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OT - Ladies AZO cranberry...it NEVER ends

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/8/2016 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
Whammy Whammy Whammy.

Was almost in remission. Got BV. The abx kicked my flare up again and gave me c diff. Now just got word my uti culture came back positive. I have no symptoms but wanted to get checked for everything especially to make sure the BV was gone. Which it is thank goodness.

OB said the vancomycin should kick the uti but I'm worried it won't. My last day on vanco is the 15th. I get recultured on the 18th and my next remi infusion is the 20th. The last thing I want is for the uti to still be there and then have to take another abx. And rock the boat all over again.

Macrobid started my flare in July when I had my first uti :(

I got the AZO cranberry. Has anyone used this before? My goal is to help flush my system. Does this affect UC at all? Or should I just drink cranberry juice?

HELP ME PLEASE. The only positive is that I had a colonoscopy yesterday and my GI said my colon look untouched by disease except for the 5 inches at my sigmoid/rectum that we have been fighting for 6 months. There is actually a line...very visible line of where the enemas stop reaching...too ironic.
Posted 1/8/2016 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
I have not tried, I have been lucky with UTIs I suppose, not so much with BV or Yeast. I told you, boric acid for the yeast/bv next time, avoid the antibiotics if you can. I tried the AZO candida yeast tablets and didn't have much luck with them. I really never had luck with any OTC tablets, boric acid is OTC and works... I can't see it being bad to do both a tablet and cranberry juice, just be careful because most of those cranberry cocktail drinks are all sugar. It seems like the remicade is making you more vulnerable to this stuff if they keep recurring :( Is your blood work normal? Perhaps try using the boric acid supps during the antibiotics a few times to prevent anything?
Posted 1/8/2016 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
Yup I have the boric acid. OB was very on board for using them instead of antibiotics. I will do them a few nights after I ovulate as thats the time its seems to change things down there. My stomach is still settling from the c scope and prep and then I plan I starting the boric acid. I also am on VSL DS and Florastor bc of the vanco.

I'm on prednisone for a few weeks starting at 40 mg and working down with my remicade dose in the middle.

My blood work is actually perfect.

BTW NSSG you are awesome. I really appreciate all your input and help. I wish you lived near me and we could hang ;)

Edit - the cranberry juice I have is organic all natural no sugar added.
Posted 1/8/2016 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
I started the cranberry supplements and it doesn't seem to affect my UC.
Posted 1/9/2016 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
I used them in the past, but pre-UC. It was after I got a uti and was petrified I would get another one. I can't say if they worked or not. So sorry to hear of your never ending cycle of bad stuff. Hope those pesky 5 inches heal soon along with everything else.
Posted 1/9/2016 4:07 AM (GMT 0)

TotesMagotes said...
Yup I have the boric acid. OB was very on board for using them instead of antibiotics. I will do them a few nights after I ovulate as thats the time its seems to change things down there. My stomach is still settling from the c scope and prep and then I plan I starting the boric acid. I also am on VSL DS and Florastor bc of the vanco.

I'm on prednisone for a few weeks starting at 40 mg and working down with my remicade dose in the middle.

My blood work is actually perfect.

BTW NSSG you are awesome. I really appreciate all your input and help. I wish you lived near me and we could hang ;)

Edit - the cranberry juice I have is organic all natural no sugar added.

haha, I would love that. It's nice to know I am not the only person with these problems. My mom's never had a yeast infection or BV in her life and she's nearly 70 so she tends to rub that in my face...
Posted 1/9/2016 1:11 PM (GMT 0)
I've used D-mannose for uti...worked like a charm. I ordered it online, just be sure to get a good sourced one. You can get pill or powder.

(An antibiotic for a uti is what started my last flare...so I was determined to find another way!)
Posted 1/10/2016 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
@mom - how are you doing? Looks like you're off the prednisone? So happy for you!

@calm - I researched and got the d-mannose yesterday. Here's to hoping! How long did you take it for?

