Cystitis and me....

So, this is for the ladies effected by cystitis.

I have had cystitis on and off since I was 17 (now 42).

Recently I had a three week bout of cystitis and after two weeks I finally gave in and took antibiotics. It came back again after the course had finished. I shared on Facebook what I was going through and our followers took the time to help share some amazing information.

I have collected this all up, including pain relief and treatments that I had never heard of. I also did lots of research myself at ways to prevent it in the first place.

One of the things that I learnt was about embedded UTI’s.

Embedded or Biofilm infection. This is known as biofilm and can allow bacteria to survive for long periods. Once such a biofilm develops, whenever you get a UTI, instead of recovering completely, your body can be left with an embedded infection adherent to bladder wall, that is difficult to treat.

Possible fix: A low-dose antibiotic taken for at least six months and up to two years.

Another medication that came up which I hadn’t heard of was,

Methenamine.

This used to prevent or control returning urinary tract infections caused by certain bacteria. It is not used to treat an active infection. Antibiotics must be used first to treat and cure the infection.

I have no experience of this, but a client reached out to say it has changed her life!

I did try a pain killer specifically for UTI’s which I had never used before.

AZO Max Strength 12 Tablets.

I can report back that these were really helpful, and will definitely be keeping them in stock!

I prefer to take a more natural approach when it comes to health and honestly the above is a last resort for me.

On my search for natural things, I can use each day to keep it at bay I found:

‘Obptibac For Women’

contains friendly bacteria strains especially found in the vaginal & urinary tracts, scientifically proven to reach the intimate area, and to complement the vaginal flora.

My client swears this has changed her life after suffering for three years of reoccurring infections. I have started this, but it’s a little too soon to judge for myself. It makes sense that it could help, so it cannot do any harm to try.

Unsweetened cranberry juice 

We all know about cranberry, but just make sure its unsweetened.

Proanthocyanidins found in unsweetened cranberry juice can help prevent the bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall. I think from reading  into this it is more preventative rather than treating an active infection.

 

Thyme Tea

thyme can be used to get rid of harmful bacteria! It has strong antibacterial and antiviral reactions to infections on skin and inside the body. I am drinking three cups daily. Does it taste nice, not really. Still prefer coffee!

Bicarbonate of soda

I haven’t bought the sachets for years now, I simply use this as its always available.

one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda dissolved in water and repeat this every three to four hours. Helps to reduce the acidity to make it easier to wee.

Another option here would be Apple cider vinegar. This will change the pH of the bladder making it less hospitable for bugs.

D-Mannose Powder

D-Mannose attaches to E-coli bacteria and prevents them from sticking to the cells in the urinary tract. This allows the bacteria to be flushed out of the body during urination.

Lots of people swear by this, so worth a go! I have used it on and off but hasn’t been a miracle cure for me.

 

I hope that this has been helpful to someone and please share any of your tips with us that I haven’t covered!  

Best wishes

Katie

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