i'm losing my mind. please help

Hi, I know what you are going through.

I've had uti's all through out my life since I was 16 years old, and it gets tiring, fast.

I had a bad one last year, and I decided to go the natural route this time. Instead I found out it was a thinning of the bladder/uterus lining due to all the problems I use to get with UTI'S. I purchased probiotics for the flora tract, everything, and than I really did some research while in agonizing pain and found out that Marshmallow Tincture by St.Francis Herb Farm worked for me. It coats the lining of the bladder and uterus, while letting it heal at the same time. I suggest you give it a try, you can find it at your local health food store. Its a liquid and comes in a bottle dropper bottle. You can also get it in pill form, but Im not sure how quick and effective it is. Also, take D-mannose powder as well.

just realize that when you have a uti, its sexually transmitted so while you were treated, both you and your partner need to be both treated at the same time. Your partner probably has a uti without symptons. both you and your partner need to take 1 lindens probiotic max per day  and 1 linden supergarlic twice daily for at least 2 weeks then continue both once daily for 2 weeks extra total 4 weeks.

Try  "HIPREX"  ( = METHENAMINE  HIPPURATE)  on prescription from a g.p.  This was the only thing that cured my almost- constant  UTIs  when even strong, high- dose antibiotics taken for a fortnight failed.  I still take HIPREX  now,  as a preventative, and have not had a single infection for over  3 years.  It appears to have no side-effects, and seems suitable for everyone except people with a type of kidney disease. You swallow 2 little tablets daily.  Look it up on Wikipedia.  I'm amazed that so many g.p.s haven't heard of it.  Neither D-Mannose nor cranberry juice did anything for me.  Good Luck.

Hi bianca

I had a problem a few years ago where i literally got uti every week and i could not understand why. I ended up being on antibiotics everyday for 2years to prevent me from getting a uti. I asked the doctor why i was getting them as i was also going out of my mind and his response was that some people are prone to getting them but i hadnt had a problem with them at all at any other stage in my life. I went on holidays and realised for the few weeks that i was gone that i had no symptoms and felt perfect again. The only thing i changed was the fact that i was drinking bottled water and not tap water. When i returned from my travels we had the water tested and it turned out that there was high levels of e-coli in the water and thats what was causing my infections as i drink alot of water. I now only drink bottled water and have not had a uti for about 2 years now. I hope this helps you.

Hi Bianca 569, 

You don't say whether these UTI's are new for you, or if you've had some in the past. There is a condition called "Interstitial Cystitus" which is often diagnosed after a great many "bladder infections." I put that in quotes because sometimes they aren't really infections--they FEEL like terrible infections, and there may even be a few red or white blood cells in the urine-- but really not enough to treat--yet it is often treated anyway because you are in terrible PAIN!  I no longer remember the exact cause of the condition--might be a reaction to too many antibiotics--but what concerns me is when you say your doctor said your bladder lining was "inflammed."  In Interstitial Cystitis, inflammation and tiny sores actually develop on the inner lining of the bladder and I can tell you from experience it is quite painful, but at the same time hard to describe exactly where the pain is coming from. I saw my GP, OBGYN, even a gastroentologist before someone finally figured out the problem was in my bladder and I needed a  urologist. This process took somewhere between 2- 3 yrs!!. I felt like I had a bladder infection all the time, could rarely empty my bladder completely, had lots of pain and burning. Here's what I learned from the urologist:  (even if you don't have this exact condition, I think what I'm going to tell you will help. )

The doctor prescribed a medication for me, plus a dietary change. I looked the med up on the internet and decided against it because of the side effects, and I've  managed to reverse the condition with diet alone.  Unless you are vegan or vegetarian, most Americans tend to eat a lot of meat and dairy, which are highly acidic foods. Our bodies are healthier when we make an effort to cut the acidity level by eating more alkyline foods--mainly fruits/veggies.  You don't have to cut out all meat/dairy/ and other acidic food like wine and chocolate, but you learn to find the right balance for you. The best website to help you is rense     There you will find many charts that list the acidic /alkaline values of most common foods.  What you can't find there, you can just google.  I have been using  this method successfully for about 3 yrs now.  Hope it will help you in some way. One thing I will also mention-- found out that cranberry juice is the absolute WORST thing to take for UTI's because it is very high in acidity! 

Best of luck to you!

 

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Hi Bianca.

 The urologist I saw was fairly young and with -it--seemed up to date--  Saw somebody else several years earlier when my bladder wouldn't empty--that was probably the start of all my problems. That guy was much older and treated me like it was "in my head " He gave me a prescription for the pills women take when they pee every time they sneeze or laugh. That was basically the opposite of my problem but all he had to offer. I tried one pill and didn't pee for several days--gained about 8 lbs-- it was a big mess. So forget that--just lived with it till it got to the point I wrote about yesterday.  I'm telling you about that first guy because he was well respected in my city-- I think he had been good in his day but should have been thinking about retiring if he wasn't going to listen to his patient and observe more closely. (Just rmember--it is YOUR Body-- You know it better than anyone else and you know when things aren't normal!!) So ask around to make sure you get somebody who is GOOD! They should do a cystoscopy-- which sounds scary but is relatively painless-- they insert a teensy camera inside your bladder and look around. Maybe you have already had this done? 

My urologist gave me a pamphlet about the  IC condition--there is a group on the internet that offers help, too--possibly found them through the pamphlet.(Have info if you need it.) I think there is only one drug specifically for IC, and it can cause hair loss-- not a good thing for me-- that is why I went strictly with the diet. What you can try before you see the doctor is to match up your symptoms with your food. For example, if you have some kind of meat for breakfast, and a burger for dinner, notice if your symptoms get worse. Probably the best comparisons would be a heavy meat day to a low meat day to a no meat day. Sugar is also acidic. If you drink a lot of pop, that could be your issue. Pop in general is VERY acidic. It could feel like I'm telling you things that sound like, "Well, there goes all the fun of eating-- all the good foods will be gone from my life!" 

THAT doesn't have to be the case. Once you learn which foods are acidic and which are alkyline, you just have to start figuring out what is the proper balance for YOUR own body--and believe me--you can tell pretty easily by counting how many times you feel like you have to go to the bathroom, and of those times, how many  times you actually go more than a few drops... The more alkyline your diet, and the more liquid you include, the more times you go to the bathroom will mean you "really have to go! " But a lot of liquid by itself may not help if you ingest too many acidic drinks or food. 

You CAN do this Bianca! I forgot to tell you the one trick that makes it all easier and allows me to eat more normally.  I scoured the alkyline food charts for foods that I liked and wouldn't mind eating more of. It turns out that WATERMELON is one of the most alkyline foods around, so in the beginning, I ate a lot of watermelon whenever I felt out of balance--even in the middle of the night if the burning was keeping me awake.  Eventually realized that watermelon had a lot of sugar, so searched the charts again and realized lemons and limes were another great source. Seems odd--because they are citrus, and would normally be considered acidic, but somehow, once inside your body they have the opposite effect-- read that many places, and it works. I now religiously keep lemons and limes on hand so they can be cut up to squeeze into my water at all times. If you do nothing else. Try that!   

Hope this info helps and that you get a great doc like mine who understands it is NOT in your head but completely in your BLADDER!!