My Mom is having recurrent UTIs. Nothing seems to help. Any advice?

Absolutely agree with the probiotics and cranberry capsules. Also keeping dry and clean is very essential.

We had this all July August September too! It wasn't until the doctor gave her sulfur drugs that the infection subsided, now because of all the behavior changes that occurred while having these infections we now have a very changed person on our hands. Ii bought the test strips there are a few in the box, anytime there seems to be a behavior change, I check, she doesn't seem to have any pain, just the behavior change and I also purchased a bidet attachment for the toilet, to eliminate, contamination, it comes from the way she wipes. She also does not like to drink water much less cranberry juice, so I give her a cranberry pill every other day as cranberry also thins out the blood (bruising). Still trying to get her to drink water...hospitalizations and IV's take away from drinking herself so no matter what I have done to get her to drink water its back to the drawing board, been there many times, seems like you figure one system and the diseases changes everything...and there is no manual...smile!

Addison - I've had UTI's for forty years. For me, coffee doesn't not irritate my bladder. It actually helps me urinate more forcefully, and I believe in doing that, I'm eliminating at least some of the bacteria. HOWEVER, coffee and anything with caffeine (unless you use decaffeinated which may be an idea) will DEHYDRATE! And the old and very old need to stay hydrated.

What I've been doing with my mother was adding the water enhancer 'stuff' you can buy now in the supermarkets. Sometimes I will mix it with soda water. There are different flavors, i.e., lemonade, etc. Keeps her sugar down to minimum levels, etc.

One other thing I've found with me at least wearing a dress versus wearing jeans is very helpful. Also, not sitting for long period of times is extremely helpful.

Once again, the absolutely only thing that ever prevented these infections (especially when I was sexually active) was preventative dose of BACTRIM which of course is a no no today because 'they' say so. Always, always worked, never failed me.

Now I get them at least once every five to six weeks. And do I try not to. I also have a prolapsed colon which needs fixing, so I'm thinking somehow that's involved right now. Also, I'm presuming elderly people (ha ha I'm 63, don't consider myself 'old' but I suppose others do) have the same issues, i.e., gravity! It's the price we pay for preventive medicine that keeps us going until we get so old our bodies just don't want to keep going! And if our bodies do, our brain doesn't!

Addison, I have a typo re. cranberry tabs. I meant that I don't think there is any research on cranberry tabs and how they interact with Coumadin. Sorry.

Addison, my understanding it that caffeine can irritate the bladder. Even decaf can sometimes do that, but I can't swear to that as I'm not a medically trained person. I have stayed away from decaf tea while wrestling with my own UTI. Also drinking some sugar and sweetener free cranberry juice, but have to be careful with that, too. I'm on Coumadin and while lower amounts of the juice don't interact with the Coumadin, they don't know yet about larger amounts (more than 8 oz.?) and cranberry tabs do. That's according to the research I did on the internet. There are so many factors to be aware of when dealing with this stuff. God bless you all!

Does anybody know if drinking 2-3 cups of coffee daily would aggravate a UTI or help it (because your getting extra fluids) My mother is very hard to get fluids into, and has to have her coffee. I'm wondering if the coffee does any harm.

Currently, I have another elderly relative who gets these. I've seen her wipe, back to front, not the other way around. I've had conversations with her about that. They sent a sample to be tested, and prescribed the proper antibiotic. No more problems. And I've been giving her 1 cranberry tab daily to hopefully avert future problems.

My mom, who suffered from vascular dementia, would get UTI's. The urologist scoped her bladder, and determined that, due to mini-strokes, she was not emptying her bladder, and, as he put it, "mosquitos breed more mosquitos". He put her on dose antibiotic, which she took for the remainder of her life. No more UTI's.

Try the cranberry capsules they are more concentrated and does better our urologist recommended them

