# Another Bladder Infection!



## Patty (Mar 18, 1999)

Another bladder infection! Before I could finish taking the Diflucan for yeast, here comes bladder!! I am so very tired of dealing with one infection after another! My greatest fear is that there's cancer somewhere in my body causing me to continously have these infections. What is one to do????


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## rumblytumbly (Dec 31, 2002)

I went through a period of time where I got tons of bladder infections and yeast infections (from the antibiotics for the bladder infections). I rarely get bladder infections anymore (although I FEEL like I have bladder infections every month before my period). To keep them away I drink cranberry juice (the kind with Splenda sweetener instead of sugar), take vitamin C, make sure I wash before and after sex and empty my bladder after also (to clean out any bacteria that may have made it's way up besure you always wipe from front to back, using clean paper each time. I also was taking one dose of an antibiotic after sex as a way to head them off (doctor perscribed for use that way) but I don't do that any more. It's probably too much info, but it might help and I really feel for what you are going through.


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## Patty (Mar 18, 1999)

rumbly,I truly thank you for replying ---- there can never be too much info, even though I know and do all the things you mentioned. Do you recall what antibiotic you took after sex? That's the only thing that I've not heard of before.


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## rumblytumbly (Dec 31, 2002)

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name of the antibiotic. Your doctor will know which ones can be prescribed for that purpose. I hope you can get this resolved soon.


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## Jan LEAP RD (May 19, 2002)

Hi Patty,Here's a bunch of info, hope some of it helps. Sorry some is repeat, and rambling, but didn't take more than a few minutes to 'clean it up.'







First, do you drink chlorinated (tap?) water. Some of my friends have found it to increase their bladder infections, and improve when they get a good filter to take the chlorine out.







I'll paste in a BUNCH of suggestions that got tossed around a listserv of all RDs (registered dietitians) that I belong to. Lots of good ideas here. Some yeast related, some bladder infection related.(see below)Also, I have a VERY hard time seeing how taking one day of antibiotics could help in the long run. Given the risk of antibiotic resistance, I can hardly believe a doc would recommend it, esp. with a history of yeast problems.Jan, Registered DietitianCould Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Candida Overgrowth be Related? http://ibscrohns.about.com/library/weekly/aa110900a.htm Subj: Re: allergy resourcesDate:	4/4/00 10:55:27 PM Mountain Daylight TimeMargaret: I was wondering where could people find such allergy information as it is "NEW" to me! I located this article while using google search..... DIANE B writes:..tested for Candida by a doctor..and was told... a moderate to severe case...and when I tried to get treated by another doctor I was told Candida did notexist.. basically did nothing .....found this list:.To rid the body of Candida...make your diet contains very little sugar, flour,yeast, vinegar, processed foods etc.."The Candida Connection" by William Crook, M.D.. I also found this....article from the book, Symptoms, Their Causes & Cures, by The Editors of Prevention MagazineHealth.... Defeating the Yeast Beast...."for women who suffer from recurrent yeast infections, these infections respond well to treatment. And there's plenty of prevention available, too. Cut down on sugar.Sugar feeds yeast, so cut back on high-sugar foods," advises Marjorie Crandall, Ph.D., a microbiologist, candida researcher, and founder of Yeast Consulting Services in Torrance, California. I also found this list.......www.gtlherb.com/html/yeast_infection.htmlMaintain a sugar and simple carbohydrate free diet for atleast three months during yeast treatment..It is importantto know that anti-fungus medicines alone will not stop theintestinal yeast infection. Candida yeast thrives on sugar,so it is impossible to completely eliminate it because assoon as the effect of the anti-fungus medicine is over, thesugar or carbohydrate you eat will probably bring it backagain. Therefore, you should avoid the following types offoods during treatment to successfully control the candidayeast:a) All kinds of milk such as cow's milk, goat's milk andsheep's milk.







