Do any OTC cystitis medicines actually work?

[Hollyboba]

Can't get in at GP.

:(

What can I get OTC.
Have been drinking sugar free cranberry juice

I think cranberry is more of a prevention. Ive been told it can make symptoms worse if drunk during an attack. I always just drink loads of water. Bicarb in the water is supposed to help make the urine less acidic so reduce pain, but it never does anything for me. I always need ABs.

My GP will prescribe after a phone consult if I drop a specimen at the surgery. Would yours do that? If not have you got a walk in nearby ?

I can't get a GP appointment and am unable to get to a walk in, it's ages away

Try looking at the online pharmacies such as Lloyd’s and Superdrug as they have Drs which will prescribe over the internet and then you pick up from them. You could try Oasis or one of the equivalent OTC products to manage the symptoms. Alternatively Amazon is selling Azo maximum strength which is an American product. I’m surprised as would have thought it would need a prescription but seemingly not. Hope it gets better. Lots of fluids particularly water will help but not anything sugary or acidic.

Superdrug will sell you the cystitis antibiotics for £25
onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/cystitis-treatment.html
Expensive, but worth every penny when you’ve got it i’d have thought. Good luck, it’s a horrible thing to have.

If you have a minor injuries they can prescribe antibiotics for cystitis too.

Forgot to say. Over the counter can help but I find if it's a bad infection they dont get it completely. But do help reduce symptoms

Can you take a urine specimen to your doctor's surgery to be tested? You don't necessarily need an appointment. Drop the urine in and ask for it to be tested for infection. Drink masses and take pain killers if you are uncomfortable.

Stop drinking cranberry juice!!! Its acidic so will make the burning and pain even worse. To answer your question, yes the otc cystitis meds do really help the symptoms, but you may require antibiotics. Drink loads of water but nothing else.

You might as well dab holy water on your bits as use the OTC remedies as far as I am concerned.

I would get the antibiotics from the pharmacy, wow, life changing!

It doesn't burn when I pee

Does that mean it's not cystitis?

I just feel like I need to go alot and it just feels generally uncomfortable down there. Not burning. Like a heaviness and there's wee there. But there's not

I've never had a case where I havent been able to get rid of it without antibiotics (I suffered adult for years) no amount of magic powder sachets would have done anything.
If its worsening, not just in the wee symptoms, including blood presence but in abdo or back pain, in stomach or pelvic heaviness or on fever and chills you need to get antibiotics or you could risk a kidney infection rather than just a bladder infection. For many people it never reaches this stage but if it does it's just miserable. Ring the GP tell them your situation and ask to drop in a sample. Meanwhile keep drinking the water. Do you feel ill in yourself @Hollyboba ?

Did you tell your surgery what you needed the appointment for? Because I rang for an appointment for the same reason last week and they said to me I no longer need an appointment you just need to nip in with a urine sample and fill in a short symptoms form to leave with the reception. Then the nurse will dip test the sample when she has chance and if they find the urine test positive (like mine was) they write you a prescription for antibiotics and give you a ring. Maybe they could do the same for you.

Cystopurin works for me. None of the others do much but Cystopurin is amazing. I take a d-mannose capsule every day now and very very rarely get cystitis any more, whereas I used to be extremely prone to it.

D-mannose is recommended by the gynaecologist for frequent UTI’s as it’s clinically proven. You can take higher doses when symptoms occur and then just a lower maintenance dose.

Cranberry and dmannose only work against ecoli. I rarely have ecoli
Big some gel caps off amazon size 00 and fill one with bicarb and take them throughout the day. Maybe 4 throughout the day and one at bedtime. Ease back as the symptoms decrease
Plenty of water
Alkalise your body as much as possible during an attack..I’d cut out all acid forming foods that pathogens feed on, dairy, wheat, meat , sugar
Have a cup of hot lemon juice in the morning, drink dandelion and nettle teas during the day
If you can get natures answer tinctures even better
A good probiotic
Citricidal
Garlic a good antibacterial and anti viral
Get a bottle of pot cit and drink some of that..my doc said that flushes anything out of the body
Vit c
It’s all about raising your immune system and eliminating the stuff that allows the pathogens to flourish
Do you think you may be gluten and dairy intolerant. Pathogens flourish in the inflammation they create in the body?
Not popular on here but I use homeopathy. Course we all know it doesn’t work 😁
I haven’t needed antibiotics is 9 years😁😁😁

I’ve also come around to the idea of how important a good elimination system is.
If you’re constipated ...what is that stagnation doing to the body.
There’s no quick fix I’m finding as I age. Pain and inflammation is the body’s way of telling us there is a problem.

I was told to drink a pint of water before bed..well a pint is a bit much but a good half pint is doable and take a bottle of water to bed with you and have more if you wake in the night
Dehydration is not good..and by doing this, it keeps your bladder flushed and may help with other conditions

Yes cystopurin is good. I forgot to mention that. I think it works in the same way as pot cit

Pharmacies can test for infection if you take a sample and be prepared to possibly wait for a short time. I had antibiotics off one, they ask for your doctors details too so it will get noted. Hope you feel better soon. I also find a hot water bottle between the legs helps ease a bit.

i'm sure i saw an advert for Boots a few months ago offering antibiotics for UTI's without prescription

D Mannose can be ordered from amazon prime and is the most effective thing I have tried - I used Sweet Cures

I have tried some sachets OTC a few times. To be honest I may as well have not bothered.

Bicarbonate of soda, works straight away for me, teaspoon in a glass of water