UTI: Urinary Tract/Kidney/Bladder Infections

[Jade]

Does anyone know if monarda is safe for nursing moms and children?  I know it is unsafe in early pregnancy, but any other safety info would be appreciated.  Thanks!   ~Layla

In Medicinal Plants of North America, Jim Meuninck says this: "Not to be used during pregnancy. If you have flower allergies, be careful when using bee balm [monarda] flowers in salads and teas - although there have been no documented side effects."


This site recommends that it NOT be used during pregnancy, but doesn't list it in the botanicals to not be used while nursing.
http://www.gaines.com/html/Herbs/HerbUse.html#2b

If it were me, I'd ask a midwife or herbalist that I trusted quite a bit. 

[petrimama]

Thanks!    ~L

[skelliott2]

Another great thing about D-Mannose is: It's just a sugar, so it's safe to use anytime! 

I got another infection this week, and the Mannose took care of it!!!  It's amazing stuff!  I'm so thankful Mykidsmom knew about it, and shared!!!  Thanks again, Patti!!

[petrimama]

I have decided to keep up with the d-mannose daily (when I remember) from now on.  I also decided to keep up a steady stream of probiotics for a while, since I have the following theory:
I cleansed of yeast and felt great, but I was not drinking enough water or urinating frequently enough and the yeast had enough time to populate my bladder.  So, I think things are under control now.  Thanks so much for all of the help everyone has offered.  I also plan to get a bee balm tincture to have on hand for future use.  ~L

[FarmWife]

Could she possibly have Kidney stones?  I was treated for a year with cronic UTI's and later found out they were kidney stones.  Very painfull.  I know your daughter is very young, but I was 21-22 when mine first hit.  So who knows?  Has she had any back pain with the "UTI" pains?  even if she hasn't, it still could be kidney stones.  The only way to really tell is to have an XRay or CT scan though expensive, and not very fun.  I pray that she feels better.  Cranberries and Blueberries are the most wonderful things you can give her!  Praying you find the answer soon.
~Jenny

For any of you who have had kidney stones ... I have a question.  Did you have the urge to urinate like you do with a UTI?

[FarmWife]

Have you tried the D-Mannose, Petrimama? 

No, I haven't tried D-Mannose.  Where does one buy it?  I'm pretty sure this has spread to my kidneys now,  based on the location and duration of the pain.  I am urinating a lot of puss and blood as well, so I am desperate.  Will D-mannose work for that?
Still no one who knows why unsweetened cran is better?
And cranberries are nasty raw.  :-)  They are bitter, but also hard, like a firm apple.   Bleh!   ~L

I sure hope you are better by now.  The sugar in the sweetened versions is very detrimental to what you are trying to do.  I put about an inch of cranberry juice in a glass (16 oz.) and then fill it with water.  It is not "good", but it is not yucky. 

[Jesus_Princess]

Okay, we think my mom has kidney stones (cannot get the CT scan because of expense).  I have been filling her with cranberry juice and Organic Cran-Aid from Traditional Medicinals. 
She does not like the cranberry juice because "it is so bitter and strong".
She has been mixing it with Wech's white grape juice.  Is this okay or is it counteracting the cranberry juice?  Thanks
Through Christ,
JP

[DHW]

Blueberry juice would be a better choice since it contains d-mannose.  You really want to reduce the fruit sugars, and avoid sucrose (table sugar) and corn syrup completely.

Cranberry concentrate is actually quite a bit sweeter than cranberry juice.  It makes a sweet-tart smoothie when combined with frozen blueberries and a bit of d-mannose.

[DHW]

I just found this on Second Opinion Newsletter: the best juice for calcium  kidney stones is LEMON juice.

According to Dr. Rowen a calcium stone can be dissolved over a couple of days by drinking fresh lemon juice.  

Juice enough lemons to get 8 oz of fresh juice.  Drink that immediately.  

Make a lemonade consisting of 1 oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice in  a glass of water sweetened with stevia if desired.  Drink that immediately.

Repeat the lemonade every hour for the next 12 hours.

[~esposita~]

For the record:

I woke this morning with symptoms of a UTI and immediately drank a few swigs of liquid Vit. C (yes, I drank too much, and now I have the "D" word, but I AM feeling better.)  Then I went to the Health Food Store and got some Cranberry Capsules and some Blueberry/Pomegranate Juice (no sugar added).  I've taken 4 doses of the Cran Caps. and I drank the whole jug of juice. 

