HELP! I get a UTI every single month!!

Posted , 95 users are following.

First off, let me start by saying I have seen specialists, I have taken countless amounts of antibiotics and I follow every rule known to man to avoid UTIs. 

I've been getting them for about 4 years now. The last specialist I went to gave me a 2 year supply of bactrim and clearly it doesn't work. I am extremely clean. I wipe front to back, I wash before and after intercourse (as does my partner), I always relieve my bladder before and after intercourse as well. I drink about a gallon of lemon water a day. I also drink a cup of warm lemon honey water when I wake up and right before I go to sleep (as this carries a lot of antibiotic properties). I take vitamins that promote healthy vaginal walls and bladders. NOTHING WORKS! 

I have to pee all the time. I'm also getting recurrent yeast and vaginosis infections which I believe are causing the UTIs but I can't seem to shake those either. This is seriously ruining my life! I'm miserable!!! I've had so many tests done including a cervical cancer biopsy and countless blood work. Even had them inject dye into my bladder and take xrays.. Everything came back normal. I have been tested for STDs more times than I can count and I always comes back clean. 

I am starting to think this is related to my birth control. I have the implant in my arm. I looked back on this and realized that the one time in the last 4 years I didn't have UTIs or any infections was the 6 months I was off of the depo-provera shot. Then I went and got the implant and my symptoms started again. I am planning on taking out the implant but wanted to see if any other women had this same issue?

I read something about an injection directly into the bladder to cure this? Any advice will help. I have also tried just about EVERY SINGLE over the counter product on the planet. I have wasted so much money. I just want a solution. WTF IS GOING ON?!!!

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  • Posted

    Hi!

    I just left this response on another post but I'll rewrite it here. I had UTIs extremely frequently for 2 years and nothing was helping. I went on antibiotics almost everytime and it would solve the issue for about 2 weeks and then it would return. I started looking up natural remedies and bought a naturopathy book. I went through every single suggested treatment they had and thats how I was introduced to Golden Seal tincture. I am a medical school graduate so it sounded a little sketchy to me but I did some research on it (found articles with girls having success with it) and decided to buy it from the health food store in my town. I dont remember the exact number of drops I took but I took it 3 times a day along with cranberry pills, uratonic tea and tons of water. I did this for about 7 days and it was gone, i continued for 3 more just to be sure. I have not had a UTI in 10 months! I can now have sex and just fall asleep after without using the bathroom. I went on a multiday backpacking trip in the mountains which I thought would trigger it to return so I brought the golden seal just incase but I had no issues! Everyone's body is different so I obviously cannot promise itll work for you but I suffered so much with them and just avoided sex because I was didn't want it to recur. I felt like I was going insane, so hypersensitve - The slightest twinge sent me into panic mode. I highly HIGHLY recommend this stuff, it blew my mind. 

     

    • Posted

      Hi! I was curious about the Goldenseal you mentioned. Like all the other girls in the group, I've been having monthly uti's (sometimes bi-monthly...) and bar a few months here and there, it's been a constant in my lifesince the age of 16 (I'm 35 now, so it's been a while...). My uti's are related to intercourse, and usually occur towards the beginning of my cycle, right after my period. 

      Anyways, the symptoms, I can manage fairly well without taking antibiotics. For those who are curious, baking soda is magic! 1 tsp in water, 2-3 times/day. Unfortunately, it clears up the symptoms and makes the uti more bearable, but it does not keep it from coming back.

      D-Mannose does nothing for me, and neither do Cranberry, uva ursi or estrogen creams. But I am very curious about goldenseal. Are you still happy with the results? I've found pills that are 500mg. Would you recommend I take them consecutively for 2-3 months? 

      For a while, I'd gone off gluten and sugar and had found this helped, but it makes for a pretty miserable existence...

      I'm sad to see how many other women are affected by this and really hope we'll find some solution...

      Thanks so much for keeping me posted!

    • Posted

      oh, and I'd like to mention that I've had them while taking the pill, and I've had them in pregnancy, and I've had them with an IUD, and now, after tubal ligation, still getting them...

