 year old has has a uti for several months, she has had 2 rounds of antibiotics, shortly after taking them the uti returns, d-mannose has not helped her at all. The test strips show only leukocytes. She refuses anything that does not taste good. I’m desperate for help, any suggestions?
Hi there,
I had a first UTI last year, went with my MD’s recomendation of antibiotics for a week, that didn’t work so she prescribed a second run, this time 3 weeks. That took care of 98% of symptoms but still had a vague lingering sensation while urinating. Last week it flared up while I was camping, mysery ensued, tried a cranberry supplement and later Vibrant Health’s U.T. Vibrance. This helped quite a lot some days but not others; there seemes to be s relationship between my sugar intake and the symptoms within about 15 hours.
My plan is to stop all added sugar (still eating fruit) take 2 grams of D-manosse 4/5 times per day hoping the condition improeves drasticaly, and follow up with a biofilm cleaner. My questions are:
Does that plan make sense? and
I read below that none of the biofilm removal supplements seem to have any impact; women can use a garlic/olive leaf/coconut oil mix for vaginal insertion, but is there something like that for men?
ANY help GREATLY appreciated!
Thank you!
The vaginal treatment does not affect a current UTI: it kills the pathogens that cause vaginal infections and lead to future UTI’s.
For men, the best thing to do is empty your bladder once every waking hour, and take raw garlic, quality olive leaf extract, and cayenne pepper.
1-2 garlic cloves, 500 mg oleuropein, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper per meal.
You have to look closely at the OLE label to see how much oleuropein (the active ingredient) is in each capsule. It can be anywhere between 25 mg and 150. Vitacost capsules have 90 mg oleuropein in a 500 mg OLE capsule.
If you have an intestinal Candida overgrowth, you have to build up gradually with OLE, or it will kill so much Candida, so fast, that you will become violently ill.
Got it, will do. Thank you!!
Dear Bekah,
My 12 year old boy has been suffering from UTI for about month. His test results from AZO strip indicated nitrite positive and leukocytes negative. From what I understood a positive nitrite test indicates that the cause of the UTI is a gram negative organism, most commonly Escherichia coli. I started to give him D-Mannose 500mg 4 times a day for two weeks without any success. I know you have other remedies listed but wasn’t sure if a 12 year old can take them and dosage. I hate to start him on antibiotics, please be so kind as to advise on what else I can give him. He needs some aggressive treatment as it hurt to go to the bathroom.
Any help would be greatly appreciated in advance.
He probably has a Klebsiella or Proteus infection, which are unaffected by D-Mannose. I would immediately give him a glass of baking soda water, 1/2 tsp soda in 8 oz water, and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper mixed into a spoonful of honey.
Raw garlic will also be effective: see if you can get him to swallow some little chopped pieces with water, like pills. If you can get a clove into him every time he eats, along with 1/8 tsp cayenne, that will go a long way toward making him feel better.
Those 2 things combined with olive leaf extract are very effective against gram negative infections of all sorts.
Also, set a timer and have him empty his bladder every 45 minutes, all day long. It doesn’t matter if only a little comes out, he needs to keep his bladder empty.
He’ll feel much better almost immediately, doing those things. If he can swallow pills, definitely order some Vitacost olive leaf extract capsules, they’re the best.
The good news is, children’s infections usually respond and clear up much, much more quickly than they do in adults. If he does what I suggested and takes an OLE capsule when he wakes up and when he goes to bed, he’ll be infection free in a few days.
Have him keep going for another 5 days after all symptoms are gone and he has clear test results, just to bury this thing and dance on the grave.
Dear Bekah,
OMG, thank you so much for your quick reply. I will follow this protocol religiously. Only one more question, he doesn’t swallow pills yet, would it be ok to open OLE capsule and mix with water? or does it OLE come in liquid form? what is the dosage for 12 year old? Thank you so much and god bless you.
