ACV for UTI: Natural & Effective Relief

Hi Linda - In the book Apple Cider Vinegar by the _____ family (of the famous _____ Apple Cider Vinegar brand), they recommend the following for bladder infections:

Drink at least 8 glasses of pure water daily.

Drink the ACV "cocktail" which is 2 teaspoons of ACV in 8 ounces of pure water - you can add a little bit of raw honey or maple syrup but that's optional (if you're diabetic, use stevia). Drink this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, one hour before lunch and one hour before dinner.

Drink marshmallow herbal tea - two or three times daily. (I would imagine you could get this at a health food store)

Add one cup of ACV to a daily warm sitz bath (a large basin or a few inches in a bath tub).

Hope this works for you! Bess

Dear Linda, I have a friend who's daughter has always gotten very bad bladder infections throughout her life. She was on antibiotics pretty much every 3 weeks. She would take a 10 day course and within a week she would have another infection. I suggested she take her daughter to a naturopath to see if she had any food intolerances. It turns out she did. If she stays away from Gluten she doesn't get an infection at all. I think it's been over a year since her last infection now.

There is some studies on why people get bladder infections when they are gluten intolerant and there is evidence that it effects the lining of the bladder which makes it easier to irritate. Alot of the reason why antibiotics won't work in this situation is because there is no actual "infection. " There is irritated bladder lining which will keep being irritated unless the antagonist is removed. So you should get a food allergy test and find out if this is the case or just test the theory out by removing gluten and see if it helps.

Linda, it would be interesting to know your age because I think that my bladder infections came from dryness of the vagina. When my husband and I started using lube during intercourse the infections stopped. Also peeing afterwards and washing yourself helps. When I took antibiotics my doctor told me not to take the ten day cure, she said that 3 days were enough and that was true. And drinking enough water, that helps as well! I haven't had any for almost 18 months.

What if you always bleed with your UTI's? My pregnancies really messed up my tube from my bladder to the outside world. Actually since I was 17 I have always had blood, frequency, and burning as the first sign and believe it or not very little pain in my abdomen but of course not for when I pee. I want to do natural remedies to clear my UTI up. I bought no sugar added 100% cranberry juice, ACV, AZO pain relief and cranberry pills. I had a UTI about two months ago and the drugs made my body in really bad shape. I don't want them again. I want my body to fight this and hopefully grow immune to it. I had grandmother I never met die of bladder cancer. I also have an aunt who has my same issues of recurrent bladder infections. I just want to let my body do what it's meant to do. Build immunity to these bacterias. Women back before modern medicine lived through UTI's and kidney infections with natural remedies. I believe in them fully. So I think most necessary to go to a doctor is when you have severe pain in your flank area and just can't get rid of the UTI symptoms.

You were SO correct about the Organic apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice & water cocktail for a suspected bladder infection.

I have only had one other in my entire life - perhaps 16 years ago; but the unpleasant sensation was in my memory. I waited (unfortunately) 24 hours before reading this post but I immediately made up a tall glass of 2 or 3 tbsp. Of The organic vinegar, lemon juice and H2o, drank it down and took a shower. By the time I stepped out to dry myself I was feeling immense relief from my symptoms.

A real lifesaver. I hope that if I continue on this regimen for a time I can avoid taking any antibiotics. Time will tell. THANK YOU!

HI, Love this website and all the great natural solutions. I suffered from a bladder infection and a famous alternative doctor recommended D-Mannose. It really worked like a charm. Buy the product at the Health Food Store. I do also believe in the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice as a cure. Make sure it's the Organic apple cider with the mother in it. Here's to natural cures that really work, stay away from antibiotics if you can.

Hi, I'd like to leave a comment about Apple Cider Vinegar and blueberry juice(not from concentrate) for bladder infection. It has so far worked twice for me. As a person who gets uti"s cronically, I am so happy to finally be rid of antibiotics for this ailment.

My stomach burns occasionally as well when I drink ACV. It's highly acidic so if need be I will take an antacid with it to balance myself out. Try it!

don't use an antacid.... I don't think those are good for you, and might cause upset stomach.

instead, mix the ACV with baking soda before ingesting. it will bubble up, which is the acid and alkaline mixing. after the bubbles have receded, ok to ingest

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) should not be taken on an empty stomach as it can cause burning. Take it with food each time. This method is also an effective acid reflux/indigestion treatment for many. As far as long term benefits/issues, one should drink ACV with a straw to limit frequent acid contact on teeth.

How to take: 1-3 Tsp ACV (unpasturized, unfiltered) to 1cup water. You may add 2-3 tsp honey (preferrably raw, unfiltered) to make it more palitable.

