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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When I was about 25, during a period of 1 1/2 year I got recurring bladder infections that wouldn’t go away. I kept going to doctors that kept prescribing antibiotics, but the infection would return. I finally went to a health food store and was directed to take goldenseal for about 2 weeks or so, I can’t remember exactly, because the infection went away and just returned today, 44 years later. Unfortunately I have no goldenseal.
This article is a total life saver. I’m getting teary eyed just thinking about the wealth of information that has been hidden for so long. I’ve suffered from chronic UTI’s for 15 years!!! I knew about d-mannose but I think I have issues with the bio film you’ve mentioned. No one, and I mean no one, has ever mentioned that to me, even urinary specialist. What a relief to have some knowledge and have a direction. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hi,
I found this article to be super helpful. I just got rid of a uti last week when I was told to take Cipro. However, I feel like I am starting a new uti this week… Lately I’ve noticed getting uti symptoms a day or two after having sex.
What type of uti would this be classified as? E.Coli strand or another? Any advice? I don’t feel like running to the doctor every week… I would like to treat it and prevent new ones with the natural treatments mentioned in this article. Which would work the best? Thanks so much.
Hello Melanie,
I can only say what’s been working for me. D-mannose seems to be the right solution for E-coli based UTI’s. I can’t say it’s working for me although it may be helping. I can say that I noticed the biggest improvements after using baking soda (1 tsp per glass of water) mixed with some pure (no additives, sugar, etc) cranberry juice mainly to help clean and take a bit of the edge off from the baking soda. Note it will fizz a lot when you mix the two so be careful.
I’ve also been taking oregano oil capsules (Oreganol brand) and lots of freshly minced garlic in my food. Potent anti-viral and anti-bacterials there. Also upped my Vitamin C intake. Lastly, I stopped any gluten and sugar consumption since they can lead to inflammation. Since doing all of that a couple days ago, I’ve noticed a big improvement. I’m nearly feeling myself again. Before then I was taking Solray D-mannose, cranberry juice and using Oregano oil topically. Doctor prescribed Bactrim which I took from last Tuesday through Saturday. At first I thought it might have been doing something but after a few days it was clearly not helping. My gut was not happy with it either. Note that I regularly drink a fair bit of Kombucha (full of probiotics)… I have been drinking more than normal lately. Point of all this is that I take a multi-pronged approach. Personally, I think the baking soda, garlic, oregano oil and probiotics are the most important. Also key to drink plenty of water.
I am 63 and I get UTi which goes to my kidney after sex. I have had this problem for about 25 years. I did find that taking HRT every day and aTimethoprim tablet after sex worked a treat for 8years, until this winter, I am on my third UTI. Always e-coli.
D Mannose does not work for me. I am currently taking 1000mg Vit C every 80 Minutes, and it is calming down. Do not know whether it will eliminate it or not. Unfortunately I am now resistant to Trimethoprim, so I need some other remedy.
I had a friend tell me to make sure to pee right after intercourse to avoid getting a UTI. It has worked like a charm. I have avoided then for 5 years doing this. I have one now, but I neglected to do this step last time… I’m convinced. It’s easy to try, costs nothing, and no side effects. Hope this helps you avoid future UTIs!
Never had UTIs then had a few over recent years. I do realize I was out of balance and thus the reason I was getting them.
One was sudden and severe and D-Mannose, plus eliminating sugar and coffee, and hydrating, plus eating my ferments kicked it.
Then a while later had somewhat different UTI, less intense symptoms. CELLUTOX UriPro kicked that one.
Now I am focusing on rebalancing through diet and haven’t had a problem.
Love D- Mannose!! Suffered from UTI’s all my life and spent many years on awful antibiotics which caused so many side effects. D- Mannose saved the day!!!! 🙂
I have hypokalemia. Is it safe for me to take D-monnose? I had bad reactions to antibiotics which were prescribed and have refused to take them. Please note,
the hypokalemia is medication induced. My kidneys and liver are fine.
