D-Mannose and UTIs

Thanks guys - that helps.

From the WebMD website:

D-mannose is found naturally in high amounts in many fruits. Such fruits include: Apples, Oranges, Peaches

Some berries such as blueberries and cranberries

?So, I'm wondering if my old belief that good health is related to diet and exercise apply here, as well.  Anyone willing to state the degree of exercise they get and whether they eat what would be considered a wholesome diet (lotsa veggies, fruit, no artificial sweetners or artificial anything else, no meat, unless grass-fed and organic, etc.)

?Regarding UTIs, I eat lots of apples, oranges and blueberries and have never had a UTI, although I'm 75 y.o. with a 75cc prostate with not totally normal urination.  I bought two Speedicath w/ Coude Tip, FR12 and FR14 (recommended by users on this website) after a difficult-to-urinate scare during the wee (pun) hours a couple months ago, and not yet used.

?Harvey

Hi stebrunner,

Thanks for the info on D-Mannose. My biopsy in Houston is now scheduled for this coming Friday. I had to cancel it 2 weeks ago as I came down with the flu (104F fever and all the rest - I was in bed for 5 days and on tamiflu).

So then I planned the trip for yesterday but on Monday I had really spicey food which irritated my urethra and a further irritation was caused by the gel I add to the catheter sleeve was too cold and viscous. Si I had a lot of burning when I inserted the catheter through the external sphincter and should have aborted it then. Over the next 2 days the burning got so intense I almost fainted. Also I peed redish urine which really freaked me out. So again I went to emerg and they did a cutlure which came back positive, I've been on Cipro for 3 days now and most of the problem had cleared up and I am back to cathing easily again. Meantime my wife got pneumonia so I may have to go alone to Houston next week. It has been 3 months since my original MRI showing the lesion so I am very worried - almost scared. But my doc is the same one John had for his FLA for BPH and I really like him. He spent an hour on the phone last night with me going over things. He said if it is cancer he can do the lesion ablation and the BPH FLA at the same time for the same cost. I wasn't going to do another surgical procedure but based on John's results I just might. He sure is a unique doctor from the old school even though he is young.

Thanks for asking and good luck with your stone removal. I hope it is effective and painless.

Neil

Thanks Harvey for your response. The diet you outlined is the same one that Tom Brady has been on since he started winning super bowls so there must be something to it.

I use the Speedicath coude 14 catheters and have really come to like them and find it very easy when I use enough lubrication. It was a difficult learning curve but with everyone's help here I made it up ok. Both of my UTIs were casued by severe irritation of the urethra due to insufficient lubrication. I guess the inflammation provides a extra opportunity for bacteria to flourish. I will start the D-Mannose after my biopsy for extra insurance.

Take care,

Neil

I cannot undestand at all why you choose to add extra lubricationto spedicaths? They are optimally self-lubricated as they come out of their package and I am certain adding more will only make them sticky. The correct usage is use immediately the seal is broken, and never re-use, not even if you had some trouble passing the prostate or whatever. Anything else will eventually, even quickly, give you a uti due to loss of sterility.

The problem I have is that it takes several minutes for me to get the catheter into my bladder because of the large size of my prostate and the constrictions in front of the bladder entrance. The Speedicath hydrophilics I use dry out after a minute or so which then causes intense burning as I continue to push the catheter in. Coloplast told me these catheters are meant to be fully inserted and withdrawn in a minute or so.

So when I am ready to insert the catheter I hang it vertically on the wall and open the sleeve part way and then squeeze in some sterile lubricant and wait a few seconds for it to slide down and coat the catheter. It is all done very carefully so there is no contact of anything. I use sterile packets of lubricant.

Since the lubricant is water soluble it melts inside the sleeve as it comes into contact with the laine solution in the sleeve. It then forms a thicker water layer attached to the polyurethane plastic catheter. When done properly it completely elimintaes any burning during insertion and makes it so much easier for me during the several minute insertion process.

I haven't had any problems yet with it sticking at all but I understand what you are saying about it adding an additional level of possible contamination.

I did try the Speedicath gel ones but the little packet was not enough lubrication for me as it still burned terribly. I've done about 300 caths now and have only had 2 severe burning problems which were followed shortly afterwards with UTIs and both were caused by insufficient lubrication during the 3 or 4 minutes it takes to get in. I guess whatever works for us. Thanks.

 

Ah.... you have special difficulties that I was not aware of, and you imply you have consulted with Speedicath and got a solution. I bow to your superior experience on that, so please ignore my comment.

All I can suggest - and I think you should also clear it with Speedicath - is to use the smallest size that you can confortably manage. I personally use fr12. As you must have contorted channel, or even strictures, you might need to experiment, and I know from experience Speedicath will bend over backwards to help.

 

Thanks for your good advice - I appreciate it. My prostate is 180gm (was 280 before my PAE) and is highly constricted in parts. I did try 12 but it just bunched up like spaggetti. I may try FLA depending on my biopsy. Yes Coloplast is great to work with. Thanks again and good luck.