UTI never goes and I am desperate - please help

Hi, I'm sure you are already doing this but drink plenty of water, I drink about 2 litres a day, I also take a specific probiotic for this type of thing, I've been struggling for 5 years now ever since having a hysterectomy, its horrid I know.

Phoebe

The more antibiotics you take, the smarter the bacteria become. Assuming the correct antibiotic is selected, you probably need to stay on it for a lot longer than doctors recommend. Your case could be different than mine or others, but what can happen is that not all bacteria die off, then breed again and become more resistant.

Most doctors try the 'regular' antibiotics at the beginning without actually getting a culture done to find out what the bug is. Nitrofurantoin or Trimethoprim are usually prescribed as first line defence and, to be fair, they usually work.

As Marilee says, the bugs get smarter meaning they can quickly mutate to become resistant. E.coli also has the trick of forming colonies which cover themselves with 'biofilm'. This is like a raincoat and it protects the colony from whatever antibiotic is thrown at it so it can stay there, happily, ready to break out and form new colonies as soon as the danger is gone. In other words, E.coli is very hard to eliminate.

D.Mannose is a naturally acidic sugar and it actually wears away the biofilm but you have to take it regularly for many weeks. Vit C also helps by making the environment acidic and you should be taking a high dose of something like 500mg four times a day. You just pee out any excess - this is one vitamin you can't overdose on, but maybe cut down to once or twice a day once the E.coli is gone (to help prevent further infections).

As the biofilm breaks down, the E.coli will be gradually exposed and cranberry juice ( helps to ensure the bacteria don't get a chance to cling to the bladder walls where they can set up new colonies. Check the percentage in the ingerdients list though, some are only 10% juice while the brand leader and a german supermarket have 27% which is better. Take a small glass of Cranberry juice twice a day (I add fresh orange juice for the taste and extra Vit C) - or you can get tablets but I'm not sure how effective they are compared to the juice.

If you get desperate and go back to your doctor for more antibiotics you may well be prescribed one called Ciprofloxacin which often isn't effective long term while it can cause serious side effects. It's from a group of antibiotics called the fluoroquinolones and the others are Levofloxacin, Ofloxacin and Moxifloxacin but they can be called by various generic names so always check for the class - fluoroquinolones. Doctors were sent a drug safety warning about this class in March because the side effects can be long lasting or permanent in some people (see the fluoroquinolone discussions on this website to get an idea). Even if you've taken them before without problems before this is no guarantee that you'll be OK next time (it's a bit of a lottery!).

If you can get rid of the E.coli by the D. Mannose method (and it can take maybe 6-12 weeks to clear completely so don't stop doing it after a couple of weeks) this is probably the best way. But if the infection and pains get too bad then you may need an antibiotic to prevent possible kidney damage. Go with your gut feelings and what your doctor says - he will very likely poo-poo what I said about Cipro but at least I said it!