Hi. I have been struggling with a bladder infection for the past 3 1/2-4 weeks. I was leaving on vacation when it all started and called my dr. who prescribed me macrobid. I took 5 days and when I finished the prescription I could tell it was better, but still some symptoms. I started taking cranberry supplements and drinking lots of water, but after a week couldn’t handle the pain/burning and went to a doctor,where we are on vacation. He prescribed bacterium, but I broke out in hives, so switched to cephalexin – which I got very sick on(nauseous)…then the story goes on and on… tried amoxocillin and then penicillin which I got so nauseous on and couldn’t eat…I also was feeling this general anxiety, which I didn’t know if it was from drugs (doctor said probably not). Well, I stopped the medications yesterday (which the dr. strongly discouraged and said just keep taking until I’m not nauseous anymore?!) Today, my nausousness is starting to get better and I’m feeling like I can even eat. My anxiety is also less and feeling more like myself. The Doctor is poo-pooing that it’s from the meds. I’m so frustrated, confused and feeling sad. I read this site and just took my first dose of d-mannose. Also some cranberry supplements. I’m praying this helps because I just can’t handle any more antibiotics and feeling so awful from them. Doctor’s suggestion of needing to stay on antibiotics is making me feel so torn. I don’t want to take them, but I don’t want to get worse either! I just want to enjoy the rest of my vacation. Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Hi Lori,
I’ve been dealing with a supposed bladder infection for about 10 days now. Unusual for a guy. It all started probably 2+ weeks ago when my urine started smelling strong and appeared cloudy. Of course, I figured it was something I ate or perhaps some of the craft beer I had recently enjoyed. A few days later I noticed that I had discomfort in my abdomen. I consider myself to be a pretty healthy person. I’ve been eating nearly all organic food for 10+ years, eat plenty of greens, drink kombucha, eat fermented foods, drink fresh green juice, no soda, limited alcohol consumption, don’t smoke, don’t take drugs and just generally live a very natural lifestyle.
I usually have a bit of cranberry juice (organic and 100% cranberry) here and there, but once I noticed the discomfort I started drinking more and adding D-mannose as well. I was taking the recommended dose of 2 capsules/day for a few days and then increased it to 4-6 capsules/day when I wasn’t noticing enough improvement. It seems to take the edge off, but not rid of the symptoms. Note that I do not have pain when urinating. I get more of the discomfort (almost like a burning sensation) particularly when my bladder is full. I also get some pain in the lower back region but not up near my kidneys. About 5 days after noticing the discomfort and also trying a couple of homeopathic remedies, I called the doc. My doc is an integrative MD so she works with both alopathic and unconventional (homeopathic/ayurvedic/etc) methods. She took a urine sample, listened to my symptoms and felt around/checked for pain level. She said that I have a fair bit of white blood cells in my urine so based on that and my symptoms, she felt it’s most likely a bladder infection. Do to concern with it spreading to my kidneys she felt that an antibiotic would be appropriate. So, she prescribed Bactrim. I’ve been taking that for about 5 days now. It seemed to have started taking effect after the second day. I got less of the discomfort and was also not waking up at night to urinate like I was in the day 3-5 range from onset of discomfort. So, I figured it must be working. My gut is a not a fan of the Bactrim so I’ve been doing my best to drink plenty of Kombucha ~2 hours after each dose… I have had zero alcohol during this episode. Over the last day or so, it seems that the antibiotic is no longer making a difference. I’m back to taking some more D-mannose now since I do notice that it helps to take the edge off. I’m skeptical that the antibiotic is going to fix the problem at this point. I’m not a huge fan of antibiotics so was a bit reluctant to take this in the first place but knowing that I could otherwise end up with kidney problems convinced me to do it.
My doc was supposed to call Friday and give me the results of the culture they took, but no call. Hoping I’ll hear something Monday and get some better direction.
For all who have been prescribed Bactrim – DO NOT TAKE IT. Bactrim does not work for UTIs – if anything, it makes them worse. I hope someone can update this info on the website as well!!! The only antibiotic that does help is MACROBID. It will help the same day. Speaking from experience!. I had tried to add supplements but they didn’t work – the ones that didn’t work were Resvervatrol, Alpha Lipoc Acid and Bromelain (touted natures antibiotic). Macrobid is the only thing that helps me, and I tried others. There’s no need to suffer for days, when you can start feeling better right away. I’d love to find a way to PREVENT uti’s. Has anybody found a way to do this?..
