Prevention-UTI

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Cathlete
i had an aweful experience- urinary tract infection. the pain was so bad on my left side it hurt to breath and could barely walk.
so a few suggestions

drink cranberry juice
no tight fitting clothing,only cotten
cotten underwear

i am going to get rid of my tight fitting bike shorts used when working out. it is also probably important that you take a shower every day especially after working out.

find out where the closest emergency center is located incase you run into an emergency

laura;(
 
Hi, Laura,

Yeah, those things suck. And once you get them, they are easier to get again. I used to get them often, but now I haven't had one in I don't know how long...probably like ten years.

Hope you feel back to normal soon.



Here are a few more tips:

Drink lots of water
Get lots of rest (if you start to feel oddly fatigued, it might be the start of one, so drink your cranberry juice and get to sleep)
Try to urinate both before and after having intercourse
Stay away from caffeine

If you're not able to steer clear with Laura's and the above tips, you'll start to have blood in your urine (which is not unusual for UTIs), and at that point you'll want to see a doctor and get some medicine. The first time it happened to me (I was about 19 or so), I completely freaked out...bloody urine accompanied by strong pain tends to do that LOL. Don't worry, just get to someone who can get you the medicine you need...but don't let it ride because those things tend to get worse, and when they do, no cranberry juice is going to be able to kill that sucker!
 
Laura,

I have had a lifetime of UTIs. A few cautions to get the doctor involved and check out what is causing them. My story is very unusual but worth knowing I think. You could have kidney, urethra, ureter bladder misplacement, tumors, or even cysts that can cause this. Using cranberry juice can mask the real problem.

In my teens I had UTI's often. For a couple of years this went on until it was discovered it wasn't just my bladder but my kidney and it was due to a birth defect. When that was corrected(removal of the problem kidney) I was fine for quite a while.

I hit my mid thirties and it started again. Not often but when they hit, I was like you with terrible pain, with fever and incapacitated. I tried all that you mentioned plus vitamin C supplements(one doctor suggested urine acidity should be a factor). I had them so frequently the doctor wouldn't even see me she'd check the sample and send me the antibiotics.

Last year, I pushed my general doctor to examine this further. My dad had bladder cancer. She said it would be rare that I have that(usually in older men smokers) and suggested gynecological issues could cause this.

My OB-GYN did sense a "dropped" bladder(after three children) that could cause the problem but felt before she dealt with that she should take a peek and make sure the inside looked good.

Several cancerous tumors were found. They were caught early removed and I don't need further treatment except frequent scans and scopes to recheck. I've not an infection in over six monthes despite 3 scoping procedures that can cause infections.

So do all you suggested plus drinking a ton of water and keep your doctor involved.

Teachreef
 
i am so sorry you had to go thru with this. i did have someone take me to an emergency room. the doc there said everything was ok except for an infection.I am going to see my gyno in a couple of weeks to double check that everythings ok. i am also in my mid 30's. the first week i thought it was stomach flue then for 4 days i did not go at all. then it happened. thanks for responding.

laura
 
It's not really necessary to chuck the tight fitting bike shorts altogether, Laura.

As a nurse, I have had several UTI's and yes, they are HORRIBLE! But also, I have worked at a call center where people call in for advice. Some of the standards include:

-reduce the non-cotton underwear to a minimum
-try not to wear thong underwear (they also can cause ingrown hairs and infective cysts to form due to the rectal bacteria being able to track along the string)
-don't go longer than 2-3 hrs between bathroom breaks, i.e. don't "hold" it!
-drink plenty of water
-reduce your caffeine and carbonation intake. Coffee and soda irritate the bladder walls.
-go to the bathroom before and after a *visit* with DH/SO
-if you wear the tight fitting bike shorts for exercise, take them off as soon as you're done working out....it's the damp, warm environment that helps UTIs
-cranberry juice is okay, but the store brands have too much sugar content to make them effective.
-call your doctor's office if you have ANY symptoms (urgency, burning, itching, unable to go when you get there, pain, etc) for the sooner you get antibiotics in your system, the less complications you will have

One of the biggest complications to not getting any treatment is something call Urosepsis. This means that the bacteria that were once just in the bladder have moved up into the kidneys and have spread to the blood stream and you could die if you don't get treatment.

Sorry for the novel, but I just wanted make sure that you had more information!
 
UTI's are not fun. As a microbiologist, they are the most common infection we see. I'm lucky that I can test my own urine the moment I get an inkling something is cooking and the doctor will call in a prescription.

My concern is that menopause may have increased my own risk of these things. I have had 3 UTI's since July. I haven't seen my doctor to question him about this, but will definately speak to him if I get another.
 
UTI's are not fun. As a microbiologist, they are the most common infection we see. I'm lucky that I can test my own urine the moment I get an inkling something is cooking and the doctor will call in a prescription.

My concern is that menopause may have increased my own risk of these things. I have had 3 UTI's since July. I haven't seen my doctor to question him about this, but will definately speak to him if I get another.
 
Always urinate immediately after sex. It has to do with bacteria getting into the urethra.
 
sometimes i do cardio,dinner,wait an hour or less, then do wieghts. so i have bike shorts on the whole time. so is it ok if i wear them for cardio then switch to cotten shorts though it might be a couple hours before i shower?.if i have time i do cardio then wights-2 hours.

laura
 
Laura,

I think the biggest thing for me besides getting the tumors removed has been drinking water through out the day. When I had my cystoscopy, I didn't have any pain after and I think it was the water I was drinking,

I'm a teacher with limitted access to the restroom. I used to drink water in the am before and after I exercised and then go all day with little to drink until my ride home from work and I would drink again. My OB-GYN suggested 3 spreading water throughout the day. So I bought a water purifier for work and I don't go to lunch until my water bottle is empty and I won't leave work until its empty again. I usually finish another in the commute home. Besides feeling better in the UTI department, I feel better generally.

By the way I am one month shy of fifty, so this went on for quite a few years of messing around with UTIs. I am relieved you've got a doctor involved because I hear woman saying their dealing with it themselves and that worries me!

Tracey(teachreef)
 
UTIs are SO EVIL! It makes me really angry that sex can be the cause! NOT FAIR! Anyway, no one mentioned D-MANNOSE. I *THINK* it's the ingredient in cranberry juice that helps... Why bother guzzling all those calories? You should be able to find it online for sure and probably at some health food or supplement stores. Can use as straight powder in juice or powder in capsules. NO MORE UTIs! --Jennifer
 
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