well I know alot about this subject. when I was 18 I kept getting urinary tract infections. My reason is serious though Im heading fast for dialysis & kidney transplant. Not that you are this is one of the problems with my kidneys anyway I was told cranberry juice does nothing .a urologist told me that. No bubble baths watch your perfumes,soaps, also was told to wear cotton crotch undies the others cant breath. its helped making these changes BUT you do need to get antibiotics.they will send you to get urine test which all that is is peeing in a cup. because it will get worse and keep reoccuring.Thats not good it damages the kidneys.Hope this helps.

Linda,

I would suggest that you first get tested thoroughly and cleared by a urologist before trying to treat this yourself. You'll have more peace of mind about the whole thing. If there is no serious underlying cause for the problem then you can explore other options. I've been plagued with this problem since I first got married and started having intercourse. From what I understand, sometimes agressive foreplay or intercourse can cause this to happen also. I would recommend some of the same things as bulldinkie...no bubble baths, wear cotton underwear, wipe from front to back, drink LOTS of water(8(8oz) cups a day,and get up and urinate right after intercourse(within 10 minutes or so). These are all suggestions my doctor gave me. In October I had a UTI and I went on antibiotic. Later I went to a new doctor(we moved to another state) and was talking to him about the problem and discussed a supplement to use in lieu of antibiotic. He recommended Arbu-Tone. I have a bottle in case I need it but to date I have not had occasion to use it. I also keep AZO Standard on hand(an over the counter product found in the US)which alleviates the pain and burning until I can get in to the doctor or whatever. Otherwise, I just want to set on the toilet every few minutes and cry out in pain. Please note: these are only suggestions, I am not trying to treat anyone. I hope this info helps. Good luck!

Dear Aunt Bea
I've been fully tested - nothing serious - and I follow all those suggestions - always have - cotton undies, no bubble baths, no soap in genital area, drink lots of water, wipe front to back, urinate after sex etc etc. In fact that's what I said to my Dr - I'm nearly 50 and I'm not doing anything differently so it must be some other factor, perhaps hormonal, causing the infections. I've seen several articles on the net which suggest that menopausal women are more prone to UTI's but they don't say why or what can prevent.
Linda

You may need estrogen cream as well. Estrace/Estradiol cream or Estriol Cream can be inserted. Also---estring or Vagifem. When you being to thin and dry in the vaginal area you pH changes leading to more infections/bacteria. The bacteria then make their way to the bladder and since the bladder lining is thinning and drying, the bacteria can take a good foot hold.

New suggestions are that you drink blueberry juice instead of cranberry juice. The acid level is much less in blueberry juice so it doesn't irritate.

If I drink tea it will give me a UTI but if it's decaf it's ok. I can drink pop till I float, but tea will get me everytime

Everyone's suggestions above, and not only stay away from tea but also coffee and anything with caffeine.

I wondered about the caffeine. I, too, am developing frequent UTI's in the last 2 months. I've had three and I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow to talk about it.

These UTI's correspond perfectly with a sudden onset of menopausal symptoms including vaginal dryness, insomnia and nightsweats, hot flashes, dry eyes, mood changes, achey joints, etc.

I just got done with a 14 day course of Cipro and then it's back again after 1 week.

I, also, follow the "rules" wipe front to back, wear cotton crotch panties, drink lots of water, urinate after intercourse, but I still am getting them. I can say for sure that the vaginal dryness with intercourse certainly is a major cause. I'm beginning to feel like pretty soon I won't be able to have intercourse unless I can get this cleared up. That will make both of us very unhappy. Anyway, I'll see the doctor tomorrow and see what she says.

Ruby

Saw the doctor and I really don't have another infection; just irritation of the urethra. He gave me some Pyridium for when I get the burning and urgency and a script of Macrobid to take empirically.
It was, also, recommended that I try Azo Standard by a friend. Is anyone familiar with this?
Ruby

Try taking vitamin E with all the suggestions above. As we age the vaginal walls thin. I started taking it as soon as I stopped all the premarin. Have not had one since. Besides vitamin E is supposed to be very good for your skin, and your sexual health. Hope this helps you. It has so far for me. I am not regularly taking anything else now.

Ruby, I'd lay off the cipro. My cousin was on it in the Gulf War, and he and a lot of other service people now have immune system problems. My doctor gave it to me before a trip to Mexico to 'head off problems', and I never took it. It's in the freezer in case we have a germ warfare problem. I wouldn't mess with that bad boy over a urinary tract infection.

I have it all the time. Never had it until I turned 56. I do all the above mentioned things plus I shower instead of taking a bath which I read you should do. I use Azo Standard to end the symptoms until the Macrobid kicks in. I have to take 1 Macrobid each time after sex.

the thing about the cipro...they gave it to me when i had a difficult kidney stone - the darn thing really liked me and didn't want to leave. they gave me cipro because it was a heavy duty antibotic and it would kill everything. it did get rid of a persisant infection that accompanied the kidney stone. although nasty - it did do the job...

ann