The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Bladder Infection Causes
Posted by Rosey (San Francisco, CA) on 01/09/2009
There should be a section about causes for bladder infections. I realized mine were being casued my Method laundry detergent. I constantly had pain, but it went away the week the bottle of soap ran out. Always buy frangance free soap. Same goes for non-bleached tampons, ladies!
Bladder Infection Causes
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 01/10/2009 490 posts
I hope everyone already knows to avoid all bubble baths because they are also known to cause bladder infections.
D-Mannose
Posted by Jan (Seattle, Wa) on 01/07/2009
★★★★★
D-Mannose powder (simple sugar) eliminates urinary tract infection quickly (24-48 hours) and safely by causing the bacteria to be flushed right out of the body with normal urination. D-Mannose is easy to buy, your local Health Food store has it.
It is a shame and unforgivable that doctors are not recommending this product - to people and to pets! I have small 16 years old dog, the dosage I use - 1/2 teaspoon with a little of her favorite treats crumbled in it - 3 times for only 1 to 2 days, and the infection is gone! (No more blood in urine, no rotten smell.) It works like a magic for people and pets! No antibiotic needed!
Alka Seltzer
Posted by Oxalates (Can Cause Pain) on 03/04/2018
I read oxalates can cause cystitislike symptoms and kidney stones, which can be sharp and may cause blood in urine. Chocolate has oxalates.
Vitamin E
Posted by Mary (Nowhere, VA) on 10/17/2008
★★★★★
Feminine itching/irritation: Vitamin E oil works great for that most personal itching and irritation. Just insert a gelcap at bedtime and morning. Don't forget to wear a pad, it can ruin your clothes. I had an extremely itchy irritation going that was caused by a UTI. Of course getting rid of the UTI helped, but it was completely relieved by the Vitamin E.
Baking Soda
Posted by Donna (Bozeman, Montana) on 09/27/2008
★★★★★
I recently drank baking soda in water to try and treat a UTI that came on very suddenly. I saw somewhere online to take 1 tsp baking soda in 2 cups of water. Then an hour or two later, I took 1 tsp of the baking soda in 1 cup of water, then it said to have some chamomile tea after that. I did this, then repeated with some baking soda water (about 1 tsp per cup or cup and a half) several times over the next day or two. I was prepared to take some antibiotics that my husband had stopped taking from a recent dental procedure, because I was doubtful that the baking soda would work, but Voila! I was cured of the UTI symptoms with just the baking soda water and trying to drink/void more often.
The bonus was, I had the beginnings of a vaginal infection, and that also went away. And the sore throat/bad cold that I was fighting subsided much more quickly than I thought, once I started taking the baking soda. I'm very interested in all the varied claims, and how it can work. I worry a little about the saltiness of the baking soda, but think if I use it moderately, then supplement with folic acid and B vitamin supplements, plus increase my calcium intake, that hopefully I should be okay.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Baking Soda
Posted by Sue (Montreal, Canada) on 06/09/2008
★★★★★
I had this horrible bladder infection yesterday and drank water and tea all day. It helped me go to the bathroom but the burning would not go away. I found a receipe on the web: boil 3 onions in 4 or 5 cups of water and drink the juice. I tried that and the burning did not go away. I drank herbal tea 3 kinds cranberry, echinnacea, cherry stem tea. I helped a bit but got fed up and drank lukewarm water with baking soda (2cups) That did it. Another cup of echinnacea. Today I feel much better and went to natural food store and bought probiotic, apple cider and cranberry pills. I will have more baking soda later tonight. Sue
Apple Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt
Posted by Annie-Lou (British Columbia, Canada) on 03/24/2008
★★★★★
Like so many of you said " I'm sooo grateful to have come across this site". I drank down 1 1/2 Tbsp. of ACV in 6 oz of luke warm water followed by 1 tsp.of sea salt in 6 oz. of lukewarm water for my bladder infection. That was roughly 1 hr. ago. I not only feel "MUCH" beter, I feel happy. Love natural remedies especially when they work this fast!
Cranberry
Posted by Stella (Cleveland, Ohio) on 02/27/2008
★★★★★
I had a pretty bad Bladder infection and did not want to take antibiotics so I bought cheap Cranberry pills at the drugstore, took 4 tablets 2x a day along with Tea tree oil mixed with Water and Hydrogen peroxide on the area with a cotton ball a few times a day and it started to go away within 24 hrs. I also took a bath in epsom salt.
