Bladder Infections
Natural Remedies

Effective Natural UTI Remedies for Quick Relief

Avoid Alcohol, Drink Water

Posted by min54teresa (Fresno, CA) on 05/14/2009

I am currently trying to heal a bladder infection sans antibiotics. I have Hep C & try to avoid them as much as possible in an attempt to treat my system & liver as best I can. My bladder infections have always been a result of not drinking enough water daily, combined with alcohol (usually a celebration) & a 'frisky' husband. ... Enough with the celebrations already! Yes, I know alcohol is the worst for Hep C, but I allow myself to sin a couple times a year if for no other reason than to remind myself that I DO NOT need to. I've been on an over the counter paid med for a few days while drinking tons of distilled water. I only drink DISTILLED water for my Hep C & it helps. The OTC pain meds help, but the infection is still lingering. I just came upon this site & will be trying the alkaseltzer & ACV today. I'll write an update within 24 hours FYI.

Wish me luck kids!


Avoid Coffee

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by DianeC (Riverside Ca.) on 07/22/2023
★★★★★

Dear Earth Clinic,

I was having a very difficult time with UTI's off and on, including using various over the counter medications and UTI aids. I was about to go to my Doctor for help. Instead I decided to eliminate my love for COFFEE and see if my love for coffee was the culprit! And sure enough my UTI's stopped bothering me when I eliminated Coffee for good!

The first few days of no longer using coffee (and I drank loads of it starting at the AM) and my UTI problem halted! I still am no longer drinking coffee and I am doing FINE! I just wanted to share this with other sufferers! I still use the AZO cranberry capsules twice a day for good measure! Thank you DianeC.


Avoid High Oxylate Foods

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Syd (New Mexico) on 08/20/2020
★★★★★

Editor's Choice I get HORRIBLE cystitis when I eat high oxalate foods. It took me a while to figure it out. (I had FOUR tests that showed I had no infection, so I figured that it must be something, and then I came upon oxalates. I was having spinach smoothies every morning, plus lots of almond butter, and when I stopped those the cystitis went away. (You have to stop slowly or you'll "dump" a lot of oxalates and that is horrible.) every time I tried to reintroduce oxalates to test this, the cystitis came back.

Oxalates certainly may not be an issue for everyone, but it's useful to rule out.

Replied by Wendy
(Dublin, OH)
08/20/2021
★★★★★

I have been UTI free for the past nine months, and then this morning I got a major one! I'm so glad you posted about high oxalate foods, because guess what I had last night? 3 cups of steamed organic beets! And, beets are a high oxalate food. Now I know!

Replied by Elsa
(New Zealand)
02/11/2023

You are certainly right, Syd. Almonds and spinach are oxalates foods Not all superfoods are beneficial for us.


Avoid Spermicides

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Cynthia (San Fran, CA) on 02/04/2006
★★★★★

I recently started up a new relationship and at the same time started getting bladder infections, one after another. I finally figured out that the bladder infections were being caused by the spermicide in the contraceptive film I was using! At the same time, sex was becoming very painful. I think the chemicals in the spermicide was causing the vaginal walls to become sensitive -- raw feeling. As soon as I switched to condoms (without spermicide), no more bladder infections and no more vaginal pain. I bet spermicides may be one of the leading causes of bladder infections and women attribute them to something entirely different (like rough sex)..


Baking Soda

24 User Reviews
5 star (20) 
  83%
3 star (2) 
  8%
1 star (1) 
  4%
(1) 
  4%

Posted by Joyce (Ontario ) on 02/24/2022
★★★★★

Bladder infection:

Do this for 1 day. 1 in the morning and 1 before bed …half teaspoon baking soda in half glass lukewarm water

infection will be gone.


Baking Soda
Posted by Teena (Melbourne, Australia) on 07/03/2018 233 posts
★★★★★

Editor's Choice Recent UTI affliction had me in a lil discomfort and a lot of annoyance, mostly confined to the proximity of the toilet. I made plantain tea but only had enough leaves for one cup, my prior experience showed requirement (and great results) from 3 cups. Took some vitamin c, Olive leaf, and grapefruit seed extract, large dose of LI but when I found blood in urine I really had to act.

Recently reminded of the benefits of baking soda, I knew raising the alkalinity of my body would be beneficial and immediately consumed a tsp with glass water. About an hour later I took another tsp, this time with 'medicinal' kombucha (kombucha second fermented with parsley, lemon buds and rosehips) instead of acv, purely because I have more kombucha because I make it, and good tsp or two of coconut oil.

