You probably aren't going to get over this w/o some anti-biotics. I'm being treated for a UTI now--have my last pills tomorrow. There is an OTC product called AZO-Standard that my PA recommended. I take the cranberry gel tabs every day but had quit b/c I was going to have a colonoscopy and they don't want anything red in your system, and then I forgot to take them and whammo!

Good luck. I've had them so bad I couldn't stand up straight. Considering it's a Friday, you might want to get on this before your doc leaves for the week end.

Usually a half gallon of cranberry juice (not diluted cran-apple or cherry) takes care of it. I don't drink water, just the cranberry juice.

I think you will need the full course of antibiotics. Also, re the cranberry juice, if there is any chance that you are acidic (I am and get acid-based kidney stones) cranberry juice will only make the UTI worse. I know this from experience. If you are not acidic, then yes - unsweetened cranberry juice - and lots of water - plus the antibiotics.

I had to research the UTI. I'm sorry but I read a medical report that cranberries do no good. It is a myth that keeps on and on. You really need to see a urologist.

Well, the cranberry juice, water and Vit. C worked for me and I had blood in my urine. Now, I take the cranberry caps daily and have been okay.

Cranberry juice works well for me, too - maybe water would do just as much for a UTI, but c.j. tastes SO GOOD!

I've had many. Unless it's a recurring problem, you don't need to see a urologist. Your regular doctor will do. He/she will prescribe the necessary drug to clear it up. One thing is for sure, it won't get better on over-the-counter drugs and the sooner you see a doctor, the better. The longer you wait the longer you will suffer discomfort and the more difficult it will be to clear up.

Thanks for your tips. It's better today than yesterday so I'll just continue with the fluids for now. My doctor and my daughter & husband are best friends, so I'll just email him if it gets worse, and he can call in an RX.

I am an expert on this having had them forever~~~usually you can never get rid of them yourself and yes a GP can take care of this. You have to drink 100% pure cranberry juice it taste yuk I dilute it with water, usually the cranberry juices in the stores are mixed with other fruit jucies.

My last round of a UTI I went to the web and found D-Mannose powder 100% pure at health food stores. I took it twice a day with cranberry pills and finally got rid of an infection that my GP said I did not have hmmm why did it hurt like one doc???

I take 2 cranberry pills every day and have the powder stuff on hand and take as needed. A UTI will make me go up the walls!I am quite happy that i found this D-Mannose stuff I swear by it!!!

My mother had a bladder infection or UTI and didn't get to the doctor right away and ended up in the hospital with a kidney infection that nearly killed her when it turned into blood poisoning. I would NOT mess around with this, I would get to doctor ASAP and please don't try to treat this yourself, it's an infection and it needs medical attention.

I did not know about the cranberry pills. Something to look into as I am not real fond of cranberry juice. Daughter has had problems with UTI all her adult life, and she drinks cranberry juice and lots of water all the time preventively. I rarely get them and never have needed an RX before. ..Thanks for your email, Sylvia.

I give it 2 days max, if it is not better I call the doctor. Go to the store, get the cranberry juice and start it as soon as you can. Good luck!

If the cranberry juice helps I think it is because it is liquid.

I had UTI's for years, generally 1 or 2 a year. Started eating a handful of orange flavored dried cranberries with my oatmeal every morning, and realized after over a year that I hadn't had an infection. Then Ocean Spray discontinued the orange flavored ones, I stopped eating cranberries, and had another infection. Found an online place to order some, it cleared up. I realize this could be coincidental, but so far, it works for me. I wonder if the orange flavored ones are more acid than the other flavors.

The I in UTI stands for INFECTION. So I get my butt to the doctor and get proper medical treatment.

You can aid in preventing them with plenty of liquids and cranberry juice is healthy for the urinary tract but if you have a UTI only antibiotics are going to cure it.

Treat long enough at home and convince yourself it's OK and you may end up with a kidney infection.

The infections associated with UTIs can hide without outward symptoms which is why a good doctor will request retesting after a round of meds to make sure it's really gone.

I second Lunchlady re. d-mannose. Amazingly effective, and no side effects.

found this information....

How Cranberry Juice Works
Cranberries contain tannins, called proanthocyanidins, which prevent bacteria from sticking to the lining of the bladder and urethra. "Chemical and Engineering News" describes a study by Terri Camesano, Ph.D., associate professor of chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechic Institute. She used probes to test bacteria in urine from people who drank cranberry juice cocktail, as well as from people who drank only water. After exposure to cranberry juice, the bacteria could no longer stick to the probe, while there was no effect on the bacteria with urine from people who drank just water.

Warning
If UTI symptoms do not improve with treatment, call your physician. The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that bladder infections can spread to the kidneys and into the bloodstream, causing a severe, even life-threatening infection and/or permanent damage to the kidneys.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/109023-cranberry-juice-reduce-urinary-tract/#ixzz15mN4bNGd

I had one which turned into a kidney infection and almost ended up in the hospital. I take cranberry pills, but still have anything checked out to be on the safe side. Not worth while taking a chance.

