Persistent urinary tract infection.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: Help with a persistant (4 year) urinary tract infection
From: karyn.siegel-maier.kotl.uu.ids.net
Date: Fri, 19 May 95 15:24:00 EST

> amarclar.silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Amanda) writes:
>> The header says most of it: I've had a urinary tract infection for over four years, and I'm a bit tired of it by now : )
>>The symptoms are mild to severe burning pain in my urethra, heightened on discharge of urine, and relaxed after discharge. The pain seems to get worse when I'm sweating (exercise or heat) or have direct pressure in the area (sex) and to get better about 15 minutes after I drink a lot of water. So I try to keep hydrated, but it still hurts. I usually hurt about every other day, depending on my activities.

The Doctor who replied to your message left good advice, especially about the calcium citrate...I've been reading about that recently.

For an herbal remedy, I'd recommend Uva Ursi, also known as bearberry. The leaves contain 5-12% of the glycoside arbutin which the body converts to hydroquinine. The latter agent is effective against bacteria such as E.coli, commonly associated with bladder/urinary infections. However, the leaves also contain high concentrations of tannin, which can lead to stomach upset. If you're using fresh uva ursi leaves, it's better to make an infusion rather tan making a hot tea to drink. Allow the leaves to set in a jar of cold water for 2 days. Then take 1-2 tsp. of the solution 3 times a day.

If you will use a tincture of this plant, the doe is 1 ½ tsp. with water or tea 3 times per day. The powdered for can be taken (250-500 mg) per day.

From: p_iannone.pop.com (Paul Iannone)

Bob Ginsberg <72027.3405.CompuServe.COM> wrote:
: I am certainly not an MD, but real studies have been done recently to show that cranberry juice really does help urinary tract infections by preventing the bacteria from fixing to the walls of the bladder and urethra.
: Try drinking 2 or more large glasses of real cranberry juice, not sugar water with cranberry flavor, every day for a while. What have you got to lose, it certainly isn't going to hurt, and it just may help.

Cranberry juice may very well make such a chronic problem worse! In East-Asian traditional healing there is a fundamental principle: DO NOT ASTRINGE HEAT. Cranberry juice is very astringent, and will predictably exacerbate Hot-type chronic bladder problems.

--Paul || p_iannone.pop.com

From: ntlor.primenet.com (Sebastian Rust)

amarclar.silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Amanda) wrote:
> Joel Sparovec <ak905.torfree.net> wrote:
> >Amanda (amarclar.silver.ucs.indiana.edu) wrote:
> > stuff deleted ...
> >You neglected to mention any incidence of urinary frequency (peeing rather frequently) or urinary urgency (i.e. I need to pee RIGHT NOW), so I wonder whether it is in fact a full-fledged UTI that you are experiencing and not a problem more closely related to digestion.
> Interesting idea... Obviously, I don't know for sure. It does feel quite UTI-like, though, with the pain being partially an urge to go, and partially just pain. With that, and with how touch my urethra is, I'd tend to think it is something wrong with that specific portion of my anatomy, though it could just be what's going through it is irritating it.
> The main thing that makes me think it is not a classic UTI is that a number of cultures have failed to grow any bacteria. Therefore, perhaps it's over acidic urine?
> Anyway, I've already (pre posting this) tried cranberry juice by the gallon, so I don't think it's gonna help too much. As of now, I'm preparing to head off for the store and vitamin C tablets, to see if they help. I think I'm giving up on the milk-less diet, as it's been over two weeks now, with no improvement at all. Besides, I'm craving ice cream!
> Thank you all for your suggestions,

Many things come to mind when I have read these posts. If not an infection then what irritants are you exposed to? Do you drink coffee or caffenated sodas? Caffene can be irritating to the bladder. Toilet paper can be an irritant if you are sensitive to it, colored or scented tend to be the offenders, but one time the kind of white toilet paper I was buying bothered me. It could also be the soap you wash with, I was also cautioned not to take bubble baths. Feminine deodorant sprays. Sitting on cold cement benches or other cold things can cause urethreal spasms. The soap you wash your underwear with, or the dryer sheets. Irritation could come from synthetic underwear or the dye in any underwear, one of the colors might bother you. Positions during sex, frequent sex (honeymoon cystitus) get up and pee after sex and take it easy if you are raw: ) , some of the gals I know wear dresses and no underwear to cut down on the friction and to air out.

This is just a short list of ideas from some of my experiences, you will need to do some of your own investigative work, irritants do not have to be dietary but can be, try the topical things
first they seem easier to accomplish.

In health,
Sharon Rust.

From: vlhicks.aol.com (VLHICKS)

I used to suffer as well. I did find that laundry soap was a problem. That was not the only problem though. Then I read a book called Cystitis by some doctor (found it in our library). He said that any time the kidneys, bladder or uriters get cold or jarred that it causes the nerves to get over excited and it causes the bladder to wan to empty. so the answer was to quiet the excitement. He said, never sit on cold ground, always keep the lower part of the body warm, when taking long trips take an aspirin or similar item to keep the nerves from getting excited. The next thing was that if it is bacteria or high acid content that causes the excitement to take the following:

At the beginning of hour one take one teaspoon of baking soda in an 8 oz. glass of water. In 20 minutes take an 8 oz glass of clear water. In 20 minutes more take another 8 oz. glass of clear water.

Repeat entire process one more time.

I have found this works for me for over 10 years now. I have shared it with lots of friends and they have had the same success. You see the baking soda neutralizes the acid. Again this is no prescription, just sharing reading of a book. I would not recommend this on a daily basis as baking soda can raise your blood pressure although I have never had a problem, but I guess nothing except good health and hygiene should be done every day. Also if there is an effect from sex in causing the bladder to react, I've just used a warm wash cloth and held it in place until the iritability slows down.

Good luck. I hope it helps.

Vi

From: cigolott.nbnet.nb.ca (Tom Cigolotti)

vlhicks.aol.com writes:
>I used to suffer as well. I did find that laundry soap was a problem.

Any more info on this soap (eg) type, too much or other things) business ?? I found that not using fabric softener helped a lot.

regards- tom c.

From: vlhicks.aol.com (VLHICKS)

I found that only Ivory Soap and Purex helped the problem. All the rest caused me sheer hell. There seemed to be no problem with dryer sheets, but i've always used Purex sheets too.

Hope this helps.

Vi

From: smiller.pacifier.com (smiller)

You also might consider if you drink a lot of diet sodas. My doctor says that the phosphoric acid in the soda promotes UTI's also.