I did this mix twice more that evening, taking the baking soda and water to bed with me so when I got up through the night I could take it. By bedtime I had had much improvement but in the morning everything was back to normal. Relief!!

A precaution I had read regarding UTI/bladder infection was if you didn't treat it long enough it would reach the kidneys and cause more problems. At the same time, baking soda is recommended for improving kidney function so I didn't really see a problem. Have continued to take two doses daily of the baking soda for a total of three days. I am now recommitted to the use of baking soda and used it on my son's chalazion which was soothing while acting as a poultice. If I had uti again I would go for the plantain, the results were almost immediate, but if unavailable because of travel, etc, my second choice with absolute confidence would definitely be the baking soda. Best to all.


Baking Soda
Posted by Claudia (Tx) on 07/29/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice I have had bladder infections for 42 of my 65 years, starting at the age of 21. I'm guessing 100+ infections - and that is not an exaggeration. I learned early on, that I am seriously allergic to Erythromycin, which is a common antibiotic used for bladder infections. So, Cipro became the antibiotic they always prescribed. However, eventually the bacteria became resistent & the Cipro stopped working. It was at that time (about 8 years ago), that I was beginning to embark on my alternative medicine journey. I decided I needed to find a holistic approach to treat & prevent my frequent, painful bladder infections.

I tried all of the other remedies (and then some) listed here, with little to moderate success: Apple Cidar Vinegar (ACV) Grapefruit Seed Extract Olive Leaf Extract Olive Essential Oil (EO) Cranberry Juice + Mannitol Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Lemon juice SOLE' made with Himalayan Salt Colloidal Silver Rosemary EO Thyme EO Sage EO Plus, the above 4 combined in a tonic. If I was persistent enough, usually, after a several days to a couple weeks, the infection went away, only to return within a month - meaning all of the bacteria weren't killed off & they eventually multiplied and increased, to form a full blown bladder infection.

A couple years ago, I came on the idea of using baking soda, to alkalize my urine, which would stop the bad bacteria from growing. That worked fairly well. But occasionally, if I didn't use it for a week after the bladder pain stopped, eventually a low grade would return, meaning the infection was returning. I think the reason the baking soda works, is that the bad bacteria thrive in an acid environment. The baking soda (and ACV, for that matter) turn the urine alkaline - thereby creating a hostile environment, in which, the bad bacteria can't survive.

Then, after more research, I came to the realization that I was missing one important fact: Sugar feeds bacteria. As long as I eliminated all sugar from my diet (including fruit & honey), my infections went away a lot faster and didn't return. I haven't had an infection in a year and a half. I eat very little sugar these days. But, if I go out to dinner, and do eat a few bites of something sweet, I will take 1 Tablespoon of the below solution. This seems to counter balance the sugar, which might feed bacteria in my urine. I do my baking soda remedy differently than the above member Kelly (Vancouver, Bc) on 07/27/2016 mentioned.

I use 1/4 tsp of baking soda in water, 3-4 times a day. To make a larger quantity, so I don't have to get the baking soda out multiple times a day, I do the following:

4 level teaspoons baking soda 2 cups very hot filtered water 2 cups cold filtered water 1- 1 quart (32 oz) glass bottle.

Mix baking soda in hot water, until dissolved. Add cold water to cool the solution. Using a funnel, pour water into glass bottle. Do not use plastic bottle or utensils, as plastic molecules can leech into the solution. Its also important to drink plenty of filtered water a day. I drink 8-10 [8 oz] glasses spaced throughout the day. If I am outside in the Texas heat, of course I increase that to 12-16 glasses, depending on how much I perspire.

Each 2 Tablespoons = 1/4 tsp baking soda dose. I take 3 to 4 doses spaced out through the day. Since this tastes really salty, making it taste awful, I add the 2 Tablespoons to 8 oz of filtered water. It still alkalizes my urine, and is easier to take.

I would caution against taking several teaspoons a day of baking soda, without keeping tabs on the pH of the urine. Most people walk around with a total body pH of 4.5 to 6.0. Ideal urine pH is 7 to 7.5. Having a pH higher than 7.5 is just as detrimental as a lower pH. Taking too much baking soda could push the pH over the ideal 7.5. So, if a person is taking baking soda, it is important to test their urine pH at least 2-3 times a day. Don't test first thing in the morning, as the urine is more concentrated, after the bladder not being emptied 6-8 hours over night. PH test strips can be bought on amazon dot com - a jar of 100+ strips for approximately $11-13 USD.

Replied by L J
(Los Angeles, California)
07/30/2016

I must warn you that excessive ingesting of Baking Soda causes the kidneys to burn out.

