This is unbelievable. As soon as my mom gets through a session of antibiotics for a UTI, two weeks later she has another one. This has been going on for about 7 months now. She has a faulty bladder that does not empty properly but I just can't deal with this anymore. She has been hospitalized twice and is now in rehab after falling, again.
I'm going to talk to here PCP about putting her on a daily dose of low antibiotics. I'm also going to see if a permanent catheter might help with this problem. I'm not kidding folks. As soon as she is cleared of one UTI she gets another. I am at my wits end. She was independent until all this started and now she is just sick all the time from the UTIs. Please, someone, offer us some help.
1) Watch really carefully to see how she is wiping her bottom after a bowel motion. If she wipes from back to front at any stage, she is transferring the (I think it’s) ecoli from the feces forward to where the bladder empties just by the vagina. She should be reaching behind her, not backwards between her legs. That will cause a fresh UTI. She might have started to do this because it’s actually an easier movement, but it’s a seriously bad move.
2) This could be one where drinking cranberry juice regularly could help. It’s not strong enough to cure anything, but it probably makes the bladder a bit more resistant.
3) Are you sure that her UTIs are being cultured and tested fully? I had one that didn’t clear up in spite of the antibiotic that the doctor prescribed immediately. When the full test came back from the lab, it was a different unusual infection, and cleared up with a different antibiotic.
4) To help her empty her bladder completely, she should sit on the toilet seat with her knees apart, lean forward to compress her stomach, and push.
I hope this helps a little bit. Yours with sympathy to both!
I had frequent bladder infections that often moved to my kidney, and was under threat of daily doses a bit more than a decade ago. It was recommended I try D-Mannose, one capsule daily. I had no faith in this as, as an RN, I don't really believe in supplements and vitamins without a very good reason. I tried it and I haven't had a single UTI in over a decade. Works much like cranberry but not acidic. Keeps bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall. Easy to take and if capsule too large to swallow break open and put in food. Very slight sweet to tasteless. Worth a try. Has worked for others I have recommended it to I would say 80% of the time. I use Source Natural, about 30.00 for 120 capsules on Amazon, but I suspect they are all much the same.
My mother gets them too. She’s had at least three this past year. She responds well to Cipro.
Sugar also feeds yeast, and I don’t have to tell you how that ends up. Yikes!
My daughter says doctors start out with a broad spectrum antibiotic. What you to make sure is done is that a culture is taken to see what bacteria they are dealing with so the correct antibiotic is given. If she leans foward, that helps to void. Sitting a little longer may give her the urge to go again. My Moms doctor asked that she get a sling to out her bladder back in place. She refused. A catheter maybe her best bet but as Alva says, they can also cause UTIs.
She resists taking in all this fluid because it makes her go to the bathroom more often. For me, the Vitamin C tablet has worked the best.
I am now 51 and am antibiotic resistant. Any time I need antibiotics, I have to take a very high dose. And the pill itself is huge, like swallowing a rock. Sometimes they hurt my stomach. I hate it.
Granted, at your mom’s age, getting resistant may not be as much of an issue.
Not everyone is the same but it sounds like your mom (and you) could use a trip to A urologist who deals with elderly paitents.
Your mom needs to have a check with a urologist.
In the meantime, she should try using Greek yogurt with live cultures.
Good luck.
My mom does not remember to wipe, nor does she really know how when you remind her. Have you thought about installing a bidet onto her toilet? You can get one for about $100 and it's a relatively easy installation. I think if you have elderly folks who do not bathe frequently and have accidents in their pants and who don't wipe well or at all, I think flushing the area with water from a bidet might be helpful at keeping their bottoms clean. I don't know how involved you are when she uses the toilet, but you would more than likely need to be involved in the use of the bidet (pushing the button and helping her dry off) unless your mom is really high functioning. Making sure she is changing her underpants daily or several times a day if needed is also a good idea.
This is a hard one because they still want their privacy and you don't want to be insulting, but you also don't want them back in the hospital.
Dehydration is a risk factor for a UTI.
What I do for my mother is make sure that she drinks enough water daily, which isn't a problem for her, because I add a little bit of lemonade flavor. Also, when I make her water bottle, I add Vitamin C, Magnesium Chloride, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar.
I also wipe her bottom 100% of the time to make sure that it's wiped from front to back.
She is 96 and has not had a UTI.
Peace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=901R1dGMdII
Best of luck to you!
1 - Putting her on a toileting schedule. Every 2-3 hours while awake, she must be placed an the toilet and encouraged "to go."
2 - Thorough cleaning every time she soils herself with urine or stool. Washing must be from front to back using a mild soap and water. Dirty or wet undergarments must be changed promptly. If she can sit on a commode, a bidet attachment can help with clean-ups.
3 - Plenty of non-caffeinated fluids throughout the day. Many seniors are dehydrated and don't have a good thirst drive when they need more fluids. Make sure she drinks about 2 liters of fluids daily. If she has a fluid restriction from her doctor, use that "number" as your guide.
4 - Some folks have success with low dose hormones in the genital area (vagina and meatus areas) to boost tissues in those areas. Some claim that is helps to thwart infections. I'm not convinced, but talk with her doctor about it.
Why he takes the antibiotic at night that is when the urine pools and the bacteria grow. Since he has been on this regiment he hasn't had an UTI at all. My husband had a catheter put in all that did was give him a lot of pain and made it where he had a bad UTI which he was on stronger antibiotics.
I would wait and give the low dose of antibiotics a try take them at night and with a cranberry pill too to see if that works for her.
Prayers
So there are many different variables to consider as to the cause of frequent UTIs. Hygiene, underlying illness including autoimmune disease, bacterial colonization, foreign bodies, (stents, kidney stones), proper treatment without delay & more. Not long ago I came across my maternal grandmother’s death certificate. Listed as a cause of death was UTI with septicemia.