Since I developed polymyalgia 18 months ago I have had a tendency to develop UTI's frequently. I am 77 and for most of my life rarely if ever had a UTI. However last year having had to take antibiotics regularly I looked for alternative treatment and started taking Mannose. This certainly helped the situation but didn't cure until I went on to the dose suggested by the manufacturer of 2/3 heaped teaspoons a day for 3 months which is expensive but works! As I am a regular sufferer of UTIs I still get infections occasionally especially when getting cold or stressed However I can stop this in it's tracks with Mannose. This has just been confirmed by my GP as I was diagnosed with UTI last week and it is cleared today. Since my urinary system has obviously got quite sore with so many infections I am finding that my diet has to be careful ie no tea, coffee or alcohol or acidic or spicy food but this may be specific to me as my digestive system is very weak and I have a lot of food intolerances. I would certainly recommend Mannose for UTI's although the cost may be prohibitive to some people. I am hoping that as I become stronger that I can get the dose of Mannose down to the minimum of 1 heaped teaspoon a day.
Treating urinary tract infections with Mannose - PMRGCAuk
Treating urinary tract infections with Mannose
Were all your UTIs confirmed by urine cultures? Or diagnosed on the basis of symptoms of pain on micturation, urgency and frequency?
Not all were confirmed by urine cultures but some were. Since I have been managing it with Mannose I check my urine regularly for cloudiness and this usually coincides with urgency, frequency and discomfort in the urinary tract. Taking a higher does of Mannose clears the problem quickly.
I only asked since both PMR and pred can lead to irritable bladder syndrome but unless cultures confirm it not necessarily infections. But mannose is infinitely preferable to multiple doses of abx!!! Providing the symptoms have been checked out - recurrent cystitis can be sign of more unpleasant things and should be checked by a urologist.
Thank you PMRpro for that which is something I haven't been told and I am very grateful for your wisdom on this - it wold tend to confirm the symptoms I get when I haven't actually got an infection. My GP has not suggested that I see a urologist although I was referred to a vaginal dermatologist 18 months ago who found nothing abnormal. I have had 10 UTI's in the last year but the frequency is diminishing. All my GP could offer was antibiotics for infections backed up by a daily dose of antibiotic - not a route I want to go down. I am lucky in that the polymyalgia has been successfully treated by steroids and I am now down to 2.5 mgs prednisolone. Many thanks for your advice. Incidentally do you think this conditions increases atrial fibrillation (which I have had for 40 years but controlled) as I have been having lots of problems with this in the last few months.
I don't know whether it increases a/f - it was the cause of it for me so I imagine if someone already has a/f it could well get worse if the autoimmune disorder damages the electrical cells even more.
Did the vaginal dermatologist do a cystoscopy or at least an ultrasound of the bladder?
That's very interesting about a/f and no I had no investigations apart from visual examination as there was nothing to be seen - at that period of time the problems disappeared only to re-emerge with the polymyalgia.
Hello yewtree ..as i have just been suffering a UTI and the antibiotics gave me really bad side effects i was wondering if you can get Mannose in the chemist or in a Health shop. My GP stopped the antibiotics and told me to drink plenty of fluid and i see her again on the 5th June to do another urine test.. i don't usually suffer with regular UTI's but i do have a very sensitive stomach where medication is concerned.You highlight on the cost of Mannose as well so maybe you can give me an idea on that , but if it works then it's worth it..I hope you are feeling better now . Best Wishes trish29
Both Amazon and ebay sell it and I get the impression that health food stores possibly would stock Waterfall d-mannose.
and this is their stockists page
I finally got a friend to ask her GP to see a Urologist after constant UTI's, one after another and loads of anti-biotics this went on for over 2 years. . She did and she could not believe what they told her at her appointment. 5 months down the line..........no more UTI to date.
When you take anti-biotics and have finished the course, you have knocked out the 'good guys' as well as the 'bad guys'. You need to replace the 'good guys' asap. I use organic probiotic yoghurt with L.Acidoplous in it. It has a short life so if buying check the end date.
I only found this out when I had an operation and recovery was problematic, a new consultant told me about VSL#3, not available on prescription and expensive....it contains billions of good bacteria.
Hi Trish29. As I am what's termed a chronic sufferer of UTIs I'm taking a high dose of Mannose to cure the infection and also to stabilise the problem. For someone like yourself one pot of Mannose should cure the condition - this costs approx £20 then you can continue to take it prophylactically for as long as you wish or just if you have another infection. For me I paid £160 for 5 months but I am hoping that over time I can reduce the frequency of treatment - I certainly am getting infections less frequently and know now how to get on top of them quickly. Best of luck and keep smiling through clenched teeth! It is a wonderful feeling not to have this condition beyond our control.
Thank you yewtree .. I will definetely get some and give it a try . trish
When you purchase the Mannose if you go to the producer of Waterfall D Mannose they will give you advice about dosages which is very helpful.
Once again yewtree ..thank you for that information .. We are so lucky on this Forum how we Support each other and get lots of links and information given to us .I've certainly learnt a lot about different medications through the years . . trish
I whole-heartedly agree - we are indeed very lucky and it has helped me through most of my problems. I tried joining a similar website for atrial fibrillation and have found it quite useless. I was hoping for something like this but no such luck. However pmrpro was able to help me with this too
All the best and do get back to me if you need any more advice.
Hi sambucca - yes I agree about the probiotics after an antibiotic - I always take them in tablet form after a course of abx and also occasionally take the female probiotic available from health food shops. My visit to the vaginal skin clinic took so long it was resolved by the time I went. However they did recommend a gel called Hyalofemme (Italian) which helps a lot to sooth sore membranes and is a natural substance. This is available from chemist shops. All the best.
Thank you for this. I have had two recent UTIs after never suffering from this pre PMR/GCA so I will definitely give the mannose a go. Jackie x
I wish you every success - it is so empowering to be able to take control and not have to go down the route of abx. The secret is to always have some Mannose to hand - powders are more quickly absorbed but tablets are useful to carry in your pocket if you are away from home. And of course to keep up a high dose until the infection is cleared and then taper gradually.
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