@nssg - if it makes you feel any better my mom doesn't believe in medicine (religious reasons). So this whole disease and everything that comes along with it blows her mind lol.
Posted 1/10/2016 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
cranberries have loads of natural sugar but they seem to help some with UTIs the sugar can cause yeast infections
but the prednisone raises your blood sugar anyways and that can cause yeast infections too

sometimes drinking tons of water helps with the pain as it flushes everything that was in your bladder out
but it wont cure the UTI
it can also make you nauseous
good luck
Posted 1/11/2016 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Totes,
Unless you are pregnant or will be undergoing a urological procedure, being asymptomatic with a positive urine culture (asymptomatic bacturia) does not require treatment. There is no need for you to take antibiotics unless you meet the previous two conditions. If you were taking oral vancomycin, it will not get rid of the bacteria that is in your urine because it is not absorbed through the GI tract at all (Roughly zero percent to be more specific), which is why it is a good choice to treat C. Diff infection. Even if it was absorbed or you are on an IV form, vancomycin only treats gram (+) bacteria. Most (>95%) UTIs are gram (-) bacteria (E. Coli, Proteus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, etc...), so it would be a TERRIBLE choice of antibiotic.

Source: Will get my MD degree in 4 months.

Take Care,
Josh
Posted 1/11/2016 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks so much josh! Yeah my GI said vanco doesn't get into the urine but I'm staying on it to kill off mild c diff. My ob/gyn said it may help hence the reculture. I started d mannose a couple days ago in hopes that it will flush out whatever is there. Ob/gyn said its a mild uti E. coli being the bacteria.

I'm also drinking natural cranberry juice. I'm just praying it's gone by next Monday. Macrobid for a uti back in July started this flare.

Any input is appreciated on how to handle naturally. Unfortunately I never really present symptoms for uti. Just irritation I guess triggers me to get tested. And frequent peeing but I drink so much water peeing a lot is a norm for me.
Posted 1/11/2016 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
@ totes, I has been two weeks since my last dose of pred and so far so good. (knock on wood) My colon still makes a bit more noise than I would like, but no blood or mucus and I am holding at a frequency of 1-2 times a day. Fingers crossed things stay this way.
I am so sorry you are dealing with this never ending stream of issues. Hopefully things will calm down soon. Hang in there!
Posted 1/11/2016 7:57 PM (GMT 0)

TotesMagotes said...
Thanks so much josh! Yeah my GI said vanco doesn't get into the urine but I'm staying on it to kill off mild c diff. My ob/gyn said it may help hence the reculture. I started d mannose a couple days ago in hopes that it will flush out whatever is there. Ob/gyn said its a mild uti E. coli being the bacteria.

I'm also drinking natural cranberry juice. I'm just praying it's gone by next Monday. Macrobid for a uti back in July started this flare.

Any input is appreciated on how to handle naturally. Unfortunately I never really present symptoms for uti. Just irritation I guess triggers me to get tested. And frequent peeing but I drink so much water peeing a lot is a norm for me.

Hi Totes,
Unfortunately I do not have much knowledge on natural treatments. I have seen some promising studies with d-mannose however. Regardless, AZO cranberry and d-mannose will not hurt you so if you find relief that is all that counts!
-Josh
Posted 1/11/2016 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Totes,
I have also heard good things about d-mannose. Def. worth a try. Sorry about all the constant troubles...hope all resolves soon. You deserve a break!
B
Posted 1/11/2016 10:45 PM (GMT 0)
First I am so sorry that you are going through this.
UTI's are no joke.
I had gotten a few in my 20's/early 30's and when I was 36 got a bad one that turned in a kidney infection that required hospitalization.
I am super paranoid about getting another one.
I drink the unfiltered, unsweetened cranberry juice every day - I add about 2 oz of it to my 32 oz water bottle.
I use the RW Knudsen brand called "Just Cranberry" - I buy it at Shop Rite. It is VERY tart so would be difficult to drink on it's own, but diluted in water it is like drinking lemon water. I am used to it, and actually enjoy the taste!
It is a little pricey, but when it is on sale, I buy a few bottles.
I also try to drink at least 64 oz of water every day. The downside is that I have to get up during the night at least once to pee, but I haven't (knock on wood) had a UTI since I started doing this, so I am hopeful that it is helping.
Posted 1/14/2016 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
Totes...did it help? It actually DID help me...but it works only if the uti is caused by ecoli...which 80-90% of utis are caused by it.

I cannot remember the dosage...maybe 1000 mg at a time...like 6 times the first day then you can taper down. I found plenty of info online. I drank extra water too. Worked like a charm...the d-mannose actually attaches to the e coli bacteria and it's flushed out. I honestly couldn't believe it!
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