So please beware...this from my urologist.

xoxo L J

Replied by Vibegirl
(Buffalo, Ny)
08/08/2016
14 posts

@LJ - Actually my research shows this as incorrect...so you may want to check into it before telling others (even though your doctor told you).

"The U.S. National Health Institute conducted studies that first showed the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate dialysis in the place of normal dialysis. Patients placed on this treatment showed greater nitrate oxide synthase, which is a process that balances teh ph level of the blood.'

I'm not saying it's something you should do daily..but to say it causes the kidneys to burn out is not an accurate statement when used properly and in small doses.

Worth checking into.

Replied by Prioris
(Fl)
06/17/2017

Here is something I came across. Could be useful.

FORSKALIN
"After customary antibiotic treatment, the vast majority of the bacteria are either killed by the antibiotics or eliminated during urination, " Abraham said. "However, there are small numbers of bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment because they sneak into the lining of the bladder, waiting for the opportunity, after antibiotic treatment, to come out and start multiplying again."

The researchers found that forskalin has the ability to force the bacteria out of their niches and into the urine, where they can be killed by antibiotics.

Abraham said that forskalin's action makes intuitive sense, since the herb is known to rev up certain cellular activity. This heightened activity in the bladder causes the specialized pouches to "flush out" their contents -- in this case, the hiding E. coli.

"This herb has been used in Asia for centuries for a wide variety of ailments, " Abraham said. "However, one of its constant uses has been for treating painful urination."


Baking Soda
Posted by Kelly (Vancouver, Bc) on 07/27/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice For A bladder infection:

Baking Soda!! Haven't taken antibiotics in years since I found this remedy. It works during all stages. You get pain relief almost instantly as the Baking Soda will raise the acid-base balance of the acidic urine and clean your whole bladder out.Depending on how badly your UTI has progressed (how long it went untreated), here is my dosing schedule:

  • Day 1: 1/2 - 1 tsp baking soda in dissolved in water 3 times a day
  • Day 2: 1/2 - 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in water 2 times a day
  • Day 3: 1/2 - 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in water 1 time a day
  • Day 4: 1/2 - 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in water 1 time a day
  • Day 5: 1/2 - 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in water 1 time a day

You can continue this treatment from 3-7 days depending on the severity of the infection. Its important to continue drinking this mixture once a day for a couple days after symptoms are gone to make sure that it will not come back. If your UTi is severe you can do 3 x a day for the first few days if needed.

Don't drink this mixture on an extremely full stomach, as you will get a horrible stomach ache, but some food is fine.

Remember to take your vitamins as baking soda will deplete you of essential vitamins and minerals, particularly B vitamins, folic acid and chromium. Take a Vitamin B supplement and other daily vitamins if you are worried.

Drink an extra glass of water after your glass with baking soda and remember to stay hydrated, you won't kick this thing unless you are clearing out your bladder, which will only happen with lots of water drinking..


Baking Soda
Posted by Joanvirginia (Chantilly, Va) on 09/25/2013
★★★★★

I've had exceptional results preventing and relieving UTIs with baking soda. Dissolve a 1/2 teaspoon in a glass of water and drink it a few times during the day. I've gone from pain to relief in no time at all!


Baking Soda
Posted by Nurse Jon (Everywhere) on 09/24/2013
★★★★★

The water cures protocol is used on most of the people I treat,. Only thing, there is a separate water cures protocol for UTI's.

Simply use 1/2 tsp baking soda in a glass of water and drink on an empty stomach. It usually eliminates the symptoms overnight or within 12 hours.


Baking Soda
Posted by Paula (Monterey, Ca, Usa) on 03/19/2013

I too had numerous urinary tract infections and lots of antibiotics for them, before I learned to both avoid them in the first place and cure them early on.

To prevent them:

- I wear nothing but cotton undies (silk or other natural materials might work too, but absolutely no polyester/synthetics).
- Never wash lady parts with soap or other substances, only clean water.

To cure them when I feel one coming:

- Drink a tall glass of water, or two. Or three.
- Absolutely do not consume anything sugary. Sugar feeds the UTI and makes it much worse. So soda does not count as water, it is anti-water here.
- I mix a tablespoon of baking soda in a tall glass of water (12 oz?), just stir it with a spoon and drink as much as I can. It tastes so vile I have to force it down, but this coctail has not failed me once since I found it. I have nipped every UTI (which come rarely now anyway) in the bud with extra water and the baking soda drink, but more advanced cases may require repeated doses.

Replied by Kathy
(Clemmons, Nc)
04/24/2015
★★★★★

Was in great discomfort today with UTI. Came home and read on this site about baking soda and vinegar. Almost immediate relief. Thank you Earthclinic!

