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We have tried every prescription doctors recommended like Methanamine Hipp and Myrbetriq, any supplement I could research , like D-mannose and cranberry tablets. Has anyone out there had any luck keeping these under control? I was thinking I would try a bidet next to see if that would help. It seems like every UTI makes here dementia worse. I wonder if getting delirium from UTIs over and over can cause dementia.

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Do you assist with her toileting, or does she clean herself? Either way, make sure all wiping and cleanup is done front-to-back, and use baby wipes for both urine and BM cleaning. If she's wearing incontinence underwear, frequent changes are mandatory.

I also made sure my mother drank plenty of water to keep things moving. The easiest way for me to keep track was to line up four 8-oz. bottles of water on her little desk every morning, but I had to keep reminding her to "guzzle up" throughout the day. She hated it, but I kept on her, and as a result she suffered only one UTI in the 12 years she was in my home.
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Hatethis May 2021
That's wonderful! I will try to get her to drink water more as well as more underwear changes. That all has been a challenge.
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Has the doc done a culture of the urine? That will determine the type of infection and determine the antibiotic for best treatment.

Get appointment with a urologist. There are some urologist that specialize in female plumbing.
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D-mannose was like a miracle for me personally. I was getting upwards of four UTIs a year no matter what I did, and many went into kidney. This was a decade ago. I have no UTI for the decade after taking one D-mannose a day. The capsules are big, but tasteless to slightly sweet if you break open and dump in a drink, east ti take. I use the Source Natural product from Amazon, about 120 capsules for 30.00 so it is certainly worth a try.
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First find out if she has a pessary inside her that you are not aware of. They need to be taken out and cleaned every three months. At 94 moms gynecologist finally removed hers. Apparently after wearing for a long time your bladder will stay in place. A pessary will cause UTI’s if not cleaned properly. My mom her last two years was on a low dose antibiotic daily. This was a life saver for her and me. Mom used to get UTI’s monthly. One actually hospitalized her with Sepsis. Best of luck to you finding a solution.
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SylviaT May 2021
Hi KaleyBug,
I didn't even know what a pessary was until I looked it up just then on the internet. Thanks for sharing.
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Best option yet is one I've been using myself for 30 years: Apple Cider Vinegar. I'm now 72, used to get UTI's all the time. I take 2 Tbsp. daily, 1 Tbsp. in water after breakfast and 1 Tbsp. in water before bed. Any amount of water is fine if the taste is unpleasant. The ACV should be Organic, "with the Mother" (pulp). Bragg's is best brand, or Trader Joe's. Doctors don't suggest this remedy since Big Pharma has too many remedies to sell (NONE of which help for long~!) This is "grandma medicine" -- cheap, available and actually WORKS~!
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Please find a good urologist, one who is committed to prevention, rather than waiting for a crisis. There are a number of things a urologist can suggest to help maintain a healthy bladder and urethra, thereby preventing a UTI.

I had UTI’s for years. Took all kinds of antibiotics, became resistant to some, got sepsis, was miserable. I got a new urologist who believed in prevention and keeping a healthy bladder & urethra. I have not had a UTI since and, believe me, I am much happier.
it can be done.
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Momheal1 Jun 2021
Can I ask what the urologist gave you that seemed to help. Greatly appreciate it - Thanks
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If she wears pads or diapers of any kind make sure they get changed at LEAST every day, and for certain any time they are wet or soiled. Maybe that will help with the UTI, or other infections that ladies sometimes have to deal with.
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Please don't avoid giving an antibiotic, but make sure it is one that matches the bacteria causing the UTI, meaning you need to get her tested. Make sure she is sparkling clean before any test.

A few responses talk about scent. Don't put scent anywhere near the vagina anus or urinary openings. Let things air out.

But most importantly, there is a direct route from the anus and related areas to the female urinary tract and vagina and that needs to be stopped. After every bowel movement she needs to be cleaned thoroughly with warm water rinses and a gentle towel.

Also, anything with fake sugar can irritate and cause symptoms of a UTI in younger people too. People go for years with urgency, then they can't urinate when they get there, or they have leaks and a lot of it is fake sugar. They'll tell you one is better than the other but all of them have the same effect. Caffeine, caramel color in sodas, soda waters, sometimes even spicy things can irritate the urethra and make it feel like you need to go frequently and urgently. Try removing those things out of the diet if the bacteria culture comes up negative.

I didn't know about the dementia symptoms until after I started taking care of my mom and doing research but I can say for sure that people don't suddenly become senile over a short period of time. That can be from the UTI for sure, unless it's super sudden, which is more likely some sort of stroke.

For every woman reading this, the US doesn't use bidets as a matter of course and I think this is a major problem. Anyone who does laundry in the US knows there are often stains left behind and this means that there is fecal matter remaining on your skin. Feces are stickier than most people think about. If a bird pooped and it landed on your arm would you use a paper towel to wipe it off and that's it? No, you'd need water and that's the same for human feces as well. Sweat, which is natural, will carry that feces to your other openings. It travels. I won't even mention thong underwear because they need to be considered decorative only, and used very briefly, if ever.
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MargaretMcKen May 2021
It's great to read a post from someone who really understands that UTIs are about fecal contamination getting into the bladder, not out-of-the blue and not cured by drinking cranberry juice!
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How does she clean herself after toileting?

Is she wiping the back (anus area) separately?....
or is she wiping from back to front?
There's a possibility she could be infecting herself ...getting the feces on her urinary area.

Yes, frequent URIs can cause dementia like symptoms.
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I hope some of the advice given by others will help.

My daughter suggested I drink Alkaline water. She pays for it to be delivered to my house in 1/2 gallon bottles. (I think she didn't trust me to buy it, but if she purchased it, she hopes I will feel guilty if I don't drink it :-). So far, that and Cranberry pills have helped me. I have some D-mannose, but haven't tried it.

I do find that since my bladder is tipped, I often don't void all the way. So, drinking a lot of the Alkaline may help keep my urine diluted. I don't mean gallons, just being aware that I need to drink often.

I have to wear some light pads which I change often. Too, my sewing/computer room is next to a bathroom, when I get up, I just go to the bathroom before doing anything else.

I hope you find something for her.
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MargaretMcKen May 2021
Yes, the preventers (eg cranberry) are usually alkaline. The first test at the doctor is to put a litmus-type drop into your urine sample. If it turns red, the urine is acidic and you have a Urinary Tract Infection. The lab test shows what type, so what type of antibiotic you need.
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