Mumsnet users share their tips for treating UTIs with Ocean Spray

[EllieMumsnet]

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If you have experienced a urinary tract infection (UTI) then you’ll know how uncomfortable and painful they can be. There can be quite a few different causes of UTIs, as well as ways to treat and/or prevent them, which is why Ocean Spray would love you to share your methods for treating or preventing them.

Here’s what Ocean Spray have to say: “One in every two women will suffer from a UTI at some point in their lifetime. Many GPs and other health professionals advise women (as well as men) to drink cranberry juice for UTI resistance. Independent research has found drinking a glass of cranberry juice every day could help reduce the likelihood of a UTI by 40 percent, potentially cutting down on antibiotics use in the process. Which is good news particularly when experts claim antibiotic resistance is on track to kill more people than cancer.

Ocean Spray’s research into the health benefits of cranberries and cranberry juice is ongoing. And it’s always good to hear from people about their own experiences of drinking cranberry juice for health – and of course taste – reasons.”

Do you use a hot water bottle to comfort the stomach or back pain you may get? Perhaps you try to always wear breathable clothing around your lady parts to try prevent a UTI from occuring? Maybe you swear by the home remedy of drinking lots of cranberry juice? Or have you found the perfect no-perfume body wash that helps keep everything balanced?

Whatever your tips and methods are, share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Drinking plenty of water can prevent an infection taking hold (in my experience) but once you have a full-blown UTI see the GP and definitely no juice or sugary drinks! I've stopped getting UTIs since adopting the habits of going to urinate more often, and of only wearing cotton underwear.

Prevent in the first place. Always urinate after intercourse and tampon use in order to flush out bacteria. Never leave it too long without a trip to the toilet or a drink of water. Cutting back on sugary, caffeinated drinks and alcohol.

If you feel a UTI coming on act quickly. Drink a couple of pints of water and go to the toilet - repeat. No sugar or caffeine. Take an ibuprofen, cranberry tablet and over the counter cystitis sachet if you have them to hand - again with more water.

Cranberry juice makes it worse for me. It’s immensely frustrating to be in the GP office doubled over with pain and fever and advised to drink bloody cranberry juice tbh. I tried to see off an attack with cranberry as a teen (my Mum said it worked for her) and ended up in hospital with a serious kidney infection.

I’ve never understood how it can work ( though aware it does definitely work for some women) as it is sugary and acidic- surely the worst possible things to put into bladder where bugs will thrive?

D Mannose works for me, I don’t even usually need antibiotics as long as I take the Mannose as soon as an attack starts.

Lots of water, always going to the loo regularly-
ESP before and after dtd.
No synthetic materials for underwear. All of these have helped me.

Re occurring UTI's have been the bane of my life! My tips are:

Drink plenty of fluids every day, water is the best!
Wipe from front to back after using the toilet.
Wee after sex!
Cranberry juice, without added sugar! The natural one's are the best.
D Mannose powder, life saver!
If the UTI doesn't seem to be easing after all those things, a trip to the GP, for Nitrofurantoin - make's your wee bright yellow but these are the best antibiotics I’ve tried - and I’ve tried a lot!!

I was going to ask the same as a previous poster. Recent research has cast doubt on the preventative role of cranberry juice in UTIs. It would be interesting whether the comment from the company regarding Dr and health professionals still holds up.

The leap from drinking cranberry juice to reducing UTIs to decreasing antibiotic use to an inference that deaths due to antibiotic use might therefore decrease seems a stretch to say the least.

I wonder what the ASA would say about all of this?

Lots of fluids I usually go for water and cranberry juice and within 24 hours I am on the mend, as soon as I get the first sign a I do start on the water and go and get cranberry juice ASAP. And I cut out the caffeine. They are awful though, going to the toilet is such a dread when it happens, fortunately I don't get them very often.

For treating this in the past I have been advised to drink a glass of apple cider vinegar after breakfast for the first 2 days, then drink plenty of water to flush out your system.

A fizzy vitamin C drink every morning, probiotic yogurt instead of your usual dessert (I add this to oats and make overnight outs and add blackberries for a vitamin boost), and plenty of water.

