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Children's health

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Original poster

Alternative treatments for urinary infection, 6 year old girl?

61 replies

Snowme · 02/05/2013 09:44

My daughter aged 6 has a urinary infection and has been prescribed antibiotics.
I'm not an advocate of their use.
She has no other symptoms apart from pain whilst urinating every few weeks, which is quite severe. I'm also aware untreated or not treated properly it can have serious consequences.

I will administer the antibiotics if neccessary, but does anyone have knowledge or experience of alternative treatments? I'm not convinced blueberry juice or cranberry juice will be compatible with her taste buds as google search only seems to offer this alternative.

OP posts:

narmada · 02/05/2013 21:05

Nope, not a clue. I would give her the ABs if it were me.... aside from risk of kidney scarring, she is in pain, which is not nice.

Prob not v helpful . Why are you against antibios?

ubik · 02/05/2013 21:07

I would give ABs for this if it was my own daughter.

AnyFucker · 02/05/2013 21:11

what alternatives are there to antibiotics for a bacterial infection ?

tobytoes · 02/05/2013 21:21

Hi,cranberry juice helps the bacteria release and flush through the system. Could try that. I would give her the antibiotics from doc tho with the pain being severe as you say.

WidowWadman · 02/05/2013 21:26

UTIs can turn very very very (I mean very) nasty if not treated. If they're bacterial, then AB is the way to go. Did she have a sample sent to the lab?

Also, if it's recurrent, they should look at further investigating what the causes may be.

SirChenjin · 02/05/2013 21:31

ABs have saved countless lives over the years - I'm not sure cranberry juice can claim the same. Just give her the ABs as your doctor has prescribed, and make sure she drinks lots of water. As others have said, a UTI is serious and not to be messed about with.

Runningblue · 02/05/2013 21:31

Lemon/ orange/ summer fruits etc robinsons barley water is good for neutralising wee- i swear by it for cystitis and any other sore problems in that area.

Eachpeachpearwherestheplum · 02/05/2013 21:34

So painful! As AnyFucker said: what alternatives are there to antibiotics for a bacterial infection ?!!
Poor girl

LEMisdisappointed · 02/05/2013 21:36

All of these alternatives are good ADDITIONAL treatments, Please give her the antibiotics, as someoene said upthread, a UTI can turn nasty very very quickly and you do not want this tracking back to her kidneys - This is not the time to be avoiding ABs. I avoid antibiotics if i can, but i actually have a packet of trimethoprim in my cupboard "just in case" I get a UTI as this is the only thing that works. For your 6yo you wont be able to get her to drink enough cranberry to make a difference and you don't want to be giving and of the treatments from the chemist they will mess with her electrolyte levels. I can't stress enough - give her the antibiotics

noddyholder · 02/05/2013 21:40

Please give her the antibiotics. I have had renal failure not fun. And cranberry does NOTHING for an infection although it can create an acidic environment where bugs cannot grow in the lining of the bladder so as a preventative is effective but will make a bacterial infection worse

LoveSewingBee · 02/05/2013 21:40

Cranberry juice doesn't work, you would need to drink litres and litres every day for it to have a marginal impact. There is some evidence that very very concentrated cranberry extract (pills) may work.

However, it seems a bit stupid to not treat your dc UTI properly because you don't like antibiotics. She can end up with severe debilitating kidney damage if left untreated ...

noddyholder · 02/05/2013 21:44

I had recurrent infections and once they finally got me clear I started high strength cranberry tablets last thing before I go to sleep. I haven't had an infection since november 2010 My consultants are amazed and delighted as I was having them monthly in teh end

CheesyPoofs · 02/05/2013 21:44

Urinary infections are horrid and really hurt. Don't let her suffer unnecessarily, give her the antibiotics and make sure she finishes the course.

myhandslooksoold · 02/05/2013 21:44

My aunt had an untreated bladder infection, it eventually damaged her kidneys, she was on dialysis, has had a transplant and it will very likely kill her. So sad and so unnecessary. Please just give your daughter the abs

Springforward · 02/05/2013 21:46

Cranberry juice has been discredited. I would give her the ABs.

cocolepew · 02/05/2013 21:52

Give her the ab's, its too dangerous not to .

HamletsSister · 02/05/2013 21:55

Please tell me you don't think a crystal, some lentils and a few berries are going to be the answer?

YoniOrNotYoni · 02/05/2013 22:03

Please give her the abs. I have vivid (& painful) memories of sitting on the stairs with a pint of water, crying my eyes out while my poor mum tried to comfort me &my dad drove round the city trying to find an open pharmacy. If they'd've had abs they'd've given them to me in a flash.

I suffered from repeated infections as an adult & they were only properly tackled when gp gave me a strong dose of abs.

starfishmummy · 02/05/2013 22:11

She has pain...... every few weeks.

So you don't seem to mind that she is in pain then? Give her the antibiotics.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/05/2013 22:11

Another one (and an ex nurse) saying please give her the antibiotics. You don't want her to end up with scarred kidneys, or eve kidney failure.

Bunbaker · 02/05/2013 22:13

"I'm not an advocate of their use."

You absolutely MUST give her the antibiotics. In this case "alternative" therapies are inappropriate and don't work. There are some instances where the only recourse is to use antibiotics and this is one of them. You will seriously endanger your daughter's health by ignoring the doctor's advice.

DD used to get urine infections - two of them landed her in hospital. She was diagnosed with bladder reflux and was under the paediatrician for several years so they could monitor her. She explained very thoroughly to me how dangerous untreated urine infections are. They can track back to the kidneys and cause kidney damage and kidney failure later in life. Please do not gamble with your daughter's health.

DD was prescribed a daily prophylactic dose of antibiotics to prevent further infections. I didn't like the idea of her taking them, but I liked the idea of permanent kidney damage even less.

You aren't a doctor, so please take the doctor's advice this time.

Weegiemum · 02/05/2013 22:14

Cranberry etc is a good PREVENTATIVE but they stop antibiotics working.

I'm a veteran if many utis and the kidney infections and stones that followed.

Please give her the ABs. It will stop local scarring and lots of potentially serious probs in later life.

Springforward · 02/05/2013 22:14

I had recurrent kidney infections as a child and they bloody well hurt, btw, best to get treated early and properly IMO.

AnyFucker · 02/05/2013 22:15

Is OP going to come back and explain why she is opposed to the correct treatment of her daughter's potentially serious infection ?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/05/2013 22:17

Once the infection is properly vanquished, it would be well worth looking at some of the alternative therapies to see if they will help prevent future infections.

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