[Mrod]

Hi,
I'm currently experiencing my 18th UTi in 2 1/2 years. I started getting them when I was 23 and am now 25. The constant antibiotics i was taking had detrimental effects on me. I developed chronic fatigue and IBS, i had to go to a naturopath and took copious vitamins and a strict diet just to feel ok, but by then my relationship was on the rocks because i was too tired to do anything, had lost whatever libido I ever had and had to stop any physical activities I used to enjoy (rock climbing, dancing etc) for lack of energy.

After about the 14th round of antibiotics (usually Bactrim Forte) my gynecologist had me get a blood test for vitamin D levels. It turned out my vitamin D levels were ridiculously low. I went on supplements and had no more UTIs for about 9 months, but I think that's because I also didn't have any sex for those 9 months. As a result of the constant pain I had been in, I developed vaginismus ( a condition by which the muscles surrounding the vaginal entrance contract involuntarily -usually caused by trauma to that area such as constant UTIs, having a baby etc) which made sex unbearably painful causing my brain to equate sex with pain. It took me months and months of training (with dialators, books, breathing training) to be able to have sex again.

I was able to have sex at the start of this year. (still an uphill battle but I am able to control my muscles for the most part) but then the UTIs started up AGAIN (despite still being on vitamin D supplements and taking a very high potency cranberry tablet among other natural immune system boosting supplements). At first when I went to the dr, she said this sort of thing is common if you haven't had sex in a long time and then start up again. I can understand that to an extent but it's extremely frustrating given that I urinate before and after sex (always have) and we also shower before and after. I wear cotton underwear and don't use and creams or feminine products in that area that contain irritants or allergens.

I've had four UTIs this year already and they are starting to take a grip on my life again. I am constantly exhausted, getting colds after courses of antibiotics, irritable, feverish, suffer from frequency and experience burning (ranging anywhere from annoying to excruciating) during urination. I ended up in hospital about 5 weeks ago when I didn't know I had a UTI because the symptoms were too mild for me to take seriously. I ended up throwing up 11 times in a 4 hour period and couldn't stop until taken to emergency and given injections. They told me I had a UTi (after urine and blood tests) and sent me home with cephalexin which I'm guessing wasn't strong enough to kill it off because it came back a week later and I had to go on Bactrim Forte again.

This is scary to me because if left undetected, ending up in hospital could easily happen again. Each time I've had sex this year, it has caused a UTI (or so it seems because symptoms develop shortly after it). After the hospital episode and two rounds of antibiotics, (about two weeks later) I experienced mild symptoms again. This time I went to the dr straight away. The urine dipstick test showed a high leukocyte count. My dr also sent the sample off for testing and whilst I was there she called the hospital to hear about the tests I had done whilst in there. She was told the tests show no bacterial growth in the urine specimen. This confuses me. How can there be an infection with no bacteria? And if there are no bacteria, why does my body respond to the antibiotics? What else could be causing such a high level of inflammation?

I desperately want to get off the UTi merry-go-round so I need answers, and I hope someone on here can help me! Seeing that others have gone through the same thing helps. Knowing that people out there understand also really helps.

I've had scans, ultrasounds (Lower abdominal and internal) and blood tests done but everything shows up as normal. I've been to my gynecologist and a urologist whose only advice as to how to fix it was to go on antibiotics (I think cephlex) for 6 months to a year. I didn't take the advice back then because I had seen the damage antibiotics could do. But now I'm starting to run out of ideas, I'm thinking I may need to do what he suggested. I've heard about D Mannose and am about to try that. I keep very well hydrated, eat very healthily and am very careful with my personal hygiene.

So, where do I go from here? What do I do? Has anyone had anything that works in a similar situation?

I'm really sorry that this post was so ridiculously long winded, but I wanted to make sure all the facts are on here and that I'm not missing out anything that may be important and that people know what I've already tried. So if anyone has any advice, it would be so so greatly appreciated!