Yes, OLE does come in liquid form, but those are usually very low in oleuropein, and they’re very bitter! Your best option is to hide it in something, like a spoonful of honey or elderberry syrup. You have to put it in a little at a time, like 1/4 of a capsule per spoonful. It’s strong medicine, and strong medicine is bitter! 2-3 capsules a day along with some garlic and cayenne, and keeping his bladder empty should clear him right up very quickly.
Keep him off sugar, in the meantime!
Thank you Bekah for all your effort and time.
I will start him on regiment tomorrow or as soon as i get OLE
How is he doing now?
Hello!
My name is Irina, I live in Moscow. I always was a healthy person, without any problems. But 2 years ago my life has changed.
I have cystitis. Everytime, after every intercourse I’m in pain. I’ve spent 2 years of my life to reduce of it. There is no success.
I had the first cystitis after 3-4 months of taken birth-control pills. I didnt notice that they are the reason of my problem so I continued to take them. After half a year I met a doctor, who told me to stop these pills immediately. I agreed.
The first year my urine was always clean. It never showed any bacterias. I took antibiotics that doctors gave me, it helped, but after sometime the problem came back.
And one day, finally, my urine and vagina sample showed one bacteria- Klebsiella. So, It lives in my vagina and everytime during intercourse it goes in my urethra and then in bladder. I did all 2 years in different antibiotics (every 3 months). I dont want to take them anymore. I became really tired. No words can explain it. My boyfriend always supports me, he is always next to me and ready to help. Sometimes, when I think that I have to suffer all my life, he does everything to change my opinion. This is probably why I dont give up.
I guess I did EVERYTHING but I can’t kill Klebsiella in my vagina, it feels very comfortable there and doesnt want to go. Lactobacterias doesnt work. I start to loose myself.
There are no doctors in all Moscow who can help me. It’s unbelievable. I spent all my money that I had to cure myself. Expensive doctors, hospitals, medicine (antibiotics, cranberry, herbs, uro-vaxom), instillation with different sollution. But why it seems impossible?
I still want believe that one day I will live normal life.
I heard a lot about D-mannose. Will it help me with Klebsiella? And what about Staphysagria? Is it good in my case?
Hope you will read it and maybe give me an advise.
Sincerely, Irina.
Find coconut oil.
Finely mince 1 large clove of garlic and put the pieces in 3 tablespoons of slightly warmed, melted coconut oil. If you can find good quality olive leaf extract, mix 2 capsules into the oil with the garlic, and 1/2 tsp grated ginger root.
Let that mixture sit and steep for 4 hours in a warm but not hot place, like in the oven with the light on. Then pour off the oil into a plastic bag, and chill in the refrigerator for a few minutes, until it’s cooled enough to be moldable.
Form it into a cylinder the width of a finger in the bag, and freeze in that shape. Right before bed, cut a piece off the end the size of a finger joint. Wear a pad, lie on your side, and insert that piece about 3-4″ deep. Sleep on your side all night.
If it tingles, that means it’s killing some Candida. Don’t worry, the tingling stops in a few minutes. Also, you may taste garlic in your mouth after a bit, that’s normal. Do that every night for 10 days, making new batches as necessary.
Thank you very very much!
I also would like to ask about Biofilm Defence from Kirkman Labs.
Do you think it will work in my situation? Will it do something to Klebsiella?
I’ve talked to about half a dozen women who’ve tried those biofilm supplements, and none of them could tell any difference after being on them for weeks or months.
Raw garlic shreds right through biofilms. Activated charcoal will sweep up any pathogens in your gut, biofilms and all.
So, if you do those overnight vaginal treatments with the treated coconut oil, and take minced raw garlic when you eat (do NOT mix into heated food) and activated charcoal when your bowels are loose, you’ll take care of it both intestinally and vaginally.
If I were you, I’d do the gradual build-up of alternating OLE and charcoal I outlined to treat intestinal Candida and UTI’s. It will sweep out any other gut pathogens at the same time.
Then just rebuild with probiotics, and do vaginal treatments with plain coconut oil twice a month to keep things perfectly balanced and healthy.
Dear Bekah, thank you!
I will try to find everything and follow your advises.
