Help - menopause related chronic urethritis

[WisconsinGardener]

Please, anyone know natural treatments for an inflamed urinary tract? (specifically, urethritis) Antibiotics are only getting rid of it temporarily. I have to be very careful of anything too acidic (this happened after I started a very low acid diet) for my stomach. So, I can take cranberry juice for a day or two, maybe, but after that, my stomach is going to start to eat itself.

Here's what I'm doing:

Increasing water intake
Yogurt - internal and external (doctor's orders! kind of bizarre sounding)
Acidopholus (sp?)
Small amount of cranberry juice for a couple of days or so
Amoxicillin (again - for a longer time this time)


The doctor said it's very common in menopausal and near-menopausal women. There are treatments she can recommend if the above doesn't work. I just wondered if there are natural things that people take, apply, etc.

 

[momof23goats]

I have cranberry concentrate, that I by at the health food store, and take a shot glass full evry ornihg, i also take the capsules, which I like to do much better, the extrate is so strong, and tart. so I take the capusles most of the time. I take a couple evry day, and thus, after about a month, no more infected uranary tact, I also make yougert and eat a cup or two a day, every day, for at least a month . and yo ucan get capsules of the active bacerial stuff that is in yogert. and guess what, I haven had one in 6 months. yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!antibotics, give you yeast infectons, as well as bladder infections, and other infections, because it knocks your ph off, and kills all bacteria, that your body needs. since I have been doing this, my yeast infections, and unrairy tract , are coming to a fast hault.
I also take three to four tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar, mixed with a couple of taple spoons of raw honey.
it really does so much good, for you.

 

[trueclimber]

I get these also and boy can they come on fast. I no longer take any antibotics for this because I get tired of telling the Dr. what I have, what I need, then they have to do a UA to tell me what I already know. sorry for the rant, OK then,

When first symptoms appear I do a cranberry flush, all the cranberry I can drink for a couple of days. I also eat nothing but asparagus, every meal. When you are in that kind of pain, this diet is really easy. After a couple of days I feel alot better.

I will do a maintance of 12 oz of cranberry juice, asparagus, 1 c blueberries every day for the next couple of weeks.

Blueberries are more of a preventative for UA infections, Cranberries create a slippery environment so bacteria can't stick, to each other or the wall of the urinary tract. They are also thought of as preventative. Asparagus, I don't have a clue, all I know is I have cured myself of 4 UA infections, and my brother actually tried it and it worked for him. Lots of luck, hope this helps someone.

edited to add: I did dilute the cranberry juice I drank about half juice and half water. Then drank about 64 oz aday. I know it sounds like alot, but I was in alot of pain and that does the trick. I'm in the pre-menopausal category.

 

[Herbmountain]

If you want to get rid of an acid PH take the algea familys. Spirulina, chlorella and wheat grass do wonders to normalize the PH.

Cranberry is great but you will have to drink a gallon a day to get what you need. The capsules work much better as they are concentrated.

Now here is another little thing that most women do not consider. This gets personal...so if you are easily offended move on.

One needs to wear only cotton underware. Cotton crotch is best. Cotton pulls away the moisture where as nylon makes one sweat. This is a moist area all the time. Do not sleep in underware. Commando is best.

Keeping the pubic hair trimmed short will help. The urinary tract, as we ladies get older loses that little bend in the middle and germs can enter more easily. Washing after bathroom visits also help. Keep a package of wipes with you when you are out. Urine is sterile until it hits the air. Then germs grow fast and are passed up the uninary tract.

Sex. Make sure your mate washes before intercourse. He can pass germs to you during love making.

These are a few tips I used to pass on to my clients and it worked for them along with the spirulina.

 

[sassy]

My goodness, I accidently happened upon this thread.


Thank you ladies! I had a complete hysterectomy last August and about 2 months after have had no problems except for an annoying low grade infection in the utinery track.

I took penicillin I had stored that I bought last trip to Mexico border. It would clear it up for only for about 2-3 wks - then it would come back. I told my doctor and she said the penicillin wouldn't work permenantly on the "bacteria" infection.
She called in some antibiotics for me. They worked fine for about 3 months.

Now I'm getting it again. Will definitely try some of your remedies.

Thanks
Sassy

 

[Telyn]

Dear Wisconsin Gardener,
I am sorry to hear of your suffering. I don't have herbal remedies for you, however if it continues you may want to try plant based synthesized hormones to add plumpness to the area around your ureter. Your physician can order a tube of estriol cream which you can apply topically to that area made with bioidentical hormones. A compounding pharmacist can mix it in a non irritating base that may not be in a commercialy available preparation. It will mostly repair that area without being absorbed systemically. You'll need a prescription. It is a step above yam cream, which will not work.

(Stepping up on soapbox now)
Wyeth Pharmeceuticals is trying to limit your hormone alternatives to their own Premarin brand from female horse urine. I mentioned Wyeth's attempt to corner the market in hormones in a previous thread.
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=189290&highlight=hormones

The FDA has extended the time for objections to this maneuver, until May 4, 2006, you can can object to the attempt to take away the rights of compounding pharmacists to compound tailor made hormones here
http://www.democracyinaction.org/di...althfreedomusa/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3356

It is quite possible that you don't need to affect your whole body with systemic hormones, but localized use may help the structures to go back to a pre-menopausal state.

Thanks to Herbmountain for great suggestions.

 

[Choices]

I learned this many years ago (easy 20 years) from my PA after getting a infection a few times.

Ladies, after sex go to the bathroom right away and urinate. This cleans the tract.

 

[WisconsinGardener]

I didn't realize this thread was still going! Thanks for all the input. It turns out that I had a yeast infection in my urethra. Unfortunately, it keeps coming back. It's weird, because it's NOT in my vagina - just the urethra.