My mother also suffers from UTI's however here are tips and suggestions that keep her healthy;
Many older women suffer chronic UTI's. This means the infection is not only frequent but may be ever present and not always causing any signs of discomfort (bleeding,pain, low grade fever).
My mother has taken ciproflaxin for over 30 years ( 7 day coarse ) when her infection flares.Generally I see an immediate improvement.
She has dementia (later stages) and it has had no ill effects on her.
Some women take a daily low dose of antibiotic.
Diapers and pads promote infection.It's important they make regular changes throughout the day even if the pad/diaper seems relatively dry.
After a bowel movement it's important for them to wipe "front to back". Older women tend to do the opposite because it's easier for them.
Too much liquid does not flush the system and can in fact help encourage infection.
Older women do not react to treatments (drugs,herbal remedies, antibiotics) the same way as women in the 40's, 50's or 60's.
Oddly enough though a yogurt once or twice a week does seem to help.
I notice if my mother is over tired there is more likely to be a flare up of her infection.
I keep track of her trips to the bathroom.If she is visiting the john more often than usual I pay attention as it's usually the onset of infection and she hasn't voiced any discomfort.
The problem with older women suffering from dementia and UTI's is they will not /can not tell you where the pain, if the pain exists.They often complain of pain and / or discomfort in some other area of their body.
My mother complains of pain in her legs when the UTI begins.
I hope this helps.

Recently, my father was hospitalized for 6 days with a UTI and given IV antibiotics. He has Lewy Body so confusion is baseline for him, but he was MUCH worse in the hospital. I couldn't understand his speech and he made no sense when he did speak. He was bleeding when he urinated so they put in a 3 way catheter which constantly flushed with saline. The urologist told me that as people get older, and especially with Parkinson's/dementia patients like my father, the bladder losses elasticity and doesn't expand and contract well. The person may not be emptying the bladder as often as they should. I wouldn't think that drinking at bedtime would be a good idea for this reason. I didn't think my father was going to make it through this episode. It is very true that some UTI's have become very resistant to certain antibiotics. They switched the first antibiotic my father was on after the urine culture came back two days later. The infection he had was one of the resistant bacteria and he was in insolation because of this - we had to wash hands, put on a gown & gloves when we came into his room - along with all the staff. The urologist told me that patients have died because they antibiotics didn't work for them. Dad also lost so much blood that he had to have a transfusion.

It's a struggle. My mother has has most of the symptoms described above, and has tried most of the remedies. No cure so far. In the past 4 years we've tried:

1. Lots of liquids.
2. Unsweetened cranberry juice.
3. No sugar diet.
4. Bidet.
5. Personal wipes.
6. Changing poise pads frequently.
7. estrogen ring (internal).
8. Estrogen cream, applied externally.
9. Parsley tea.
10. Special bladder tea.
11. D-mannose powder.
12. Methenamine Hippurate, with vitamin C.
13. Vegan diet.

So far also 35 courses of antibiotics, and three episodes of C-Diff. Have not given up hope yet.

To help reduce the recurrence of UTI's Mom's doc wanted sugar in all forms reduced as much as possible. The sugar feeds the bacteria that causes tge UTI's and jello, is mostly sugar. Ice cream not an option for those tgat are lactose intolerant, as my Mom is, causes intestinal upset, so that again, does nothing for recurrent UTI's.

Also meant to give a shout out to gladimhere... that was such a spot-on description of the challenge/frustration of trying to get my mom to drink water! And surely pretty much everyone here can relate, no doubt.

I tried something awhile back just for fun... got some plastic colored tall "shot glasses" (holds about 3 oz., but filled to a manageable level is only 2 oz.) and I offered her a "shotta watta", and pretty much stood there while she drank it to take the empty glass back. Seems she was able to go along with that, and get that much down without too much resistance. And since she seems to have eventually quit drinking out of the regular-size glass of water that I make sure is always near her, I've resorted to giving her these "shots" of water periodically throughout the day. Now it is pretty much the only water she is taking in (other than what liquid I can get into her in other forms), and it is still a relatively small amount - nothing like what she probably should have - but it is that much more than she would have if left to her own initiative.

Seriously, if I try to hand her a larger (normal) glass of water, she might take a sip or two, but they are such pitifully tiny sips, and there is a lot of complaining and resistance - she has even been known to toss the rest of the glass onto a nearby plant, or down the sink if she is near it, in defiance. But she will typically drink the little colored shot glasses down. I guess they are just a "manageable" amount, not worth fighting over to her.

Just thought I'd throw that out there - anything that works, eh?! :)

There is an excellent article by Chris Kresser (Treat and Prevent UTIs Without Drugs) that I came across awhile back when I was in an exasperated phase with mom's UTIs: http://chriskresser.com/treat-and-prevent-utis-without-drugs

This is very informative if you are dealing with chronic UTIs, and mentions several different alternative treatments - apparently the appropriate one can depend on the type/cause of the UTI. (i.e. supplements/enzymes such as D-Mannose, Lauricidin, Nattokinase, Apolactoferrin, and a couple of "biofilm disruptor" products: InterFase Plus and Biofilm Defense)

Following the article are a lot of comments that include some folks' experiences with various treatments, though only a small number of those are elderly patients. For what it's worth, I've had pretty good results with just D-Mannose with my mom... so far.

