UTI Relief in 15 minutes

utireliefspiralI created this site because I really want to educate people about urinary tract infections, cystitis, bladder infections and even some on kidney infections.  I was so frustrated and disgusted with the lack of help and support I got from my Doctor, that I got determined to be an absolute expert.  The effect of all the anitbiotics I was on was just too much.  My entire immune system was in  ruins.  I had to do something.  This site contains most of what I learned.

Natural UTI Remedies

redbacteriaCystitis or Urinary Tract Infections are painful and sometimes incapacitating infections and we're committed to providing you with the information you need to help treat and prevent these infections.  Did you know that most infections are caused by the E. Coli bacteria?  Learn about that and more by clicking through this site and educating yourself.  You know what they say.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Well, we have a pound of prevention, so just imagine what that's worth!

Antibiotics Aren't Necessary

Antibiotics for Sinus Infection? Not so Fast!

If you have read any of the content on this site you know I'm really not a fan of antibiotics.  I'm convinced there is a great place for them in medicine, but I strongly believe they are severely over prescribed.  As a result of these antibiotics being over prescribed the bacteria they fight become stronger and more resistant.  Which in turn requires stronger antibiotics which have more significant and more concerning side effects.  Then guess what happens to the bacteria they fight?  That's right, they get even more resistant and the cycle continues.  Where does it end?  What is the end game with a cycle like that?  It's not pretty.

Now there's research out today from Washington University School of Medicine, which suggests that in clinical trials and studies where patients with a sinus infection are given either a placebo or a course of  antibiotics to treat their sinus infection.  After three days there was no difference in the patients who were given antibiotics and the patients who were given the placebo.

You can't say the researchers don't have a sense of humor.  Participants in the study had to meet criteria for moderate to severe sunusitus, but they would not be in the study if they had any complicating factors such as cronic sinusitus or chest congestion.  The participants were divided into two groups where one group was given a 10 day course of amoxicillin and the other group were given a 10 day course of placebo.  They were then evaluated at day 0, 3, 7, 10 and 28.  They evaluated them using a questionnaire called "Sinonasal Outcome Test -16" or SNOT-16 for short!

The research did show a small statistically significant change in results after 7 days but the researchers said that while it was statistically significant it didn't represent a change that patients would likely notice.

So what's the bottom line?  This is just another case where patients and caregivers are over prescribing what they think is the quick fix.  But not only does the quick fix not work, it is making things worse by helping to eventually create super-bugs, or bacteria nad virus' that are super resistant to currently available treatments.

Obviously my main concern is with UTI's and urinary tract infections and antibiotics.  The healthy human body is an amazing piece of work and if you care for it properly and let it do its job, most of the time it can take care of its self.

Here's the best quote from one of the researchers that sums everything up nicely:

"Our results show that antibiotics aren't necessary for a basic sinus infection - most people get better on their own."  - Senior author Dr Jay F Piccirillo, professor of otolaryngology at the School of Medicine at Washington University.

 

How To Treat UTI

More and more people every year are choosing to treat their bladder infections with natural remedies. Some of these remedies are much more effective than the standard antibiotics regimen that doctors most commonly prescribe. The large drug companies are the major force behind getting doctors to prescribe these drugs, even though their success rate is far from 100%. In fact, a quarter of people who take antibiotics for a UTI will get the infection again soon afterwards. This can happen over and over again to some people even after all the logical, hygienic precautions are taken. This is because antibiotics have a nasty way of sabotaging our natural immune system which can usually fight off infections like these with ease. They may be super-convenient in the short term, but over the long term they are doing far more damage than good. The way they work is by killing off bacteria. While this may sound like a good thing, it is in fact, not. There are actually 2 types of bacteria: good and bad. Good bacteria is vital to our lives. It aids our digestion and makes up a large part of our immune system. Antibiotics don’t discriminate - they kill them all. So this leaves us with no bacteria in our gut or urinary tract and both of these are places that we desperately need our good bacteria. This leaves us wide open to further infection since we have little defenses left.

The alternative to this is to try natural remedies that do no such damage.

A great one is to drink loads of cranberry juice. This fruit has powerful antioxidants and vitamins which help flush out any stubborn bacteria and keeps the bladder and urinary tract clean. Apple cider vinegar is another great way to reintroduce some enzymes into the area as well as some much-needed potassium. Drink a glass of water mixed with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and add honey to sweeten it if necessary. Stay away from processed foods, too much sugar, alcohol, candy, sodas, coffee, tea and dairy. This is to help your body recover and not have to deal with breaking down any challenging foods. Eat plenty vegetables to get your fiber, drink 6- 10 glasses of water per day and get plenty sleep. You body needs all the help it can get to fight off the infection. Stick to these simple rules and you will be feeling great in no time at all. Now you know how to treat UTI.

