STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Elle · Hermes

Woohoo! Bladder Infection!

daiz519 · Dooney & Bourke

I have heard that drinking cranberry juice is good for the bladder infection however when this happened to me I just went straight to the doctor and they gave me meds for it so I didn't try out the juice. I don't know if there is a low sugar option but thought it might be helpful to know you can get meds for this.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

what you need to do is to

1) drink a lot of liquids, including cranberry juice (to simplify why cranberry juice works..) basically it makes the bacteria not stick to the lining, etc..

2) go to the drugstore and take cystex or any pain reliever that they have specifically for bladder infections if you have pain, urgency, frequency, etc..the main ingrediant should be pyridium. it will turn your urine bright yellow/orange.

3) if it doesn't feel better in two days (no more than two days), or if you have lower back pain (flank pain), go to the doctor!!!! what i usually take is cipro for the infection (i just call the doctor and ask for it...but that's cuz they know i am R.N. and have had them before)

just a side note, i got one, took cranberry pills, but had back pain, it went away, then three days later i was curling over in pain. i ignored it and ended up in the hospital because it traveled up to my kidneys and i got a kidney infection. so, it might be better to be safer than sorry, and just have your doctor prescribe you cipro (or bactrim). i hope that helps. i feel bad, it's the worst thing, but getting the cystex helps immediately!!!

crystal · Kate Spade

get the drugs, ASAP! i've had enough to know (and been to the hospital enough to know) that the best thing u can do is get meds right away. i agree that drug store pyridium works wonders, but get cipro (not the generic as many people are immune to it so it will take even longer to figure that out & get on the cipro & finally feel relief) immediately! good luck, i feel ur pain (literally).

blubirde · Chanel

I second everything shopgirl82 said.

I called my gyno and the nurse there just prescribed cipro for me right then - didn't have to go in. I used AZO for pain and it worked wonders. The pain only really lasted for a couple days. I just drank lots and lots of fluids. Stay away from sodas - man they hurt when they come out!

I don't know about cranberry juice helping. A doctor once told me it only helps prevent UTIs not heal them once they take hold. It's worth a shot though. And there are "light" versions of the Ocean Spray cranberry juice. It's actually the only kind I drink (for cocktails, of course) because I think the regular is too sugary for my tastes.

Also, here are some tips for keeping them from coming back (you probably already know but just in case):

wipe front to back - gross to talk about but essential
ALWAYS pee right after sex - it keeps the bacteria from traveling up your urinary tract. sometimes it kind of ruins the moment but it's sure as hell better than an uti, wouldn't you say?
don't hold it when ya gotta go (i'm guilty of being too lazy to pee. sad but true. )

Hope you feel better!

Elle · Hermes

Thanks for your timely responses girls. It's been about 17 years since my last UTI (when I was only 3 years old) so I'm not quite sure where this is coming from . . . ? I can't think of anything out of the ordinary that would have brought this on, but them's the breaks!

I'm going to head to the grocery store and pick myself up some cranberry juice after work - don't need any paid meds since it's not really to a burning stage yet, but we'll see if I'm still singing the same tune by Friday. It's good to hear that you usually don't have to go into the doctors office to get a prescription - considering it costs me $65 in copays and lost wages alone (not to mention what the actual prescription would cost) each time I have to go to the doctor, it's not something I like to rush into without reason. FWIW, I would consider a nasty kidney infection a reason (thanks shopgirl82!) so no worries if that's what it comes to.

Thanks girls!

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

hey, i know i'm posting on this kind of late, but i just had a UTI recently (first one in like 9 years) and taking cipro helped enormously! it was only $4, if you're concerned about the cost. bluebirde gave you the exact advice my doctor gave me. i'd suggest going to the doctor, or even just calling and describing your symptoms, right away -- you don't want to risk the infection going into your kidneys -- mine prescribed it over the phone without my needing to come in.

drink lots of fluids! it helps. feel better soon.