[Anunnaki]

boy I went through this hell starting at 16 (virgin) and lasting up until recently Ive heard it all. thyroid, diabetes, washing wrong, whipping wrong, allergic to semen, caused from sex. I cant pinpoint what caused mine to start last for almost 10yrs and then just stop. I will say since my new partner I haven't had problems with getting them after sex or any other times. I do have a thyroid condition and I do get a reaction from semen it throws of my Ph and gives me BV. I tried everything to make it stop I mean super strict diet and pills and vitamins I was careful how I washed me my clothes and whipped. Nothing helped. My Gyno told me over and over it was my partner. Well the difference now with my bf.. hes a bar soap kind of guy...he doesn't put lotion on his bits, and we dont use condoms. Every once in a while I get the feeling I'm getting one and I dont. For some reason back in the day when I would get tested for yet another UTI they would say I didn't have one but I always had blood and protean in my urine. I also had other problems like the walls swelling shut and insane pain during sex. I'm telling you after I left my ex all my problems went away. Maybe my gyno was right I was allergic to him and or his semen. One last thing I switched doctors and with that came a switch in antibiotics. The first guy had me on all the wrong meds. Good Luck if you want to talk more on this PM me.

[Mrod]

For those of you out there who have been suffering from frequent or reoccurring UTIs, I feel your pain as I've been through 18 of them in almost 3 years. *They occur every time I've had sex and to try and avoid them I've showered before and after intercourse, urinated before and after intercourse, drink a lot of water, take potent cranberry tablets, eat healthily, don't use products containing allergens, wear cotton underwear etc etc.
Nothing has worked. I've been to three different urologists (and doctors and gynacologists) and the answer I'm given is always the same - "just go on 6-8 months of constant antibiotics"
I refuse to do this because not only are you treating the symptoms and not the cause, so the problem is almost certain to come back, the antibiotics I've been on have ruined my body.
I just came back from a trip to a very reputable naturopath (who is also a doctor). I wanted to pass on the information I've been given in case it may be of help to someone.
The problem isn't so much to do with bacteria as it is to with my immune system functioning poorly (I'm not saying it didn't start out as bacterial) and my urinary system being in an almost constant state of inflammation.
I'm also apparently suffering from Leaky Gut Syndrome -damage to the bowel lining caused by the constant use of antibiotics (my doctor had diagnosed this as IBS and put me on medication for it which not only didn't have much effect but also dangerously increased my heart rate)

Here's the plan I've been given to fix this situation and fix my immune system so I don't get anymore UTIs and am not living on antibiotics:

I'm going to take 5000 IUs of vitamin D a day (I was deficient about two years ago which made me more prone to infection, but I was only on 500 IUs a day which I've been told is nowhere near enough)
I'm going to go on a 5 week bowel cleanse (this is specific to the naturopath clinic I went to, if ppl want details please pm me) in which I will be taking L-Glutamine plus Colostrum powder (two teaspoons a day)
I'm going to take Bactrex (capsules containing various herbs for upper intestinal health) twice a day.
I'm going to take Selenium (usually found in soil but we don't have much of it at all in Australia and farmers feed it to cattle to keep them healthy, but I don't eat meat so I don't get any) twice a day.
I'm going to take Ultra Biotic (extremely potent pro-biotic)once a day, after the 5 week bowel cleanse.
Starting now, I have to cut out all gluten and all milk products and alcohol. I also can't take products containing aspirin or ibuprofen as they are detrimental to the process.
I'm also not going to have intercourse for 5 weeks as I have to try and steer clear from any antibiotics during this whole process.

Anyway, I know it sounds like a lot, but it's a solution that treats the causes not the symptoms. Which means I'll be a lot healthier and happier in the long run. *I hope this helps those of you out there who are suffering like I am. *If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask!

[Speakgreen.4]

I think I might know something that will help

Hi,
I'm currently experiencing my 18th UTi in 2 1/2 years. I started getting them when I was 23 and am now 25. The constant antibiotics i was taking had detrimental effects on me. I developed chronic fatigue and IBS, i had to go to a naturopath and took copious vitamins and a strict diet just to feel ok, but by then my relationship was on the rocks because i was too tired to do anything, had lost whatever libido I ever had and had to stop any physical activities I used to enjoy (rock climbing, dancing etc) for lack of energy.

