High Bacteria in Urine

Hi Lucycat

One of the problems with cystocele is that it is often hard to completely empty your bladder because it has fallen backwards and the urethra becomes kinked. To prevent urinary tract infection recurring it is important that you empty your bladder properly every day so that the bladder gets flushed of old urine properly every day.

There are a few things you can do to ensure that you completely empty. One is to pee, then stand up, relax, then sit down again. Do this several times. Every time you will empty a bit more. You can also try peeing on hands and knees, perhaps under the shower. However you do it, ensure that your belly is loose and hangs between your thighs. This flops your bladder forward onto your lower abdominal wall and straightens out any kinks in your urethra, which makes it easier to empty. Also, ensure that you drink plenty of water to dilute your urine and ensure that there is plenty of it. Even if the infection is gone there may be residual inflammation, which is prone to reinfection.

If you can use your posture to lift your bladder forward and up, your urethral opening will be further away from your knickers, less prone to chafing and picking up bacteria from your knickers.

Another thought. Has the doctor cultured your urine to ensure that he is treating you with the right antibiotic for the right bacteria?

Louise

Hi,
I have had recurring bacterial infections found in catch samples for years. It looks as though I have on going uti's year after year. However, when the uti urine sample is sent to lab for culture, it almost always turns out negative. I got tired of going to see my doctor who decided not to continue rxing me for antibiotics until the lab results came back. My decision in all of this has been to do the following:
When I feel like I have a uti, you know the pain, odor, and peeing 5 times a night with urgency I begin my day with a full glass of water to which I have added 1/8 tsp (kind of a pinch or two) of arm & hammer baking soda. I drink it throughout the day and when it is gone I make another glass of the same thing and do it again, taking in at least 2 glasses of this. It's important not to overuse the baking soda as that can cause kidney problems. After a day of my urine registering more alkalinity the pain goes away and I feel okay. IF I run a temp for more than a day, I go to my doctor.
I figured this out from reading here and there. This works for me, keeps me usually out of pain and away from the doctor's office. Also, I don't drink any carbonated drinks or coffee/tea and stay away from spices since they all make trouble for me (interstitial cystitis,also). Hope this helps.

Inflammation always seems to come before actual bacterial infection, producing the symptoms. You seem to be catching it early. It could be that your drinking water is setting you up for this, and that you are simply adjusting its chemistry?

Thanks for your reply. Could you explain a little more about "It could be that your drinking water is setting you up for this, and that you are simply adjusting its chemistry?" I'm not sure I understand your question but want to.
Daphne

I have just spoken to our water quality technician. We discussed urinary alkalisers like Ural and Citravescence, which contain salts that make the urine more alkaline. This cuts down on the pain and burning of UTI's but I am not convinced that they can knock an existing infection on the head even though they make the urinary tract a hostile environment for pathogenic bacteria .

He said it is feasible that these products contain the same salts as some drinking water, maybe at lower concentrations, and so some drinking water may have a urinary alkalising effect, which would possibly discourage colonisation of bacteria. If your drinking water has different salts that make your urine more acidic that may predispose you to UTI's because these bacteria thrive in acidic environments.

There have to be particular types of salts in these products that are not affected by the acid in your stomach which digests your food. The environment of the stomach is so acidic that the effect of any alkaline salts would be diluted so much as to effectively disappear, unless the two do not react and the alkaliser passes straight through and gets excreted by the kidneys.

I know that gastric reflux, which used to be treated with antacids is now often treated successfully by *adding extra acid* to the stomach, which is counterintuitive. Maintaining the acidity of the stomach environment is obviously not a simple process!

But my water technician said that it is feasible that some drinking water may predispose people to UTI's, while other drinking water may have a protective effect. "May" is the operative word. He didn't immediately quote research that would prove or disprove it. He just said it is possible. Most cities these days have mixed sources for their drinking water so water quality (mineral and salt content) can vary from week to week or month to month at times.

That doesn't really give you an answer about why adding sodium bicarb to your drinking water worked for you, but that may be why. You could have your drinking water tested to find out what is in it, but you would need to discuss the results with a qualified water technician to interpret the results. Hey, it works. If it aint broke, don't fix it!

I would be looking at ensuring that you have a balanced diet, low in simple sugars, that will support bladder health. Cranberry on a regular basis? Also, go without underpants as much as possible, or change them regularly during the day to prevent cross-contamination from your anal area via undies. I would go as to suggest a nappy wash soak for your undies, or dry them in the sun. Also, you could try for a week or so using an antibacterial soap or lotion when washing your perineal and anal area, not your vulva. This may reduce your skin bacteria load and allow a more normally balanced skin microflora to repopulate the area.

I just had a batch of boils in my anal area for the first time in my life. I decided to use an antibacterial soap for washing my whole body for a week or so, to try and avoid further boils developing. I subsequently took a course of antibiotics as well. However, before I started the antibiotics I noticed that the antibacterial soap reduced my underarm odour immediately . I finished the antibiotics and the underarm odour has not returned. Maybe I was just carrying an enormous load of skin bacteria. If there is too much e coli in that mix it will eventually end up on your undies.

Another factor is that with rectocele I sometimes find it hard to completely clean my anal area after emptying my bowel. That little stain on my undies is a source of potential UTI if it gets near inflamed vulval tissue.

Another factor is little leaks of urine will make the surface of your undies very acidic in the presence of a little faecal matter, and produce inflammation. It is called nappy rash. If this is the case, simply change your panty liner or undies if there is anything on them. Use a nappy rash cream which has a barrier like zinc and a soother like calamine, to clear up the inflammation. Zinc cream will also help the skin to recover.

Also, keep your pubic hair longer. This will form a physical barrier between your vulva and your undies and prevent chafing.

Louise

wow. thanks Louiseds,
You know, I started not wearing underwear about 2 years ago and I can't remember if I thought through the idea of not wearing or just one day said "I'm not wearing these, no matter if I AM in an accident." They just had begun to feel uncomfortable; and now I realize that this is about the time I started having uti's.
We spend a lot of time figuring ourselves out since medical folk don't have a good understanding of our challenges and I believe my biggest problem is large intestine contents pressing down on the bladder pressing down on the upper anterior vaginal wall. Mix that with interstitial cystitis and it's a nightmare; and not a nightmare that I want anyone messing around with with staples and mesh and stitches while trying to re-configure things.
When I first began to feel these changes I wanted to die. All I could think was WTF!
When the vaginal area feels dry due to bathing I use either Estrace (as prescribed) or Weleda baby cream (Calendula cream) with a drop of tea tree oil (as a safety precaution against infection). Tea tree oil is great and not drying when used with calendula cream.
Sugar, spices, white flour and peanut butter are my nemeses (nemisises!) I think I need to keep a calendar of infections.
At some point I may need to have my water profiled (sweet well water 190 feet deep beyond marine clay and blue granite); but not until I declare war on sugars.
Thanks so much for addressing these sometimes overwhelming issues. Daphne 11

So, Daphne, you are saying that *not* wearing underwear was associated with UTI's???

No, I am saying that I chose "no" to underwear because of UTI(and/or interstitial cystitis) related discomfort. I wasn't sure what was interstitial cystitis pain and what was UTI. It's sometimes hard to tell them apart.

OK, that's good. For a moment there I thought that going without underwear worsened the UTI. :-)