All types of sugar including Cane sugar, beet sugar,maple sugar, date sugar, turbinado sugar, NutraSweet,honey, molasses, maple syrup, and other quick-actingcarbohydrates, including sucrose, fructose, maltose,lactose, glycogen, glucose, mannitol, sorbitol, galactose,monosaccharides and polysaccharides.c) Anything that has a high sugar content such as all typesof fruit, fruit juice, dried fruit, candy, ice-cream,peanut butter, honey, cookies, Jell-O, syrups, cakes,beets, cordials and all drinks except water and green tea.d) Fermented products such as wine, beer, soy sauce, sodabread, pumpernickel bread, cheese, yogurt, pickles andolives.e) Avoid tap water because the chlorine found in most tapwater is detrimental to the good bacteria living in yourintestine.f) Avoid the following types of food additives:i) Tartrazine ï¿½ also known as FD&C yellow dye #5, which isfrequently used in orange drinks, cake mixes, cheese-puffsnacks, and macaroni & cheese dinners. It can provokeasthma, hives, swelling and hay fever-like symptoms.ii) Salicylate and Amines ï¿½ these food additives causeallergy symptoms via nerve inflammation rather than by thetypical release of histamines. If you are allergic toSalicylate or amines, foods to avoid include: tomatoes,broccoli, olives, spinach, mushrooms, avocado, any driedfruit, smoked meats, oily and canned fish, sausages, hardcheeses, soy sauce, miso, chocolate, cocoa, beer, coladrinks, vinegar and yeast extracts.You should also avoid the following type of food items forat least one months, and then slowly add them back to yourdiet:a) Vinegar and anything that contains vinegar such asmayonnaise and most salad dressing.