Do you think it is a good idea to take Staphysagria after every intercourse? If yes, what type of Staphysagria exactly? There are different numbers of it (6, 30, 200).
When you’ve cleared the pathogens out of your gut with OLE and garlic and activated charcoal, and done the vaginal treatments, you won’t need to take anything. All of the women with your same problem who’ve done these things have stopped getting infections.
When you’ve restored a normal balance of flora in your intestines and vagina, you just don’t get UTI’s anymore.
I know that’s hard to imagine right now, but it can happen. 🙂
Thank you very much!!!
I will do everything and after let you know 🙂
How are you doing?
Dear Bekah!
I’m only going to order in Amazon.
Can you tell me, is it a good choise?
1) Nature’s Way Olive Leaf 20% Oleuropein, 60 Vcaps by Nature’s Way
2) Viva Labs The Finest Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 16 Ounce by Viva Labs
That Nature’s Way IS effective, but the price point is terrible because you’d need about 5-6 bottles to thoroughly clean all of this out.
Do they have any 300 count Vitacost bottles on there? Those are twice as potent as Nature’s Way because they’re twice the size, and that big bottle was $35, last I saw. The coconut oil is just fine!
Dear Bekah!
Is Swansan brand is good? I had problem with Amazon. Now going to order in Ebay. They dont have Vitacost. And they have Nature’s Way brand but only 12%. I dont know, is it effective enough?
And how much pills of olives should I take every day? I’m slim, maybe I dont need 5-6 bottles?
Go with the Swanson’s: it’s the next best to Vitacost.
OLE doesn’t care how big you are: it cares how big the pathogens are. How much you’ll need depends solely on:
How much intestinal Candida is in the way
How many pathogens are proliferating and how strong their cell walls are
OLE is completely non-toxic to you: it’s not one of those things you need to ration according to body weight or else you’ll OD.
Just slam that and raw garlic until your bowels are running like crazy, then take big doses of activated charcoal in between, like 10 capsules at a time. That will clear out your intestinal Candida in a couple of days.
You know the instructions for taking charcoal properly?
Have you clicked on my screen name?
Dear Bakah,
Finally I got everything from the USA and can start my treatment.
I ordered Coconut oil, and today Im going to start use vaginal treatment (10 days how you told me).
I start to take OLE. But unfortunetly they are 12%. My doctor told me to take 6 pills every day. But I dont think it will be enough…
I also ordered Interfase Plus because we dont have smth like this in Russia and maybe it will work. My doctor said to take 6 pills evey day (20 days).
Dear Bekah, I have the most important problem- sometimes, after I pee I have very strange feelings in my urethra. Its not cystitis. My urine doesnt smell and I dont have burning during and after I pee. It is smth different. Very strange pain. Dont know how to name it in English. It doesnt hurt me very much. It bothers me usually during 10-15 min and ONLY after I pee. And it is not every time. For example, today I can have it in the morning. And tomorrow I will not have this strange pain at all.
Maybe there is something in my urine that after every pee I feel it?
Maybe smth lives in my urithra?
I tryed to get rid of this. Took antibiotics. Took lactobacterias, did instillation in my bladder. No success. Doctors cant help me. I dont know what is it.
I feel that only when I will get rid of this strange feeligs after I pee I will forget abour cystitis after intercourse and can live normal.
Sorry for long story and mistakes.
Have you clicked on my screen name? There’s lots of information in that link.
I think your best bet would be combining these treatments with an antibiotic to get the best of both worlds: I would build up gradually with the OLE, killing Candida off (I hope you’ve been killing it with cinnamon tea already) and when the OLE gets to your bladder and starts killing that infection, take an antibiotic pill every night, so they’re working *together*.
You should probably start out with 6 of those OLE per day, and add 2-3 per day as you go.
Sorry, the comment above posted before I finished putting the link in my screen name! ^Click on this one!^
Dear Irina,
I just ordered Vitacost OLE to Finland. I also had problems finding a good brand that ships outside US. I also ordered Thorne laboratories OLE from iHerb, but it is a lot more expensive than Vitacost (same strenght though). So order directly from Vitacost (the huge bottle or even two of them), they ship outside US! You can get activated charcoal from there too (Nature’sWay, also available on iHerb) if it is not available in Russia.
