I must say I am not convinced by efficiacy of DMannose. I know a lot of people swear by it, but do wonder if there have been any real, proper trials on this. Suppose it cannot do any harm to take them, except on your pocket!!!
So many myths surround this horrible infection. Cranberry juice is the biggest, I have even had Doctors tell me to drink that.
I suffered my first cystitus attack four weeks after giving birth to my first baby - did not even known what it was, ended up in A&E in Christmas Day in 1969. My next attack was three year later, whilst in hospital following the birth of my third baby.
Then I would get it every few months, and despite always trying the 'flush it away with water', always required anti-biotics to clear it up. Even, to the extent at one time of my GP giving my a signed, but undated prescription for these so I could use it as necessary!!!
Could never tie these attacks into anything I had or had not eaten. Did note that if I was at all run down they were more likely. Became to recognise the first signs and knew not to ignore them in hopes they would go away. I kept 'sample' bottles at home, so I could very quickly take one to my GP surgery in order to obtain an ab prescription as quickly as possible.
Once, few years back, when I was getting an attack every few weeks, a lovely (Lady), Doctor suggested I went onto Vagifem, 3x a day, slowly decreasing. This actually worked like a dream and I then went a good few years without a further attack,.
In the middle of my house move couple of years ago I got a bad attack, 7-day course of ab's seemed to deal with it, but it returned on Day 9. Over next five weeks, I had six different courses of anti-biotics, plus one trip to A&E late on a Saturday night, and a further one on another Saturday night to the nearest late-night GP service. Each time, the infection seemed different, needing different ab's.
I was by then feeling very unwell, and asked for referral to Urology, which I got within a week. There a camera showed a growth in my bladder. Far from that worrying me it was a relief - at least I now had proof I was not 'imagining' it all. As this brought me under the oncology department, everything happened very quickly. I was put on to a low dose daily ab's for continuous use. And, within four weeks was called in for this growth to be checked properly (under general anaesthetic). The growth was completely removed, and checked - and found NOT to be cancerous.
I stayed on that low dose daily course for a further six months, but was then advised to slowly reduce them until I stopped. By that time I had moved and was now under different GP and Hospital. Final check few months back, showed no regrowth, although bladder very scarred showing that I had constant cystitus attacks over the years. Since that growth was removed I have only had ONE cystitus attack - and that was when I was particularly stressed out in the final weeks prior to contracts being exchanged.
I still keep sample bottles and some dip sticks in my bathroom - but thank heaven, have not needed to use these now for eighteen months. I am scrupulously careful about ensuring that I do drink a large amount of fluid (mainly water), every day- even having a good drink on my loo visits at night. I never let myself even start to feel thirsty, and keep bottle of water with me wherever I go.