All bread, especially white bread.c) Foods that have high content of starch such as corn andpotatoes.d) Tomato products such as ketchup, canned tomatoes, tomatojuice, tomato puree or paste. .....I CANNOT EVALUATE ON ANY OF THE ABOVE WEB INFORMATIONI FOUND, AS THIS IS ALL "NEW INFORMATION" TO ME.........GOOD LUCK!........................> allergy sites I have seen is> http://www.allergybuyersclub.com. > > Pamela> >> >Subj: yeast vs. yeastDate:	3/27/00 11:32:13 AM Mountain Standard TimeDear colleagues,After a non-subscriber asked me a question about a yeast allergy I waspuzzled by the difference between yeast used in foods and yeast found inthe body as in yeast infections. Please read on.To my knowledge when someone has a yeast allergy, they are reacting to aprotein or a part of a protein molecule found in the yeast that triggersan immune response similar to what other food allergies do. The yeastfound in food is called Saccharomyces cerevisae (baker's and brewer'syeast). In this case the dietary treatment would be similar to howother food allergies are treated: avoidance of causative agent or avoidfoods made with yeast (S. cerevisae).If my bacteriology degree serves me right, yeast infections such asCandidiasis is caused by a yeast like organism called Candida albicans.This is a totally different microorganism than S. cerevisae. Candidaalbicans is normally found in our bodies and a yeast infection (whethervagina, oral or systemic) is actually caused by an overgrowth of thisorganism due to diminished bacterial flora which keep Candida inbalance, stress and other reasons. It is my understanding that Candidaseems to use glucose as its primary carbon source and thus it makes abit of sense to cut down on highly sugared foods as a dietaryintervention.However, it makes no sense to me as to why individuals suffering fromCandida should avoid foods prepared with yeast or S. cerevisae. Theseare not the same organisms.Am I missing something here?--------------------<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has a position paperdealing with Candida hypersensitivity. It can be read from their website at http://www.aaaai.org/professional/physicia...tml#Candidiasis Subj: Candidiasis SummaryDate:	1/25/99 7:13:36 AM Mountain Standard TimeI am speakig from personal experience and research I've done on canidiasis Ihad for a year, chronically after being on antibiotics 8x/the year before.Iswitched to soy milk and limited concentrated sweets, and moved to a morewhole food diet, although I am far from perfect. I took and continue totakeastragulus daily, to boost my immune system. I douched with tea tree oilandand used garlic cloves wrapped in gauge internally. I found Monistat andsimilar products were of no help. I had considered diflucan suppressiontherapy, but was told by my physician it was no gaurantee. After a year ofvarious treatments I am almost totally free of candida. I also make sure Ican do anything I can to avoid antibiotics. I take acidilphillus daily.Books I'd recommned: Chronic Candidiasis The Yeast Syndrome by Michael T.Murray $11.00, ISBN # 0-7615-0821 X try to order through Prima on internet(www.primahealth.com)Also The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Michael Murray ISBN #1-55958-091-7I like Michael Murray's books because he backs his recommendations withresearch and makes the references to the research available to you. He is anaturopath.Another book I have not read, but is promoted in one of his books is:Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook by Jeane Martin ISBN# 0-7615-0167-3Personally I found traditional medicine was unable to help me, And I wenttoa renowned specialist in Philadelphia. I had more success with avoidingantibiotics and alternative approaches, although they did not work overnightfor me.Section 2No website, but a long time (30 yrs) airline attendant cousin of mine swearsthat chronic yeast infections come from females sharing bathtubs, and evenmotel bathtubs. Seems the routine cleaning does a poor job of eradicatingthelittle fungal buggers. . .She stated that it was well known in airline circles that lying a bathtowelonthe bottom of the tub before bathing seems to help. . . or just takeshowers.You know, I did have a lot more problems with them in college, and for 2yrs,shared a bathroom (with NO shower) with 3 other women. . .Maybe part of the problem is chronic re-infection. . .And, Dayle's beer connection to bladder infections seems to hold true here,too. . . likely due to the yeast in the beer, even if bottling is supposedtokill it.Section 3I take bifidophilus daily (this is supposedly a more concentrated form ofacidophilus). I have also found that avoiding aged cheeses and winehelps --again because of the yeast content I assume.I purchased my first bottle of bifidophilus from an herbalist, but have nowfound that there is a kiosk in our local mall that sells it. The brand isNature's Sunshine and the bottle is called Bifidophilus Flora Force. Thereare 3.5 billion total microorganisms per capsule; I take 2 capsules in themorning with my breakfast and 2 in the evening with supper.Section 4I'd like to add anectdotal to the list for Candidiasis:I had chronic yeast infections for years. GYN had no idea why. One day,listening to a medical show on radio, the MD asked the pt