What is the ratio/dosage of OLE and activated charcoal to start and to work up to?? Also is there a maintenance dosage of both?
I’m so sorry I didn’t see this sooner!
You can take both for maintenance, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
The amount of OLE you start out taking depends on how your body reacts, because you don’t know how much Candida you might have in your intestines until the OLE starts killing it. Also, you want to wait until your bowels are loose before taking charcoal, and then work your way up to taking about 1/2 teaspoon three times a day.
I wrote blog posts about all of it so it’s all in one spot: my comments on it here keep moving farther and farther down this page, and there’s no way to link to them.
The blog link is in my name.
Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know! Getting feedback like this makes me cry with joy. 🙂
I can’t tell you what it means to me to know that other women are getting set free from UTI’s! I suffered so long, myself, and knowing that what I learned through it is helping other people makes me feel like I didn’t suffer in vain.
God bless you and keep you, my dear. <3
Dear Bekah,
Thank you SO SO much for all your advice on this site. I had a UTI and followed your instructions and healed completely, no antibiotics, no problem. Thank you!!
I’m now wondering about taking OLE and charcoal to treat what I’m guessing is candida overgrowth in my intestines. I have a sugar addiction that I can’t break, despite moving to a no-grains, no-dairy diet, which has helped many other health issues I had.
I assume I need to do a specifically anti-candida diet, so I’m looking for good information on that, if you have some to recommend. Shall I also just follow your recommendations for OLE and charcoal?
FYI, when treating the UTI, I tried your cayenne and raw garlic recommendations and couldn’t tolerate even the tiniest bit of either one; I got terrible burning pain in my stomach. (I tried them wrapped in other food, I tried the dose you recommended for a toddler, etc.) Does that tell you anything?
Thank you so much for any advice.
I’m so glad for you about the UTI!
It sounds to me like your system is waaaay too acidic. I would put 1/4 tsp of baking soda per 8 oz of water in every bit of water you drink for about 3 days, while alternating doses of OLE and activated charcoal, as I’ve described in previous comments. After those 3 days, try a little bit of cayenne or garlic, and see how you do. There should be a very noticeable difference in your body’s response.
Meanwhile, check out alkaline diets (which doesn’t mean eating alkaline food all the time, because some acidic things are alkaline-forming in the body, and some alkaline things are acid-forming in the body) and try one out for about 2 weeks, while continuing on OLE and charcoal. (That helps get rid of Candida, too.)
The single best way to rid your digestive tract of Candida is to take several large doses of charcoal per day for about 7 days, but you have to get your system cleared out before you do that. You don’t want to throw a bunch of charcoal on top of constipation: you need to get your bowels moving freely and easily on OLE before taking big doses of charcoal.
Once you’re Candida-free, your system should balance out and not be so acidic and intolerant of anything spicy or sulfurous.
bekah i also want to say THANK YOU! i have been following your recommendations and i feel so much better, i still have some of my uti but i can feel is getting smaller and less active, i got the brand cranactive and is the better option i had for OLE and is working pretty good, is not as strong as vitacost (i checked) but is getting ride of it, the only thing i know is that im going to need to tacit for a longer period of time, i been taking one pill of the cytracylic acid in the morning and night.
and i got the candida die symptoms very bad but i didn’t stop because i knew it was that, i haven’t been taking the charcoal because im waiting for feeling some kind of difference in my body to tell me that i can start taking it.
do you have any other recommendations?
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
As long as your bowels are moving, you can start taking the charcoal, and that will finish clearing out your Candida, painlessly.
Remember to keep it separate from everything but water by 2 hours!
Keep taking the OLE, and when Candida is gone you can take big doses and feel fine. Thoroughly empty your bladder once every waking hour: set a timer to keep you on track or you’ll be like me and forget. 🙂
Hi Bekah,
I’m just wondering if you think that the OLE and charcoal can help my daughter with IBS? She gets horrific bloating after everything she eats. EVERYTHING….there is no rhyme or reason. She also gets really bad diarrhea after she eats.