I do still have symptoms, but I can tell they are lessening and passing.  I hurt less and don't feel like I have to pee each and every minute. 

Oh yeah - I've downed about a gallon of water, as well.  ANd I took a dose of Oil of Oregano. 

Hurray for WTM and no anti-biotics!

[regula01]

To clear up a bladder infection I have had great success with drinking apple cider vinegar in water.  I mix about a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of water and drink it several times throughout the day, the pain usually is relieved in one or two hours.  I just keep drinking the vinegar water mixture as often as I can and the infection is cleared up within a day or two!  It doesn't taste good, but it works!  I know some people can take a spoonful of vinegar straight, but not me! 

My 5 year daughter started having belly pain before going potty and then started wetting the bed.  It took a couple of days to figure out, she might have a Urinary Tract Infection.  I took her to the doctor and although, he said he needed to run a culture to be sure, he was convinced by her symptoms that I was right...After we got home, my suspicions were further confirmed by the development of a fever.

So, the doctor gave her the dreaded antibiotics.  I don't like them, but I know that UTI's can be very painful (I've had a few) and the doctor explained that females must be especially careful because multiple infections could cause or be an indication of a distended ureter which could cause something he called a reflux condition where urine could back up into the kidneys and cause permanent damage.

My doctor also says that drinking juice and koolaid, etc do not affect this condition negatively.  The only drink that he recommends avoiding is caffeine because of it's diruretic properties.  Without regular flow through the kidneys, you cannot flush the bacteria causing the infection.

I know that prevention is best, but sometimes you can't prevent every little organism from finding it's way into the wrong place at the wrong time.  However; suggetions on regular prevention would be invited.

Does anyone know, "absolutely, without a doubt" alternative healing solutions for these infections?  I don't like the idea of experimenting on my babies only to find out that I allowed the infection to damage their organs. 

[Becks]

Do Hibiscus flowers act like cranberries to rid the system of UTI’s?  I hope they do!  I get recurring UTI’s.  I usually can kick it with cranberry pills and LOTS of water.  This last time I couldn’t find my pills so I had to resort to cranberry juice.  I’m apparently sensitive to the sugars and couldn’t sleep all night.  Ugh.  I also know the sugar is bad for causing yeast infections.  So it wasn’t a good solution. It did seem to help, but I don’t want to do that again.  We can’t get more pills or real cranberries where we live (Mexico).  What we can get is a very common red flower that is called Jamaica here.  We make a strong tea with it.  It’s known in the states as Hibiscus Flowers.  The flowers themselves taste like cranberries.  I’ve been able to deduce that the flowers are good as a diuretic.  Would they also act as cranberries do to rid the body of UTI’s.
Thanks for any help!

[DHW]

The helpful sugar in cranberries is D-mannose.  The fructose may be what you are sensitive to.  D-mannose is not metabolized, so it does not affect blood sugar, and I do not think it would aggravate yeast.

Was the cranberry juice unsweetened?  With no other fruit juices?  Obviously sugar and other fruit juice would be a problem.

Cranberries and blueberries are natural sources of D-mannose.  Maybe just try eating those plain.

I have noticed that there are several remedies for UTIs that seem to be opposites.  For instance, drink a mixture of baking soda and water to raise the pH vs. take large amounts of vitamin c to acidifiy urine.  It can be hard to know which remedy is appropriate (depending on many factors and on what your body can tolerate).

I do not know the answer to your question about hibiscus flowers, but increasing fluid intake is usually strongly recommended to dilute the urine, so several cups a day plus lots of plain or salted water sounds about right.

There is always the garlic cure: blend a clove of garlic in a cup of water and drink it immediately.  Repeat several times a day.

[DHW]

I did a little looking and hibiscus flowers are diuretic, astringent and high in vitamin C.  The diuretic effect can lower blood pressure with regular use (16 oz daily for a few weeks).

[Becks]

I suspect the Hibiscus flowers worked.  I've been UTI free since using them.  I also found my cranberry pills.  I had misplaced them.  So all's well that ends well.

[spritzey]

Not sure if it's been mentioned before (these threads are too long imo) but baking soda is great for uti's. I drank 1tsp baking soda in 1 cup water (ok I could only chug half of it) but the pain went away. Drank one more about 6 hrs later and then another 6-12 hrs after that (not really sure when...3 times in the course of 48 hrs) and it was gone.

I made sure to drink tons of water and I upped my vitamins as baking soda can deplete you of nutrients.