Went to the MIU Minor Injuires Unit or casualty) today and found out that i had an infection in my bladder. So they prescribed me with Nitrofurantoin & basically told me to drink plenty of water & if possible try cranberry juice. I also went to the health food shop & and they told me to take echinacea & goldenseal.
So I've basically got everything I need to recover. Is there anything else that anyone can tell me about this whole condition. Or what foods i should eat/stay away from? Or anything that is helpful.
Ladies only please (im not trying to be in the least bit sexist here btw. I only know that women a more susceptible to this condition) I have nearly finished the course of medicine that was prescribed to me (nitrofurantoin). Does this mean i'm in the safety zone once i have taken the last tablet? Dont have sex until your cystitis has cleared up
Taking sodium citrate or potassium citrate in sachets or solutions may be helpful in easing some of the symptoms. These are available from your pharmacist over-the-counter (without a prescription) but pregnant women should ask the pharmacist for advice.
Over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen can be taken to reduce discomfort
It is not always possible to prevent cystitis, but here are some tips to try and avoid it:
* make sure youre clean before and after sex, but avoid using perfumed bubble bath, soap and talc around your genitals,
* always empty your bladder fully when you go to the toilet,
* dont wait to go if you need to urinate,
* wear cotton underwear and avoid tight jeans and trousers,
* wipe from front to back, not back to front,
* use a lubricant when having sex to avoid damaging the area, and
* after having sex, make sure you empty your bladder as soon as possible to get rid of any germs. no u can get it again....
observe good hygiene there
use condoms if u can
then...have ur bf treated too...some boys have infection and infection does not do them any bad...some dont even know that they have germs there Report It
a bladder infection or UTI is fairly common.
a special help I have found is to drink a glass of water before sex and then go to the bathroom afterwards.
AZO makes a pill form of cranberry juice.
AZO standard is a different formula which helps get rid of the burning or the constant urge to go.
You will find AZO in the same area as asprin at the store.
feel better Just keep drinking plenty of water and at the first sign of a twinge, push the cranberry juice, that will usually head it off. Go to the bathroom after sex always helps too. There are also cranberry pills in the vitamin section, you could take one of those a day too.
Had lots of uti's in my younger days, I finally learned. home | health information | health factsheets
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Cystitis
This factsheet is for people who believe they have cystitis or wish to have information on cystitis.
Cystitis is an infection of the bladder that is particularly common in women. Over two million women in the UK suffer from cystitis every year.1 Children and men can also get cystitis, but this is uncommon. A typical attack of cystitis can be painful, but usually clears up after a few days without causing long-term problems.2
Cystitis and your urinary system
Urine is produced by each of your two kidneys and drains into your bladder through the ureters (see diagram). The urine is stored in your bladder, which can expand to accommodate the increasing volume.
When you pass urine, the muscular wall of your bladder contracts, helping to squeeze urine out through a tube from your bladder called the urethra.
In most cases, cystitis only affects the bladder and is known as a lower urinary tract infection. If the infection goes higher, to the ureters or kidneys, this can be a more serious illness, and is known as an upper urinary tract infection.
This factsheet is about a lower urinary tract infection.
Illustration showing the urinary system
Illustration showing the urinary system
What causes cystitis?
Cystitis is caused by bacteria from the nearby skin that travel up the urethra and grow in your bladder, causing infection and inflammation.
Most infections are caused by bacteria that live harmlessly in your bowel. Escherichia coli is the most common culprit but, in some cases, bacteria that live on your skin (such as Staphylococcus epidermis) can also cause infection if they get into the urethra.3
Women get cystitis more than men partly because the urethra is shorter and opens nearer the anus. This makes it much easier for bacteria to get onto the nearby skin and then into the urethra.
If bacteria from nearby skin gets into the vaginal opening, it can cause cystitis if the bacteria move across to the urethra. This is more common in sexually active women.2
Cystitis is also more likely if you:
* push bacteria into the urethra when you insert tampons or have sexual intercourse2,4,5
* use a diaphragm and spermicide as a form of contraception as this lowers the acidity of the vagina, making it easier for bacteria to thrive2
* use products (such as soaps, bubble bath and vaginal deodorants) which also alter the acidity in the vagina
* "hold on" too long before urinating, as bacteria can multiply
* are going through the menopause, as this causes changes to the lining of your vagina and urethra making it more likely to become infected4,5
* have a urinary catheter or other bladder treatment2,5
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms can include any or all of the following:
* stinging or burning when passing urine2,4,5,6
* a strong urge to urinate, even when your bladder is empty2,6
* passing frequent small amounts of urine5
* dark, cloudy or smelly urine5,6
* blood in the urine2,5
* pain or tenderness in your lower back or lower abdomen4,5,6
* feeling generally unwell or having a fever4,5
These symptoms can also be due to other infections, including a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia.2 If you suspect that you may have an STI - for example, if you and your sexual partner have symptoms - you can get treatment by visiting your GP or a genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic. Your closest GUM clinic can be found in the phone book and it is confidential.
Home treatments
You can usually treat cystitis yourself by doing the following.
* Take a painkiller, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin, to reduce discomfort.5 Holding a covered hot water bottle over your abdomen may also help.
