I'm a 53 yr old c-6 complete quad for 35 years now. battling utis has always been my mission, especially as my bladder gets older and neurogenic (it holds more pee, like 400 - 600 cc). i cath twice a day and have had periods of great luck on low dosages of macrodantin and bactrim as well as mandelamine. but now this new "colonization" thing is ongoing where bacteria is always thriving in my bladder even a few days after being on a high dose of antibiotics. to me it seems like it's about keeping your immune system really strong so it can fight off the bad guys. i used to be able to use the same catheter in the shower for a few days and did little else supplement-wise. but now even with antibiotics, supplements, and very careful routines in cathing, i still have this colonization without major symptoms but smelly pee and some yuk at the end of my cathing. my docs don't think i need to treat it unless the symptoms escalate to fever, etc. but i'd sure like to be able to get myself cleaner and stronger inside. i believe it's a matter of cleansing somehow and getting my body fortified. but i've done just about everything i can think of in that respect. does anybody out there have any good resources to look into?

here's to clean pee for everybody!

i wish there was an end to the uti's. i've had 7-8 in the past 6 months since my injury.

i've started 500 mg cranberry 2x / day
500mg d-mannose/day
1000 mg vit c per day
probiotics / day

i keep a healthy diet, drink plenty water
will start to do intermittent cath sitting up and bp on the toilet and showers instead of bed baths once bathroom is remodeled- perhaps this is the key. to do bathroom stuff in the bathroom.

macrobid only keeps bacteria away for a few days after last dosage.

i hate uti's more than any other consequence of my sci.

Have you ever thought about getting a suprapubic tube? It's supposed to help lower your risk of bladder infections and UTIs. And it is so much easier to manage than cathing. My husband got one a month ago and it is wonderful! Also, I am currently looking into a product called Clear Tracks D-Mannose. D-Mannose is a natural supplement that is supposed to help with bladder infections. I am considering getting it for my husband to try because he now has Klebsiella colonized in his bladder. Just thought I would mention it if you want to check into it. And of course, there are Cranberry tablets, which help. But, apparently, D-Mannose is supposed to be stronger.

Cranberry pills are a good way to help your body fight off uti's.

Here's what my husband does and he is also a C6.....was injured in June 2008 and we've only had about 3 UTI since then...

500mg Vitamin C 2x's a day
1000mg cranberry 1x's a day
Lots of water.....I know it's an oxy moron....watch what you drink, but stay hydrated.....there is no happy medium....

We also use wet wipes and germX to cath......here's our cath routine....

Wash hands.........
Take wet wipe (the ones with the red top) and clean head of penis
Take germX and put on head of penis at opening
GermX hands
Cath.......

this seems to work great for him and no, we do not have any skin irritation from this routine

Have to agree on the suprapubic catheter. I've had one for 9 years, coupled with 10mg oxybutanin m/r, (a slow release tablet), once a day.

I have had maybe 3 slight uti's in that time, and none for the last couple of years.

Hi ...

My father met with an accident 6 months ago thereby damaging his D-5. He has suffered from UTI thrice since then. He also had bed sores which have now been operated and plastic surgery successfully done.

He has been using Foley's Silicon Catheter which is changed within 20 days. He will now switch to male condom Catheter. Some one please suggest me the precautions to be taken or some other catheter better than this one.

I got yet another uti. my gp wants me to decide between low dose antibiotics or perhaps starting to self cath. what do you all think

I had one of these get stuck.

It was so painful when it was ripped out of me I bled. I had post traumatic stress the next day. Ugh! Never again.

It forms a little cuff around the balloon when deflated.

Coloplast are aware of the problem.

Jane- I've been self-cath for about 10 months now. Am C-5, incomplete and female. At first in rehab I feared I would never be able to use my left hand well enough (right is decent), but got the knack after awhile. I feel it is empowering- if I get a ticklish feeling in the bladder I down extra water and increase the cath frequency that day, plus avoid sugar. For me 2.5 liters of water is the minimum.

To all- antibiotics upsets the intestines balance terribly, which in turn strains the immune system. I struggled with it for years before my injury, then the ICU intravenous antibiotic treatments put me in bad shape again.

My best guess is that the overgrowth of candida, in particular, in the intestines preoccupies the immune system to the point where it gets confused or simply unable to tackle bacteria. This may be why the more UTIs we get (and treat with antibiotics) the more UTIs we get. It spirals down so prevention becomes the only option. What to do in the midst of UTI madness? Research candidiasis, probiotics, and follow the recommendations like your life depends on it.

Pwuff