Another bout of cystitis with menopause! Any experience of using D-Mannose to help prevent it?

[Rainbowshine]

I’m waiting for the GP to call me back after providing a sample for the third bout of cystitis I’ve had this year. I have had to use antibiotics for each of them as the over the counter medicine only masks the symptoms whilst I’m taking them.

I’m on HRT but it’s obvious that I am having issues and I saw that you can take D-Mannose capsules to help prevent infection.

Has anyone had any experience of taking the D-Mannose capsules and did they help? I’m open to hearing about any suggestions for avoiding more infections or treatments which might help.

You should be using vaginal estrogen to treat this. It's absorbed through the vaginal walls into the bladder.

Has your GP not suggested this? Many women need to use it as well as systemic HRT.

Seconding @JinglingSpringbells Local estrogen stopped all those horrible UTIs for me. It’s like a miracle x

I posted yesterday, on a UTI thread. Yes, yes, yes to vaginal oestrogen cream!

I’ve got D Mannose too-not sure if it will work as only taken for a few weeks. Hope so as in the same as you OP and it’s really rubbish

Like others I got given oestrogen cream to deal with this.

Thanks so much everyone for replying. I will definitely be talking to the GP about the oestrogen gel/cream as I would prefer that to taking capsules.

You can buy it now OTC.
Ovesse or Gina.
In pharmacies.

I find d-mannose helpful as a preventative, and also if I can catch the UTI at its very earliest stage. It's limited the number of times I have to take antibiotics for a UTI, rather than eliminated the infections entirely.

Gina 10 worked for me. I really recommend it.

Ask for Estriol vaginal oestrogen cream instead of the Vagifem pessaries. In my experience the cream is more effective for uti prevention. Apply the cream to all of your vulva area as well as vaginally. Don't forget this is not a replacement for your systemic HRT that you are already taking. This is an additional product to be used directly on the vulva/vagina. Hope it works.

And how often would you do this to prevent utis? Please

Another typical oestrogen advocate here, which I use every 3 days or so.
I also rate D mannose highly. If my urine smells a bit strong I take D mannose powder in water for a day or two. I understand it binds to e-coli bacteria which is often the cause of a UTI (it won't work for a different one). The other thing I do is always wash after a poo.
With these measures I haven't needed antibiotics for a UTI for about four years - long may it continue.

It's twice a week after the initial few weeks.

Thank you

I took D mannose for a couple of years after being passed around hospital departments with no answer. A physio recommended it to me. However I read that taking it it long term may not be great. Eventually a lovely GP prescribed Estriol pessary. Is the cream better? I have had a couple of UTI recently although I think I may have forgotten to use it once or twice.

I used the pessaries for a few years, then swapped to the cream and found it much better.

D-mannose has changed my life. I was on a daily low dose of antibiotics for about six years to prevent recurrent cystitis and I was STILL getting break through infections that needed full courses of antibiotics every few weeks. Everything was causing it - sex, very mild dehydration, baths, alcohol, etc etc.

Anyway since I started taking a 500mg D-mannose pill every night, about three years ago, I've not had a single instance of cystitis. When I've felt the odd niggle I've just doubled my dose and it's gone away. It honestly feels miraculous and I don't know what I'd do without the stuff now. I buy the Naturesupplies 1000mg D-mannose pills from Amazon - they say two pills is the dosage, but I only need one at night.

It's important to remember when using D-mannose that's it's a preventative rather than a cure - it can stop you getting cystitis if you take it reliably every day, but it isn't as much use for getting rid of active infections.