Warning about Kombucha… unless it is fermented for at least 12-15 days, to the point it tastes like vinegar, it is loaded with sugar – WHITE sugar.
I strongly encourage anyone drinking Kombucha to switch to Jun, which is made from green tea and honey, vs black tea and white sugar.
That said, since sugar feeds these bacteria, it may be wiser to stop both the kombucha and Jun, and stick with the ones with no sugar (sauerkrauts, etc)…
I also noticed psychological effects when taking antibiotics. Very often I am tensed or little depressed. I just know it and go on with the treatment as it is not very important side effect in my case. And knowing it is antibiotics (which I often realize when the bad state has been installed for one or two days) makes it easier to bear. I suppose the effect is variable with one’s physiology.
I got the results from the doctor last Monday. Nothing showed up in the culture. She did confirm presence of white blood cells in my urine as she noticed during my visit. So she suspects that the infection was not bad enough to show up on the culture (make sense – not sure it does to me), but anyway… I was feeling great Monday through Wednesday and then noticed my symptoms started to reappear. So I did some more reading and decided to give two things a try. First was drinking a glass of water with a tsp of cream of tarter three to four times per day. Supposedly, the cream of tarter will bind to the pathogens and wipe them out through the urine. Started that on Friday and noticed a difference almost immediately. I also ordered the above mentioned enzymes from Klaire Labs called Interfase Plus. Ordered on Amazon next day and got them Saturday. I’ve been taking a couple capsules 3-4 times per day and between that and the cream of tarter I’m back to normal again. Hope it lasts!
Hi there,
I feel we are virtually in the same position (hopefully yours is better now, looking at the date). I went to the doctors 3 weeks ago now with symptoms of a bladder infection and pain in my back. Assuming I had a kidney infection, I was given nitrofurantoin which made me so ill. Although this helped somewhat with the symptoms I was experiencing, the pain came back and I was issued another load of antibiotics, trimethoprim. Again, these made me feel horrific. So, another load was prescribed. Amoxicillin. Saw no improvement after the 4th day of taking them. Went back to the doctors. Co-amoxiclav now. I can honestly say I’ve never felt worse in my entire life than when I was taking these. Felt as if I was going to convulse, or maybe even die. I have been to so many doctors regarding this and they’re all pretty non-chalant about it.
I was told to come off the antibiotics when they couldn’t see any sign of infection in the culture. I was exceptionally dubious about this as I hadn’t yet finished even one lot of antibiotic, and was still experiencing kidney pain. I dealt with it for a couple of days until I felt flu like symptoms come on and returned to the doctor. Still no sign of kidney infection in the culture, but a viral infection was found in the blood.
I’m now in the position where I have symptoms of the flu, but also a kidney infection. My kidneys are excruciatingly sore and I have no idea what to do as they can’t find any bacteria in the culture. Even if they did, the reactions I’ve had to all the antibiotics have been utterly terrifying. Pretty sure I’ve developed anxiety as a result. Basically, I understand how you feel.
Wow, that is quite the round of antibiotics. I can imagine that is wrecking havoc on your body. If it were me, I would really load up on probiotics. My doctor recommends taking them at least 2 hours apart from the antibiotics.
I have to say that I’ve been feeling myself now for the past week or so thanks to the cream of tarter and Interfase Plus Enzymes. I don’t think the antibiotics did me any good. I’ve been loading up on Kombucha, Sauerkraut and Miso Soup to keep the good bacteria in charge. You have to think with all of those antibiotics in your system, that your immune system would be so depressed that any foreign invader could come in after the antibiotics faded. Raising my pH is another factor that I think really helped. A tsp of baking soda in a glass of water a few times a day. I also use the same approach any time I sense a cold coming on and it always takes care of it. Add lots of freshly chopped raw garlic and oregano oil to help combat the bad bacteria and viruses.