Replied by Kerrie
(Napa)
11/03/2015

I tried this and ended up with diarrhea and urination pain relief, so you might want to start off slow, if you have a sensitive system...


Baking Soda
Posted by Silver Star (Palo Alto, Ca) on 10/03/2012
★★★★★

CURED... I was getting UTIs all the time until about 5 years ago. then I discovered the baking soda remedy. I'm sure the alkaline diet is a much healthier way to go but I needed an instant remedy and haven't had a UTI in 5 years. All I did was take a few pinches of baking soda (Very Alkalizing!!! ) with a glass of water every 2 hours for the first day or two (not while I slept of course), then when the pain went away I took a few pinches with water as I felt any tiny bit of pain. Baking soda made me retain water while I was taking it and I would be careful if I had high blood pressure. Those are the only issues I know of so I'm a huge supporter!! I was so tired of antibiotics!!!


Baking Soda
Posted by Ria (Mombasa, Kenya) on 09/07/2012
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Hi there. Yesterday I woke up with with a burning sensation while urinating and the urge to urinate often made me realize that I might be getting a UTI. I had read somewhere that a quick remedy to fix a start of a UTI is taking 1 tsp of soda bi carbonate with a glass of water every hour for 3 hrs to make the urine less acidic. I took 1 tsp and another 1 tsp an hour later. Never got to do the 3rd one. The burning sensation disappeared but today I woke up with a feeling of tiredness and a headache. Can it be a side effect or an overdose of soda bi carbonate? thanks!

Replied by Nicole
(Usa)
06/04/2017

Sounds like a healing reaction.


Baking Soda
Posted by Kk (Ny) on 05/10/2011
★★★★★

I suffer from frequent urinary tract irritations and do not want to alway go on antibiotics. I have tried almost every remedy out there from nettle tea to probiotics. For the past two episodes, I found a recommendation on the internet to drink a teaspoon of baking soda diluted in water and miraculously the burning goes away almost instantly. It might have something to do with the acid/alkaline in my system overreacting and the baking soda acts as a soother?

Replied by Angie
(Kenosha, Wi)
10/28/2011
★★★★★

Baking soda (1/2 tsp in 8 oz water every 2 hours at the onset of a bladder infection, repeating for 3 days) has been 100% effective for me. It changes your body's alkalinity making it inhospitable to bacteria. When I was in the throes of a terrible bladder infection, here are the steps I took and worked like a charm (and it's never gotten this bad again now that I know to start the baking soda at the first sign):

1. Take 600mg ibuprofen to reduce inflammation of the urinary tract (and I wash this down with the first dose of baking soda water).

2. Frozen pack wrapped in a towel held over urethra to reduce inflammation.

3. Doing these 2 things makes me able to urinate normally within an hour.

4. To completely kill the bacteria and keep it at bay, you must keep doing the baking soda water every 2 hours, urinate frequently, and wake up a couple of times in the middle of each night to urinate so bacteria can't breed--do this for about 3 days and you'll be good. If you start to feel signs of UTI returning on that 4th day, restart the regimen immediately and keep doing it for a couple more days (but you shouldn't have to).

Replied by Ragsie
(Lower Hutt, Nz)
02/03/2012
★★★★★

This is the best advice I have read and tried for UTI. It went away very quickly. Thanks for posting and hope others can benefit from your extremely useful post!

Replied by Marla
(Los Angeles, California)
05/12/2012

I feel better but did not fully cure. I got yet another UTI, and it seemed indomitable. I took Cipro, (The God of antibiotics to cure UTI infections and it seemed to do nothing). I tried a million different things. ACV, Cornsilk tea, and asparagus, (2 cans a day for a week), nothing was working. I began to really worry about having interstitial cystitus, an awful and very debilating condition in which your bladder lining has microscopic cuts, ulcers, and damage, and your not able to eat hardly ANYTHING, and be on a strict diet, (basically vegetables and nothing with citurs or acids) as it will all burn you. Not even vitamins, or sugars are appropriate as these women live with chronic pain, even at night, to where they cant even sleep thru the night. I figured I did something to my bladder drinking all that apple cider vinegar for the last 4 years now, trying to control my reoccuring UTI's, lol!

I finally decided on the 1/2 half teaspoon baking soda in 8 oz of water every two hours for three days recipe. My GOD was this difficult. I drank tons of water, ate very lightly, I DID feel better, and I thought it was working. By the third day, I didnt complete the process cuz I was feeling pretty awful and getting side effects from the constant onslaught of baking soda(headache, dizzyness, just feeling not right, lol! ) I decided to go back to acidying myself again, and I fig, if I have interstitial Cystitus, I will know for sure, if I try this new remedy.

