Uva Ursi
★★★★★
It's been over a year now, but for a while I was having a lot of trouble with bladder infections. I'm talking rounds and rounds of antibiotics until finally I had to go through a cystoscopy which wound up costing me thousands of dollars. And none of it helped! I just ended up with other problems from the side-effects of the antibiotics.
I had been also been trying the usual cranberry, ACV, salt water, etc- no help. Alka seltzer helped temporarily to feel better but will not cure it.
So, finally a urologist identified my infections were caused by staph. I had stumbled on using d-mannose and tried it- but it never helped either- which made sense because that's only effective if your infection is caused by e-coli.
So finally I found Uva Ursi- not a whole lot of feedback but came up a lot and I decided I had nothing to lose. Finally I found something that cleared it up!
Some keys, don't take it too long- follow instructions on the bottle- that's what I did. Drink lots of fluids because it's diuretic and will help flush out the infection.
Now I keep some on hand, I've found one with a blend of complementary herbs for bladder/kidney health and at the first sign of infection I take it and usually don't need more than a day or two worth of doses. This past week was a little worse it seems, have been taking it for a week this time, but today I found that once again it's done the trick and I feel back to normal.
Also, to balance out your system again I've found the probiotic for women in the pink bottle to be invaluable and a life-saver! I was regularly taking it and have been feeling a little off so have started taking that again as well.
(Pembrokeshire)
07/24/2016
LadyB. I was delighted to read your post. I am just like you! D Mannose did not work because mine is not E. coli. How much Uva Ursi do you use, and can you use it long-term to prevent further UTI's? Also, which probiotic do you use. I am in the UK so wondered if I could get it here.
Many thanks, Pauline
Uva Ursi
So I heard about uva ursi, and it sounds like a good idea. But my mom who's a nurse told me that it can be dangerous taking in high doses, so is it safe to take the capsules up to 4 times a day? I don't plan on doing this past a week.
Jfrost231, Uva Ursi is definitely the master herb for Bladder/UTI infections, but as you are advised cannot be used in excess or by pregnant or nursing women. Also do not take Uva Ursi w/ (at the same moment or hr) vit-C or Cranberry as it decreases effectiveness. About 5 days use will provide much relief and by that time side effects of vasoconstriction will begin w/ itching or painful veins or possibly numbness in hands and feet. Must discontinue for at least 2 weeks before resuming (if necessary).
Another nutrient extremely beneficial for Bladder/UTI infection is the simple sugar D-Mannose. And for your insufficient immune response, Vit-A & Zinc at recommended dosages daily for 1 month or more.
Uva Ursi
★★★★★
It is best to take Uva Ursi leaf as directed on the bottle, with a large glass of water and the juice of half a lemon, lime or baking soad. Fresh lemon juice has alkalizing and anti-bacterial properties. Bacteria can not live an an alkaline environment. Uva Ursi and a cranberry supplement will work in synergy to clear the infection. The enclosed link is a non profit women's health website that includes:
(Waco, Tx Usa)
03/02/2011
I have also used Uva Ursi in the past for Candida. It can affect the liver so be sure to get plenty of Vit C as well. By plenty I mean a lot. I normally take at least 6000 mg of Vit C divided into at least 2 doses. Start little w/the Vit C and work your way up to larger doses. Dr Linus Pauling recommeded 18 to 20 mg a day just for health maintainance. You will definitely get diahrrea if you try to take large amounts of Vit C if you aren't used to that large a dose.
(Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France)
03/02/2011
18 mg to 20 mg a day of Vit. C is very little, are you sure this is the right amount Linus Pauling advised? I am waiting for one of his books so I have no idea..... But the advised amount is 60 mg which is also very little, even if you are healthy!
(Waco, Tx Usa)
03/03/2011
Francisca, My mistake! Thanks for noticing so I can correct it. I meant to say 18 to 20 grams of vitamin C, not milligrams. Actually I've taken 6-9 or more grams a day for years. The only side effect I've noticed is that I look 15-20 years younger than I am. I can handle that kind of side effect just fine.