You may have developed an allergy to penicillin and any drugs related to pinnicillin. My children had a problem with nausea, sores on the mouth, and rashes/hives after being prescribed penicillin and other “cousin” to penicillin antibiotics. We also have to be careful when eating beef as sometimes it would cause vomiting. I believe caused by the meat being tainted with antibiotics. Since we used to be able to take penicillin I often wonder if the quality or mold strain they use to make the antibiotics has changed. This has caused me to always seek out herbal remedies first.
Hi Chris. I am e-mailing to get assistance with my dad. He is elderly and has a foley catheter due to the fact that he does not completely empty his bladder.
He usually gets UTIs from E Coli, Pseudomonas, Proteus. Most recently he had an infection due to Klebsiella. In addition to the D-Mannose, what other bio film interrupter can you recommend?
I really appreciate any help you can give me. I would like to help keep him off antibiotics – I am afraid that he will eventually develop resistance.
Looking forward to your response! 🙂
Cat
I have had many UTI’s and courses of antibiotics over the years but switched to paleo and holistic treatments 3+ years ago. I started with symptoms last night and searched your site this morning. My health food store had D-mannos in 1000 mg with cranberry and I took my first dose at 1 pm. My symptoms improved so quickly I was amazed. Now after 2 doses I have no symptoms at all. What a huge relief. Thanks!
“D-mannose, even in large quantities, does not cause any adverse side effects”
Depends on what you mean by large quantities – I was taking 1 gram every 2 hours and ended up with horrible bloating and back pain, eventually followed by loose stools (similar effects to taking too much FOS). Somewhere else I read a recommended dose of 8-20 g/day and that clearly was way too much for me.
Hi Chris,
I just wanted to thank you so very much for posting this! I recently got my first uti and treating it with d-mannos did the trick. I’m so thankful for the internet these days and so glad to discover functional medicine. Keep up the good work!
I suffer from UTIs quite a bit. Usually e-coli and sometimes staf..but this one is Citrobacter. Could you please recommend what a natural treatment to get rid of this strain? Thanks so much for any help.
I too had reocuuring uti after getting one bad one & doctors had me on gentamycin injection the later infection pur me on 4 months of keflex….this totally killed my gut flora & caused me to be unable to get vitamins from my food. When I learned about d mannose & took costly probiotics I finally had no more uti then a week ago I got bad stomach pain & fever then the all symptoms of uti
I took more d mannose but of no help. Asked for urine culture & it was Citrobacter. Didn’t know what to do & have so many allergy or adverse reactions to antibiotics & no where to turn. Finally today I had to bite the bullet & get the dang gentamycin injection. I could not find anything online like d mannose to get rid of it. So like you I too would like to find a natural cure so I do not end up in this situation again. My daughter found this site. Let me know if anyone finds the answer.
Diagnosis…. UTI but not from ecoli
Culture said
20,000 Proteus mirabillis
I just started taking D-Mannose 1000mg today but now that I am reading more….it says it may not help if it’s not Ecoli
Can ANYONE offer a remedy so I will not have to take the antibiotic
I do not have a fever…never did
Felt awful the 1st few days… Starting to feel better but burning is still there and mild back pain/spasm only in the a.m
Thanks
Had uti for over a month I’m allergic to all the meds so I tried macrobid and augmentin neither worked, did d mannose didn’t work. If you find anything please post
Hi Karen, I know you posted a while ago, but I’m just now reading it and I also was diagnosed with Protues Mirabillis. Did anything finally work for you? I’ve been trying different things for over 2 months now without success.
I have suffered from UTI’s my whole adult life. Usually get 2-3 a year. I have one now and tried the D Mannose and cranberry but after two days the pain got worse. Had to go to walk in and get antibiotics. I told dr no cipro( even though it works for me the best) so he gave me Bactrim. I have taken two pills doesnt seem to be working. Please help. I am still taking d mannose too. Its hard to function and I’m so tired. Also dr said they have all been ecoli related. Why isnt dmannose working for me?