I read somewhere that cranberry juice doesn't actually help UTIs but I still swear by it!
That and a healthy amount of water, loose clothing, a hot water bottle and a partner who is sympathetic to your endless complaining

Drinking gallons of water as a preventative measure. Takes a while to get the habit but worth it.

I swear by kefir, its like a yogurt, and added to fruit and honey is a great probiotic and for me lessens the effects of my UTI within a couple of days.

Pee regularly. Never postpone a trip to the toilet. Ever!
And avoid vigorous sex with well-endowed men.

Hi @ChocAuVi please find the article here which Ocean Spray have sent over.

Thanks
Ellie

Thank you for posting the article, @EllieMumsnet. I've only scan read it so far, but found the bit I expected:

Consumption of a cranberry juice beverage lowered the number of clinical urinary tract infection episodes in women with a recent history of urinary tract infection
Kevin C Maki, Kerrie L Kaspar, Christina Khoo, Linda H Derrig, Arianne L Schild, Kalpana Gupta

The authors’ responsibilities were as follows—KCM: designed and conducted the research, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the manuscript, and had primary responsibility for the final content of the manuscript; KLK and CK: designed and conducted the research and wrote the manuscript; LHD: conducted the research; ALS: performed the statistical analysis; KG: designed the research and wrote the manuscript; and all authors: read and approved the final manuscript.
KCM, LHD, and ALS received research grant funding from Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., and KLK and CK are employees of Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., which is the manufacturer of the product studied.
KG reported no conflicts of interest related to the study.

FOOTNOTES
1 Supported by Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. Beverages were provided by Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc

My late mother suffered with these a lot. I used to try to get her drinking lots of water/squash, especially in summer.
Also I bought her dry wipes to wash herself with rather than her keep using same flannel.

I suffered with cysistitis for about 6 months once and the best thing I found was cranberry juice and drinking a teaspoon of boacarbonate of soda mixed with s glass of water! It’s sooo disgusting but it works so well. Also when it’s really bad lying down with a hot water bottle between my legs!!

As a long term sufferer of UTI's, I did a lot of research and made changes to my diet and so far so good, so its a crushed clove of garlic into my soups and bolognaise sauces, pro-biotic yoghurts, and a glass of apple cider vinegar in the morning. Its made a big difference, and no more regular trips to the doctor.

Sugar free cranberry juice, water hot water bottle and sugar free chewing gum!

Drinking lots ( water at home but I do enjoy cranberry juice when out as it isn’t too sweet ) not using soaps on my lady parts, wearing cotton pants and not wearing trousers that are too tight.
I am an Admiral Nurse ( we support the family carers of people with dementia ) and am always having conversations with carers about ensuring they and the person with dementia drink lots in order to try and prevent UTIs. They often cause a real change in behaviour in people with dementia.

Drinking lots of water and sodium citrate sachets seems to work. They taste disgusting, though!

This thread makes me want to cry.
www.chronicutiinfo.com

I never understood my Mums pain of suffering so many UTI'S until I had it for the first time. I got it alongside another illness, but all I knew at first was I could not leave the bathroom for longer than two minutes...and it was Hell.
I knew from my Mum that making sure my bladder was cmpletely empty ( if you lean forward and tilt this can help massively!) to ensure the infection doesn't get worse, and drinking plenty of water could help, but I knew I was going to need a Doctor as I was so poorly with it. Turns out I had Labrynthitis and stomach flu and this UTI, and it was all over Christmas which didn't help!
Luckily my Doctor came out to me on Christmas Eve and gave me antibiotics, and with plenty of rest, loose cotton undies and a toilet on hand....I was feeling a lot better to open my pressies, one of which was from my husband which was a huge bottle of Cranberry juice and some Lucozade! lol

I drink a glass of cranberry juice every day and haven't had one since I was a teenager no idea if it does help but my GP recommended to me after I had recurring UTI

I've read otherwise but for me, drinking cranberry juice and lots of it is the ONLY thing which can have me from writhing in agony to being back to normal and going about my day