After about the 14th round of antibiotics (usually Bactrim Forte) my gynecologist had me get a blood test for vitamin D levels. It turned out my vitamin D levels were ridiculously low. I went on supplements and had no more UTIs for about 9 months, but I think that's because I also didn't have any sex for those 9 months. As a result of the constant pain I had been in, I developed vaginismus ( a condition by which the muscles surrounding the vaginal entrance contract involuntarily -usually caused by trauma to that area such as constant UTIs, having a baby etc) which made sex unbearably painful causing my brain to equate sex with pain. It took me months and months of training (with dialators, books, breathing training) to be able to have sex again.

I was able to have sex at the start of this year. (still an uphill battle but I am able to control my muscles for the most part) but then the UTIs started up AGAIN (despite still being on vitamin D supplements and taking a very high potency cranberry tablet among other natural immune system boosting supplements). At first when I went to the dr, she said this sort of thing is common if you haven't had sex in a long time and then start up again. I can understand that to an extent but it's extremely frustrating given that I urinate before and after sex (always have) and we also shower before and after. I wear cotton underwear and don't use and creams or feminine products in that area that contain irritants or allergens.

I've had four UTIs this year already and they are starting to take a grip on my life again. I am constantly exhausted, getting colds after courses of antibiotics, irritable, feverish, suffer from frequency and experience burning (ranging anywhere from annoying to excruciating) during urination. I ended up in hospital about 5 weeks ago when I didn't know I had a UTI because the symptoms were too mild for me to take seriously. I ended up throwing up 11 times in a 4 hour period and couldn't stop until taken to emergency and given injections. They told me I had a UTi (after urine and blood tests) and sent me home with cephalexin which I'm guessing wasn't strong enough to kill it off because it came back a week later and I had to go on Bactrim Forte again.

This is scary to me because if left undetected, ending up in hospital could easily happen again. Each time I've had sex this year, it has caused a UTI (or so it seems because symptoms develop shortly after it). After the hospital episode and two rounds of antibiotics, (about two weeks later) I experienced mild symptoms again. This time I went to the dr straight away. The urine dipstick test showed a high leukocyte count. My dr also sent the sample off for testing and whilst I was there she called the hospital to hear about the tests I had done whilst in there. She was told the tests show no bacterial growth in the urine specimen. This confuses me. How can there be an infection with no bacteria? And if there are no bacteria, why does my body respond to the antibiotics? What else could be causing such a high level of inflammation?

I desperately want to get off the UTi merry-go-round so I need answers, and I hope someone on here can help me! Seeing that others have gone through the same thing helps. Knowing that people out there understand also really helps.

I've had scans, ultrasounds (Lower abdominal and internal) and blood tests done but everything shows up as normal. I've been to my gynecologist and a urologist whose only advice as to how to fix it was to go on antibiotics (I think cephlex) for 6 months to a year. I didn't take the advice back then because I had seen the damage antibiotics could do. But now I'm starting to run out of ideas, I'm thinking I may need to do what he suggested. I've heard about D Mannose and am about to try that. I keep very well hydrated, eat very healthily and am very careful with my personal hygiene.

So, where do I go from here? What do I do? Has anyone had anything that works in a similar situation?

I'm really sorry that this post was so ridiculously long winded, but I wanted to make sure all the facts are on here and that I'm not missing out anything that may be important and that people know what I've already tried. So if anyone has any advice, it would be so so greatly appreciated!

Ok now I've been going around commenting on everyone's post who have had countless UTI's because I have found something that works for me that no one else seems to be mentioning. FEMININE WASH!!!! In my case Summer's Eve Sensitive Skin. For six years I got UTI's 1-3x a month! My life was severely impacted by them and several times I had to miss exams because I was in too much pain. I went to several urologists, was on antibiotics all the time, ate cranberry pills daily, did the invasive tests, and nothing helped! Then in March of this year I just decided to get Summer's Eve and I haven't had one since then. There were times when I thought I was going to get one, but I never did!. I hope this simple product provides relief for you like it did for me.