Uva Ursi
★★★★★
I don't know how the Uva Ursi worked, but after treating ONE UTI with it, I haven't had one since...it's been about 4 or 5 years since my last UTI and I've recommended this to countless women in my life.
Earth Clinic, I don't know where you want to post this, but I think it's so important that women who deal with recurring UTIs read this information... THANK YOU for this amazing website.
Uva Ursi
★★★★★
(Sandusky, Ohio)
08/11/2008
★★★★★
UVA URSI WORKS!!! This supplement will cure the most stubborn bladder infection. I tried everything you buy at the store, and tons of cranberry supplements and juices. Nothing helped me. Uva Ursi was the only thing that worked and worked quickly. 2 caps at night and 2 caps in the morning. $4 for a bottle at the store.
Vitamin C
★★★★★
Vitamin C
★★★★★
1) 2 tablespoons of ACV with the "mother" mixed in with some water. I would down this like a shot and then chase it with a glass of water. I did this every 3 hours or so during the day. I noticed immediate relief of the burning sensation and the urgency would improve.. Also, it's a diuretic so I could void easier.
2) 5,000 mg of Vitamin C a couple times a day. It's also good to take a dose right before bedtime to keep the urine acidic during the night. I crushed the tablets with a garlic press and put them in a glass with a pinch of baking soda. Mix a little water so it fizzes and drink it like a shot. Follow with a full glass of water. I had around 12,000-15,000 mg a day.
3) I also take oregano oil pills and turmeric on a daily basis, so I continued this as well. Although, honestly, I think the biggest help was taking the ACV and Vitamin C to change my pH.
I did this for 4 days. You have to listen to your body... If I felt like it was too much, I would skip a dose or two. Also, you have to drink water until your eyeballs are swimming, literally. Flush all that bad crap out!
I went and got a dipstick test yesterday and it was clean!!! My Dr. said to keep doing what I was doing (I had told her about the ACV and mega-dosing Vitamin C) She said they change the pH of the urine and the bacteria can't thrive in it.
I'm still taking vitamin C, around 5,000 a day for a few days, to make sure the infection is gone and starting back on my probiotics. I do feel lots better and hope this can help someone!!!
(Nashville, Tn)
07/17/2013
I wouldn't recommend a high dosage on a regular basis. I only megadose when I'm sick and I always make sodium absorbate, which reduces the acidity. It's also very important to drink plenty of water. What your body doesn't use in 30 minutes is flushed out via the bladder. Megadosing Vitamin C helped me to overcome 2 months of pertussis this last winter. Two rounds of antibiotics and 3 packs of prednisone didn't touch it but once I added the Vitamin C, it was gone within days. I was averaging about 25,000 mg a day for a week. It's a Godsend!!
You are right about the uva ursi, it's helped me a time or two, as well.
Vitamin C
★★★★★
Vitamin C
★★★★★
I had a few acute bladder infection that I treated with antibiotics. Then there was that really nasty one which turned into a chronic problem. I was on various drugs for a year, it was ruining my stomach and whenever I stopped taking them the problem was returning.
A friend showed me a book about natural healing where one of the remedies was high dose vit C. I didn't expect much but it was easy enough to try. I think I was taking 5000 to 8000 mg a day in diluted form. Within days I was off any other medication and then shortly off vit C as well. What a life saver!
My bladder has never been the same after that year of cystitis, I have to avoid most of red wines, but this is manageable.
The cure in the book also mentioned drinking cranberry juice and eating watermelon with seeds. Maybe they also helped, but the vitamin drink had critical effect. I could feel the pain ease almost immediately after taking it.
(Gainesville, Fl)
12/09/2009
(San Francisco, Ca, USA)
12/26/2009
★★★★★
I think you can get soluble vitamin C 1000mg as part of some cold or multivitamin formulas. I got mine in Europe where you can get fizzy tablets 1000mg, very tasty. You can probably also crush/dissolve/sweeten regular pills but I haven't tried that.
