Avoiding UTIs

[Athena]

As a female with kidney disease, I've had UT1s in the past and it was a horrible experience. The antibiotics gave me severe side effects and my eGFR has been higher ever since the last episode. How do we avoid the curse of UTIs? It really is like a STD in actual fact because sexual activity will bring on a UTI. I've been given a nitrofurantoin antibiotic to use whenever there is sexual activity but it does not sound safe to me.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to avoid UTIs but still enjoy having a sex life?

[cassandra]

Before and after wash (front to back of course) with Femfresh or other PH neutral 'soap'.

Worked for me

Good luck, Cas

[Athena]

Thanks Cassandra. I have used this product before & will remember to buy it again.

My Nephrologist told me that he sees female patients who have recurring UTIs and battle with several outbreaks each year. He wants me to take a nitrofurantoin antibiotic without fail. I am so scared and paranoid about taking this antibiotic for preventative purposes.

[obsidianom]

Thanks Cassandra. I have used this product before & will remember to buy it again.

My Nephrologist told me that he sees female patients who have recurring UTIs and battle with several outbreaks each year. He wants me to take a nitrofurantoin antibiotic without fail. I am so scared and paranoid about taking this antibiotic for preventative purposes.

My wife used to get quite a few. We avoided the whole antibiotic every day treatment by using a product that Life extension.org has available called "Cran- max  with UTIROSE" .   Since we have used 2 per day she hasn't had a UTI that I can remember now. It has been at least 2 years.  I am not advising anyone to use this without talking to your doctor and I am not advising not to take antibiotics. Just giving info on what worked for us . We didn't want to give up sex either.
The product is high potency cranberry extract. and hibiscus extract.

[cassandra]

Dear Athena I forgot to mention to pee after too

     

Good luck again, love, Cas

[gothiclovemonkey]

speaking of UTIs

what the heck do u do when u dont pee nearly enough to give them a sample? i get about an eye drop drop of urine to come out of me, but i could totally feel that i had a UTI, called dr who said he wouldnt give me anything without being seen, so advised i go to walk in clinic..... i did, they told me they couldnt give me anything without pee, told me to take the cup home and come back when i had some pee to give them...... urm......
so i suffer. im drinking cranberry juice. whats a girl to do?! its literally a drop.

[KarenInWA]

Oh GLM - that sounds horrible! I always wondered what happens in this situation. I have no advice to give, just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you and I feel your pain. I also learned recently that there are some uti bugs that are more or less resistant to cranberry. Lovely, huh? That's what I had recently. Ugh. Joy. Keflex seemed to work. I don't think it's too harmful for us kidney people. How to convince a dr is a good question...

KarenInWA

[kristina]

speaking of UTIs

what the heck do u do when u dont pee nearly enough to give them a sample? i get about an eye drop drop of urine to come out of me, but i could totally feel that i had a UTI, called dr who said he wouldnt give me anything without being seen, so advised i go to walk in clinic..... i did, they told me they couldnt give me anything without pee, told me to take the cup home and come back when i had some pee to give them...... urm......
so i suffer. im drinking cranberry juice. whats a girl to do?! its literally a drop.

Hello gothiclovemonkey,
Great to "see" you again!
... After having "completed" 25 sessions of dialysis, I noticed that my formerly very busy "water-works" suddenly started to become very lazy...
... This concerned me so much that I decided to "take in" another 330mg of liquid on top of my "usual" 1 liter liquid-intake  per day ...
 ... and so I made myself a cup of peppermint-tea  ... 
... Drinking this cup of peppermint-tea was "just the ticket" my body so urgently needed to "continue with the good work"...
... and my water-works have come back fully "inspired" and to my great relief they are now busily "back to work" as usual ...
... I do plan for the future to drink on three days every week another 330mg of peppermint-tea
 on top of my 1 liter a day-liquid-restrictions, in order to "keep the show on the road"...
With these measurements I only did what my instinct told me to do... and I am so glad that I listened to my instinct...
Best wishes from Kristina.

[cassandra]

Hi Goth, and KiW I don't pee at all, but when I told them I'm pretty sure I have a UTI ("as I think I remember what it feels like after the amount of UTI's I've had in my previous life") they gave me a medium strength broad spectrum anti biotic.

Good luck, and love, Cas

[Athena]

speaking of UTIs

what the heck do u do when u dont pee nearly enough to give them a sample? i get about an eye drop drop of urine to come out of me, but i could totally feel that i had a UTI, called dr who said he wouldnt give me anything without being seen, so advised i go to walk in clinic..... i did, they told me they couldnt give me anything without pee, told me to take the cup home and come back when i had some pee to give them...... urm......
so i suffer. im drinking cranberry juice. whats a girl to do?! its literally a drop.

Hello gothiclovemonkey,
Great to "see" you again!
... After having "completed" 25 sessions of dialysis, I noticed that my formerly very busy "water-works" suddenly started to become very lazy...
... This concerned me so much that I decided to "take in" another 330mg of liquid on top of my "usual" 1 liter liquid-intake  per day ...
 ... and so I made myself a cup of peppermint-tea  ... 
... Drinking this cup of peppermint-tea was "just the ticket" my body so urgently needed to "continue with the good work"...
... and my water-works have come back fully "inspired" and to my great relief they are now busily "back to work" as usual ...
... I do plan for the future to drink on three days every week another 330mg of peppermint-tea
 on top of my 1 liter a day-liquid-restrictions, in order to "keep the show on the road"...
With these measurements I only did what my instinct told me to do... and I am so glad that I listened to my instinct...
Best wishes from Kristina.

Kristina, that is a wonderful story about the peppermint tea & how your instincts came to your rescue. We have instinctive feelings & reactions all the time but we tend to ignore them or we are told to ignore them by well meaning doctors. Many of our fears can be unfounded as well. But when we are just spot on about something - as you were - it is like magic.
 

[Athena]

For all females who are also worried about UTIs, just a little update in terms of medical advice. My endocrinologist has prescribed a vaginal topical estrogen gel. It apparently will protect against UTIs (from sexual activity) in addition to preventing menopausal related changes. It would be great to hear from anyone who's tried this.