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.
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!!
Oregano Oil
Posted by Adam (Tucson, Arizona) on 11/24/2009
I have used oregano oil in the past for a couple things, but I am wondering, which type of oil did you use and how much. All the oregano oil I have seen is very strong and I haven't found a good way to dilute it. Thanks.
EC: Most health food stores will carry Wild Oregano Oil in capsule form. Whole Foods has a few great brands!
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.
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.
D-Mannose
Posted by Tonya (Portland, USA) on 07/23/2007
★★★★★
I recently got a bladder infection that worsened a few days before leaving town for the week. I had been trying to cure it with cranberry juice & pills, lots of water, and accupressure. It only got worse, even though these remedies had worked in the past. Desperate, I went to my doc before leaving town and he prescribed antibiotics. I cried - I hate the stomach trouble and yeast infection that ALWAYS follow this treatment. I read your site the night before flying out and decided to give d-mannose a try since a friend once reccomended it. MIRACLE! The next day I felt much better (no more bladder/kidney pain) and within two days the burning sensation ceased. I don't know how I would have made it through my flight otherwise! It's now been 4 days and my infection is steadily improving and with much quicker results than I ever got with cranberry pills. If you've tried other natural remedies and they don't work, TRY D-MANNOSE!
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.
D-Mannose
Posted by Melinda (Arlington, VA) on 03/15/2007
★★★★★
I've been having regular bouts of urinary tract infections and in the past I've HAD to go on antibiotics - after trying cranberry juice, UTI-Clear (Native Remedies product), and AZO pills. I've had a UTI for the past couple of days and it seemed to be getting worse. I looked on your site and found D-Mannose. I went to Whole Foods first thing this morning and bought a bottle. I started feeling better within about 30 minutes of taking it. When I got home this evening, I was starting to feel a little pain again, and so I took another dose of D-Mannose. I feel SO much better! THANK YOU!!
D-Mannose
Posted by Adrian (Pensacola, Fl) on 03/12/2007
★★★★★
I tried D-Mannose after suffering with a UTI for over a week. I tried 0 cranberry juice, AZO cranberry tablets, and NOTHING seemed to work. I found this site and decided to try the D-Mannose. I am forever doubtful of things sounding too good to be true. In one day I am feeling 100% better! I told my husband that I could not believe that this stuff works this fast. He does not believe it's possible. All that I can say is I suffered for over a week, and right now I feel wonderful!!
Cranberry
Posted by Linda (TX) on 08/03/2021
Isn't Gatorade loaded with sugar?
Water
Posted by Tanja (Canada) on 12/13/2006
★★★★★
I did my research and THEE BEST home remedy for a bladder infection is... 1) Drink LOTS of water! Just keep taking water down! It will help flush out the bacteria that causes the inflammations! 2) Take vitamin C 3) Have a warm bath! It helps relieve the burning. I have had this bladder infection for about 2 days and now that i am drinking a HUGE amount of water the burning is going away... and i have to go to the bathroom a lot which is a great thing because it gives me the chance to drain all of the bacteria.
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Trudy (Netherlands) on 10/09/2006
★★★★★
I tried everything for bladder disease. The regular doctor prescribed Nitrofurantoin... so bad.. it causes even bladder disease... so I became very very ill ONLY COLLOIDAL SILVERWATER was THE REMEDY( for E-coli). Bladder disease was gone. Afterwords I took DMannose...very good..no pain anymore...also good for interstitial cystitis...really true. I have to tell this for the doctor did not know that Nitrofurantoin causes bladder disease. read: Natural Medicine Encyclopedia C.Norman Shealy.
Watermelon Seed Tea
Posted by London (Sandusky, Ohio) on 04/28/2009
★★★★★
Watermelon seed tea works for Bladder Infections. Just sprinkle about a half teaspoon in a mug and a cup of hot water. Take about 3 times a day, everyday until the pain is gone. Very effective. It has a bland taste.
Goldenseal and Echinacea
Posted by Natili (Montpelier, VT) on 03/21/2006
★★★★★
[reports that goldenseal and echinachea cured her UTI.]