  • Posted

    I used to get a UTI every 7 weeks for YEARS. I stopped using contraceptive pills and it all went back to normal. After I stopped using the pill, I got a couple more UTIs (I think my body still had tons of hormones in its system) but three months later, UTIs completely stopped. I know reading this sounds like yet another solution that worked for someone else but would never work for you. Been there. I understand. Honestly, I feel profoundly certain of the direct connection between recurrent UTIs and the pill. There's not enough research on the pill. Only recently have scientists concluded it is linked to depression (oh really? I could have told them that years ago!). Long story short: stop any kind of hormonal contraceptivea for 6-8 months and see what happens. Best of luck!

    • Posted

      Yes! So glad to hear it from someone else. I'm going to stop taking my pill and see what happens. I've trawled the internet to find any connection between the pill and uti's but like you say there really is no research on it. thank you so much for sharing this!

    • Posted

      I started getting recurrent UTIs after going off the pill... Isi it possible that my body got used to the raised estrogen and pH levels and once it went back to normal my body couldn't fight bacteria with a low pH/ estrogen?

    • Posted

      There's a WebMD article linking recurrent UTIs to lower estrogen. I posted the link in my above comment but it is being moderated. The article suggested using estrogen creams, etc, but if you're having normal periods your estrogen levels are fine - you're probably still fighting the first infection. The article said there are other approaches besides antibiotics, but doesn't list them! Blah

    • Posted

      I am 56 and post menopausal. I am getting uti about every 3 weeks. So it isnt hormones with me. I too have tried every trick. Now seeing a urologist. Have ultrasound tomorrow. All these responses have given me lots of questions to ask dr. Ill post back if I hear anything new
    • Posted

      Please try using OTC vaginal estrogen creme as estrogen level drops in menopausal women and very common to have UTI's.

       

    • Posted

      Already did this for many months. Also, my urologist said it doesnt make that big of a difference. It didn't work for me.His words were that it is really only helpful for women whose infections are hormone related. In my case I likely have a urethral stricture from scar tissue due to surgery on my urethra as a toddler, surgery no longer done for that very reason. I may be looking at more surgery in the coming year. And I am stil getting the infections despite being on septra daily and trying every trick in the book. Since starting daily septra instead of every other day the frequency of my uti has dropped from every three weeks to about every 5 weeks. I have found a better safer antibiotic for the infections. Fosfomycin. Works specifically on UTI in women from E. coli. One time dose of 3000mg in 1/2 glass water. Pleasant taste. Symptoms subside within a day for me.

    • Posted

      Bossmom, do you know if there's a way to confirm the urethral structure?

    • Posted

      I am due back to see the urologist in July when he will book me for a cystoscopy to look at urethra and bladder with a scope or camera. It will not be visible by ultrasound or ct scan.
    • Posted

      Hi. This helps with your uti. I believe it goes also under the name of monurol. Any side effects
    • Posted

      are you you in the US

       Any side effects drinking the Fosfomycin

  • Posted

    Hi All.

    I have had UTI the last few years on/off.

    With my experience is stress related. Also the sex position is important.

    I used Baginal douche washes device with liquid (Betadine).

    Chamomile tea to wash.

    Yes, drinking Cranberry juice.

    No; anything acid or spicy isnot good (lemon, curry, chilly, alcohol, coffee).

    Ironing your underwear and keepig the house clean. Taking off shoes and wearing socks at home. Keepig the sheets clean.

    Your partner needs to wash his hands regularly before any sexual activity etc.

    I had Severe pain twice today. I was crying while going to wee/pee. Still I said no to Antibiotis as I tried trimethoprim and it worked for 3 days but it came back.

    Depon pain releif helps, hot water bottle. Hot baths, sleepihg. Regular exercises. Sitting is not good.

    dont wear very tight string underwear. Cotton only or boxers. Dont wear tight jeans. Maybe skirt is better for the air to go through.

    Meditation or yoga helps.

    I had UTS scan and urine tests and everything is fine. NHS has been good but I m thinking of getting a private Insurance soon such as Bupa etc.

    Just change your lifestyle.

    I know that I dont want to have sex again due to the Phobia of getting a UTI infection again.

    All the best.

    anna from Sheffield UK.

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