UTI... cranberry pills and probiotics?

[keithbvadu2]

UTI... cranberry pills and probiotics

Girlfriend gets UTI too often.
Doctor recommends cranberry pills and probiotics .

The cranberry pills most often have way too much in recommended strength.

Any recommendations or experiences?

Probiotics... same/same.

So much info on the web.

Looking for voices of experience.

[Siwsan]

1. How about just plain old cranberry juice?

Not the cranberry cocktail - way too much sugar. Check for cranberry juice sweetened with other fruit juices.

I drink it just because I love the flavor. Sometimes I mix it with sparkling water and add a squeeze of lime juice. VERY refreshing.

[godsentme]

2. Personal experience

I had this problem 30 years ago. My doctor recommended cranberry juice or pills. Been using cranberry supplements since then. It took about 6 months to eliminate the infections. I haven't needed to see a doctor since then. I can't tell you a recommended dosage. I've been using Nature Made for a long time. These are 450 mg. Anyway, works great for me. Good luck.

[godsentme]

3. Personal experience

I had this problem 30 years ago. My doctor recommended cranberry juice or pills. Been using cranberry supplements since then. It took about 6 months to eliminate the infections. I haven't needed to see a doctor since then. I can't tell you a recommended dosage. I've been using Nature Made for a long time. These are 450 mg. Anyway, works great for me. Good luck.

[tanyev]

4. The book Along the Healing Path by Catherine Simone helped me a lot.

https://www.amazon.com/Along-Healing-Path-Recovering-Interstitial-dp-0966775031/dp/0966775031/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Cranberry didn’t help me much. I take probiotics for other reasons, but I wouldn’t say they helped much with UT issues. D-mannose was helpful and a teaspoon of baking soda in water works tremendously well to calm things down.

What finally solved the problem for me was figuring out what was causing the irritation. There is some type of citric acid flavoring that really sets me off. I no longer get lemon slushies at Sonic because they really trigger my symptoms. I hardly ever have problems now, but if I do the first thing I do is go for the baking soda.

Best wishes!

[GETTINGTIRED]

5. nothing better

D-mannose.

[woodsprite]

6. Azo Cranberry or D-mannose cranberry

Were lower (500 vs 10k or more). My onco suggested either after radiation, but he said the d-mannose addition protected the lining of the bladder making it hard for bacteria to stick.

Best of luck to your girlfriend. UTIs are miserable!

The Azo product line is awesome. I’m on their bladder pain relief for spasms and it works like a charm, but I also take NOW brand D-mannose cranberry for those benefits. Im diabetic, so the cranberry pills make more sense for me.

[keithbvadu2]

7. Some great replies

Found this article

https://www.healthline.com/health/d-mannose-for-uti#dosage

[JohnSJ]

8. Sepsis can develop from a UTI

Sepsis can develop from a UTI

"Untreated urinary tract infections may spread to the kidney, causing more pain and illness. It can also cause sepsis. The term urosepsis describes sepsis caused by a UTI.

Sometimes incorrectly called blood poisoning, sepsis is the body’s often deadly response to infection or injury. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. People shouldn’t die from a UTI, but if sepsis begins to take over and develops to severe sepsis and then to septic shock, this is exactly what can happen. UTIs cause more than half the cases of urosepsis among older adults."

https://www.sepsis.org/sepsisand/urinary-tract-infections/#:~:text=Untreated%20urinary%20tract%20infections%20may,response%20to%20infection%20or%20injury.

[Warpy]

9. The cranberry pills or juice won't hurt you

and your kidneys do push out excess hydrogen ions as a way of maintaining the healthy acid-base balance of your blood. However, some bugs don't like acid and some bugs do, so if you're peeing razor blades and broken glass, get checked and get some antibiotics.

If you're not a fan of cranberries, other high acid juices like lemonade and switchel can do the trick, just watch out for the sugar content. The juices will do a better job than the tablets, in my simple minded opinion.

If you get a lot of UTIs and are looking for a way to get fewer of them, it's worth a shot.

ETA: You also asked about probiotics. I have to say we're in the total infancy of understanding which bugs do what in our lower intestines. Most of what is being marketed as probiotics are the same bacteria in yogurt and kefir. While they won't hurt you, I'd honestly rather have the yogurt and kefir, they do seem to help when I'm taking antibiotics.

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

10. Straight unsweetened pomegranate juice is stronger than cranberry.

I can't stand the stuff but it works for me.

[womanofthehills]

11. D'mannose plain works for me - with no additives

Cranberry is way too acidic if your bladder is inflamed and can just irritate. If you go on Amazon and put in d’mannose powder - you will get a few different brands. Powder is cheaper and you can get more into your body fast. Take a teaspoon every few hours for a day or two and then less and less. Also marshmallow root to soothe. Eat nothing acidic. Check out and read the reviews on Amazon for the different d’mannose powders - hundreds of reviews of people this has helped. Also a biggie - sit in a hot bath for at least a half hr drinking as much water as you can. Water is a biggie.