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  3 0 I have a few thoughts: Have the UTI's been confirmed with a culture? That would settle the question about whether each episode indeed was an infection and might help guide your efforts toward prevention. If the bacteria is E.coli, for example, there have been studies showing that d-mannose powder can be effective as a treatment and plausibly might help in prevention if you were motivated to take it proactively. A deeper question worthy of exploration might be "why is this happening to you right now?" Has there been a change in your behavior, lifestyle, diet, etc in the last 5 months that might be affecting your immune system negatively making you more susceptible to these infections? High stress, dietary protein deficiency, over-consumption of sugar or alcohol, and/or lack or sleep are some of the many possible factors that can bring our defenses down. CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago | Report 4 comments by e.strange, CMDodgeND, and e.strange… 0 0 I probably should have included a bit more info in my original question. Every time except the first one (which was in March), the initial test has come back showing an irregularity, but then the culture comes back negative or inconclusive a few days later. Antibiotics have helped with the symptoms, though. My doctors haven't been able to determine what's going on, hence the referral to a urologist. My diet and lifestyle haven't really changed. I try to eat healthy but don't always succeed. I am semi-vegetarian (I eat seafood and the occasional piece of bacon), but I think I generally get enough protein. I don't drink a lot, but I have noticed that when I do, it's quite likely that I'll get a UTI. I'd rather not cut out alcohol completely, since it's a social thing for me, but I suppose I could. Also, I used to drink a lot more than I do now (when I was in my early 20s - I'm 32 now) and it didn't cause UTIs back then. I'm always a bit sleep-deprived because I'm a nocturnal person with a day job, but I've been dealing with that my entire life so it seems unlikely to be the culprit here. e.strange commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 Interesting. If nothing grew out on the culture then they probably weren't UTIs. This mystery certainly warrants further work-up. Other possible causes of UTI-like symptoms include STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, and/or herpes), vaginal infections, schistosomiasis (a parasite you might pick up with foreign travel), and interstitial cystitis (non-infectious inflammation of the urinary tract). You're on the right track in consulting with the urologist. Until the diagnosis is known, any discussion of treatment - conventional, naturopathic, or otherwise - is premature. CMDodgeND commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 Wow. None of the doctors I've seen for this problem have mentioned any of those possible causes. Yikes! Now I'm worried. But I do appreciate the info. e.strange commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 I would definitely ask your doctor about interstitial cystitis. I had almost the same exact problem some years ago and this is what it ended up being. Unfortunately there's no good 'cure', and the treatments vary and aren't 100%. Still, knowing what it is does something. Good luck! Chloe Barker commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  2 0 It sounds like you are taking great steps to figure this out. Having a culture to confirm it is an infection, and wht type of infection it is - both important steps. Recurrent UTIs can suggest other minor issues in the urethra, and seeing a urologist is also a good idea, to be thorough. I have seen oral birth control increase UTIs in some women, as well as the other factors Dr. Dodge lists below. Another one I would add to the list is whether you have a new partner. There are other sound options you can use besides antibiotics, if you catch the infection early enough and have close monitoring with your doctor to prevent progression to kidney infections. One additional piece I would consider for you would be a high-quality probiotic. Again, your doctor can advise you on specifics; it is an important piece if you have done a few rounds of antibiotics. DrSomol answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  1 0 From what I've heard, and with my own experience with UTIs, cranberry juice will usually only work to help prevent future infections. People who have a history of frequent UTIs will drink cranberry juice on a daily basis. But once you're already having issues, it doesn't help much. Keep your sugar intake at a minimum. It can really make things worse. Some people read online that cranberry juice helps without doing more research, and will end up making their UTI worse because of all the sugar in the juice, so it's good you're drinking it pure. While you said you'd rather not give up alcohol for social reasons, I'd *highly* recommend you do. Not only does most alcohol have a high sugar content, the alcohol itself can make things far worse than just sugar alone. Some UTIs absolutely will not go away without antibiotics. I had one for a month, thinking I could get rid of it by drinking tons of water, etc. The issue with doing this is that if your body is trying to fight off the infection but just can't quite do it, the infection will actually start to get resistant to your body's attempts, and will be even harder to get rid of, even with weaker antibiotics. If it stays untreated, you could wind up in the hospital with a kidney infection. By the time I went to the doctor, I had to be put on ciprofloxacin, which is a nasty antibiotic, and is usually used as a last resort. On thing you can do while you're waiting for your appointment with the urologist is ask your regular doc for some pills that will numb your urinary tract. It's near instant relief of that horrible feeling of having to pee all the time. katiedid answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago | Report 3 comments by katiedid, e.strange, and katiedid… 0 0 Forgot to mention, should you decide to get those fantastic numbing pills, they *will* turn your pee orange and/or yellow, and if you're not careful, it *will* stain your underwear. I'd suggest wearing a thin pantyliner, just to be on the safe side. This is of course a small price to pay considering it allows you to function during the day without having to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes. katiedid commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 yeah, aside from alcohol and fresh fruit, I generally avoid sugar like the plague. I don't drink fruit juice, even. I am, thankfully, aware of the pills of which you speak. Did you know they're available over the counter? The brand name is AZO, but most drug stores carry a store brand version. They are a life saver, for sure. e.strange commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 I didn't! That's awesome. I haven't had any serious flare ups (just one or two incredibly minor ones that went away in 24 hours) since the great UTI of '09, but it's good to know that should it happen again, I don't have to wait to see a doc for relief. katiedid commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  1 0 Are you taking birth control pills? My wife used to and had problems with UTIs all the time. She went off the pill and hasn't had a flare up in years. Westside forever answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago | Report 1 comment by e.strange… 0 0 No, I'm not, but that's good to know. I've never heard of that particular side effect. e.strange commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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