if she did a lotofbaking--she was, in fact a baker.At the time I was suffering, my boyfriend & I owned 4 donut shops & he wasthe baker. When we sold the shops, my chronic condition disappeared, I've hadNO infections in 9 years (still the same boyfriend). You're probably thinking, "How does one goes from selling "junk food" tobecoming a Dietitian?" After we sold the shops, We had the $ to do what I really wanted to do.AND BLADDER INFECTION POSTS:I don't have all the data and references in front of me, but the acid theory fell apart some time ago. Instead, "condensed tannins" (proanthocyanidins) in cranberry juice makethe bladder wall act like Teflon --- the bacteria don't stick to the bladder, so the E. coli slide on out. Avorn from Harvard did a clinical trial and published it in JAMA 271(10):751-4, 1994.Amy Howell et al. from Rutgers wrote a letter to NEJM (Oct 6, 1998)explaining the condensed tannins connection more recently.Interestingly, the Teflon (anti-adhesion) properties of cranberries arealso being studied by dental researchers(e.g., Dr. Olfak (sp?) from Israel (?)).Data are emerging that cranberry juice is helpful by preventing dentalplaque formation. Personally, I'm intrigued by this revelation.If there are Teflon foods, might there also be "Velcro" foods that encourage bacterial adhesion?Subj: Bladder Infections: SummaryDate:	1/23/99 7:42:04 PM Mountain Standard TimeDear Colleagues:Thank you all for the many educated and insightful responses regardingbladder infections. I'll keep you informed on how things turn out. Here is a summary of the responses that I received concerning bladder infections:Bladder Infections1. This is not diet related but someone I know was instructed to emptyher bladder twice each times she goes to the bathroom. Apparently, she didnot completely empty the bladder and the second time did it. As far asI know it, it worked for her.Also I don't know if she is married or not. But there is a relationshipto urinating after having sex can reduce frequency of infection. Ithink I read that in a book by the prevention magazine.Also calculate the amount of fluid she needs, everyone thinks they drinkenough.2. I never had bladder infections but had a friend who had frequent...adviceused to also include urinating after sexual intercourse and thoroughwashing of the vaginal area....I do not know if this is discussednowadays...Jane3. I've been having a bit of a problem in the past couple of years withUTI's. My current plan is to really make more of an effort to drink morewater. From what I've been reading, that's probably the most important thing totry. My last one was 2 months ago, so it's too soon to make any conclusions.It was once thought that cranberryï¿½s ability to help prevent UTI was dueto increasing the acidity of urine. However clinical studies showed thatdrinking cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail did not increaseacidity of urine. We now know that cranberry has the ability to decreaseadhesion of bacteria to the walls of the bladder. Part of this action is due to thefructose contained in the berry, yet the other compounds may beresponsible.To help prevent UTI one would require 1.5 ounces of fresh berries perday or 1fluid ounce of pure cranberry juice. Most people find mixing the purejuicewith another sweet juice is necessary, as cranberries are very tart. Ifafruit-juice cocktail is used one must take 3 times the amountï¿½thereforethedosage is 3 fluid ounces of 90 ml of a cranberry juice cocktail.A common dosage for a supplement in pill form is 400 mg taken twice aday.Proteolytic enzymes, primarily bromelain, may alleviate symptoms ofurinarytract infection. One double-blind study reported that reduction ofsymptomswas excellent in 22% and good in 78% of the subjects. Therefore arecommendation to eat fresh pineapple may be therapeutic.Eat blueberries. Blueberries contain many of the same compounds ascranberries.Drink plenty of fluidsUrinate after sexual intercourseWipe front to back. Eighty percent of UTI infections are from the germsthat live in our intestinal tract.Have overall good nutrition. People in better shape overall are moreresistant to infection. Echinacea and vitamin E both have been shown toboost the immune system. Your client may want to take a goodmultivitamin, and get into a stress reduction program.References:Avorn J, Monane M, Gurwitz JH, et al. Reduction of bacteriuria andpyuriaafter ingestion of cranberry juice. JAMA 1994;271:751-4.Mori S, Ojima Y, Hirose T, et al. The clinical effect of proteolyticenzymecontaining bromelain and trypsin on urinary tract infection evaluated bydouble blind method. Acta Obstet Gynaec Jap 1972;19:147-53.Sobota AE. Inhibition of bacterial adherence by cranberry juiceotential usefor the treatment of urinary tract infections. J Urol 1984; 131:1013-6.Zafiri D, Ofek I, et al. Inhibitory activity of cranberry juice onadherenceof type 1 and type P fimbriated Esherichia coli to eucaryotic cells.Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1989; 33:92-8.6. Colleagues:I want to add a personal endorsement to Carol's excellent advice. Afterdecades of frequent UTIs in my teens and twenties, I completely eliminatedthem by following a regimen very similar to hers. [A day without cranberryjuice is like a day without sunshine ...