Thanks!!
If what’s going on is pathogen-related, it will absolutely help her. I would try it, starting out small with the OLE (Vitacost, 1 capsule with meals the first day, adding a little more every day until she’s taking 16 capsules per day) and taking 8 capsules of activated charcoal two hours after food and OLE. Make sure nothing goes into her system for 2 more hours after a charcoal dose.
Also, is she taking L-glutamine, for her gut lining? Slippery elm?
Thank you for the quick reply! No, she is not taking L-glutamine, I will definitely get some for her if you think that could help. She is 22 and has been suffering with this horrible bloating for several years. After a colonoscopy and endoscopy it was determined that she has IBS and there doesn’t seem like there is much to do to help it. She will give anything a try at this point.
L-glutamine rebuilds the intestinal lining, so she should definitely be on it. Do a search on it, and check at your local supplement store for it. I’d give you a link on it, but then the comment will go into moderation and not post.
In her place, I would fast for a day and take 10 charcoal capsules every two hours, with plenty of water.
Then the next morning I’d eat some brown rice and start taking OLE, around 150 mg of oleuropein per meal. That’s mg of active ingredient, not total capsule mg. As an example, Whole Foods brand OLE has 38.7 mg of oleuropein per 400 mg OLE capsule: I’d take 4 of those per meal. And stick to bland, easily digestible food that isn’t acid-forming in the system. I’d also take L-glutamine every day, and 5 days on OLE, I’d start taking probiotics, as well.
Hi Bekah,
I had a very similar reaction where I couldn’t stand the garlic and cayenne. I took them for 2 days and my stomach was on fire! I still tried to take the garlic the third day but as soon as I swallowed it I had to throw up. I was no longer able to take it after that.
I have been taking the OLE and charcoal and I’m definitely having die off symptoms. Mostly nausea where even drinking water is difficult.
My UTI symptoms have dominished but my urethra feels very swollen, my stomach very bloated and I still need to pee often. Today is my third day on the OLE and 2 days on the charcoal.
Any advice as to what else I could be doing?
Thank you so much!!
Yes, squeeze every last drop out of your bladder once an hour, every hour from when you wake up, to when you fall asleep.
If your bowels are loose, take BIG doses of charcoal. Like, 12 capsules each time. The more you can take, the faster Candida dies, and the fewer die-off symptoms you have. And then you can take big doses of OLE and slam that UTI down hard.
Also, for your urethra, when you’re ready to go to bed tonight, open 5-6 of those charcoal capsules into the bowl of a large spoon, and dribble a few drops of water into it and let them soak in to make a thick wet paste. It should look like black grits.
You take that wet glob of charcoal and put it right on your urethra, like a poultice on a wound. It draws infection out and soothes inflammation all night long.
It has to be wet to work, so sleep on your side to keep your legs together. It really, really works, though I know it sounds weird. Your poor, tortured urethra will feel better in 10 minutes, and your infection will be much better in the morning.
Hi Bekah,
I just want to tell you how much I appreciate your kindness, advice and words of encouragement! Being in this situation can feel so hopeless.
I’m following everything you said except for the garlic and cayenne as I don’t seem to be able to keep them down. Do you think that’s okay?
I did put some cayenne in capsules last night and took some of it that way but my stomach still burned afterwards.
Would buying raw garlic pills work? I feel it would be more duable for me than swallowing the garlic as I can’t do that any more.
Again, thank you so much!!
Believe or not, the stuff in capsules is worse on your stomach than taking it the way you were! I can take a clove or two with food with no problem, but garlic capsules make me feel ill for hours.
I wouldn’t worry about it right now, just concentrate on killing off the Candida and then the OLE will have much, much more effect on your bladder.
Also, you could try substituting ground cloves for the cayenne.
Oh, and the stage you’re at right now, with the bloating? That’s going to be over soon: you’re just about to crest the hill, and then your improvement will be very rapid. It’s all downhill, once you punch through the Candida.
Just hang in there and keep going!