It isn’t easy at first, but this is what has worked for me to be UTI free for 3+ years as I perform intermittent self catheterization daily for neurogenic bladder due to MS which puts me at a much higher risk for UTI… Diet = NO white sugar & NO white flour as bacteria LOVE those. When I get a sweet craving I bake gluten free (you could use whole wheat flour if gluten free isn’t for you) replacing the sugar with a combo of 1/2 honey, 1/4 stevia, 1/4 Splenda. Eat as healthy as you can, include blueberries, dried apple juice sweetened cranberries, Knudsen pure cranberry juice, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, low dairy, etc…Upon waking I take a tsp ClearTract d’mannose powder with 2 oz water. About 2 hrs later I take Solaray Cranactin & 500 mg Solaray vit c with bioflavonoids & every other day I include Ultimate Flora vaginal support probiotic, mid morning I take 1 Planetary Herbals oil of oregano capsule, mid afternoon I take 2 Solaray d’ mannose with cranactin, an hour later another vit c & cranactin, around dinner I take another oil of oregano and before bed I take 8 oz Knudsen pure cranberry juice with 2 d’mannose with cranactin capsules. Lately I’ve scaled back, for example I use to take the oil of oregano 3 X per day, began each day with 1 organic lemon squeezed with warm water, drank cranberry juice in the middle of the night, etc… Once I felt secure in my “UTI free zone” I felt comfortable scaling back here and there. Passing out on the bathroom floor from Bactrim or reading the potential heal tendon ripping side effects of Cipro has been a vivid memory to keep me plugging along with my routine, though.
What do you mean heal tendon ripping side effects? Is this actually a side effect?
Yes, unfortunately, it can be. Search “cipro side effects” and read all about it. For me, cipro was a dream to take, no apparent side effects to note and it worked for my UTI but after reading the potential side effects I hope I never have to take it again. Hence, following my daily regimen…
Yes. Cipro tore tendons in both ,y quadracepts on the 9 the day of taking it. Then ended up with cdif
I think it should read ‘heel’ tendon. Cipro is known for causing the Achilles tendon to rupture, sometimes causing permanent disability.
http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/news/20080708/fda-warning-cipro-may-rupture-tendons
Hi Kathleen,
I think you have an excellent approach. There’s just one thing I would like to comment on – the Splenda. I would seriously consider pulling that out of your diet. There’s a lot of info on the web about it. Dr Mercola has written at length about it. I only make the comment because everything else you mention reads like you really know your stuff and care about what you consume. Hope this helps.
Andy
Thanks, Andy. Splenda does have some controversy, hence I’m only using it to replace 1/4 of the white sugar. You are right though, and I should experiment and try to avoid the Splenda all together. Sounds like you take very good care of yourself…sorry you have a UTI. Not sure which brand d’mannose you are trying but these 2 products have worked well for me – ClearTract d’mannose powder and Solaray D’mannose with Cranactin. Good luck!
Kathleen
Thanks Kathleen. I’ve also been taking the Solray D-mannose. I actually break open the capsules and dump the powder into a roughly 80/20 mix of water/pure cranberry juice. I normally have a glass of baking soda (1 tsp) water a day with lemon or cranberry juice, so I just started adding 1 tsp baking soda to the 80/20 mix and am drinking it at least a few times a day and intend to keep with it until the symptoms go away. Fortunately, I also have wild oregano oil so I am applying this topically a few times/day. I stopped the Bactrim today since it is obviously not working. Lastly I decided to cut out the gluten for the time being and ensure I’m not consuming any sugar. Hope for some enlightening findings from the culture when I speak to the doctor tomorrow.
Andy
Hi
Thanks for the very useful information about biofilm disruptors.
Can you clarify how long a course of one of these is needed? One bottle? Or several months?
Irena
Hello and thank you for the information. Which one of the treatments would you recommend for a Klebsiella uti?
You can also treat klebsiella eith this I have read it elsewhere and have been told by two different naturopaths that d mamose also does work for klebsiella.
Thank you, thank you so much for this article. D-mannose seriously is a game changer and I will be recommending it to all my girlfriends.
I have lived in EU for most of my life and only moved to NY a few years ago. I’ve had the “strovac” vaccine against cystitis as I had been battling with UTIs on a monthly basis for a period of 2 years. The vaccine works great, but you have to renew it every year and towards the end of the one year period I tend to come up with yet another cystitis. I don’t have to go into the details – it’s painful and at this point, my reaction to the first symptoms can be best described as a state of utter panic.