Drink 1 cup, through a straw, 3 times per day with food.

Honey dissolves much easier in warm, not hot, water Hot water over 130 degrees will kill the good enzymes which make this treatment effective. If you prefer cold drinks make a large batch and refrigerate after dissolving the honey.

I usually get cystitis. Have been on a lot of antibiotics which now I seem immuned. After much reading, I am now staying away of acidy drinks, green tea, chocolate and especially wine. Also, even though I have no discharge bought a yeast kit. Within three days, burning was gone. STAY AWAY FROM ALL FRUIT JUICES.

I take with pinch of baking soda. Takes away nasty taste. There is another thread which takes care of uti with apple cider vinegar and baking soda.

I've had blood in urine three times and of course we are told that such symptoms might be a tumor. But before going to an MD, I first tried colloidal silver to see if the problem was viral or bacterial. All three times the blood stopped after taking four or five "swallows" of silver over a day and a half.

It takes antibiotics a few days to actually work fully, so Apple Cider Vinegar should be given the same amount of time to completely work as long as the symptoms seem to be abating.

UTI: I'm in pain. Took 2oz of ACV in water followed by plain water.. now have the worst stomach cramps, distended and bowels hurting.

I posted of incredible pain after taking the ACV and water.. By 2:30 am I called the Triage nurse at the VA, and after doing all the questions she said I should come in.. It was 3:00am and I just felt like the pain was too great to drive safely, yet not enough to call 911.. I had done grapefruit juice and olive oil 10 years ago, but thought I had to be on a semi cleanse before it.. Last ditch effort, I did olive oil, lemon and 1/2 orange, laid down and went to sleep. Woke up with no pain!

I have been struggling with a uti for the last week. I am a believer of the Apple Cider Vinegar regimen and have been taking 1 Tbs. Of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with cranberry juice (no sugar added)for close to a year now. I cannot understand why this has happened. I started cranberry extract (1 tbs)3X a day, the sea salt and water, and alka seltzer. Nothing seems to be helping. I am desperate, but hate to have to resort to antibiotics. Why is my body resistant to these remedies?

Cindy.... Have been there too many times to count. Go get Uva Ursi capsules, and take two at nite and two in the morning and you will clear it up probably for good like I did. Also, my daughter had the same results.

Hi Cindy, I don't know your age but I started getting the infections at around 50. Now I am a lot better and one of the things I do is always use lube when I have sex. Also peeing just after seems to help. I have to say that I have a lot less now, maybe once a year and then the only thing that helps is either drinking an awful lot of water right from the beginning or else, if that fails, penicillin for three days. I had a bladder exam and everything was ok, with my kidneys too but the gentleman told me to wash with a special soap every day: Marseille soap (you probably can't get it). Now I have it once a year-I am not too bothered anymore but of course I would love to get rid of them all together!

Laramie, Thank you for the info. Am currently on antibiotics for 5 days. I hate to admit that I resorted to this, especially after reading that the antibiotic is used on Anthrax patients. Again thank you for taking the time to help. Will get the capsules for future use.

Francisca, thank you for your response all the way from France. I am 66 years young and in good health. I do get them on an average of once a year as well, and wait too long to get relief. I am currently on an antibiotic but am taking probiotics at different intervals. I will try to locate the soap. Another post recommended Uva ursi capsules that I will keep on hand/ Good luck with your efforts.

I suffered through the second bladder infection of my life a year ago at age 40 (and no med insurance). For three days I tried the most popular natural remedy I knew of: 'raw' cran juice or cran capsules (I used both, with tons of water). This provided barely tolerable results, with no real signs of improvement, until my dad recommended the ACV treatment he'd read about on this site. I tried the 'recipe' he gave me, and was absolutely AMAZED at the VERY quick results. My 'situation' only required 3 doses, over about 3 hrs, and all symptoms disappeared (for good). I felt about 50% better after ONLY 1/2 HR of drinking first dose of remedy. And I felt completely symptom free after 2 more doses over next 2 or 3 hours. Each dose consisted of just 2 Tbls ACV (organic, non filtered, brown colored ONLY) w/ dash of baking soda (for alkaline balance(?)I think)in approx 6-8 oz water (which I 'slammed' down- very bitter. ), while still drinking lots of plain water over the next 12 or so hrs, just to help flush out infection.