But regardless of whether you think you will try any of the treatments mentioned, you should read the article. Again, it is very informative. I shared it with my mom's doctor and medical assistant after her last UTI.

DEAR sherry1anne,
Someone on Aging Care.com blog several months ago told about a product named D-Mannose. I found it at the Vitamin Shoppe.com
I ordered it immediately and the UT ANSWER which is a more intense 3 day regimen. My Mom has had an indwelling foley cath for over 20 years due to a spinal cord injury she became paraplegic and could not pass urine at all.
I have got to tell you this has been the most amazing product I have ever used. She has not had to have any antibiotics in 6 months and the last she had was in the vein for several days. The powder I use as instructed daily and when she seems to start having the old symptoms I use the 3 day UT ANSWER. This may or may not work for your loved one but it has been amazing for my MOM!!
I was at my wits end until someone posted this for me to try and I thank GOD daily for the results and that person whomever she was who told me about it.
God Bless you as you seek answers to help your loved one, remember to take care of yourself along the way.

My mother has an "indwelling cath" as she is incontinent from spinal stenosis (also has a colostomy for same nerve loss). We battled UTI's constantly. Finally, after being hospitalized 6 times in 7 months (including extended rehabs so she could function at home), we saw a new female urologists who put her on daily antibiotic maintenance. Bactrim till it stopped working, now Cipro for the last year. She gets infrequent UTI's that are resistant to Cipro and a urine culture determines which antibiotic needs to be substituted for a week to 10 days for the particular bacteria. I can tell from loss of energy, confusion, fever (for her 98-99 is a fever - normal is 95 to 96 so know what her "normal" is). I also give her cranberry pills 300mg twice a day and she no longer uses a leg bag or let's the bags or tubing EVER get above the bladder. Cleanliness, cranberry, water, daily antibiotic maintenance - which is working? Don't care as long as I don't have to see her suffer. If you are "colonized" with bacteria you are one day away from the next UTI. See a urologist who understands elderly women's UTIs. She is 86 yrs old by the way. I'm her son and 5 year caregiver about to turn 60. For those who may also have an indwelling catheter, we now have a nurse change every 3 weeks. Dr can write a letter of Medical Necessity and Medicare will pay for it. She always showers before the change as well as makes sure the nurse uses every item in the insertion tray or you are inviting a UTI. Good luck to all.

As a nurse, I know this is a common concern in the elderly, especially if incontinent. Has she ever been tested for MRSA (methicillin restrictant staph aureus)? Look into the idea of methenamine per a previous posting. Sometimes it is a matter of finding the right chemistry mix to help your mom stay well. This consistent infection will also add to the dementia symptoms which is difficulty to witness; my heart goes out to you. Seeing a urologist specialist is also key if not already incorporated. The situation may seem hopeless but again, it is a matter of finding the right chemistry mix for her body that will help. You've already been through a lot of trial and error and kudos for keeping such great details. Usually in the elderly it is difficult to "force fluids." Offering juicy fruits can help. Again, an urologist specialist who has experience with the elderly...and their typical behaviors...can be most helpful. I will keep good thoughts and prayer for you and your mother.

My mum was the same and it was really scary.Her Doctor said she was losing too much fluid which then led to infection.She gave her medication to stop this frequent flow and we haven't had a problem in 12 months.

I think if one is already prone to infections it is very very important to be sure proper techniques or wiping are used and even using antibacterial flushable wipes. Many older women, especially those who have had children, have hemorrhoids which can interfere with being able to fully clean the anal area following a bowel movement. Trying to fully empty the bladder when possible and urinating as soon as possible after a B.M. may also help. There is no excuse for those responsible for changes at rehab not doing a through job. I would let them know of her health issues and of the importance of through cleaning after a b.m. due to her susceptibility to infections. Sure this may be in her records but the aides that usually help with changing people don't always get this information or don't take the time. Introduce yourself to the people doing the changing and explain how sick she gets due to her frequent UTIs. Once you personalize they will hopefully take extra care. Good luck.

I forgot to tell you what I took her in for --- a UTI!

My advice is to keep her out of the doctor's office. I took my mom in last week and she fell off the examining table because there was no one there to help her up before I could get to her.