Vitamin C
★★★★★
Vitamin E
★★★★★
Water
★★★★★
At this point I'm almost 40 years old. I've dealt with this for over 20 years, getting multiple infections per year. I've tried all sorts of teas, several Native American cures, I've done the ACV, and then the baking soda, but I truly hate the taste of both. Turns out if I'm persistent enough there are quite a few natural cures that EVENTUALLY work. But they take forever. As in...a week or two. Or three. That's a long time when you're running to the bathroom dozens of times a day! In talking with a Chinese herbalist about a year ago, it was recommended to me to quadruple my intake of water during a bladder infection, and that alone would be enough. The liquids flow through your bladder and urinary tract often enough so that your body can then handle the many fewer bacteria all by itself. I wasn't thrilled to hear this...I just wanted to buy some magic herb that would fix it.
Needless to say, I was VERY skeptical. (And sorta ticked I wasn't just sold a herb of some sort...what can I say? I've grown up with the American medical system and we like our convenience.) But it beat the ACV that I hate, right? So I tried it and now I won't use anything else. I'll be honest. I don't love running to the bathroom more than I already do during an infection, with the additional water intake. But it's not that much more inconvenient, since I'm already up every half hour or so when I've got an infection. And wouldn't you know it - it DOES work!! And it's next to free and doesn't taste horrid! You can't even imagine my surprise at this after trying so many other things over the years. And safe for children, but be careful with how much water you make little ones drink..they can't handle adult doses.
I found that drinking as much water as possible (more than his recommended 4x more) helped quicker. I drink a bottle of water per hour (16.9fl oz) until symptoms subside, then I usually do an additional couple hours just to be safe. I just set an hourly timer. If it goes off and I haven't finished my bottle, I finish it right then and I start a new one and a new timer. Repeat, until my body is better. It is so simple and so effective, and SAFE.
And while yes, too much water can kill you; healthy kidneys can handle a LITER of liquid an hour, so don't overdo it but you can do a lot and still be quite safe. You can slam the water or you can sip it. Doesn't matter. What matters is having it running through the plumbing as much as possible, so for me sipping it is more comfortable. You do what works for you. And you are NOT trying to hold all the water in. You don't need your bladder to be full and uncomfortable! When you feel you need to go to the bathroom, then go. You need to flush all that bacteria out so let the water do it's thing. Every sip you take you're making yourself better. Every time you pee, you're making yourself better. That Chinese herbalist was wiser than I gave him credit for, and our bodies are really rather awesome when you think about it.
VERY IMPORTANT: don't drink anything but water, and NO sugar. Which means no lemon water, either. You want nothing in the water that those little bacteria evil geniuses can survive off of. Try not to take in any sugar in your diet, either, so skip dessert and limit breads until you're better. No intercourse because that will make it worse, too. Just baby yourself for a day or two, drink water, eat lots of veggies. I even skip most fruits, too, because that's so easily converted to sugar. Thankfully I've got it down to just a day (or under) of having to do this now, so it never seems to be the big deal it was before.
How long until you're cured will depend. If you catch things quickly, I've had it all over with and GONE in under 4 hours...and that's including my additional 2 hrs of drinking I do after the spasms subside and I stop having the urge to pee every 5 minutes. Folks, the antibiotics I used to get for these didn't even work that fast! When I procrastinate sometimes it takes a full day before I'm cured. (And let's be honest here. I really don't like drinking water every hour either, so sometimes I'm human and put it off. I know I shouldn't. Sigh. But if you're quick about it you can be done with the darn ordeal! )
Now if you have an infection that's already been going on for awhile I'm not entirely sure this would work for you, because you'd have more bacteria built up in your system. I think it'd still work but may take longer than a few hours.
It's really worth a shot, has zero side effects, and should at least help serve as a stop-gap until you can find something else that works for you. You are literally flushing out the bad bacteria with every drink. Plus you won't gag from the taste. ;) Cheers!
Water
★★★★★
Water
★★★★★
Water
★★★★★