I seriously cannot believe that I have been through countless cycles of antibiotic treatment (I’m sure I have developed a slight resistance at this point) when all that time, there was this super-simple, organic (the product I buy) treatment available.
Doctors should know about this. Hell, everybody should know about this. THIS should be the default treatment they recommend and prescribe, not cipro.
A big thank you, again.
Great advice on a typical lady-problem, coming from a man 😉
Hello, I’m Emily.
So a few of my symptoms are my bladder feeling swollen, and needing to urinate frequently. My urine has no color change, its clear. Though towards the end it does sting a bit. I’m keeping a close eye on everything. I’ve been drinking water and cranberry juice for the past two or so days. No abdominal pain has been in sight at all. Though I am becoming a bit worried. Any advice?
Hi, Anais! What type of D-mannose are you using? Only Swanson and Solaray are available in my country and I haven’t tried them. Too scared to do it since I’ve heard opinions they are not working and the only one working being the Waterfall one, which is not available in my country.
Thanks a lot!
We’re in the U?S. We order ours online through WellnessPartners.com. They have been excellent and it has worked wonders.
I am 14.5 weeks pregnant with baby #1 and was just told by my OB that they found e coli in my urine and they want to put me on antibiotics. This happened once before during my pregnancy where I accepted the antibiotics and then my primary care physician called me and told me to stop taking them after 5 days. She said that there were only “trace” amounts of e coli, which could be attributed to the fact that the urethra is so close to the anus. I am scared to take anything but at the same time don’t want to put my baby at risk. Any help, tips, suggestions are welcomed. I should add that I NO symptoms at all. Thanks!
Hi there,
It seems as if your doctor just wants to take precaution which I’d what they do BUT you have to keep in MIND the detrimental effects antibiotics can have on the gut and especially your developing babies gut (which can lead to mental health issues *research GAPS* and also reflux/colic).
If you don’t have any actual uti symptoms I would simply just be ensuring I was taking heaps of probiotics to prevent any utis, premade ones are okay but whole food probiotics are by far superior, for example things like kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut.
I hope this helps 🙂
Thank you so much for your reply! I ended up having side effects a few dad’s later so did take the antibiotics while I waited for a retest. The retest came back clean so I stopped the antibiotics immediately. I’ll see my dr tomorrow and will discuss with her the reasons why my tests have been so inconsistent. For now, probiotics it is! Thank you!
Hi, I just saw your post. Dh and I are ttc and I have a stubborn enterococcus UTI. uRologist suggested Cipro, when I asked my obgyn if its safe to take while ttc he said YES!!! I wanted to strangle him. I didnt take it. i tried all sort of herbs and supplements. I have no symptoms just a little pubic bone burning on bad days.
Any suggestions? Every herbs I take I on,y take from day 1 to ovulation, then resume on day 1 … If it shows (aarrgg).
Hi, this my first UTI since I was a teen. I knew exactly what it was when I went to the bathroom and I urinated and it stopped and I felt the burning pain. I have not gone to the Dr. yet. I researched all possibilities and found that D Mannose is a good thing. I wanted to know what amount I should take and for how long? cranberry & D-Mannose.The D-mannose is mg and Cranberry is mg. I have been reading several of the comments and some are taking it every – hours. Others say a day?? very confused. Ok my symptoms are only burning ans pain sensation. I do not have cloudy urine nor foul smell to my urine. Also no abdominal pain. I don’t know i am praying for a great turn out with the D-mannose. thanks Letty 🙂 Please if anyone can help me out with my question I would so gladly appreciate it.
re-read the article. the suggested dosage in laid out.
Hi,
I was diagnosed with a UTI 2 days ago. I was prescribed cipro which I have used in the past. I cannot tolerate this antibiotic now and with my allergies, was told there wasn’t anything they could give me. I have been reading the other comments. I am a bit confused on what I can do naturally to get rid of this uti. Is D-mannose and cranberry juice only for prevention?
Please, all who are prescribed Cipro, do not fill that prescription until you have googled this drug. I guarantee that after your research (make sure you check out the FDA site) you will not resort risk taking it.