# Urinary Tract Infections and IBS-D or intermittant



## redjb7 (Sep 3, 2017)

I have had several utis in the last five months - almost one a month. I have had all of the tests, am on estrogen cream, and everything looks normal, but I continue to have ecoli infections. I have had ibs for many years but the last few years I have problems with incomplete evacuation and will go many times a day and not usually diarrhea - I think sometimes as many as 15. I try very hard to keep myself immaculate - baby wipes, sprayers, showers, cotton underwear, but the utis keep coming. Any ideas? My other issue is I am allergic to most antibiotics, so I have been going on augmentin, which is not one you want to use a lot. (I think it tends to exacerbate by ibs issues also). I recently started some cranberry pills, but I think I was getting diarrhea from that and the d.mantose that some people recommended. Any suggestions to control the frequent bowels?


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## Levi.Lys (Mar 8, 2019)

Hello, I know this post dates back to 2017 and maybe you've found a cure for your chronic uti's or have less, but I've been searching for people in the same case as ours to no avail.
So, I've been diagnosed by a generalist, not a gastro-enterologist, when I was around 8 or something. I was prescribed Duspatalin(also called Mebeverine here) and it worked quite well. But then around the age 16, when I had my first boyfriend, I started having uti's. (Have been prescribed Furadantine which contains Fluoroquinolone, it's a antibiotic specifically used against UTI's) 
Not that I haven't been properly advised by the doctor on basic hygiene, in order to not 'infect' our urinary tract with e.coli by not wiping from down to up, better yo have taken both a shower before sex (not always possible though x'P) , to go to pee right after intercourse, and drink a lot. Well, maybe I'm having a hard time following the last advice, of drinking a lot of water. I feel like my spirit animal might be a Lama xD...
Anyways,I'm from Belgium, but while I was on holiday for 2 weeks in the US in 2015, I've had an UTI and desperately needed an over-the-counter medication. Which I found at Walmart, it was pills that colored your urine red-brownish. I don't remember the name though. I think it was an antibiotic. 
Last year I started having really frequent UTI's, like every 2-3 weeks, it really had a significant impact in our sexual life with my current boyfriend, making him be angsty that I'd be having an UTI and be in pain for 3-5days after us having made-out...
I also started having pelvic pain during intercourse, and like some abnormal muscular contraction on the right part of my abdomen (which is opposite of where I'm in pain during an IBS flare-up)
All in all, I've went to an urologist which prescribed me Furadantine again, for a month then advised me to preventively take one pill right before going to sleep, after I've had intercourse... 
But I'm not pleased with the idea of taking antibiotics every time I've had sex... What about my gut microbiote ?
I also went to a nutritionist who told me that IBS and and chronic UTI's are strongly linked. Based on the fact that if we have a microbiote imbalance with too many E.Coli and not enough 'good' bacteria like Lactobacillus and such, it causes UTI's. And also because our perineum is so short compared to men. (the skin between our anus and vagina...) 
In conclusion, I'm still trying to find efficient probiotic supplements, I heard VSLR3 was really good. My nutritionist advised me to include small portions of lactofermented vegetables into my diet and start making my own fermented fruit/water Kefir. (ask on internet, facebook, for people giving out healthy Kefir grains)

I've seen some improvements since then, but as soon as I stop making and drinking the Kefir, (not enough time or motivation to prepare), I tend to have UTI's back...
Also, low FODMAP diet advised by my nutritionist didn't work out for me. It was more a pain than it did any good to me. If anything, it made me stress out whenever I had to think of what I Could eat and made me loose appetite or skip meal altogether, out of despair. In the end, I lost 2kgs after a month, so now I'm underweight...(I've always been slender, being from asian decent) 
Going to the gyms at the moment but I feel like my body is catabolyzing, which is breaking out my muscle chains/proteins instead of burning fat for energy, cause I don't have enough body fat left. After a bit of cardio training for warm-up, I tend to feel weak, nauseous, likr I'm going to pass out...

Anyway, sorry for the long-*ss post , I hope that you've found/you'll find some efficient cures, diet,... Anything that works out for you. If you have any advise on good probiotics that ships to Europe, I'm all ears ;D !

Cheers!


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## maryokon (Apr 12, 2019)

Yes, I am much older than you and have had a bladder prolapse surgery. I am also using an estrogen cream, Premarin, which is very pricey but seems to help if you use a pea size every night applied into the vagina. I regularly have to use Cystex tablets which can relieve some of the pain and keep the infection at bay until you get to the doctor for antibiotics. Cipro is the best, but has a bad rap, so they won't always give it to you. It is the cure for me at least until the next round which usually includes an IBS D episode resulting from a food preservative followed shortly after by a UtI. I have tried all sorts of things like cranberry juice, with no help. Sometimes the burning pain right in the middle of the bladder is excruciating. I, too, am a very clean person,using all of the known ways to keep the area clean, but the syndrome just keeps recurring despite my best and most diligent efforts.

Good luck on dealing with this maddening situation. You are not alone in this.


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