Alka Seltzer
Posted by Dana (Fort Worth, Texas) on 12/16/2007
★★★★★
Hi! I had the definate beginnings of a UTI last night, and it was getting worse. I took magnesium and zinc, tried to drink sea salt in water (didn't make it too far, since burning pee is bad enough w/o drinking an emetic), and then took the alka seltzer. So, it could've been a combination of these remedies, but as soon as I took the alka seltzer it was GONE. Woo-hoo! Just thought it needed more emphasis as a possible remedy, it's something you might have around the house (b/c these things always seem to hit at night! Why is that?!), and it won't hurt anything to give it a try, as compared to trying to drink salt water or ACV, either of which to me are worse than the infection. Oh, and I just remembered I also drank some lemon juice in water last night, so maybe that helped some too. Hope this helps somebody!
Sea Salt
Posted by Dave K (Denver, CO) on 10/30/2007
★★★★★
I just wanted to tell your site visitors about how I got rid of my urinary tract infection without taking antibiotics. I am male, 45 yrs old. I took D-mannose pills, 3 pills three times a day for a week and the buning at the tip of the penis persisted, even with drinking a lot of fluids, mostly water and cranberry juice.
I was discouraged because I had only a minor infection in the tip of the eurethra and yet I still couldn't get rid of it. BUT then I tried two teaspoons of 100% natural unbleached sea salt and started getting better immediately.( but it almost made me vomit ...I'm glad I held it down).
I also read at that time that baking soda or alka seltzer could reduce acidity in my system and that seemed to help keep symptoms from creeping back as well. I still think the sea salt which is also alkalizing, unlike regular salt, did the most good.(I also read that it replenishes lost salts and minerals that are unfortunatly washed away becuase of drinking some much fluid.) I kept up the D mannose as well until I felt fine for thee days or so (reducing the # of pills from 3 to 2 to 1 gradually).
Urinate After Sex
Posted by LJ (Nevada City, California) on 10/02/2007
★★★★★
First I want to say, I started taking ACV orally and topically after stumbling on this site for my acne, and it really helped!! So thanks. As for Urinary Tract Infections. I find that peeing and cleaning yourself after sex is the BEST CURE. Before I knew this I got UTI's very frequently, and now I practically never do. Last week, unfortunately, I got a UTI and I think it was because I waited too long to pee after intercourse. Do it within 10 minutes!! Don't let the bacteria settle in!! Your urine will kill those pesky bacteria!! I started taking cranberry pills and drinking tons of water as soon as I knew I had an infection, and it helped. I have read to avoid coffee, alcohol, and sex while you have a UTI, and I believe this is true. I had sex again when I thought my UTI was almost gone, and it flared up within a few hours!!! I try to eat lots of asparagus when I have a UTI, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, coffee, sugary drinks, and take ACV in tea twice a day. My UTI went away after a few days, though not as fast as I thought it would. But, I did break a couple of rules a couple times (had drinks with a friend, had sex with my bf, etc.) So take care of yourself, and avoid the temptation!!! Don't let the UTI spread to your kidneys, as that can be very dangerous. If you feel pain in your lower back with a UTI, that could indicate infection in the kidneys, and I would recommend seeing your doctor asap!!
D-Mannose
Posted by Jake (Chicago, USA) on 09/05/2007
★★★★★
D-Mannose cured my urinary tract infection in one day, mostly overnight. I researched on the internet before I knew about earthclinic several months ago and found D-Mannose touted for UTI. My understanding was that it prevented bacteria from clinging to the wall of the bladder thereby helping the bacteria on its way out of your system, and in fact it worked like magic.
D-Mannose
Posted by Ami (Mountain View, California) on 09/04/2007
★★★★★
I saw a desparate help comment from Anonymous in Australia. I used D-Mannose from
www.sweet-cures.com and it cured my long-standing bladder infection. I hope I can mention the specific brand, because I tried three other brands of D-Mannose before and they did nothing. D-Mannose from sweet-cures started working overnight. I was getting bladder infections repeatedly (every 2 weeks even after the antibiotic treatment) and finally, my Dr gave told me to take antibiotics every time I have sex, but I didn't want to do that and I started researching. I tried cranberry capsules and that didn't work, and I actually tried D-Mannose too (different brands - some had other herbs/vitamins in it, but I believe one brand was just D-Mannose), and that didn't work. I ordered D-Mannose from UK and that one worked practially over night! I was still starting to get the feeling in my bladder a couple of times even after D-Mannose got rid of it once, so when I felt the feeling, I took D-Mannose a couple of times in a row and it would go away. It's been about 3 years since I took D-Mannose last and I haven't had any bladder infections since. From what I know, D-mannose is a type of sugar - simple sugar - but it attaches to E.coli and Klebsiella.