Antibiotics for UTI

Antibiotics for UTI
 

A urinary tract infection is no picnic.  If you’re suffering from a UTI, chances are that you’re looking for some relief.  The discomfort is really substantial and can seriously interfere with your ability to get things done.  Burning and pain during urination, or feeling like you have to go all the time but not being able to, or only being able to go a couple drops at a time.  Uhhh. it’s awful.

If you’ll indulge me for just a minute, I think it’s important to consider why we would want to look for a UTI home remedy in the first place.  I mean what’s the big deal about doing to see a Dr.?  Get a load of this.  Below is the typical treatment for a UTI if you go to a doctor:
  • First choice is typically a single dose, three day course, or 7 day course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, commonly called TMP-SMX (Bactrim, Cotrim, Septra). TMP-SMX combines an antibiotic with a sulfa drug. A single dose of TMP-SMX is sometimes prescribed in mild cases, but cure rates are generally lower than with 3-day regimens. Allergies to sulfa are common and may be serious.  Uhh .. what?  Seriously?
  • Second choice is Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, also called quinolones.  However, in geographic areas that have a high resistance to TMP-SMX, quinolones are now the first-line treatment for UTIs. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) is the quinolone antibiotic most commonly prescribed. Quinolones are usually given over a 3-day period. Pregnant women should not take these drugs.
  • Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin, Macrodantin) is a third option. This drug must be given for longer than 3 days.

The problem with going to the Dr., is that they’ve been trained by an establishment .. a machine, that is programmed to  think that popping a pill or getting a shot iis the only answer, that antibiotics are always the best answer.  Well, antibiotics aren’t for everyone, and may not be the best treatment for a UTI.

One of the biggest problems with antibiotics (and there are a lot of problems with antibiotics) is that they’re non-discriminatory. Your body is a spectacular work of art suspended in a miraculous balance.  Antibiotics frequently are like taking a wrecking ball to your body’s natural balance.  There are LOTS of bacteria in your body and not all of it is bad.  You may have heard the phrase “intestinal flora” which refers to the balance of natural bacteria in your stomach, digestive tract, and generally, your gut.

When you take antibiotics you really foul up your intestinal flora.  You may have temporarily gotten rid of your urinary tract infection, but chances are you have introduced a whole host of new problems.  Maybe the most relevant to your UTI is that diarrhea is one of the most common side effects of antibiotics.  Why?  Because the antibiotics have killed all the good bacteria that live in your stomach and aid in digestion along with the E. Coli you were trying to get rid of.  What happens when you have diarrhea?  You increase the presence of fecal matter and E. Coli!

Sounds like a vicious cycle huh?  It sounds that way because it IS that way.  Did you know that over 10% of the women who have a UTI will have a second within 6 months of treatment for the first UTI?  The key is to find a natural, UTI home remedy.

UTI Treatment

Antibiotics are the typical physician recommended treatment for a UTI.    The type and amount of antibiotics recommended may vary significantly depending on the bacteria or pathogen causing the infection. Normally for a mild infection as in the case of cystitis patients will be prescribed a three day course of oral antibiotics. For a more significant infection as in pyeloneprhitis (kidney infection) patients may be admitted to the hospital and put on an intravenous antibiotic. If the infection is determined to be from and STD, a different type of oral antibiotic is generally prescribed.

It’s common for health care providers to begin a treatment before the specific pathogen or agent is knows and therefore it’s not uncommon for the treatment to be changed.

Certain antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) or related quinolones should probably not be used in pregnant women or in young patients due to high levels of side effects. Most penicillins and cephalosporins are usually considered safe for elderly, pregnant, or children as long as there isn’t an individual allergy. People with an STD may require two antibiotics for treatment. People with rare parasitic or fungal urinary tract infections will generally require specialized antifungal or antiparasitic medications and are often treated in conjunction with an infectious diseases specialist.

Treatment with antibiotics can be problematic when patients do not take all the prescribed antibiotics or when resistance to antibiotics has developed. Over the counter medications may provide some relief from the discomfort caused by a UTI but generally do not treat the underlying infection. Products such as AZO or Uristat work in the bladder to relieve pain, but do not treat the infection. If you take one of these meds, they can often turn the urine orange and or orange/red in color. They may also make other body fluids such as tears turn orange, and may even cause staining of contact lenses.
 
If you are suffering from a UTI and are looking for relief in as little as 15 minutes, be sure to check out my UTI Remedy page.