D-Mannose
Posted by Liz (Stroudsburg, PA)
★★★★★
I have been through a lifelong battle with urinary tract infections. It's been a vicious cycle of antibiotics then yeast infections and once had laser surgery of my urethrea to open up passage. Cranberry helped, but never cured the problem. Finally my sister found the answer. It's called d-mannose. It is a type of sugar that bonds to the type of bacteria that causes the infection. It works only on infections caused by the bacteria that naturally live in our digestive system and escape into urinary tract. However these make up 90% of urinary infections. for me it's been a miracle. One dose can be taken as a preventative after intercourse. or a few doses a day in case of a full infection. great for pregnant women who don't want antibiotics. I went from having at least 6 infections a year to being antibiotic free for the past 3 years. Couldn't be happier.
D-Mannose
Posted by Eskaay (London) on 08/22/2025
Hello Art
Is d-mannose safe to take as my wife is suffering from frequent UTI issues who is pre-diabetic and also underwent total hysterectomy due to cancer (stage 1b)?
Thanks
Garlic
Posted by Lil (Europe) on 11/01/2022
Hi, can anyone comment on my experience please?
I'm obviously run-down....don't sleep well at all, over-weight and trying to lose it all the time plus the fact it's been a full-on summer and I'm dealing with a traumatic family event.....so I ended up with a bout of cystitis recently, which I've only experienced maybe 3 times in my almost 60 years.
It's lasted 2 weeks and I've been using cranberry juice and bicarb, then I decide I'd go the garlic route, rather than go for antibiotics.
To which end, I sliced up a very large, strong, fresh clove of garlic and macerated it overnight in a pint of water and then drank the whole lot in the morning except for a few bits of the clove which I chewed. As well as this, I made a strong garlic butter and left that overnight as well, before eating it on crackers the next day (and finger-dipping cos I love it so much! ).....
3 days later and I have a large mainly painless lump on my lower gum but no pain in my teeth, and a small painful (when I press it) on the back of my head on the diagonally opposite side to the gum problem.
What I am wondering is, if the garlic is routing any infection and pushing it out of my body by any means? As I sit here typing I'm sucking on a clove of garlic, having found the brilliant post all about infection in the mouth and garlic!
Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed to this interesting and invaluable site.
Avoid High Oxylate Foods
Posted by Elsa (New Zealand) on 02/11/2023
You are certainly right, Syd. Almonds and spinach are oxalates foods Not all superfoods are beneficial for us.
Ginger
Posted by Sandrini (France) on 10/23/2019
★★★★★
I have a great trick for chronic UTIs! At least it worked for me: eating the equivalent of a dice of raw ginger every day. I discovered it by accident,I has a constant subtle pain like the beggining of a UTI for almost a year! It was so annoying. Nothing came up in my blood and urine analysis, it was so frustrating. Sometimes I was having a crisis, got antibiotics, the acute pain was gone, but that annoying little pain was remaining, like a little pinching. And then I had a cold and a friend recommended raw ginger (add milk, or yoghurt, or some food, it's very acidic!). Well my flu didn't stop, but within 2-3 days my UTI symptoms totally disappeared. I continued taking it for about one week or two. And it has been gone.it's now been about 2 years.
When I feel the slightest beginning of pain(it really almost never happens) I just eat some ginger, smaller quantity now. I hope this helps someone too.
Corn Silk
Posted by Terry (Canada) on 05/04/2019
★★★★★
Corn silk works wonders for my dog's incontinence. He was suddenly dripping and peeing in his sleep even though he has never peed in the house in his life. I see that most of the posts have been about female dogs and their spay incontinence but I just want to say that corn silk capsules eradicated my adult male dog's incontinence by 99%.
He is a 70lb dog and I give him one capsule per meal twice a day. I also time when he gets water but not reduce the total amount of water given to him. This way he would not have to hold for as long. In two weeks he went from dripping in his sleep every day to needing to go out earlier than his potty breaks. We listened to him when he would indicate wanting to go and slowly his schedule was back to normal. It has been a month and a half and he stopped having incontinence completely. I will likely give him cornsilk long term since it is inexpensive and effective as incontinence prevention.