What did work, was taking massive doses of vitamin C. I read somewhere about a women that said this cure was failsafe, and she swears by it.

Take 5 1000mg vitamin C tablets every two to two and a half hours 4 times for one day. So, by the end of the day, you would need to have taken 20, 000mg vitamin c, and lots of water. So every two hours, I took 5 1000mg vitamin c pills for four times all day.

I did this yesterday, and by GOD, I think this has worked. (fingers crossed). The only downside as Ive had burning, acid runs since yesterday morning, but she said this was normal, and worth it if my bladder pain is gone. Fingers crossed I think it mite have worked :)

If it hasnt Im trying D mannose again, and echanacea, as that has worked for me before. OR a new remedy I just read about, 1/2 tsp cream of tarter in a few inches of water, twice a day for three days.

Replied by Shampoo
(Los Angeles, California)
05/19/2012
★☆☆☆☆

UPDATE::: Ok guys, the vitamin C cure DID not work, as the cream of tarter in a few inches of water, DID NOT WORK EITHER. Baking soda didnt work, and I got sick and could have possibly poisoned myself, (i just read about the dangers of taking too much baking soda online) UGH....

I was beginning to despair, so NOW, Im feeling great, and for the last week or so Ive been taking massive doses of Echinacea, (4 4oomg pills 4 times thruout the day) but altho I was feeling better, it wasnt really nipping my problem in the bud, as I was beginning to have excrutiating pain at night, and by now I starting to feel fully convinced I have the dread, interstitial cystitus!!!

Guys, D MANNOSE!!! I have tried D mannose TWICE before inthe past and it seemed to do nothing for me. It was like drinking sugar water, it seemed to be the most rediculous cure ever!!!!! However, after tireless internet google research, all these women were swearing by it, (even saying things like, 9 out of 10 women are cured by D mannose, and I have interstitial incurable bladder disease and this cured me) so I decided to give it another go.

I tried a really cheap brand of D mannose before, and some women claimed that it DOES make a difference to go with a high quality more expensive brand, and that not all d mannose are created equal, I guess, so I spent about $25.00 for a little jar.

It says on the jar to take a teaspoon every 4 hours, (like 4 times a day) and double for a raging case, (like mine) I took a teaspoon and a half every 2 hours like SEVERAL times a day, and by the third day, I really almost feel normal again, I feel great. I ordered another jar, I really think its working!! Its pricey but worth it.

I suppose the d mannose receptors attract e coli to them and then they attach off the wall and get flushed out of the bladder. Ive also read the d mannose can do this to sperm! So be careful ladies, if your trying to conceive, I read d mannose might interfere with pregnancy. They are even trying to patent a contraceptive using d mannose, lol! I was thinking of using d mannose as a preventative, as many women have had success doing that, but since I want to have a baby... I'll have to try something else when I dont have an infection. Im gonna try a brand of herbal cranberry supplement sold on amazon. One women claims after intercourse she takes 2 pills and a full glass of water and she hasnt had an infection in 10 years.

Im going to continue the d mannose for another week after my symptoms have fully gone. A teaspoon three times a day. Good luck ladies, and I will report back with my progress!!

Replied by Mark
(Warsaw, Poland)
05/21/2012

My sister had a bladder infection for a while with pain and constant going to the toilet. She avoids going to see her doctor if she can help it and certainly hates using antibiotics. However, her condition worsened to the extent that she couldn't function properly, forcing her to see her local GP - she lives in the UK. It happened that another doctor was covering her GP, who had worked in Africa for a number of years and where doctors rarely have access to antibiotics. Often they have to rely on natural remedies. He advised my sister to take half a glass of soda water and half a glass of unpasteurised milk, mixed together. The mixture should be consumed first thing in the morning and then 2-3 times during the day. My sister's problem disappeared within 24 hours. Best of luck. God Bless.


Baking Soda
Posted by Suzanne (Abbotsford, Bc) on 03/10/2010
★★★★★

As many have commented on here, I endured many bladder infections and took WAY too many antibiotics before knowing that they can cause more problems than they "cure". Yes, you will probably end up with yeast infections sooner or later, if you take antibiotics. Some simple preventive measures: have showers, not baths, and pee after being intimate.

If you still get one, take 1/2 tsp. baking soda in a glass of water, several times a day, if necessary, until it goes away. This alkalizes your body, and an alkalized body cannot get sick. I also take baking soda if I feel something "coming on" and it almost always goes away.



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