Tell me your best cystitis cures

[AttaGirrrrl]

I’m crying from what I think is cystitis. I know the basics from previous bouts: I’ve taken a dissolvable cystitis thing, taken paracetamol and currently have one hot water bottle on my stomach and one on the souls of my feet (random tip I read about that seems to stop the ‘urgent’ feeling). Can’t get cranberry juice as I’m home alone with DC.

Anyone got any more tips?

Thank you

Have a bath and drink lots of fluid until you finally do a full wee

Another vote for D Mannose. I had a period of about 5 years when I was getting 3 or 4 UTIs each year. 18 months ago I started taking d Mannose, 500mg daily, and I've had none since. You defo need antibiotics to clear this one, then get on the D Mannose.

Bicarbonate of soda helps me.

Sorry you're feeling so bad, UTIs are rotten. It's not advertised nearly enough, but you can get a urine testing kit from large Boots stores, download an app that goes with it and the pharmacist can prescribe the correct antibiotics there and then. The kit cost about £10 I think. I did this on Easter Saturday, it was an absolute life saver. I realise its not going to help you now, but go on line to find your nearest Boots that offer this and ring them first thing in the morning, Saves messing around trying to speak to a GP. Good luck

@Ecci where do you get your D-mannose from?

@WeAreTheHeroes

Are you in the UK? If so, you can ring 111 and get an out of hours GP appointment.

Thank you. Yes, I’m in the UK, but I’m a single parent with two sleeping children. The lovely support here has got me through tonight and I’ll call doctor tomorrow.

Nest of vipers? Pft. You’re all bloody lovely.

I’ve managed not to pee for an hour so I’m hoping it’ll be a proper one when I go (I hope that makes sense; I find the dribble so depressing!) and I’ve ordered the D Mannose and have Uva Ursi in my basket to try if that doesn’t work. Thank you all again. You’ve got me through a very uncomfortable evening with your support and suggestions.

Drink lots of Easter, accept you'll be up half the night and phone the GP in the morning.

That said, my pharmacist can prescribe antibiotics for a UTI unless you've had them prescribed on the last six months.

Cranberry does diddly.

Antibiotics. You can buy them online from the independent pharmacy, if you can't get a GP appointment.

Nothing else works IME.

*water not Easter 🙄

So sorry you're feeling so awful. Ask your GP for MacroBid. It's the twice a day version of nitrofurantoin. It's a urinary tract specific antibiotic so less likely to cause thrush, GI issues than some of the others. Hope you feel better soon.

I have always found that a good emergency standby is an effervescent 1000mg vitamin c tablet in lots of water. It feels counter intuitive as I imagine it makes the wee more acidic if anything and most commercial remedies are alkali, but could it be making the bladder a hostile environment for bacteria in the other pH direction? I’ve never heard anyone else say it, but definitely works for me every time!

@AttaGirrrrl

I’ve managed not to pee for an hour so I’m hoping it’ll be a proper one when I go (I hope that makes sense; I find the dribble so depressing!) and I’ve ordered the D Mannose and have Uva Ursi in my basket to try if that doesn’t work. Thank you all again. You’ve got me through a very uncomfortable evening with your support and suggestions.

I'm in awe of you OP I turned up at walk in after just a few hours of having mine crying in pain begging for antibiotics. I hope you feel better soon.

@Myusernameisnotmyusernameno - I think the hot water bottles are key. I’ve just topped them up. Plus topped myself up with painkillers. I feel about a million times better than I did three hours ago. Thank you all again.

[quote AttaGirrrrl]@Myusernameisnotmyusernameno - I think the hot water bottles are key. I’ve just topped them up. Plus topped myself up with painkillers. I feel about a million times better than I did three hours ago. Thank you all again.[/quote]
I will follow that tip if I get it again and can't see a doctor. I've had nightmares about getting it when walk in centres were closing. Hope you get a good sleep

I used to get regular UTIs, until someone told me about Waterfall D Mannose tablets. They're not cheap, but it did work. I think I had intersistial cystitis, where antibiotics didn't completely make it go away and it just lay dormant for a few weeks. I had to take these tablets for quite a few months but I don't get them any more.

*@AttaGirrrrl * I've tried a few places but for the last 6 months or so i've bought my D Mannose from Zipvit. I use them for a couple of other supplements and they are not too expensive. Hope you feel better soon.

Glad you feel a little better OP.

To all the PPs advocating 'water water water' PLEASE be careful with this. It's extremely dangerous to drink huge amounts of water. I did this during a bout of cystitis, and ended up on a drip in hospital. Water intoxication is a real possibility if you force pint after pint of water down yourself.

I made the mistake of trying to treat cystitis at home with water and bicarbonate of soda etc. The symptoms did recede somewhat but came screaming back 2 days later accompanied by a kidney infection. I was admitted on IV antibiotics. Don't risk that, OP.

How you feeling today OP?

Codeine is the only OTC painkiller that touches cystitis pain.
No use right now but order some Azo from Amazon. It's a painkiller that specifically targets urinary pain. Lifesaver to have on hand.
Otherwise plenty of water, with a little bicarbonate mixed in and an appointment ASAP for antibiotics. Leaving it can cause longer term issues.

I had recurrent uti and cystitis issues for over a year until the most recent where I was in the most horrific pain and various antibiotics seemed to be making it worse. Lab showed an infection, was treated but seemed to flare again a couple weeks later. So gp gave me more antibiotics but after 3 days the pain was worse so she gave me stronger ones. Pain and pressure continued until my instincts told me it might be inflammation from the pills. I ended up in A and E at that point, was climbing the walls with pain. I turned to researching it, and luckily I have friends who are natural therapists. Homeopathy sorted it, but I also totally changed my eating habits over two days. I’m now boosting my immune system using fresh foods (not supplements, these are often damaging or ineffective). I have adopted an anti inflammatory diet and also use good quality natural teas including nettle and mallow. I also use the following daily; 1 to 3 crushed garlic cloves swallowed off a sooon washed down with water , one or two small drinks of bicarbonate of soda, and pure aloe vera juice. Plus a natural probiotic like fermented kefir. Loads more things but obviously do your own research. I realised I had not really been taking care of myself like I should, was swilling coffee, dehydrated, and had bouts of intense stress which meant my immune system and defences couldn’t cope. I’m addressing the emotional sources too. I find using a castor oil pack to be very supportive too. So it’s a long term lifestyle change that I clearly needed.

I get my ABs online if I get this. It's the only cure for me and I try everything first for the first 2 days.

Miserable bloody existence enduring that. I get mine next day delivery, quicker than GP whereby I have to drop a sample in and wait for results.

How old are you? I’ve been getting cystitis for the last 3 years or so.. and have finally realised it is Perimenopausal symptoms... now started HRT .. so am hoping that helps ( I’m 53 btw)