Hi to you all

Hi i was wondering if anyone gets a UTI infection after chemo? I had my 3rd round on Fri and can feel one coming on. Im trying cranberry but not working. I had a bad infection after my 2nd chemo and had to have antibiotics. Or could it still be from Hysterectomy done in Aug? Good news is my CA125 is 12( i hope thats good news anyway) Sending you love and healing greetings Lynn XX

[spanishanna]

Hi Lynnrsa, yes I have had a series of UTI infections after chemo My Oncologist tells me I should be drinking 3 litres of water during and after the chemo to flush it through the system and help prevent the infections. Very hard to do and I am guilty of not doing that. I try and drink as much water as I can for days afterwards.

I too have been on antibiotics and now my GP allows me to keep some in the fridge, just in case !!

Anna xx

[BusyLizzie in reply to spanishanna]

Hi Anna,

My MRI scan shows I still have some fluid in the abdomen even after my op and 6 bouts of chemo. Afraid of bloating again, I read about it on the web and they recommended a low salt diet and possibly to limit fluid intake. How many tightropes should we be walking? I had erred on drinking lots, but now I am afraid

Love Lizzie

X

[spanishanna]

Lizzie, the perfect solution to UTI is definitely fluid, fluid and more fluid. The fluid in your abdomen won't be anything to do with drinking lots, it is unfortunately one of those things that goes with the territory of having ovarian cancer.

Another tip I was given to empty the bladder properly is when you sit on the toilet, sit bolt upright, I think a lot of us tend to bed forward, sitting upright definitely helps empty the bladder better.

Hope the info below helps, I know they are miserable and very painful.

Love Anna x

Copied and pasted below for you from a woman's health link re UTI :-

Nine million doctor's office visits each year are due to urinary tract infections, or UTIs. The only thing patients visit the doctor for more often are respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold. Unfortunately, the majority of cases of UTI occur in women.

What can you do to help prevent urinary tract infections from interfering with your life? According to the National Institutes of Health, health professionals recommend the following tips to reduce your risk of developing a UTI.

Water helps flush your urinary tract, so make sure you drink plenty of plain water daily.

More: You Are What You Drink

Don't hold it when you need to urinate! Women are often guilty of trying to finish a task before they go to the bathroom. Holding it when you need to go can help any bacteria that may be present develop into a full-fledged urinary tract infection.

You've probably heard that you should wipe from front to back after a bowl movement. This is especially important to help prevent bacteria from the anus from entering the vagina or urethra.

Taking showers instead of baths helps prevent bacteria from entering the urethra and causing a UTI.

Always wash your genital area both before and after sexual intercourse to help prevent transferring bacteria to the urethra or vaginal area, which can create a breeding ground for a UTI.

Feminine hygiene sprays and douches, particularly scented douches, can irritate the urethra and possibly lead to a UTI. Avoiding these products will help prevent not only urinary tract infections, but also other infections and irritations that these products may cause.

Drinking cranberry juice is a fairly well-known and natural way to both help prevent urinary tract infections, as well as help speed the recovery process when a UTI develops. Just drinking two 4-ounce glasses of cranberry juice daily is often enough to both prevent a UTI and speed recovery when an infection does develop.

Another nutritional route that may help prevent UTI is regularly taking vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C increases the acidity level of urine, which in turn helps decrease the number of harmful bacteria that may be present in your urinary tract system.

Always wear panties with a cotton crotch. Cotton fabric lets moisture escape while other fabrics can trap moisture, creating a potential breeding ground for bacteria.

If you are one of a large number of women who suffers from frequent, recurrent urinary tract infections, a change in your position during sexual intercourse may help reduce the number of UTIs that you experience. Changing sexual positions may reduce friction on your urethra and reduce your risk of recurrent UTI. Women who suffer from extremely frequent urinary tract infections may be prescribed an antibiotic to take immediately after sex to help prevent the likelihood of urinary tract infection occurrence.

[BusyLizzie in reply to spanishanna]

Thanks Anna. Sorry, I did not mean to muddy the water re UTI.

Love Lizzie

X

[spanishanna]

Lizzie, heavens you haven't, I think we can all benefit from everyone's input into our problems. The more the merrier lol

Love Ann x

[Hidden]

Hi there,

Thanks so much much for mound of info im going to try and drink as much water as possible. Its definitely to do with the chemo cos i just got up and went to loo and boy my wee stinks and is strong. Going to apply all info you,ve given me Love Lynn X