:)

After she was brought to the ER with a broken public bone and huge hematoma, she was admitted for three/four days then brought over to REHAB where she is doing poorly with all her numbers that I tried so hard to bring down these past fourteen months!

I'd like to tell you cranberry juice (the REAL COLD PRESSED, NOTHING ADDED) in a shot glass four times a day because there's nothing in it but cranberries) but for me, (and I've have five/six of them this year alone! the only thing that works is ANTIBIOTICS! Plain and simple. PILLS! The cranberry hasn't done as well as researchers were expected when the blind testing was performed. Also, the elderly can't clean themselves well. You can take that from there and do what you want with it.

Wishing you well....

Cystex liquid not opills sold in walgreens, completely eliminated utis for my mom. It contains d-mannose, in high concentration. This is the part of the cranberry that helps utis. One tablespoon a day. The uro suggested a product with this ingredient.

Need to know what bacteria they cultured. My Moms recurrent UTI's was due to improper hygiene. Having to remind her to wipe front to back and we are using baby wipes too.

1.) Bactrim is useless. She can take Tic-Tacs and get the same effect
2.) LOTS OF WATER.
3.) Wipe front to back, not back to front.
4.) After urinating/BM's, clean with baby wipe.
5.) Wear cotton panties---clean pair every day.
6.) No pantyhose or nylons.
7.) If she has to wear Depends, change them frequently.
8.) Avoid catheterization at all costs!!!

HI,
My mum had a stroke as a result of fever + antibiotic dose (may be too high) due to UTI. We had to put her on diapers since then and she had a couple more times of UTI after that . I put her on Bio-Organics Cranberry 20,000 mg (iu) and she has stay clear of UTI since then . I suspect the dosage and quality of cranberry is important. We also make barley + corn silk + corn leaves(discard the outer ones) once a while as this is a diuretic and cleans the bladder ( a traditional chinese medicine method). Hope this help , God Bless.

All of you pouring advice on UTIs today have overlooked the simplest and less harmful of the remedies: Lots of probiotics (with at least 5 billion of a variety of beneficial bacteria -the more strands the better). Another thing, cranberry juice is a waste of money, it's mostly watery sugar. Why not get the cranberry extract in capsules, instead, and take it according to the instructions on the bottle. For a few days you could even exceed by one or two the daily doses. Also STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR and drink plenty of plain filtered water. You'll see how fast and painlessly you can get over a UTI, without the harmful side effects of antibiotics. Remember, antibiotics kill the good bacteria along with the bad. It's a vicious circle and in no time at all you will be back on antibiotics, without lasting relief.

Without the beneficial bacteria in your gut any infections and inflammation find a green light to invade any part of your body, not just the bladder. Probiotics are a sure way to strengthen your immune system, and a healthy immune system can fight any invader, even cancer.

Be loving and gentle with your body.

Peace and hugs,

--Gloria G.

My mother has had these. My mother is at the stage where her kidneys are failing. You might want to get some blood work done on your mother. Pick up the Urinary pills which have 600 mg of cranberry at your health food store. I think it might be put out by Nature's Blend. That has helped my mother. Also, she needs to drinks lots of water. She should also try to drink parsley tea (I think the brand is Alvita), Peach Detox Tea by Yogi (for kidney health) and watermelon seed tea (by Baar-have to order online). Tea might be more appealing than water. A different antibiotic might work for her.

This whole post has been insightful. Mother has constant UTI's and is always on something. I KNOW she is always dehydrated, she will drink as little as possible, also takes Detrol, which I think helps with bladder control, but Mother is full time in depends and also adds a second thick pad so she can use the depends longer. W/O question these all lead to a raging UTI once a month. She says she needs surgery to "fix" her bladder, but no dr will do it, so she is shopping around for one who will! It's like talking to a brick wall to get her to understand she needs to use the toilet when she's home (it's become too much of a hassle, so she just wears depends all day) in lieu of that, DON'T add the second pad, wash herself thoroughly and change out of the depends as soon as possible. I really think in her case, it's a lot of things, not just one that lead her into the UTI's. She NEVER had one the 8 weeks she was in a rehab center. Soon as she's home, she had one in 2 days. Actually, I think she always has some level of bladder infection, and has had as long as I can remember...even when we were kids at home. Quite likely she has taken antibiotics so many times nothing really works any more.

gladimthere, try to get your mom to take fluids through a straw. Also, I heat up juices just 25 seconds in the microwave to take away the chill. Found that adding a few sprinkles of salt takes away the acidity in juice and makes it more pleasant to swallow without adding sugar.