* Make the urine less acidic by drinking a glass of water with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda dissolved in it.6 Products from the pharmacist that contain sodium citrate (such as Cystemme) have the same effect. However, neither of these treatments is suitable if you have high blood pressure or heart trouble, so ask your pharmacist for advice.
* Don't have sex or drink alcohol while the attack lasts.
* Some doctors recommend that you drink lots of water to help flush out the infection, to dilute the urine and reduce the burning sensation. There is no evidence that this is helpful, although drinking at least two litres of fresh water per day is generally good for your health.5,6
* Drink cranberry juice or take capsules of cranberry concentrate. There is some scientific evidence that cranberry helps to prevent but not treat cystitis.4,6,7 However, it won't do you any harm to try it as treatment. But tell your GP if you plan to take cranberry supplements as they may interfere with other medications that you are taking.4,6,7
Should I see a doctor?
If you are generally in good health and are not pregnant or elderly, you can treat mild cystitis yourself. However you should get medical advice or see your GP if:
* your symptoms do not improve after a few days8
* you have blood in your urine
* you are or may be pregnant
* your symptoms are accompanied by a high temperature, nausea or vomiting
* you have pain in your lower back or severe abdominal pain
* the cystitis keeps coming back
* you have other problems with your urinary system such as kidney stones, difficulty emptying your bladder or diabetes3
Children and men who get cystitis should always see a doctor. Cystitis in men can be caused by problems including an enlarged prostate which will need to be checked. In children there is the possibility of an abnormality in the urinary system, which should also be checked.
Diagnosing cystitis
To diagnose cystitis, your doctor is likely to ask you for a sample of urine, which will be tested to identify any bacteria present. A quick test of the urine with a "dipstick" is commonly used, but otherwise the doctor may need to send a sample to a laboratory for analysis.6
Medical treatments
You may be prescribed an antibiotic, typically for three to five days.3,6 If your symptoms do not clear up, or the laboratory test shows you have an infection that is resistant to the antibiotic, you may be given a different type of antibiotic.3
You should always take the full course of antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria completely, even if the symptoms clear up before the prescribed course is finished.
If cystitis is left untreated, you could develop chronic cystitis. This means that the attacks last longer or recur. Women who get repeated attacks may need to take a low dose of antibiotics for 6-12 months.3
If antibiotics do not work at all, it is possible that you have a kind of cystitis called interstitial cystitis (IC). This is a chronic inflammation of the bladder wall that is not caused by infection and does not respond to antibiotics.9 Your GP will be able to give you more information.
Preventing cystitis
If you make some simple changes in your daily routine, it may help to prevent some attacks of cystitis.
* Drink at least one to two litres (three or four pints) of water every day.
* Pass urine as soon as you need to, rather than trying to "hang on".6
* Wipe from front to back after using the toilet.4
* Wipe your bottom cleanly after using the toilet to stop bacteria spreading to the urethra - consider using moist toilet paper.
* Make sure your bladder is completely emptied.
* Avoid perfumed soaps, vaginal deodorants, bubble baths, etc.
* Wear cotton underwear and avoid wearing tight trousers as this can create a warm, moist, airless condition around your genitals in which bacteria may thrive.4
* Consider drinking cranberry juice or taking capsules of cranberry concentrate. But tell your GP if you plan to take cranberry supplements as they may interfere with other medications that you are taking.4,6,7
To help prevent cystitis related to sex:
* Go and empty your bladder soon after sex.4,6
* Use a lubricant to reduce friction during sex.4
Further information
* The Cystitis and Overactive Bladder Foundation
01908 569169
www.cobfoundation.org
References
1. Women's health - talking taboos. Consumer Health Information Centre.
www.chic.org.uk
accessed 24 May 2005
2. Up To Date, version 13.1. Overview of acute cystitis, accessed 31 March 2005.
3. Saunders' Pocket Essentials of Clinical Medicine. Third edition: 325-327.
4. UK Department of Health, PRODIGY Guidance, Recurrent Cystitis in Women.
www.prodigy.nhs.uk
accessed 31 March 2005
5. NHS Direct Online Health Encyclopaedia, Cystitis.
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
accessed 31 March 2005
6. Oxford Handbook of General Practice, 2002: 552-553.
7. Cranberry for Prevention of UTIs, American Family Physician, December 2004.
8. UK Department of Health, PRODIGY Guidance, Cystitis in women.
www.prodigy.nhs.uk
accessed 31 March 2005
9. Up To Date, version 13.1. Interstitial cystitis, accessed 31 March 2005. You are taking some effective herbs in Echinacea and Goldenseal but make sure nothing conflicts or clashes with the medicine you are taking.
I would also advise you to look at adding coconut water and virgin coconut oil(VCO) to your diet. VCO is extremely healing for the gut, liver , kidneys and bladder. Check out the benefits and curative properties at :
Coconut Oil Research
http://www.coconutoil.com/
Curative Properties
http://www.laureece.com/health%20benefit...
http://www.coconutdiet.com/candida.htm
Good luck
-- wow! i'm surprised you got such a powerful antibiotic. unfortunately, there's not alot you can do to avoid getting such infections, it comes with having a short female urethra. You need a follow up test to see if the infection is cleared so no, technically you are not out of the woods, but you should be. otherwise you may need to repeat the course.
what you can do to minimise infection is drink lots of water, wipe front to back, practise basic hygiene and avoid certain drugs like doxycyline and perhaps dont over do it on probiotics |