I have used the AZO pills also, and cranberry pills and cranberry juice and have been able to get it cleared up myself if I start the stuff immediately. Last time I had one, it got so bad it hurt to walk, sit. Then it really got bad, and I had flu like symptoms. My knees hurt so bad I couldn't walk up and down steps. Finally went to dr. and got 10 days of antibiotics. 2 days into meds my knees and joints felt better. SIL who is a nurse said it can really throw off all your enzymes, electrolytes, potassium levels, which caused the painful joints, etc. Maybe if it doesn't get better in a day or two call your dr.? Hope you feel better, it's no fun.

Katlan

The cranberry juice and cranberry pills are good for PREVENTING the infection. Once you have it you need to see a doctor and get a prescription. Then you can take cranberry pills to prevent another one from occurring. My doctor's nurse said that she was told by a doctor that eating yogurt once a day is also a good preventative. In your case, it's too late for that action. You need a cure!

I wouldn't mess around with a UTI--in some patients (usually older ones) they can even cause temporary dementia. And Cranberry juice? DON'T DRINK IT AT ALL if you're prone to kidney stones. Unfortunately, after this past, record-breaking summer, a lot of people who have never had kidney stones before have developed them (heat and dehydration contribute). According to my urologist, the stone center where I had mine blasted, and the gal at the radiology center, they're seeing record numbers of stones now. So you may want to go easy on the cranberry juice even if you haven't had kidney stones in the past. Trust me on this--they are NOTHING you want to experience or make worse.

See a dr,everytime you have a uti it backs up into kidneys,it damages the kidneys.I guarantee you do not want to end up on dioalysis...

I am learning a lot about UTI's. I have had no pain, just need to pee a lot..Probably because I'm drinking so much. I know how quickly it can get serious because i had a daughter who at 17 had one and never told me because I wouldn't have let her go out with her BF. She got a very serious one, had to rush her to the hospital ER (first I even knew she had one) and found out she has a birth defect..a ureterocele.

I don't mess around ~ I go to the doctor for antibiotics immediately! With diabetes it could turn bad very quickly.

I had to have my right kidney removed 3 years ago. When I was 66 I started getting many UTIs, bladder,kidney infections. Twice I passed out and fell and broke my left wrist and them 6 months later passed out and broke my right wrist! The last time I had fever, dizziness, confusion and diarrhea. I awoke about4 am and knew I was going to have diarrhea but I couldn't even stand up straight. I passed out and fell breaking my wrist. I woke up wondering why my my face was on the carpet and knew my wrist was broken when I couldn't push myself up. My left wrist was still too weak and painful to push myself up either.

And the diarrhea was starting. I'm praying, help me Lord, to get up! After a long time I struggled to my knees and got to the bedroom door. Hallelujah! Here comes my DH to go to the bathroom. (he has his own room because he goes to work at 2 am) and I ask him to help me up, my wrist is broken and I have diarrhea. He pulls me up and puts me in the bathroom and shuts the door!

He goes downstairs to the bathroom and back to bed. He hadn't even realized what I was saying. I'm a mess, I can't clean up, I'm exhausted so I finally get the door open and just go back to my bed and laid my arm gently down and fall asleep.

A couple of hours later my DD comes in after seeing the mess on the rug and toilet and says, "What happened?!' Why didn't you wake me? Why didn't Dad wake me?" All I could say was I broke my wrist and I was too tired go do anything but lie down.

She had to get me in the shower and clean me and the bathroom up and take me to the ER. She asked my DH why he hadn't woken her. He was just What? What happened?

Another surgery with another plate and screws. Then they started sending me to specialists and doing tests and scans and find out that my ureter (between the kidney and bladder) is UNDER my aorta instead of on top. It is being crushed and calcified and my right kidney is enlarged and has ruffles all around the edges.

I have had diabetes since I was 12 so It's not like I didn't go to the doctor ALL the time and have all kinds of tests. But who knew I had a birth defect like that?! And no one found it until I was 66 years old.

So I say don't mess around with any kind of infection. Get on antibiotics right away. Infections can spread to other parts of you body, you can get sepsis, loose body parts and who know what all can happen. The worse the infection is the longer you'll have to be on antibiotics which is not good because then you develop and immunity o the antibiotics.

Sorry this is long. LOL It wasn't fun when it happened.

Hope by now you have contacted the Dr. As
others have said -- UTI's can turn into Kidney
infections very easily.

And AZO doesn't kill the infection, it just calms
some of the symptoms so you can deal before the
antibiotics kick in. Beats me why someone would
want to deal with the grief of a UTI, just to avoid
calling the Dr. You have received good advice here.

Good message, Dorothy.