Quick note of information I wanted to pass on (and a topic which remains controversial- so I don't mean to offend anyone who doesn't agree :), but the logic made sense to me anyway:
Not all herbal/natural remedies, as 'harmless' as they may seem, may be the healthiest choice to take daily for preventative purposes. Many are not FDA approved or monitored, and therefore can be as potent, or even MORE potent, than their respective prescription counterparts. Also, daily, frequent usage might prove ineffective over time(i. e. Due to tolerance increase). An MD recently warned me about the dangers of taking natural/herbal remedies to compliment a prescription drug to help treat or cure an illness faster or more effectively. Most prescription drugs have natural roots or base to begin with, so toxicity may occur if also adding one or more of the drugs base herbs. (Glad I finally met an MD who is educated on these matters. I have 'doubled up' many times in past hoping for quicker recovery, and wasn't aware of dangers. ) So I now do extensive research on any/all natural remedies I take, even if just intended for short time use. Except for some vitamins, I now only take any remedies on an 'as needed' basis, and have found this to provide the best results. Again, controversal topic, but just passing on for FYI purposes:)

I just wanted to add my two cents here because I suffered with recurrent bladder and yeast infections for many years and doctors would always say that it was no big deal and send me home with yet another prescription for antibiotics. What I discovered on my own, was that hormonal imbalance was really the culprit. I had been on birth control pills for about 8 years when all of this started. After I stopped taking the pill, I had infections much less frequently, but they would still come back.

What finally worked for me was a combination of wild yam and vitex capsules, taken daily for two or three months. Both of these herbs are natural hormone balancers. They do not contain any actual hormones, but they will stimulate the body to produce hormones in the proper amounts.

[YEA] I just wanted to reply to this thread because this site was so helpful! I woke up with a horrible UTI on New Year's Day. Of course it being Saturday and a holiday there was nothing open until Monday. Also, this was my fourth UTI in three months. I didn't want another round of antibiotics!

I read through many of the threads and my hubby and I decided we would treat it ourselves. He made me a "cocktail" 3x a day for two days until the symptoms subsided and then I took it 2x a day for another two days. The "cocktail" consisted of 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a shot glass mixed with some sea salt (to kill some of the tartness) and cranberry juice. I shot it like it was nasty cheap liquor. (I cannot stand the smell and taste of vinegar. ) I was able to get it down by holding my nose and drinking something else immediately afterwards. I also took AZO cranberry tablets, 2 tabs 2x a day, drank a glass or two of cranberry juice daily, and plenty of water. At night I would take a Vitamin C tablet to increase the acidity of my urine overnight.

Monday I had residual pain and went in for a urine culture and I was bacteria-free! My doctor doesn't believe I even had one when I told him, but as a woman, you know when you have a severe UTI. I also avoided sugar and alcohol while I was treating it to reduce the amount of "food" I was providing the bacteria. :) For maintanence I take AZO cranberry tablets once a day and a vitamin C tablet at night. So far, so good. :)

Yesterday afternoon, I was showing signs of a UTI (pain, frequency, etc). I tried the mixture of lemon juice, cranberry juice, & ACV. I also mixed a little water in with it as well. I drank 2 glasses before bed. This morning, I feel WORLDS better! Way less frequency, almost no pain. I will continue to drink this miracle juice for the next several days. Probably 4-5 times a day, as I read online that you can't really drink too much of it. I am kind of blown away at how great this has worked! Instead of worrying about seeing a doctor & the negative side effects of taking antibiotics, I will definitely be doing this instead next time!

I was a skeptic but considering I woke up at 4 am with a bladder infection I thought it couldn't hurt to try one of the natural remedies. Since baking soda was the easiest to prepare and drink I started by taking 1/2 tsp with a cup of water, then did it again about a half hour later. When I read all of the comments regarding ACV, I decided I would give that a try also--2 Tbl in a cup of water. I did this three times over a two hour period. By 11 am I was feeling much better, still had blood in my urine, but the discomfort was reduced. Can I say it was the ACV or baking soda, or maybe just all of the fluids I consumed? I guess I'll never know. Mainly, I'm glad I did not have to use any antibiotics.

Hello Annie from Tennessee,

Sorry you and your daughter are sick and glad to hear that she is much better. You didn't say whether there are any males in your household and whether they also came down with UTI's about the same time as you and your daughter. There are some bacterial infections you can catch (bladder infections in particular can start from below) and travel up the short urethra on the female, but usually not with the male, which is why your doctor is more concerned with the male's UTI than the females (also they are less likely to get an infection from faulty wiping than females).

The first thing I would suspect in UTI's in multiple family members is something in the water or other drinks consumed. but this should hit both sexes, if there are males in your household. So my first question is did your water supply look peculiar, smell peculiar, or taste peculiar in the week or two before these problems started.