D-Mannose
Posted by Edith (Cambridge, UK) on 02/28/2009
★★★★★
My experience of D-Mannose chimes in with Ami in California. After months of trying many of the remedies recommended on your and other pages + antibiotics originally, I found that for me, D-mannose taken an hour before and then after sex and then a few hours later has liberated me from bladder-lining cramp and infection. I never used to suffer from this until being post-menopausal... so probably due to decreased protection from oestrogen. Please try it to see if it suits you.
White Vinegar
Posted by Laura (Ottawa, Canada) on 05/26/2008
★☆☆☆☆
I tried white vinegar and water for my bladder infection, and it did not work at all. I put 2-3 tablespoons in a tall glass of water, then drank another glass of just water immediately afterwards. Maybe the infection was already too far along for the vinegar to be effective, but I just ended up with a sore throat and a vinegar taste in my mouth while I was sitting in the emergency room of the hospital at 1:00 am that morning.
Lemon
Posted by Linda (Vancouver, Canada) on 08/14/2007
★★★★★
re: Lemons w/ White Vinegar and Bking Soda -- Right now I actually am starting to get a bladder infection. I'm freaking out because it is SO painful and I dont want to take any antibotics for it. So I came onto this website and tried the lemon wedges. They totally helped me! The pain is going away. I also tried the white vingar and baking soda remedy (boy did that taste aweful!) and it's also working! I am so happy. I'm going to consume both of those remedies at least 2 more times today. Thanks for your help, it's greatly appreciated.
Alka Seltzer
Posted by Mari (Santa Cruz, CA) on 08/12/2007
★★★★★
After drinking a whole bottle of 100% cranberry juice to cure a bladder infection, I tried the Alka-Seltzer cure I read about on this web-site. It worked almost immediately! Thank you for supplying this useful information.
Alka Seltzer
Posted by Tina (Oak Park, Michigan) on 06/05/2007
★★★★★
I recently had a uti that went from urgency to pain complete with blood in urine in less then 30 minutes. I immediately left work and went to purchase some alka seltzer. Took two tablets dissolved as instructed and drank it. It almost instantly relieved the pain, burning, and pressure I felt. It works!!!!!
Alka Seltzer
Posted by Lia (Atlanta, GA) on 06/23/2008
★★★★★
yes, it works right away!! just tried the original alka seltzer and soooo glad i did. well worth a try!!
Asparagus
Posted by CKirtz (Laguna Hills, Ca) on 05/27/2009
★★★★★
I get chronic bladder infections as well. I dont think many people know about this. I dont believe in natural remedies only preventatives but when I eat asparagus and have a bladder infection it helps so much. I greatly advise trying this remedy.
Cranberry
Posted by Linda (TX) on 08/03/2021
Isn't Gatorade loaded with sugar?
Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) 392 posts
Dear Pat: If I have a bladder infection or even a kidney problems, yes, vitamin C and citric acid is not helpful. But it is NOT the vitamin C or the citric acid being the problem. It is the pH of the things you are consuming. In event of this problem (uti), the pH should be over 8.
Vitamin C are of two types and people tend to lump them all together. One is the ascorbic acid which is acid and tends to promote bacteria growth by acidity. A sodium ascorbate vitamin C has a pH of about 8 and it prevents bacterial growth. A vitamin C can be both a pro-oxidant and an anti-oxidant depending on the pH. Vitamin C is a two edge sword. If the vitamin C is acid, it is a pro-oxidant. If the vitamin C is alkalline it is an anti-oxidant.
Citric acid and sodium citrate are very different, but chemically they are the similar in most ways, but at different pH.
When a baking soda is reacted with citric acid, it becomes sodium citrate and its pH is over 8. So in event of a kidney and bladder infection whatever you eat, its pH should be 8, or at least 7.
How do I know this is the issue. You mentioned you were helped with baking soda and ACV. The pH is about 7, but if reacted long enough it is between 7.5 to 8.0
It is the same with the other ones. It helps therefore to get a good pH paper and measure it and make sure it is alkaline and pH is about 8 in event of an infection.
Sea salt -- 1 teaspoon one dose only in one glass of water usually will kill the bladder infection. But for tough cases take this along with cranberry juice and some baking soda to increase the alkalinity of cranberry juice to about pH of 8. Sea salt pH is quite often pH is between 7.5 to 8.5. A good quality sea salt will have a pH of 8, a very bad one I have seen (overprocessed overpurified) can be as low as 6. A good sea salt is light brown and never bleached white.