...... ]However, on a totally anecdotal note, I did one additional thing: Icompletely eliminated beer from my life (I'm still fond of a nightly glass of winehowever). I was not a heavy beer drinker ~ but would occasionally haveone in the context of the usual college and graduate school life.Every time I drank even one beer, I would get a UTI. I talked this factover with several MDs including urologists ~ who all pooh-poohed anyconnection. However I decided that drinking beer was not worth the result ~ so Iabstain and am UTI-free (only 1 or 2 in the past 20 years).SOOOOOO, my questions: Has anyone ever read/heard/experienced anythinglike this? Is there any documented connection between beer and UTI? [Thisis mostly a question of curiosity. I have pretty much lost my taste forbeer ~and probably won't tempt fate by trying it again.]I would also suspect possible Interstitial Cystitis. Is her doc familiar withthis? Or has she seen a doc that is familiar with it? Feels like bladderinfection, but worse. (There is dietary advice that helps here, and oneis that cranberry juice makes it worse.)Foods to combat common bladder infection:Cranberries or cranberry juice.Blueberries. (same component)Acidophilous or primadophylis(sp?) (yogurt or pills)Fresh parsley or parsley tea. (2 T. parsley in 1-2 c. water. Don't exceed 2c./day or may cause loose stools. And it's good she cut the caffeine.8. Try cranberry juice for "simple" urinary tract infections.Article published a few years back in JAMA.9. There is documentation in the literature of efficacy of cranberryjuice--I can't give you the specific reference--but it helps keep bacteria fromadhering to the walls of the bladder and the ureters-- Always worth a try.10. I have heard ( and personally found) that cranberry juice worksvery well in helping to keep bladder infections/ UTI's under control. Also, ask herif she goes to the bathroom after having sex (if she is sexually active) Thatalso helps. Lots of water too.11. I have been working with patients with a bladder disorder calledinterstitialcystitis. Many of these people have what seems to be recurring bladderinfections for years and have been from one doctor to another beforethey havebeen diagnosed. It is an inflammation of the bladder wall, that does notappear to come from bacteria. Try the web site of the interstitial cystitis association (ICA).12. Does your client suffer from latex sensitivity? If she is sexually activeand uses either latex condoms or a latex diaphragm that could be a potentialcause of bladder infections! I know from experience!13. Tell her to go straight to a highly recommended (very important)urologist. It took me five tries to different urologists. I sufferedfor many years from UTI's. Finally, my current urologist performed a simple testto see if my bladder was emptying. Well it wasn't emptying all the way-leaving as he says- a cesspool of bacteria to continue to reinfect my bladder.I also had a renal sono and IVP for follow-up just in case. This entirecondition was caused by years and years of holding my urine all day, forgetting tostop what I was doing and relieve myself! Stupid me! Now, I am takingmacrodantin, 50 mg. as a prophylactic and 2 mg. of cardura (yes, a blood pressuremed-I do not have HTN)- however, the cardura keeps the neck of the bladder opento empty it fully! I have been infection free for a long time now! Allthe cranberry juice in the world won't help! Please contact me if you needany further info.14. I recently had a client who was referred to me for this reason.About 20minutes into our appointment she revealed that she has been bulimic for6years (I was the first person she revealed this to). It answered a lotofour questions about her bladder infections. Just a though.15. You might want to check out James Duke's Green Pharmacy book.Interesting.....Margaret16. The best way to prevent bladder infections is to drink lots ofwater--asmuch as possible. some persons get help with cranberry juice anddilutingit with water would be helpful to cut calories if needed. Emptying thebladder after intercourse is also helpful.17. Annette...just to review some very simple things that are sometimeoverlooked because we look too deeply for another medical cause or wantanother supplement to cure..have you looked at..1. what is the patient's hygiene when urinating, does she wipe front toback...the other way spreads bacteria..2. does she urinate immediately after intercourse...this helps to cleanthe area of extra bacteria...this is something that one has to beconscious of or we forget to do it.3. of course pushing fluids is extremely important...she might want torecord fluid intake for a couple of days...to verify that she isactually increasing fluid (water) consumption, doing records will helpto reinforce the behavior4..Not but last least...what does her total diet look like and what isthe stress in her life...you know inadequate Vit C, compromised nutrientintake as well as stress can compromise the immune system..to ward offinfections..These also come from the voice of experience...I have had recurringbladder infections in the past...this is the regimen I follow to avoidthem...as they are very painful...I am just getting around to my listserv messages and have one more comment onthe UTI prevention thread. Years ago, a female trainer from the gym I go tocommented that women who wear spandex shorts or leggings while working outoften complained about recurrent UTIs. I asked my PA about this, herexplanation was that wearing damp, restrictive clothing provided the perfectenvironment for bacterial growth. She therefore recommended removing spandexand any other damp clothing ASAP after a workout in efforts to reduce chancesof UTIs. Makes perfect sense to me


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## Patty (Mar 18, 1999)

Thank you Jan! That really is a ton of info!!!I do go from yeast to bladder to bacterial!! I'm desperate. Thanks again; it's good to know you're around.


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