Hopefully your doctor did a urine culture and sensitivity on both you and your daughter. Be sure and ask him/her (the receptionist should be able to handle that) for a copy of both the C&S results. Believe me, it is simpler to mail a copy than it is to try to write down some of these crazy sounding infections while someone else is spelling them over the phone.

Off hand I can not recall any infection that might give one's skin a greenish tone, (have seen a greenish discharge from external otitis (pseuodmonas which is often called swimmer's ear) and I seriously doubt that ACV could color the skin any color but the color of ACV. However I have been told that taking a lot of colloidal silver will turn your skin blue. My son said he saw a man on TV (just now asked him what shade of blue he was and he said "he looked like a smurf, dark blue") that was attributed to his taking colloidal regularly for a long time. Apparently the only problem he had from it was the color of his skin, but apparently no one had been able to come up with any way to return his skin to normal color.

I do have two suggesions for both you and your daughter. If you are using bubble bath, STOP! It has been known to cause bladder infections, and anything that infects the bladder can possibly travel up the ureters to the kidneys. Fortunately, the blaldder infections let us know that we have them in a hurry, but kidney infections can sneak up on you and just about kill you before you know you have them.

The other suggestion is for both of you also. Stop drinking carbonated beverages of any kind because they can cause swelling in the kidneys that lets them spill protein in the urine (which is not normal for them to do).

Finally, I have a request. Be sure to have your daughter checked again when those antibiotics are finished to make sure the urine is clear. The recheck may not be necessary if you had a culture and sensitivity report that states the pathogen was sensitive to the antibiotic.

If the skin doesn't return to normal when the infection is gone, some doctor is going to have a time trying to determine the cause, and trying to find a way to return her skin tone to normal. Please keep us informed and I personally would love to know whether both of you had the same pathogen. Deirdre can give you my e-mail address if you'd like.

I just had another thought. Is this your daughter's first UTI or has she had several. I happened to think about a co-worker in the past who was telling me about her 5 year old granddaughter and her having one UTI after another since she was about age 2. Her doctor was stumped as to what was causing it. After discussing the carbonated beverages/bubble bath connections and finding both were negative in her case, I suggested that it probably had an allergic connection and the infection would follow something causing swelling and congestion in the UT and that the best way to find it was for the parents and caretakers to keep a record of everything that the child ate or drank, or even chewin gum, because it was going to be something that the child ate or drank very often triggering the UTI's. Approximately 1-2 months later, my co-worker elatedly said "We found it, we found it". I had forgotten the conversation and replied "I didn't know it was lost. What did you find?" She then floored me when she told me what our family detectives had found triggered the child's UTI's. It was Flintstone vitamins (those cute little dinosaur shaped vitamins that had blue, red, green etc. colored ones in the same bottle). She hadn't had another UTI since they stopped them. Then she said they were very concerned because they felt she needed some vitamins, but how could they find some that wouldn't cause a problem with the kidneys. I told her that I knew you could find adult vitamins that were uncolored and unflavored, but she would probably have to go a health food place to ask if they carried uncolored and unflavored vitamins for children. I was as surprised as they were at the cause - vitamins are supposed to make you healthy, not sick. Happily, she later reported that they did find an unflavored, uncolored vitamin that the child would take and they created no problems.

I typed in "any pathogenic infection that can cause a greenish tinge to the skin" web search. The 1st reference was on vet. medicine but was unable to pull anything up on it - just a book ID. Went down & found one on psuedomonas & pulled it up.

Very interesting. Pseudomonas UTI apparently also has a green tinged exudate, and has an odor like wet hay (they don't recommend you deliberately smell it unless you want some of the same pseudomonas infection you're smelling.

Now what I learned is something that EC'ers should know. It seems that dear old pseudomonas (let's shorten this to pseudo) developed resistance to lots of things, including antibiotics, and apparently to the vinegar, since the person answering the questions from spinal cord injury people, said they actually loved vinegar. They also stated that one strain of pseudomonas actually survived in jet fuel. I think that somewhere in the past I mentioned in EC that when I went to work at a new hospital (l960's). We were told by the fellow working in respiratory care that they had discovered that they were spreading the newest scourge in the hospitals in the oxygen equipment (remember old psuedo likes it moist or wet) and the way that they stopped it was by soaking the equipment in 1 part vinegar to 7 parts water solution. You might want to post this link in EC for as an alert. However, it is still doubtful that ingesting the vinegar/water would
cause a pseudo UTI because the hydrochloric acid in the stomach should have killed off the pseudo before it got to the kidneys.